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Bernstein Diet
Dr. Stanley Bernstein is a Canadian physician who specializes in medically-supervised weight loss programs. Dr Bernstein’s weight loss practice began in 1974 – and has now grown to over 50 clinics in Canada alone. Dr. Bernstein’s program is clinic-based only – and there are currently clinics in Canada and the USA.
What is the Bernstein Diet?
The Bernstein Diet aims to lose 4-5 pounds per week and involves 3 visits to the clinic each week during the program.
The Bernstein diet program is a combination of low calorie diet (regular grocery
store foods), behavior modification, education and vitamin and mineral supplements. The daily calorie intake could be anywhere between
800 — 1350 calories per day – it is a case-by-case situation.
The diet claims that only fat tissue is lost during this rapid weight loss phase, and all other tissue (muscle, electrolytes, fluid) is retained. One of the major features of the diet is the vitamin and mineral supplementation – this is achieved by vitamin injections.
Updated:Patients receive a Vitamin B complex injection.
Dr. Bernstein has a number of phases on the diet – a Weight Loss phase, a maintenance phase and also the “tune-up” diet for small amounts of weight loss.
Foods on the Bernstein Diet
Here is a sample of the kind of foods found on the Doctor Bernstein Diet.
Protein
veal cutlet
chicken livers
small steak
chicken breasts
shrimp
tuna
white fish
Fruit and Vegetables
celery
mushrooms
tomatoes
lettuce
bean sprouts
cabbage
tomato sauce
apples
lemons
oranges
green, orange, red and yellow peppers
Bread Substitutes
triscuits
melba toast
Spices and Seasonings
bay leaves
dried herbs
caraway seeds
soya sauce
Beverages and Miscellaneous
liquid Sweetener
Hermasetas/Equal
Jello Light
herbal tea
decaffeinated coffee
club soda
The Bernstein diet also has a number of other foods allowed.
More low calorie recipes can be found here.
See Also
DrBdiet – Official site.
The diet would work even if there was no injections–HOWEVER– it would take u forever to lose the weight. Think about it….if anyone cut back their daily food intake bye 1000 cal a day and did this religiously for two months or even one month…THEY WOULD LOSE WEIGHT. But this is not something reasonable, and the injections are B12 and B6 mixture…it helps break down the fat FASTER!!
you can lose 10LB in TWO weeks –rather than a month. But u have to teach your mind how to eat properly.
Do you think the diet works without the injections? I’m kinda low on money now and I want to desperately lose weight.
I did this diet off and on for 1 year losing a lot of weight.
After being there for a few months I got well acquainted with the medical receptionist that worked at the Yorkdale location.
This lady was selling the injections–under the table !!! To save money i stopped going to the clinic and started buying it from her –Keep in mind she was selling it for dirt cheap. Much cheaper than the 310 a week they charge you at the clinic!!
Anyways once she gave the medication i went to my doctor and he informed that i could get this at Shoppers and it would be covered with my health insurance!!!
I WAS SOOOOOOOOOOO excited.
I order 3 Vials (each 10 ML)
its called NEO-BEX
It has BOTH Vitman B12 and B6.
if u dont have health coverage this 10ML vial costs 60 something dollars…but with my coverage i only paid $19..
This works JUST THE SAME.
Also if u want to maintain ur weight…u can take these injections and u can eat whatever u like.
im down to 160 from 204.
Trust me its the same as DR B.
DO NOT WASTE UR MONEY. DR B WORKS BUT ITS EXPENSIVE. DO THIS AT HOME PEOPLE. MOTIVATE URSELF TO LOOK GOOD IN THOSE JEANS.
good luck!
its for sure because i participated in the diet for 1 week which was where i found out about the amounts… i will admit however that it was only by accident that the nurse told me as this is their “proprietary” mix. Also, everyone does get the same amount the clinic keeps ready made syringes in labeled containers marked “single”, which is what they start you out with and has only vit b12, “double” which is what they give you for the rest of your shots and has both vitamins. You walk into the clinic, they weigh you, direct you to a room, ask you about any discrepancies in what you’ve been eating then they grab one of the “double” syringes, inject you and you leave. total cost for 4 of these appointments – 315.00$.
How can you be sure the strength and amount of the injections? I’m sure many of us would like to do this ourselves but… how can you be sure of the strength.. anyone i have been talking to doesn’t have any idea the mix of the B12 and the B6 injections. If anone knows for sure.. could you post.. thanks…
all i can say is i’m a pharmacy technician and i decided to try this diet out.. after a little light chat with the nurse i found out that they simply inject you with 0.7ml of equal parts vit b6 and vit b12 (0.35ml each) then the doctor said that this will break up the fat in the area that they inject you with so body will use it for food (that’s why u don’t really eat that much)… so i looked further into this and from the medical journal’s read it could be true. Nevertheless, although this may be true you can do this on your own. both vitamins in inj form are avail over the counter and cost approx 50$ for about 60 injections’ worth.. once i found this out i quit (i was only signed on for 1 week however.. hahaha) it’s a rip to keep you there wasting your money for something you could likely ask your doctor to do for you instead.. so please just eat less and learn how to give yourself a subcutaneous injection (from a registered doctor or nurse)-diabetic do it, and don’t waste your money
Where can I find Bernstein’s low calorie Italian dressing?
I was on this diet back in 1998 and lost a total of 145 lbs in 7 months. I was good at keeping it off until 2005 when I really started slacking. Depression and binge eating got the best of me along with no exercise whatsoever. I have since put the weight back on and am at it again. I’ve re-started this past Monday and hope to not make the same mistake I did before. This diet works but you have to have the willpower to stick to it.
I would like to know the cost of joining. Thanks
I am on this diet and i have lost 30 lbs in 8 weeks and I work out every other day ( not advised ) but I do it anyway. I have also cheated a few times, and gained a few and then lost a few. If you asked me in January what I would pay to lose 30-50 lbs I would have told you “anything” , so $1700.00 for this diet is cheap. The most valuable lesson learned for me is that you are what you eat and going to this clinic has taught me to manage what I eat and at the end of the day its all about the nutrition. Those people who say that the diet is a scam or that it does not work are probably the same people that have triend many other diets without success. Its all about dedication and how committed you are.The diet does work and it works well if followed correctly. Its what you do with it when youre done . Thank-You Dr.Berstein for giving me the most important thing. Knowledge! Knowledge is power and with that power I will continue to exercise and eat healthier.
Today i am at my 2 week mark and i have lost 11.4lbs. I had one big cheet on the diet just after starting (my friends 30th bday bash) but the morning after i was back on the diet.
I have tried Weight Watchers, la weight loss and the south beach diet and none of them worked for me. I would loose hope so quickly and always be hungry.
With this diet i wasn’t even hungry the first couple of days. Yes they restrict you a lot, but they also let you eat a lot. Since i am very overweight (i have over 100lbs to loose) i am alowed 3 servings from each catagory a day.
a serving of protein is 3.5 oz of meat
Vegitables is 8oz
Fruit is 6-8 strawberrys
Bread: 1/2 slice bread
(these are all examples and they give you better details)
So for me that is 1.5 lbs of veggies a day! (If ever you are hungry just eat some veggies.) They stress that the only thing you have to eat each day is the protein (as your body needs that much to stay healty)
It is difficult to start this diet – you have to go shopping for the things you can eat and get rid of all the things in your house that you can’t (so you are not tempted)
and it really helps to plan your meals ahead so you are not tempted to just “pick somthing up” on the way home from work.
As for the rest of your family they can eat the same food as you, just give them bigger protions. that is what my bf is doing and he is satisfied. He knows how important loosing weight is to my health. If he wants to eat stuff i can’t he does it out of the house (i think i have the perfect man)
I don’t know what else to say except it is very expencive but i personally think that WHEN i reach my goal i will start saving money on food (i will eat less then before the diet) and clothes (i will be able to buy them on sale at the mall instead of at plus size clothing shops). So i think in the end it is worth it.
Well I just finished my 3rd week and I am down 22 pounds. I am having a bit of a struggle now I am down 2 then up .4 then down 1 then up .2 when I am not doing anything different. I have to say I am getting very discouraged…. ESPECIALLY since I just forked out $1200 for 8 weeks. However the nurse was not rude to me she was nice because I am still burning, my stick is dark purple everytime which proves I am not cheating so I am going to stick to it. She suggested I cut out the protien bars for the weekend so we shall see on Monday.
The cost is $315 to start which includes your first week of injections. Then $160 a week but the more you pay for at a time the more you save.
I can’t really give anyone an opinion because I am very discouraged at the moment.
My rating is ONE star. If zero was possible I would rate it zero. This diet is not maintainable. I lost muscle mass and was very weak and noticed my athletic abilities were very poor even though I had more energy and was losing weight.
This diet is not for anyone who is an emotional eater in any way. The nurses will make you feel inadequate if you do not lose weight fast enough. They have strict weight loss amounts for you to reach and if you don’t, they start putting you on probation etc. When I came back from a month long vacation, I was one HALF a pound heavier than when I left. I was told it was unacceptable because I was already on probation and that the clinic needs to keep its numbers on track. I walked out the door and never came back. I still had nearly $300 in fees left, but didn’t get them back. I emailed and telephoned but did not get any reply or acknowledgement.
Keep away from this clinic if you are an emotional eater in any way. Their tactics only trigger rebellious eating. If you are good at starvation and deprivation for long periods, this is the diet for you.
Hi, I am seriously considering joining the Dr.B clinic in Kitchener ,ontario. Have been doing all the research I can and have noticed that some people have commented that the fees have dropped. Does anyone know if this is true. I have about 60 lbs to lose and would like to know before hand just how expensive this is going to be, Thanks
I am almost finished my 2nd week of Dr B and I am down 17 pounds and feeling much better. The cravings are gone and my energy has come back
What’s included in my membership?
I just started this diet and reading all this scares the crap out of me. ESPECIALLY the part about losing your hair.
I have lost 9 pounds in 3 days and I feel horrible, no energy, always hungry but it has now been 5 days I have to give my body time to adjust.
I am motivated because sooo many people have done it and why would they still be in business if it was so horrible for you? Someone surely would have shut them down by now.
Does anyone who has been on this dr b diet have a sample menu plan for a woman. i am wanting to lose 40 lbs and i am 5’5 but i would love to see thier plan first before i spend money i cant really afford. But my weight affects my health. Please reply…thankyou!
i guess i’m one of the few who are friggin STARVING on this diet! after reading alot of the posts, many say they don’t feel hungry…its not that i crave bad foods, i could continue eating what i’m eating, but more! my god, i read someone had difficulty eating ‘ALL THE FOOD THEY WERE ALLOWED’…am i measuring wrong?? by the time you add up 8oz of string beans, it like 3/4 of a cup and THAT’S supposed to fill you up??
I tried the diet last year for about two months, I was cheating the whole way through because I just couldnt resist tempations but I still lost the weight anyways. I want to go back on it this year because it really taught me how to control my portions and it really helps with kicking off cravings.
I gained back the weight because I was too stingy to go on Maintaince.. so make sure you follow through with that to reintroduce food back into your diet. My old eating habits crept back and I was eating out of porportion.
In some ways, I miss Dr.B !! I’m planning on going back on it for about a month after I’ve completed a cleanse to help “jump start” myself
I did the diet for 5 weeks. I can tell you that it works, because I lost 32 pounds in that period, and 10 pounds/week for the first 2 weeks. I was 310 pounds (and should weigh about 230) and was suffering from sleep apnea (very serious), so I needed a drastic and rapid solution.
However, I eventually stopped after developing some odd symptoms and doing some research after reading a CBC article on the diet (read about the guy who died: http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/health/bernstein_diet/), because:
1. I am skeptical about their claim that the diet is “about 850 to 950 calories” (and one of their doctors said it was 1200). I tracked all my calories using a software program, and it averaged out to about 700 Cal/day. For a 6’3″ guy, this is a starvation diet.
2. I developed a pain under my right shoulder blade around the ribs. I thought it was muscular until I saw the CBC article, which mentioned that gallbladder attacks can be a complication of rapid weight loss and very low calorie diets. I did a little research and discovered that unless you eat about 10g of fat (e.g. 1 Tbsp of oil) in a single meal, your gallbladder does not empty fully and the remaining bile starts to crystallize, possibly resulting in gallstones. I had some olive on my salad, and the painful spot MOVED and then went away. During a later medical appointment at the Dr B clinic, the doctor said my abdominal ultrasound “showed some sludge in my gallbladder, but that would go away with the diet”. HAH — the diet probably contributed to the sludge!
3. I started developing joint pain in one of my fingers. I thought it could be connected with the ketotis or low calories, so I asked the Dr B doctor if it could be connected to the diet. He said ‘there’s no connection’. So why did the pain go away shortly after I stopped the Dr B diet?
4. My first 2 weeks I lost 10 pounds a week, and all I received at the clinic were congratulations. No one seemed concerned about such a large loss.
Bottom line is that while the diet is “medically supervised”, I was concerned about the lack of attention to potential side effects and the conflicting info. Once the sleep apnea stopped (more serious than my side effects), I went off the diet. It has been 6 months, and I’ve put about 5 pounds back on, but that has more to do with lack of activity (when it’s not winter, I walk a lot more and at lunchtime).
This diet is very strict but it works. You’ll lose the weight, and you can exercise during and after the diet to keep the weight off. So for all the people who have gained back the weight after losing it, look back and find you where you went wrong. If you continued with the same unhealthy eating patterns and did not exercise, off course you are going to gain back the weight quickly. You can’t basically eat all the junk you can, which is the reason why you’re overweight, and huge portion sizes and not gain weight. The diet teaches you to reduce your portion size, reduce junk food and substitute it with veggies. So make your money worthwhile after losing the weight. Don’t return to the same unhealthy eating patterns or lifestyle. Eat moderately, healthy and exercise often. You’ll keep the weight off after losing it. It’s not the diet that’s the problem, it’s the unhealthy eating patterns.
I am considering going on this diet, but i see no where how much it costs I am 18 and on my own so I dont make too much money but need a strict program to loose the weight which is about 90 pounds , can anyone tell me how much it costs..ballpark it for me?
i know 7 people who went on this diet, (not me, i did Jenny craig, and kept it off 5 years now) and all of them gained the weight back and more. The diet is ubsurd. It is a diet, and that is the problem. It is not a lifestyle change. No normal person can maintain the crazy caloric restrictions on the Berstein diet for the long haul. Weight watchers or Jenny craig teach you a lifestyle not starvation and injections. Rediculous!
I have been on the diet for 3.5 weeks now and i have lost 15.8 pounds it feels great i have more energy and i feel good on the diet i have not felt starved i do not crave sweets or junk food ….but i think if you are serious like i am about losing the weight then the weight will come off.
i make sure i drink all the water plus extra, i eat my protien and some days i dont even crave the fruit now i actually crave the vegis more.
Im extreamly satisfied with DrB i will stick to it till im finished and i will let you know more in a few weeks. i started feb 5 /09 and today is feb 26/09 good luck to any and all of you who start the diet.
I did this diet for 2 months and lost 30 pounds. I also lost half my hair and my body became very flabby. During the diet i was cold all the time and had no energy. In the end i ended up gaining all the weight back anyway. It was a really bad experience.
Diet worked great and lost the weight I wanted to. However, after a number of months being off the diet I find that I have gained back 10 pounds and it is all on my stomach. I know of another person who has had the same stomach gain. Is this a side effect from this diet?
can someone please email me the complete list of foods allowed and not allowed. i can’t find it. it’s very frustrating…i started today but can’t find it to organize my menu plan.
please help me.thanks
First and foremost, if you are reading the lengthy post by “anonymous” please be aware that he/she may not be absoloutely correct, nor would I be or any other medical professional. Of course some are better trained than others, using his example, guacamole as a fat source, is proof enough to slightly discredit the post. What he said about ketones is mostly correct; however the claim that fat cannot be converted to glucose is incorrect, unless we’re considering glucose-6-phosphate not-glucose. That’s pretty much the first metabolic step from glycogenolysis, the process of breaking down fat for energy, which you can find in just about any biochemically relevant textbook.
The reason why you gained back significant weight is due to the makeup of the diet itself. Dr.B’s diet promotes fat loss yes, but the extremely low calorie (easily less than 800 calories – but don’t say that he says that or he’ll sue you…)also burns off protein. Sure you’ll lose weight by starving yourself, but once you stop (as you can attest Kris,) you WILL gain some back. The amount is different for different people but it is inevitable.
Bottom line: diet works, you will lose weight, you WILL gain it back.
Other things to note: B12 shots are worthless for the average person. Why does Dr. B use them? The diet is insufficient in covering all the required nutrients and generally causes a lowered energy level in dieters. B12 helps that. Also, it’s a hell of a money maker (if you could only see how much he makes from the “required” shots alone…) I wonder how he got around the CMA and why they haven’t (or have they?) questioned him for conflict of interest.
I’m just about to start this diet and i need for it to work im 236 and i want to be 160 im 5’9 in hight and really want to see the figure i had befor i had 2 kids i know i will stick to it you have to be serious to do this diet other wise it would be like wasteing money and i can’t waste money I thank all f you for the good comments just makes me that much more excited tostart I start on Feb 3/09 wish me luck…