Scarsdale Diet: Overview, Benefits, and Downsides

The Scarsdale diet restricts calorie intake to about 1,000 a day and promotes the use of appetite suppressants to enhance weight reduction. Vigorous exercise of any type is not recommended because you consume so few calories.

Following the conclusion of the 14-day diet plan, you enter the “Keep Slim” program, during which you gradually incorporate foods such as bread back into your diet. If you discover that you are gaining weight while on the “Keep Slim” program, you are to return to the 14-day diet plan.

However, studies have reported that weight reduction with this diet is primarily due to water loss rather than fat loss. This means that it is highly likely that you will regain any weight lost once you resume your normal diet and activity. 

Although the diet is easy to follow because there is no need to worry about portion control or calorie tracking, experts consider it to be a harmful and ultimately ineffective approach to slimming down.

The Scarsdale diet is centered on consuming a 1,000-calorie diet made up of 43% protein, 34.5% carbs, and 22.5% fat. 

Breakfast

• Half a grapefruit or seasonal fruit
• One slice of plain protein bread or whole wheat bread (no spread)
• Coffee or tea with no sugar

Lunch

• Chicken 
• As much salad as you want with one teaspoon of olive oil
• Coffee or tea with no sugar
• Fruit (4 times a week)

Snack

• Raw carrots and celery sticks

Dinner

• Lean fish
• As many low-calorie veggies as you want with one teaspoon of sunflower oil
• Coffee or tea with no sugar

Results

• Rapid weight loss
• You lose about 8.8 lbs in the first week or approximately 1 lb a day

Easy to follow

The Scarsdale diet does not require extensive preparation. Because the meal plan has few modifications, there is limited room for mistakes.

Try not to add any foods that are not on the allowed list of foods. If you develop a food allergy, you can quickly identify and eliminate the source of the allergy.

Short duration

The diet only lasts for 14 days, after which you can gradually increase your calorie consumption and reintroduce starchy foods, dairy, and other previously avoided foods. All of these should be reintroduced in small portions so that you do not regain weight quickly.

This diet should not be followed for an extended time. However, you can return to it if you notice that your weight has increased over healthy limits.

No calorie-counting

There is no need to track your calorie intake every meal. Simply sticking to the diet plan will put you on the right track. Since your choices are fairly restricted, it allows you to purchase 14 days’ worth of supplies all at once (except for protein bread, which spoils faster).

Affordable

The Scarsdale diet does not include specialty foods that are hard to find or expensive. You do not need to subscribe to a mobile app or purchase a plan, unlike other popular weight reduction regimens.

Kidney and liver damage

This diet may harm the kidneys and liver if followed for an extended period of time. This is especially likely if you tend to be dehydrated or already have kidney and liver problems.

Metabolic disorder

The Scarsdale diet may cause predisposed individuals to have porphyria episodes. Porphyria is a disorder in which the body excretes an abnormally large amount of compounds called porphyrins. Fasting or long-term usage of a very low-calorie diet can trigger this hereditary metabolic condition.

Starvation mode

Severely restricting calorie intake can cause your body to go into starvation mode. This is the point at which your body begins to store any type of food as fat instead of utilizing it as an energy source. During the first several days of the diet, you may constantly feel hungry, which can take a toll on your mood and overall emotional health.

Increased cravings

Since this diet is very restrictive, it can increase your cravings for high-calorie, carb-dense, oily foods.

Calcium deficiency

Calcium intake may be inadequate since milk and dairy are limited in this diet plan. This increases the risk of calcium deficiency, particularly for women.

Unsafe

The medical community warns that the Scarsdale diet poses potential health risks and does not encourage eating habits needed for sustainable, healthy weight reduction.