Are you wondering how to lose 20 pounds and whether or not you should go on the Dr Bernstein diet? If you have tried everything but nothing seems to work then you might have considered going on the Bernstein diet. Read my Berstein Diet Review for a little more information.
Here are some things you should know before you decide the Bernstein diet is the right diet for you. Yes, you will definitely lose weight, anywhere from 16 -20 pounds in your first month. Weight loss will begin to slow down further into the program. There is no doubt that you should watch what you are eating if you want to lose weight.
The Bernstein diet program allows anywhere from 700 – 900 calories a day. This is an extremely low-calorie diet and it is also very low carb and no fat. I do know many people who have joined this program and YES they lost a lot of weight but you know what – they gained it ALL back if not DOUBLE!! I lost 20lbs in 30 days on the Bernstein diet. Although I did not gain all the weight back, I do know many people who did.
It is difficult to stay on this calorie-restricted diet for the rest of your life so you can expect to gain some of the weight back. The Bernstein diet is expensive, and you will have to visit their office a minimum of three times per week. You may also attend every day. Still, if you’re dedicated and determined to lose weight, it’s a great diet.
(This post has been updated as of April 2019)
How to Lose 20 Pounds on the Dr Bernstein Diet
Dr. Stanley Bernstein’s diet program is medically supervised by nurses, and you’ll have scheduled doctor appointments throughout your weight loss. This specific diet has a low-calorie intake with vitamin B shots three times a week. The Dr Bernstein diet is a low glycemic and low inflmmatory diet that helps keep blood sugar levels stable at all times.
The diet only allows specific foods, and when your food intake for the day is complete, you are not allowed to have more food, whether or not you are hungry. Although I wasn’t hungry on the diet, probably mostly because I was in ketosis, 900 calories is an extremely low-calorie diet and not sustainable.
The Dr Bernstein Diet and Low Potassium
Dr. Bernstein’s diet program is so limited that you lack many vitamins. That’s why it requires you to take potassium throughout your diet to help with your energy level. Potassium is an important mineral for the proper function of all cells, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. If you do not take potassium on this diet, you feel weak and tired.
The symptoms of low potassium and high potassium levels can be very similar and can be characterized by weakness, irregular heartbeat, weak & slow pulse rate, paralysis, and difficulty breathing. At normal doses, potassium is fairly safe but potassium in high levels can be dangerous and you should consult with your doctor first.
Dr Bernstein Diet Injections – Vitamin B12 and B6
On this diet, you receive five Bernstein Diet injections of a mix of B12 and B6 vitamins each week. The needle is inserted under the fat in your abdomen or buttocks.
There are some side effects that are not serious, including:
- headaches,
- joint pain
- upset stomach
B12 can be dangerous if you have too much of a liquid form of it in your blood, which may cause you to have serious shakes.
This is one reason why the diet is medically supervised. B vitamins are generally safe, as they are water-soluble and you will basically just pee it out. Ever notice your pee is a bright yellow when taking a Vitamin B supplement? Although most people are low in B vitamins and will likely notice a boost in energy. Vitamin B6 has been shown to reduce water retention.
Dr Bernstein Diet Cost
The Dr Bernstein cost is approximately $1000 for a 6-8 week period and the average person can lose 16-20 pounds per month. If nothing else has worked for you, then the cost of Bernstein diet is worth it to lose the weight.
However, if you gain it back again it’s a large sum. So you have to be very sure of your ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle after the diet.
Dr Bernstein Diet Plan
- two proteins
- two starches
- two fruits
- two vegetables
It is mandatory that you drink eight glasses of water a day on this diet.
Portion sizes and selected foods will be on the food list when you join at the clinic. You may become weak and dizzy from the lack of food you are allowed per day on the diet.
The Dr Bernstein diet is a calorie-restricted diet so you are guaranteed to lose weight. In fact, I do know that some people have lost 20 lbs in one month. This is great, but I often wonder what happens when you go back to your regular eating habits.
Dr Bernstein Food List: Food not allowed
There are many healthy foods that are not allowed in the diet plan. That’s because while they are good for you, they are not so good for weight loss. Once you’ve lost the weight and completed the will want to return to some of these foods, in order to stay healthy and happy.
The foods not allowed on the Dr. Berstein diet are:
- no butter or margarine
- no popcorn
- no ketchup
- no sugar
- no yogurt
- no bread, cereal or pasta
- no bananas
- no grapes
- no pineapple
- no cherries
- no honeydew
- no mangos
- no pears
- no legumes
- no starchy vegetables (no acorn squash, carrots, eggplant, leeks, peas, pumpkins, avocados, potatoes, rice, you get the idea)
What Foods Are Allowed on the Dr Bernstein Diet
- 2 servings of non-starchy vegetables (only ones on the list)
- 2 servings of fruit (only ones on the list)
- 2 servings of protein
- 2 servings of bread substitutes (there is a list of some bread substitutes you can have such as 1 plain breadstick, 1/2 carbwise bagel, 1/4 fiber one cereal, there are some gluten-free options,etc.)
On the Dr Berstein diet, you will be eating low carb, low inflammation foods. And no oils of any kind are allowed on the diet. They also suggest not drinking coffee as this can elevate your blood sugar levels. You will likely be hungry on the Dr Bernstein diet with the calories restricted so drastically. I would recommend having the fiber one cereal for breakfast as it will help keep you regular. You may want to look into an alternative brand though as I am not a fan of the artificial sweetener.
They do recommend eating real food but do also sell some protein shakes and bars as alternatives if you are out on the road. You are allowed some treats on the Dr Bernstein Diet but sadly it’s only sugar-free Jello. It is also recommended to drink a lot of water on the Bernstein Diet as this will help speed up fat loss.
Dr Bernstein Diet & Health Clinics – Daily Visits
You will have to visit the clinic for your daily weigh in. You need to keep track of your daily food on a diet planner that is provided from the clinic. This diet planner will be checked daily at your visits.
After your weigh-in, you meet with a nurse who reviews what you ate the day before, to basically make sure you are on track. Your urine is also checked daily for ketones so if you cheat on your dr Bernstein meal plan, they will know! They know if you cheated by the ketone levels in your urine. The ketone levels indicate if you are in fat-burning mode.
After your urine is checked, you will then receive your daily B12/B6 injection. You get to choose where you would like your injection such as your buttocks, thighs or stomach area. The appointments are relatively short as long as there isn’t a line of people ahead of you.
Did the Dr Bernstein Diet Work For Me?
Yes, the Dr Bernstein Diet worked for me. I lost 20 pounds in 30 days. I have tried to maintain the diet and generally watch what I eat but living on 900 calories is impossible. While on the Dr Bernstein Diet I had a lot of energy and I suspect that is due to the vitamin injections.
I did notice on the Dr Bernstein Diet that I was losing more hair in the shower. This is common on low-calorie diets.
Should You Try the Dr Bernstein Diet?
Going on the Dr Bernstein diet is definitely a personal choice and I completely understand how frustrating it can be when you have tried everything and the weight simply will not budge. You will lose weight on the Bernstein Diet but also keep in mind what will happen after you are no longer on the Bernstein diet.
They do have a maintenance plan and package, to help guide you into introducing more foods into your diet but that is an extra fee. The Bernstein Diet program is fairly expensive but if cost is not an issue then it may be worth a try.
Have you tried the Bernstein diet? I would love to hear your thoughts and your own Dr Bernstein diet reviews.
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9 comments
I have tried the Dr. Bernstein diet but that was a few years ago. I definitely lost weight 208 lbs down to 125 lbs. I have gained back approx. 30 lbs since then..I am now 67 years old and have gone through menopause etc. What I found was apart from being very expensive it worked for me and the accountability was very instrumental in contributing to my success.
Yes, the Bernstein diet does work if you stick to it. Congratulations on your weight loss – that is a big success. It really is super expensive.
Whatever you do DO NOT PAY THE DEPOSIT!!! I went to the DR. Bernstein in Langley,BC I was told I was to do the orientation to get the full picture of what this diet was. I had to put a $279.00 Deposit down and if I choose not to go through with this I would get a full payment back onto my visa, they said normally there is a $50 fee to ensure that you show up for the appointment but she waived that and it was on my paper work. I went for the orientation it took all of 15 min because I was in there by myself I choose to hold off before making my decision ( not without a lot of pressure from staff to sign up ) I wanted to make sure for the money they were asking about 300.00 or higher per week, that included 3-5 shots a week obviously they want the 5 shots per week and a doctor will follow you along with weigh ins. I choose not to go this route mainly because of the expense, they will try to tell you that the shots can only be done through them but after a lot of research I found that it was a whole lot of bogus!!! They are ripping people off you can stay monitored at any weight loss company maybe not a doctor but go see your family physician. The shots are really a bunch of vitamins and you can get close to what you need at any vitamin store if you need to. Going to weight watchers you will get the same results but spend well over less than half the amount of money DO NOT LET THEM TALK YOU INTO THIS. The biggest reason why I am posting this is I went back to them a few days later and said I am not going to do the diet through them to refund my CC. I got home later that day and looked at my statement only to realize they kept $50.00 and even though I was told it was waived. I called them and showed the girls my paper work and they kept on insisting that it was a different charge that I verbally agreed to with the lady who did my intake, I told them I would have never agreed to the 50.00 fee because I had no idea what this diet was all about and would not pay for something without knowing the details. Nope they would not do it still. I called a head office and spoke with a lady who assured me she would take all the info and my scanned paper work to her boss and get back to me…That was in April I never heard anything back from them. The story was they have to pay for the intake but why should I have to pay for that and especially when i was told it was waived and not having all the info about this diet so I had no choice but to take the orientation. They lied and once they had my money refused to give it all back once they realized I was not taking the diet through them.
I am so sorry you had to go through this.
I have done the bernstein diet, and yes it is expensive but definitely worth it. O have recommended it to other people and I back it 100%.
Yes, it does work but it is very expensive.
I have been a patient on and off with the Bernstein Clinic since 2012. I am hypothyroid, have arthritis and am post menopausal. I am extremely active and curl, ski, and play golf. This is the ONLY diet that works for me. However, it is difficult not to gain some of your weight back over time as my metabolism slows. When my weight starts creeping up by ten pounds I go back and visit them. Although expensive, I feel sooo much healthier when I am on the diet and for months afterwards. For me, it is worth every cent.
Once I am in ketosis, I feel energized and am not hungry. I have to be careful to remember to eat. The diet is anti inflammation which means my knees and hips hurt less and I can bump up my exercise routine.
Hi Jane, thanks for your feedback. The diet does work…..I agree. The only downside is, of course, the cost and once someone decides to stop the program and not slowly adding in other foods. It has helped me with inflammation as well.
I went through Bernstein diet, and Yes I lost 25 lbs in 2 months becasue my weight wasn’t very away from the optimum weight. But after I stopped unfortunately I gained back around 11 lbs since the diet was very strict and I used to miss a lot of events because of the food restriction. Also, some of the nurses in the branch I used to weren’t very helpful interms of mental support.
Anyways I would reccomend it to lose a lot of weight very fast and if you are gonna be able to stay within the optimum weight for your body. And of course if you are okay with the expenses.