The Real COOKIE DIET Doctor Exonerated, Shares Samples Of Famous Weight Loss Cookies

Over a half million people have gone on the COOKIE DIET™ to lose weight

You've probably seen the ads like the one above while you have been surfing around the Internet about this new diet plan that claims you can eat cookies to lose weight. It's called the Dr. Sanford Siegal's COOKIE DIET™ and it has seen phenomenal early success in a national marketing campaign that has far exceeded the expectations of most market analysts within the diet industry.

Actually, I first blogged about the COOKIE DIET™ two years ago when this rather unique weight loss plan caught my attention for the first time. My initial reaction was one of incredulity that a diet based on cookies could be any help at all to those seeking to lose weight and get healthy.

My biggest concern was the fact that people had no idea what was in these mysterious cookies that were supposed to be "nutritious, filling, hunger-suppressing." That bothered me along with several other questions at the time. So I decided to contact Siegal Weight Management for myself to get the answers I was looking for.

Unfortunately, the response was quite cold from a man purporting to be the COOKIE DIET™ doctor named Dr. Scott Greenburg. He gave me the most apathetic and cranky responses to my concerns accusing me of spreading "misinformation" about HIS diet citing seven "facts" where he felt I got it wrong about his program.

Again, I was simply asking him to answer some simple questions, but he instead chose to evade my quest for information about the ingredients in the cookies, the sugar content, total carbohydrates, protein, and fiber, etc. His snotty response was that "anyone who calls our office can have access" to this information.

So I needed to call him rather than e-mail him, eh? This dude is a real piece of work! The telling sign to me that he was trying to hide something was when I asked for a sample of the cookies to tell my blog readers about how they taste.

"We do not mail samples of cookies for you to taste," Dr. Greenberg declared.

I was left perplexed and confused about why this man trying to promote a diet based on cookies would be so belligerent towards someone like me who simply had a few legitimate questions and concerns about this unorthodox diet plan. At that point, I totally dropped it and moved on.

But then a couple of months ago, I received correspondence from Matthew Siegal, President and CEO of Dr. Siegal's Direct Nutritionals, LLC who wanted to apologize for the way his company was represented to me back in 2005.

"Dr. Scott Greenberg is not the "Cookie Diet Doctor," Siegal explained. "Dr. Greenberg had nothing to do with the creation of the Cookie Diet; he was merely an employee of a former sub-franchisee (called Smart For Life) of Dr. Sanford Siegal who created the Cookie Diet in 1975."

Siegal went on to explain that the business relationship with this former franchisee had ended in 2006, although the REAL Cookie Diet Doctor had to take the matter to court to have them stop using his trademarked names. A federal court recently ruled in Dr. Sanford Siegal's favor and completely exonerated his good name in the process.

Additionally, Siegal was kind enough to send me some samples of his cookies to try for myself and examine the nutritional content as I had originally requested in 2005. In other words, there was nothing but respect for my request and I appreciated the gesture since I merely wanted the truth to be shared about these cookies.

For the record, I have now tried these cookies in the COOKIE DIET™and read the full list of ingredients and nutritional label. Although they are indeed very delicious (especially the banana--LOVED 'EM!), moist, and hunger-satisfying cookies, I cannot recommend these to people who are losing weight on livin' la vida low-carb because the carb counts are much too high.

Here are the ingredients as found on the package of oatmeal raisin cookies:

WATER, GLYCERIN, WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, CRISP RICE (RICE, SUGAR, SALT, MALT), OATS, SOYBEAN OIL, MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE, RAISINS, MILK PROTEIN, VINEGAR, MODIFIED PALM OIL, BROWN SUGAR, BEEF PROTEIN HYDROLYSATE, EGG WHITE SOLIDS, WHEY, CANE SUGAR, WHEAT FLOUR, LEAVENING (SODIUM BICARBONATE, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, CORNSTARCH, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM SULFATE), WHEAT BRAN, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SALT, CINNAMON, NUTMEG, FD & C YELLOW #5, CALCIUM PROPIONATE (PRESERVATIVE).
ALLERGY WARNING: CONTAINS MILK, EGGS, SOY, AND WHEAT.

As for the nutritional label, here's the pertinent information:

Serving Size: 1 cookie (24g)
Servings Per Container: 6 cookies
Calories: 90
Total Fat: 2.5g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 150mg
Total Carbohydrate: 11g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 2g
Protein: 5g

I was a bit surprised at how low the fiber and protein in these cookies were since they are supposed to ward off hunger. There are many other sugar-free products out there with much higher protein and fiber to keep you satisfied for hours.

There was also a sample daily diet menu on the packaging to follow:

Consult your doctor before starting any diet. Your doctor may have reasons why you should not be on a diet, or why one diet may be more appropriate for you than another. Under his or her direction only, follow these or alternative steps as directed by your doctor:

1. Eat six Dr. Siegal's COOKIE DIET™ cookies a day, not at fixed times but when needed to control hunger. Have one cookie and a glass of water and wait fifteen minutes. If still hungry, eat a second cookie. You should not need a third.

2. In addition to six cookies (which provide about 500 calories), eat one reasonable dinner containing about 900 calories (or a different amount as directed by your doctor).

3. To maintain flavor, this product is not fortified with vitamins or minerals. IMPORTANT: You must take a multivitamin as prescribed by your doctor while using this product as part of a calorie-restricted diet.

4. Drink about two quarts (8 glasses) of water or diet beverages every day.

So, it looks like this COOKIE DIET™ is in essence a low-calorie, portion-control diet. If a low-carber were to follow this diet and count the net carbs in just six of these cookies, that would quickly add up to 54g with just the cookies. That many carbs will kick you out of ketosis and the principles of low-carb living will not be in effect.

You may or may not lose weight this way, but I sure wouldn't want to just have cookies for the rest of my life for breakfast, lunch, and snack. However, I don't see having one or two of these in low-carb maintenance every once in a while as a bad thing if you prefer not to eat high-sugar or artificially-sweetened cookies.

I'd like to publicly thank Matthew Siegal for his generosity in allowing me to review his company's products openly and honestly. He was a true gentleman and should not be judged based on the actions of those who previously misrepresented his company in the past. I for one have a greater respect for this company today although I do not subscribe to the COOKIE DIET™ itself.

If you are interested in learning more about Dr. Sanford Siegal's COOKIE DIET™ and think it might work for you, then visit their web site and check it out for yourself.

'The Cookie Diet' Doctor Avoids Answering Questions About Weight Loss Program

After posting my previous blog entry entitled "Don't Lose Your Cookies With This Mystery Diet," I sent a link to it to the Siegal Medical Weight Management e-mail address. I received a message back within an hour stating that they were having trouble accessing my blog (how hard is it to type in livinlavidalowcarb.com in a web browser?!) and that they "would like to make sure that (my) description of (their) program is accurate."

"We are more than just a cookie," proclaimed Dr. Scott Greenberg. He suggested people visit his web site for more information, which I provided in my original e-mail.

But I again sent an e-mail to Dr. Greenberg asking him to respond to my specific questions about "The Cookie Diet." I believe they were very legitimate questions to ask so that prospective patients know what they are getting themselves into.

Dr. Greenberg sent back a scathing e-mail rebuking me for publishing "misinformation" about "The Cookie Diet."

"I will open and say that you should do more research on a program before posting misinformation on your website. It is not professional to make assumptions about the Siegal Medical Weight Management program without a thorough investigation of the facts."

What "misinformation" are you referring to, Dr. Greenberg? I passed no judgment on "The Cookie Diet" except to say that I have some real questions about it before I can comment on it fully. That was one of the reasons why I sent the questions to you so the answers could be revealed and we could all learn more about this interesting diet.

But then Dr. Greenberg went on to list 7 "fact" statements about his philosophy on weight loss and dieting as if to lecture me on something I must not know anything about. Let's deal with each of these "facts" one-by-one:

"Fact #1: This program has been used to treat more than 600,000 patients over 35 years. The longest patient has been followed consecutively for 27 years and has maintained her weight loss."

I never said people didn't lose weight on "The Cookie Diet," Dr. Greenberg. It is not necessary to get all defensive about your method for helping people lose weight. I'm happy for those 600,000 patients since 1970 who have found success eating cookies to control their weight. More power to them and may God bless them with many years of healthy living. That's my goal for anyone who is overweight or obese, no matter which plan they use to get there.

"Fact #2: The 'Atkins' and other low-carb approaches do not teach portion control nor help the patient learn to eat for hunger. Many low-carb diets actually teach the patient that they can eat large quantities of low-carb food and not gain weight. This is why many people will rapidly regain the weight lost on these programs. The Siegal cookie teaches the patient a healthy behavior of eating for HUNGER, and recognizing what it feels like to be satisfied. As you know, many people who gain weight do so for emotions, stress, PMS, or depression and eat at times when they are not hungry."

Now we're getting somewhere. Dr. Greenberg hates livin' la vida low-carb plain and simple. This is not surprising considering he has been indoctrinated in the philosophy that low-fat/low-calorie/portion-controlled eating is the ONLY way to lasting weight loss and weight maintenance. Guess what, Dr. Greenberg? I don't have to portion control my meals on the low-carb lifestyle. I can eat as much or as little as I desire. It's that kind of freedom to eat while STILL losing weight that makes livin' la vida low-carb so attractive to so many people.

His philosophy is like the people who wrote this book and they think everyone should have to suffer with eating tiny little meals until they get so hungry they just give up trying to lose weight entirely. This is not good. The only reason peopl would "rapidly" gain weight following low-carb is if they stop monitoring their carbohydrate intake. As long as you stay on the program, it is very effective at keeping your weight under control. I couldn't have lost 180 pounds and kept it off this long if it didn't work, Dr. Greenberg!

"Fact #3: Our patients lose 12-15 pounds per month. Those that do not are MEDICALLY evaluated for metabolic conditions and are then appropriately treated. We have many patients, especially women, who cannot lose weight on any other program, but do so on ours after appropriate medical treatment."

Again, I am happy for the success people have had on "The Cookie Diet" and I wish those who try it the very best at losing and keeping their weight off for good. But the same can be said about livin' la vida low-carb. People have success on it when it becomes their lifestyle change. If something can be implemented as a permanent way to eat for the rest of your life, then I encourage people to do that. For me it was the low-carb lifestyle and for others it may be "The Cookie Diet." But people need to find SOME way to make it happen for themselves.

"Fact #4: We do not publish the ingredient list on our website, but it is furnished in the office for anyone to see. Crest toothpaste or Coca Cola do not list ingredients on their sites. Anyone who calls our office can have access to the list of ingredients, amount of protein, fiber, etc.... Generally speaking our cookies have 80 calories each, and have a specific blend of proteins and amino acids that naturally suppress the appetite. While the cookies are 80 calories, they have a satiety index of 240 calories. IE they make you feel as full as a 240 calorie meal. Coke, on the other hand, has 220 calories, but a satiety of only 80 calories."

Why so secretive about the ingredients, Dr. Greenberg? If you are not ashamed of these miracle weight loss cookies, then why don't you post what's in them on your web site. The Crest and Coke examples are straw man arguments because you can find these in your local store and read the ingredients for yourself. But not with the cookies in "The Cookie Diet." You have to call or sign up for the program before you are even allowed to know the nutritional information. Isn't it funny how I asked in my previous post about the fiber, sugar and carbohydrate content of these cookies and Dr. Greenberg simply avoided answering my simple questions about his product? Sure he tells me they have 80 calories (I don't care about calories) and they are high on the satiety index (again, didn't ask about that). What does he have to hide by not being forthcoming about the nutritional content of these cookies? Inquiring minds want to know.

"Fact #5: A boring diet: This program has its advantage as being simple. Our patients do not weigh food, count points, or have to plan numerous meals. They eat their 6 cookies throughout the day and eat a dinner of a protein (chicken, fish, turkey, lean meat, etc...) and vegetables. If you look at major weight loss studies published from places such as Harvard and Yale, patients need to lose weight rapidly to stay committed. When someone is losing 12-15 pounds per month, feeling better, looking better, and seeing parameters of health such as blood pressure and cholesterol improve, they are hardly bored. The dropout rate of our program is under 10%, and virtually all of our new patients come from word of mouth referral."

While "The Cookie Diet" may be simple because the cookies are ready to eat every single day, I still think having to scarf down six cookies a day, every single day, every single week, every single month, for every single year will DEFINITELY get boring. And they think the Atkins diet is boring! Yikes, I'd be pulling my hair out if all I could eat were these mystery cookies day after day. For a great way to "lose weight rapidly," I highly recommend livin' la vida low-carb which delivers on this point. I lost 30 pounds the first month and 40 MORE pounds in the second month. It was an unbelieveable feeling to see the weight coming off that quickly and motivated me to eventually reach 180 pounds lost. I was not bored doing this despite the naysayers. If people can stick with "The Cookie Diet" and allow their weight loss success to excite them enough to continue on with it, then more power to them. Who am I to stand in their way?

"Fact #6: The doctor supervision is not a 'gimmick.' Your statement is highly insulting, and we have dedicated professionals trained to treat obesity, a medical condition. If doctors were not needed for weight loss, then the average loss of the typical commercial programs would be far greater. A recent JAMA article compared the Zone, Atkins, Weight Watchers, and Ornish, and the average weight loss after a year was about 6 pounds."

Well, I still think "The Cookie Diet" is indeed a "gimmick" because it makes people think they can eat cookies and lose weight which is only partially true. If you are insulted by this assertion, then you really should get thicker skin. In the debate over weight loss methods and nutrition, low-carbers know what it is like to be ridiculed for our lifestyle choice. It just comes with the territory. Dr. Greenberg should expect the same or even worse scrutiny with "The Cookie Diet."

As for needing doctors, I agree they can assist their patients in weight loss. Mine even converted from being opposed to low-carb before I started my weight loss and has now become a full-fledged believer BECAUSE of my weight loss success. As for the JAMA article about weight loss on various diet plans, I sincerely doubt someone who stayed committed to the Atkins program wholeheartedly for a full year would only lose 6 pounds. I'm not buying it, Dr. Greenberg and neither are my readers.

"Fact #7: The taste of the cookies is fine.... our shakes are good too. We do not mail samples of cookies for you to taste, we run a medical program, and patients get to taste the cookies during their initial visit. If anyone is still skeptical, we offer free consultation."

Am I supposed to take your word that "the taste of the cookies is fine?" I must ask again, why is Dr. Greenberg avoiding answering the questions that have been posed to him? If he believes so strongly in "The Cookie Diet" as the cure to end weight loss forever, why is he afraid to have an object third-party give honest feedback about how the cookies taste? What the heck does a "free consultation" have to do with how the cookies taste? Are these questions I asked of Dr. Greenberg that difficult to answer?

Dr. Greenberg concluded his e-mail by characterizing "The Cookie Diet" as "the most successful, longest established, medically supervised" weight loss and weight maintenance program available today.

"Please do more research on the facts before publishing misinformation," he wrote.

I think I have made it very clear that I did not miss any of the facts. But I still have a lot of questions that were left unanswered. What are the ingredients? What is the nutritional content of these cookies? Do they have sugar or sugar alternatives in them? How can we know these cookies actually taste good if you are unwilling to let people try them who do not want to commit to your program? How much do the cookies cost?

None of these questions were answered by Dr. Greenberg because he is apparently afraid his honest answers to these questions would prevent people from trying "The Cookie Diet" for themselves. Here's a grand opportunity for him to market his program to the public and he's not interested in sharing these "facts" with them. This is very telling if you ask me!

Dr. Greenberg got in one parting shot about my personal weight loss by stating "it takes 2 years to reset the brain's set point for weight."

I'm not sure what that is supposed to mean, but I guess he is assuming I haven't made it with my own weight loss yet. And I have admitted that many times. I do not think I have accomplished anything until I can keep my weight off for at least three years. That means I need to make it until January 1, 2008, which will be the 3-year anniversary of my 180-pound weight loss. But that doesn't mean I don't have a right to pen my thoughts on the subject of weight loss until then.

"The Cookie Diet" may sound like an innovative way to lose weight, but these nagging questions I guess will continue to go unanswered because Dr. Greenberg doesn't deem them relevant for people to know. What is it about the cookies in this program that Dr. Greenberg is keeping from the public? I guess we'll never know.

8-6-07 UPDATE: A VERY IMPORTANT UPDATE to this story has taken place, so please click here to read all about it.

Don't Lose Your Cookies With This Mystery Diet

Can eating six cookies a day really keep the weight away?

The strange and crazy ways people use to lose weight never ceases to amaze me in this day and age of professional dieting. Everybody has their own theory about what the best way to lose weight is, myself included. But how many people do you know are trying "The Cookie Diet."

I am not kidding you! There is actually a diet out there claiming it will help you lose weight by eating their cookies. It was developed by the Cherry Hill, New Jersey-based Siegal Medical Weight Management to give participants a way to "lose 12-15 pounds per month," according to the front page of their web site.

In fact, this story about a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania man who lost 120 pounds by eating six "nutritious, filling, hunger-suppressing cookies per day" on "The Cookie Diet." Then he would eat a "sensible dinner" at the end of the day.

Am I the only one who has some lingering questions about this "diet" plan? In my attempt to research the ingredients in these so-called "nutritious, filling, hunger-suppressing cookies," I was unable to find any information about it. NOTHING! How much fiber is in these cookies? Do they contain sugar and if not what sugar alternatives are used? Most importantly for someone who is livin' la vida low-carb, what is the carbohydrate content of these cookies? It greatly concerns me that this information is concealed from the public because there's no telling what they're putting in these cookies to make you lose weight.

Plus, talk about a boring diet, this one takes the cookie (LOL!). People always complain to me how boring Atkins and other low-carb programs are. But having to eat cookies day after day after day for the rest of your life to manage your weight does not sound enjoyable at all. Sure, getting to eat cookies will be novel for a few days, but you will begin to hate those cookies in very short order. I'd love to know the dropout rate of "The Cookie Diet."

Then, what is a "sensible dinner?" Is that low-fat? Low-calorie? Portion-controlled? Or perhaps even low-carb? Nobody knows because again there is nothing about it on the web site. The silence is deafening! Are people just supposed to trust Dr. Siegal and his staff?

And what about the taste of these cookies? Sure, the flavors are oatmeal, chocolate, and coconut, but do they taste good? If you can't tolerate cookies, then what about the soup or shakes they offer? Are they going to deliver on the all-important issue of taste? The unanswered questions greatly concern me as someone interested in seeing people get their weight under control.

While participants in "The Cookie Diet" are "medically supervised" with periodic counseling, examinations, and blood tests, I cannot help but think it is just a gimmick to get people to buy these cookies which, by the way, do not have a price tag on them. How much am I going to be shelling out for these magic diet cookies? They come in containers of six for a day's serving, but at what cost? Sure if they can help you lose weight and keep it off it shouldn't matter what the cost is, but not printing that information on your web site makes me very skeptical.

There are just too many unanswered questions about "The Cookie Diet" for me to give an objective opinion about them. Perhaps if some of my questions could be answered and/or if I could personally try these cookies for myself I could give you more feedback about them. I will contact Siegal Weight Management to see if they would be willing to provide this information to me.

You can contact them yourself by sending an e-mail to siegalcookiediet@aol.com. Let me know if you get a response from them.

8-6-07 UPDATE: A VERY IMPORTANT UPDATE to this story has taken place, so please click here to read all about it.