Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet Plus Dr. Tarnower's Lifetime Keep-slim Program

Rate this book
You'll get the simple basics of diet chemistry...An easy plan for losing up to twenty pounds on two weeks... A Two-On-Two-Off Program for maintaining a healthy weight... And new diet-variation gourmet, money-saver, vegetarian and international. Five complete 14-day menu plan.

244 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1978

13 people are currently reading
187 people want to read

About the author

Herman Tarnower

1 book1 follower

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
39 (32%)
4 stars
35 (29%)
3 stars
21 (17%)
2 stars
15 (12%)
1 star
9 (7%)
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
2 reviews
August 5, 2022
Isn't the complete book.

Last few pages are missing. Recipes for Money saver diet aren't there. Apparently as usual on Kindle books, the person that
proof reads is not very good at their job.

Profile Image for Jacki.
21 reviews2 followers
March 3, 2023
This is the only diet that has ever worked for me. After my initial diet when i took off about 30 pounds, I now use it about once a year (after the holiday season) to lose 5 to 10 pounds. And I've been doing this since the mid-70s! It does take self-discipline, of course, but it also changed my eating habits in a good way: I no longer take sugar or milk in tea and coffee, I like bread and toast without butter, and I fill up on vegetables instead of starches. It's not for everybody but it's definitely for me!
1 review
July 12, 2022
the kindle version is incomplete

The kindle version is incomplete and only goes up to page 98, does not include money saver recipes, vegetarian diet or recipes plus
Profile Image for notgettingenough .
1,082 reviews1,376 followers
June 12, 2010
When I was little I lived with a binge eater/dieter, my father, who spent most of his life obese in the generous sense of the word, rather than that medical one where a couple of kilos does it.

It very easily becomes a way of life; we do, after all, when we are little, like nothing more than to imitate our parents. I wanted to go on diets because he was.

When I left home this pattern continued for a while. I lived with a person who was also a binge eater/dieter and the Scarsdale diet came into my life.

THE SCARSDALE MEDICAL 14-DAY DIET

Where no portion is indicated, you can eat as much as you like.
Eat until you are satisfied, not stuffed.

Between meals you can snack on carrots and celery

BREAKFAST EVERY DAY:
One half grapefruit -if not available,use fruits* in season
One slice of protein bread**, toasted, no spread added
Coffee /tea (no sugar, cream or milk, no honey)

MONDAY

Lunch:
Assorted cold cuts***
Tomatoes - sliced, broiled, or stewed
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

*** Can be subsituted with fish, seafood, chicken or turkey, or veg protein

Dinner:
Fish or shellfish, any kind
Combination salad, any greens and vegetables as you wish
One slice protein bread, toasted
Grapefruit - if not available, use fruits in season
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

TUESDAY

Lunch:
Fruit salad, any combination of fruits
[substitute lunch recommended - see bottom of page:]
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Dinner:
Plenty of broiled, lean hamburger (see Meat & Poultry link for info)
Tomatoes, lettuce, celery, olives (limit 4), cucumbers
and/or Brussels Sprouts
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

WEDNESDAY

Lunch:
Tuna fish or salmon salad (oil drained off)
with lemon and vinegar dressing
Grapefruit, or melon, or fruit in season
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Dinner:
Sliced roast lamb***, all visible fat removed
Salad of lettuce,tomatoes,cucumbers,celery
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

*** Can be subsituted with fish, seafood, chicken or turkey, or veg protein

THURSDAY

Lunch:
Two eggs, any style (no fat used in cooking)
Low-fat cottage cheese
Zucchini, or string beans, or sliced/stewed tomatoes
One slice of protein bread, toasted
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Dinner:
Roast, broiled or barbequed chicken (skin and visible fat removed before eating)
Plenty of spinach, green peppers, string beans
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

FRIDAY

Lunch:
Assorted cheese slices (preferably lowfat)
Spinach, all you want
One slice of protein bread, toasted
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Dinner:
Fish or shellfish
Combination salad (any fresh vegetables desired, raw or cooked)
One slice of protein bread, toasted
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

SATURDAY

Lunch:
Fruit salad, any combination of fruits
[substitute lunch recommended:]
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Dinner:
Roast turkey or chicken
Salad of tomatoes and lettuce
Grapefruit or fruit in season
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

SUNDAY

Lunch:
Cold or hot turkey or chicken
Tomatoes, carrots, cooked cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower
Grapefruit, or fruit in season
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Dinner:
Plenty of broiled (grilled) steak, all visible fat removed before eating; any cut of steak you wish- sirloin, porterhouse, London broil, etc.
Salad of lettuce, cucumbers, celery, tomatoes (sliced or cooked)
Brussels Sprouts
Coffee/Tea/Diet Soda/Water

Ugghhhhhhh. Never again will I do anything like this.
Profile Image for Lisa (Harmonybites).
1,834 reviews417 followers
September 12, 2013
This defines "fad diet." If you once were on this way back when you may remember when you could actually buy the required protein bread (which tasted awful) in supermarkets. Those days are gone. Scarsdale has been called just a rip-off of the Atkins diet--another "high protein" diet that made carbs the enemy. WebMD has this to say about such diets:

"These diets are not safe, they are not healthy, and they are not a good way to try to get healthy," says Leslie Bonci, RD, nutritionist with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Complex and a spokesperson for the ADA. "They provide short-term, rapid weight loss by causing the body to shed water weight and muscle. But that is no way to keep weight off for very long, and it's dangerous to your body chemistry."

And it's pretty boring and repetitive and unappealing. Here's what you're supposed to eat for Monday to give you a flavor:

Breakfast:

Coffee or tea with sugar substitute and a half of a grapefruit and a slice of protein bread

Lunch:

Assorted cold cuts with tomatoes (sliced, broiled or stewed) and coffee or tea

Dinner:

As much broiled fish or shellfish as you like along with a slice of protein bread, unlimited salad and a grapefruit


You can find the whole week here:

http://www.momswhothink.com/lose-weig...

Same breakfast every day and lunch and dinner usually loaded with protein and a token veggie. I showed this to a friend, and she said it sounded like the grimmest book on the planet, and I shouldn't just get rid of the book, I should burn it. OK, so is there anything good to be said about it to justify keeping on my bookshelves any longer? Well, yes, when you're starting a diet it makes it easier NOT to have a lot of choices you have to dither over. To have guidance and know each day exactly what you're having. And well, yes, I did lose weight pretty rapidly with it--about 20 pounds in two weeks as advertised. But I never was able to stand this diet long enough to reach my goal weight, and only achieved that and stopped yo-yo-ing when I moved to healthier, more balanced and less extreme diets and exercised.
10.9k reviews34 followers
September 1, 2024
THE ORIGINAL BOOK ABOUT THIS HIGH-PROTEIN, LOW-FAT, LOW-CARBOHYDRATE DIET,

Herman Tarnower (1910-1980; he was shot by his former lover, who was convicted of the murder; (see 'Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Harris: Death of the Scarsdale Diet Doctor'; she was paroled in 1993) was a cardiologist. [The diet is so-named after a town in New York where Tarnower practiced for forty years; pg. 142.]

He states, "You won't develop any vitamin or mineral deficiency in two weeks, even on a starvation diet, but the Scarsdale Medical Diet happens to provide plenty of nutrients." (Pg. 8) He explains that the diet more than triples protein intake, cuts fat consumption almost in half, and cuts carbohydrate consumption "considerably." (Pg. 17)

He explains, "If you are not taking in enough carbohydrates or fats to supply your caloric needs, your system draws first upon your stored body fat to supply your energy needs... The waste products of this ... partially burned fat... are called ketones. If you are producing them, it is a sign that your body is burning off fat at an accelerated rate... And that is what we want---the utilization of fat stores for calories and energy... your body becomes a fat-burning machine. One of the best things about ketones ... is that they act to CURB THE APPETITE, thus making the whole dieting process less burdensome." (Pg. 20)

He adds, "[You can] have all the no-sugar diet soda [you] want... in whatever variety of flavors you like." (Pg. 35) He clarifies, "The Scarsdale Medical Diet is LOW fat, LOW carbohydrates, and consequently LOW in caloric content, not NO fat, NO carbohydrates. The person in normal health gets enough 'complex carbohydrates' in the vegetables and fruits on the diet for safe eating. He burns his own excess fat to provide the added energy needed while reducing." (Pg. 37) There is also no sugar; no potatoes, spaghetti or similar flour-based foods; no dairy fats; no candy or desserts. (Pg. 48)

Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.