Dr berntein

Hey! i just started on dr bernstein yesterday and i waz wondering if somebody else on here iz on it to. So we can support each other and stuff. its really exciting =)

Isnt that the diet where you eat like 500 cals a day and get vitamin shots??

According to CBC it's 850 to 950 calories

Hi mrstomdelonge,

I started on Dr. Bernstein March 7th.  I would be glad to chat with you about it.  You are talking about  Dr. Stanley K. Bernstein Diet Clinic correct? I also have a dachshund! :)

Dachshunds are awesome!! and yes im talking about that diet lol im so glad i found someone lol

How are you liking it? 

i went for my first shot yesterday and it waz quite painful lol im going back tomorow. i cant wait to see if i lost any weight, its so hard not going on my home scale lol i wanna see if i lost. how much weight have you lost since you started?

are you diabetic?

No

Its a pretty extreme, long term low carb diet, really designed for diabetics, why are you going on it? Have you simply counted and stuck to a 40/30/30 (balanced) diet?

i have and i have lost weight that way, but i stoped losing its been since before the summer. and my mom and aunt went on this diet and i saw that it did and exelent job on them so i trust it to do the same thing for me

Well, to each their own, but i'm honestly not a big fan of ketosis. It makes me feel insanely sick, mentally stupid, and my workouts are pathetic (no energy).. Not to mention that your brains runs more effeciently off of glucose and not ketons anyway... That and i've yet to know anyone that long term hold weight off doing fad diets. They all lose it, then the next year, they are going back on the 'fad diet'...

I'd suggest looking into calculating your BMR via the Katch-McArdle formula, and zig-zagging your diet for the best long term results... Its how most fitness 'professionals' or bodybuilders work.

I know people who have had both success and failure on the diet. I think it can be quite costly for long-term maintenance, though, so that's a definite drawback.

If money is not a barrier, I'd say it's ok.

I'm originally from Ottawa :) (Living in TO now)

the cost iz another thing that will make me keep going lol. im not paying 850 for two months just so i can cheat, and not lose enything

hi techraven.  There are two Dr. Bernsteins.  One wrote a book for diabetics and the other runs clinics mostly located in Canada.

Just in case anyone is interested here is the scoop with the Dr. B diet.  After an initial group consultation, you weigh in 3 times a week and get a B-Vitamin injection ,give them a morning pee sample for them to test for ketosis and hand in your food sheet for inspection.  They record your measurements on the first visit and take blood work.  You see their doctor at the clinic every two weeks for a chat and get results from bloodwork if it was done.  They ask you to take a multi-vitamin and they prescribe you potassium to take with breakfast and lunch.  Food choices are rather limited, but are healthful. The clinic sells instant soups, oatmeal, puddings, bars etc. but you are NOT required to buy them.  In fact, I don't as I'd rather eat 'real' food.  Here's an example of a typical day:  Breakfast:  1/4 Cantaloupe  Mid-Morning:  Kavli Flatbread  LUNCH: 3 1/2 oz. chicken, 8 oz. spinach, tomato, beansprout, mushroom salad with 1 tbs. Kraft Calorie-Wise Balsamic Vinaigrette  SNACK: Melba Toast Rect.  & Apple  DINNER:  3 1/2 white fish with 4 oz. mushrooms & onions, 4 oz. steamed brocolli  1 cup. diet jello (optional).  It's really on the low calorie side, but I don't feel deprived, hungry or ill.  It's meant to be a short term diet.  On maintanance, they increase portions and food choices.  I don't full out exercise while I'm doing this as it's too low in calories. ...I start that during maintanance.  Mrstomdelong, I've lost 9.4 in 20 days.  I feel great considering how depressed, lethargic I was before.  I had poor digestion, was drinking too much wine (oh yeah and there's NO ALCOHOL on this diet! which really can do a body good) my sugars were highish on the first blood tests and now they're back down.  It is expensive, but I'm saving a ton of money not buying wine or going out for dinners/ordering in.  It's given me the kick in the butt I needed to get motivated.  I lost 30 lbs on it a few years ago and maintained easily enough until major emotional trauma 'made' me slide, but that's another story...

Everyone I know that was on this diet ended up broke and fatter than the first place.

~H~

You are told up front about how much it will cost.  You don't have to pre-pay for anything. So I guess  the diet was beyond their means in the first place or they didn't budget for it.  As for being fatter afterwards, that has nothing to do with the diet.  There is no weird metabolic bounce back, where you eat one slice of pizza and start packing it on.  As a matter of, most people still continue to lose during the maintenace phase until the proper amount of nutritionally balanced food is introduced.  It's different for everyone obviously.  Putting weight back on after any kind of weight reduction program is usually caused by the person reverting back to old, bad habits and that is the individual's CHOICE.  The purpose of this program is to get the weight off quickly, which for some people is the right thing to do especially if health problems are involved.  Even though the calorie intake is low, carbs and proteins are on par and fat being low.  This is not a no carb/high protein/high fat diet.  At least you are able to eat lots of fresh vegetables, fruit and only lean meats instead of a steady diet of pre-packaged, high-sodium, chemically treated insta-meals supplied by some places.  What can you "learn" from that?  I believe most intelligent people know how they should eat, but CHOOSE not to do so.  It's definately deficient in dairy and fats, so the option is there to take essential fatty acids and calcium as well.  It's too bad to hear that the people you know had a bad experience, but how many people do you know that lose weight no matter quickly or slowly are successful in keeping it all or most off permanently?  Not the majority that's for sure.  That's why these diets, life-style changes books, and New Years resolutions exist in the first place.  Sad but true, but not impossible.  My stragedy is too catch the impending backslide before I fall off the mountain completely because the yo-yo thing is bad in any case.

Original Post by haley_2008:

Everyone I know that was on this diet ended up broke and fatter than the first place.

~H~

Agreed. And when they can no longer afford the shots and attempt the starvation diet on thier own, they are terribly disheartened when they do not lose 5 lbs/week and feel like absolute crap because they are not being pumped with the "energy vitamin". I'd say finish the two months, and then learn to eat healthily on your own. And by healthily i mean slowly up your cals to ABOVE 1200, and start introducing carbs. Because you can't live off of chicken breasts and celery sticks forever.

agreed.. this sounds dangerous.  Low-carb/no-carb diets can be very bad for you if for no other reason than your brain NEEDS CARBS. 

The human brain needs around 100 grams of carbs a day, it's probably okay for a week or two with low carbs, but after that, you really shouldn't be depriving your body.

Keep in mind that on this type of diet, the first 8-10lbs you lose is ONLY WATER WEIGHT, NOT FAT.

My Daily Average Intake on Dr. B:

Carbs: 75 g

Protein: 69 g

Fat: 9 g

Sodium: 727 mg

Sugar: 33 g

Cholesterol: 178 mg

Saturated Fat: 1 g

Fibre: 20 g

Who cares really if in fact the 8-10 is water? It's still unnecessary weight.  I've lost 10.8 in 22 day and lost 1.75 inches off my waist and 2.74 inches of my hips.  I'm certainly not dehydrated drinking 64 + oz. per day of water.  My face and fingers are no longer swollen, my skin and eyes are clearer, my clothes are looser, my sleep is better (I no longer nap during the day) and my IBS and reflux symptoms are gone.  Excess water needs to come off regardless so if it's all H20 well then so be it.  Ketosis strips are testing mildy positive for fat burning.  No one says that you have to eat this way forever...it's short-term, but what you do eat is quality.  I've never eaten so many high-fibre and dark leafy vegetables, fresh fruit and lean meats in my life and feeling excellent for it.