Dr. Bernstein

Anyone familiar with the Dr. Bernstein program? I have successfully lost 176 pounds and kept it off for 2 years. Unfortunately I have gained 15 pounds back and no matter what I try, it will not budge. I am thinking of doing the Dr. Bernstein program. Any thoughts? Good idea or bad?

I haven't much good from the Bernstein program. I knew a girl back in highschool who was on the program, and she ate hardly anything and got shots weekly for vitamins and such. It just doesn't seem like a healthy approach.

If you buckle down and believe in yourself, you'll be able to lose the weight on your own, just like you lost those 176lbs!! Congrats on that, amazing job!

It's your decision! I hope you make the right one for your health

-Jenn 

What do you mean when you say "no matter what I try", the 15 lbs will not come off? What have you tried?

How did you lose the 176 to start with? What is your height/weight now?

I am 5.5 and 143 lbs. I had gone down to 120 which was a bit low. I am 47. I would like to be 130. I work out every day but 1. Weight train 4 days a week and cardio 45 min. a day. Also ski, bike, run several times a week. Tried 1300 calories a day. Tried 2000 calories a day. The weight will not budge! I have been trying for 3 months now. I eat extremely healthy. I just don't understand it.

You're at a healthy weight now.

How did you lose your weight in the first place? 

I decided I was NOT going on a diet. I started to gradually eliminate the junk from my diet and replace it with healthy food. I started exercising. I cut out everything white from my diet. Potatoes, rice, bread, sugar, salt, etc. Decided that if I lost twenty pounds, I would be twenty pounds healthier. I averaged 2 pounds a week. But since I have gained back this weight, nothing will make it go away. I feel pudgy. The weight is in my hips and legs. I had to buy new clothes from a size 26 to size 4. I am not going to buy bigger clothes now. Should I try Dr. Bernstein?

Honestly, if your healthy habits are keeping you where you are now, which is at a healthy weight, perhaps that is where your body is most comfortable?

It's weird, though, that the same habits that got you to 120 now have you at 143.  Perhaps you have more muscle mass? I really can't explain that. Perhaps your scale is broken?

I would never recommend switching a healthy lifestyle for an unhealthy one (fad diets are invariably unhealthy), especially since health has been your motivation and your methods have been so sound up till now.  Honestly, your current weight is a healthy one, your BMI is right in range for optimal health, you've done so very well in losing all that weight (you've LOST more than you currently WEIGH! It's amazing). Maybe being healthy and active and feeling good (and eating 2000 calories a day, which you say maintains that ideal weight without starvation) is more important than being a size 4.

That said, there would be no harm in doing a bit of calorie counting to see whether you can make it budge: I'm guessing 1300 is a bit too low to keep your metabolism burning at full speed, and maybe 2000 is a bit too high to see a noticeable rate of loss. Maybe try 1700 cals a day or so? (You are VERY active, after all). Give it a few weeks, measure everything, see what happens.

From what I've heard you've got to be able to lose a lot more than just 15 pounds to be on that program...seeing as they claim you will lose that in a month.