What is the Bernstein diet plan?

Hi Lindsay,

Thank you for sharing your question about the Bernstein diet plan with the EmpowHER community. It's a great question to ask and many of our members are diabetic or pre-diabetic.

Let me first say that the Bernstein diet plan is a weight loss program and clinic where membership is required.

I had Gestational Diabetes during my pregnancy and so I am very familiar with how to eat (and not eat) to manage blood sugar levels. Are you a diabetic or do you know someone who is? Or are you looking for a new diet plan to loose or manage your weight? I think you need to separate these two questions. Wanting to shed pounds is very different than selecting a diet to manage a disease such as diabetes.

When I had Gestational Diabetes, I consulted with an Endocrinologist (An endocrinologist is a physician who specializes in treating disorders of the endocrine system, such as diabetes.) Within that practice, I met with a registered nutritionist who put me on a very specific diet, one that was calculated based on my height, weight, BMI and pregnancy. My diet was very specific and needed to be monitored by the nutritionist and my doctor. 

I do not recommend anyone who has diabetes to choose a diet plan without talking to their doctor about it. While the Bernstein diet claims to be geared towards diabetics, every individual's health and circumstance is different. If you or someone you know has diabetes, I would get your doctor's approval before making any decisions such as this.

If you are looking to loose some weight, the Bernstein diet plan is of the same nature as Weight Watchers or the HCG diet. What I mean by this, is that you have to "enroll" in the plan at a particular clinic and go through their protocol in order to see weight loss results. Lindsay, this costs money to join and participants can only see results if they follow the plan exactly. 

I have read mixed reviews about this diet. Some people love it and some people have said it's too difficult to follow and they didn't succeed (and they were out a ton of money.)

I did notice that it is a very low calorie diet-under 1,000 calories and under the plan you have to buy the company's supplements and minerals. 

If I were you, I'd do a bit more research before jumping into uncharted waters. 

My husband often jokes that he lost the most weight when I was pregnant because he was eating what I was eating even when I was pregnant. Diabetics have to eat a low carb, low sugar diet, rich in vegetables and lean protein. When you eat a balanced diet and cut down on carbs and sugar your body will naturally shed pounds. 

If you want to eat healthier and focus on a good diet, free of gimmicks, check out this article I came across that helps explain good food choices. You can loose weight just by making healthier choices and simple exercise!

http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/diabetic-food-list-best-worst-foods

Lindsay, I also included the link to the Dr. Bernstein diet for your review.

http://www.drbdiet.com

Did this help you?

Best,

Kristin