by Stefan Vincent

Cabbage Soup Diet is one of the fad diets which is designed for fast weight loss and requires no long term commitment. It is designed as seven days program where dieter will have a strict meal plans with cabbage soup as the main ingredients. The program itself is not new; it was first gained popularity at 1980s due to the claim of 10 pounds weight loss per week.

An example of the 7 days meal plans:

Day 1: Fruit; any fruit (no banana’s), cabbage soup, fat burner drink, healthy protein shake, and lemon water or herbal water. Day 2: Vegetable; vegetables,cabbage soup, healthy protein shake, fat burner drink, baked potato, lemon water or vegetable juice Day 3: Vegetables and Fruits; cabbage soup, fruit, vegetables, healthy protein shake, fat burner drink, lemon water or vegetable juices. Day 4: Bananas; banana, cabbage soup, dairy (low fat), healthy protein shake, lemon or herbal water. Day 5: Tomatoes and Fish: fish or chicken with tomatoes, cabbage soup, healthy protein shake, fat burner drink, lemon or herbal water. Day 6: Poultry; poultry or fish, cabbage soup, vegetables, healthy protein shake, fat burner drink, lemon water or vegetable juices. Day 7: Rice; mushroom risotto, cabbage soup, vegetables, healthy protein shake, fat burner drink, lemon water or vegetable juice

Notes that there is no limit for the consumption of cabbage soup at any day, the dieter can eat as much as he wants. On day three, five, six, and seven, there are no limits for fruit, vegetables, fish, and poultry consumption. The recipes of the soup itself usually consist of cabbage, carrots, peppers, onions, and tomatoes with preferred seasonings. The program also forbid alcohol, bread, and carbonated beverages.

Despite the fact that the diet is centered around cabbage soup there isn’t any evidence to suggest that cabbage burns more fat than any other vegetable. The real reason people lose weight on this diet is due to the extremely low daily calorie intake, between 800-1,000. The soup is just the ‘main course’ and the diet would probably work the same way with many other types of vegetable soups as the center piece.

Pros

1. Fast weight loss; the dieter can expect to lose 10 to 15 pounds at the end of the program.

2. Doesn’t cost much; all the ingredients for this diet are easily found and inexpensive to buy.

3. Simple; no exercise or any other behavior changes are suggested, it’s only the 7 days meal plan.

4. Eating more fruits and vegetables, which is always a good idea.

Cons

1. The extremely low daily calorie of this diet is not a healthy way to lose weight. There is a very small percentage of protein in the diet plan which can actually hurt you due to the lack of proper nutrition. Most people should get at least 1200 calories a day, unless specifically told otherwise by their doctor.

2. Eating this fairly bland soup almost exclusively for a week will get really boring which might make you want to skip meals and lowering your already dangerously low calorie intake.

3. Most cabbage soup recipes are high in sodium or monosodium glutamate.

4. There is theory that the weight loss mainly comes from fluid or muscle mass, not fat loss, which will return once the dieter back to the normal eating behaviors.

5. Most cabbage soup recipes are very bland and dieters have reported feeling ill just by the smell of this bland soup after their 7 day diet is over.

6. Flatulence (farting) is a common, and unwelcome, side effect of the diet.

7. Hard to eat out since the meals in the program are not commonly served at a restaurant.

No matter how much we want one there is no such thing as a quick fix diet. The cabbage soup diet might help you lose some weight quickly but this is hardly a permanent, healthy weight loss solution. If you just can’t resist the idea of losing 10 pounds in a week though, at least keep these pointers in mind:

1. This diet is for adult, it is not suitable for children and adolescents.

2. Only go on this diet a week at a time, do not try to prolong it.

3. Consult your doctor if you have any health issues.

4. While on the diet keep yourself motivated by reminding yourself it’s only 7 days and you can lose up to 10 pounds.

5. Stay hydrated. Drink at least 5 glasses of water every day.

6. To liven things up experiment with different seasonings.

7. Even if you dont like it, force yourself to eat plenty of soup. This diet is already low in calories and you dont want to starve yourself due to your dislike to cabbage soup.

8. Plan on staying home during your diet. The low calorie amount might make you feel weak, and you don’t want to have gas while out in public. If you absolutely have to go out, try to take some soup with you.

9. Take your vitamins (and minerals) you have to make sure your body is getting all the nutrients it needs to stay healthy.

10. Make a journal to keep track your weight loss from day 1.

11. Use a reminder to make sure you eat the right food of the day.

12. Before you start your diet, make sure you have all the ingredients you need for the diet plan.

13. Don’t skip your protein shakes. It’s important to maintain your protein levels throughout the diet.

The bottom line is keeping yourself healthy and stay focused during the entire process, you will gain significant weight loss at the end of the program.

About the Author:
Using a fad diet for long period is a bad idea. Take the advice from Diets That Work to teach you in picking the best from a list of selected weight loss program to continue your weight loss process.

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