The Scarsdale Diet

The Scarsdale was very popular in the 1970’s, when it was first published by Herman Tarnower as a “scientific” way of losing weight. Similar to The Zone Diet now being promoted by Jennifer Aniston and Madonna, it divides your total calorie count into acceptable percentages: carbohydrates (43%), proteins (22.5%), and fats (22.5%). Unlike the Zone diet, it is not meant to be maintained past 14 days, and does fruit substitutes for certain foods.  

      Unfortunately there is no big science in the Scarsdale diet, it just has such a low amount of calories that you will lose weight. And of the calories you are allowed, a large part of it comes from fat—a risk you take when you’re wolfing down large amounts of protein.

Day 1

§         Breakfast: coffee or tea with sugar substitute, and 1/2 grapefruit

§         Lunch: any amount of lean beef, chicken or fish, tomato salad, and coffee or tea

§         Dinner: broiled fish, tomato and lettuce salad, and grapefruit or melon

Day 2

§         Breakfast: coffee or tea with sugar substitute, and 1/2 grapefruit

§         Lunch: any amount of fruit salad and coffee

§         Dinner: hamburger (without bread) and all the cooked vegetables you desire

      Day 3

§         Breakfast: coffee or tea with sugar substitute, and 1/2 grapefruit

§         Lunch: tuna salad and grapefruit or melon

§         Dinner: two lean pork chops, mixed green salad, and coffee

Day 4

§         Breakfast: coffee or tea with sugar substitute, and 1/2 grapefruit

§         Lunch: two eggs, cottage cheese, 3 oz. squash, 1 slice of toast, and  coffee

§         Dinner: chicken (grilled or broiled, skin removed), spinach or green pepper, and coffee

      Day 5

§         Breakfast: coffee or tea with sugar substitute, and 1/2 grapefruit

§         Lunch: all the dry cheese you want, spinach and 1 toast

§         Dinner: broiled fish, cooked vegetables or green salad, and 1 toast

Day 6

§         Breakfast: coffee or tea with sugar substitute, and1/2 grapefruit

§         Lunch: fruit salad (as much as you want), and1 coffee

§         Dinner: broiled chicken w/o skin, tomato and lettuce salad, grapefruit or melon, and coffee

      Day 7

§         Breakfast: coffee or tea with sugar substitute, and 1/2 grapefruit

§         Lunch: cold or hot chicken, tomato and lettuce salad, and grapefruit or melon, and coffee

Dinner: lean beef, mixed salad, and coffee