Cabbage Soup Diet- The Seven Days is not that Hard if You Know the Tricks
You may have heard of the Cabbage Soup diet before, it’s been around since the 1980’s. The idea is to to use this strict meal plan with cabbage soup as the center of all of your meals for 7 days and you will lose 10 pounds in that week.
An example of the 7 days meal plans:
Day 1: Fruit; any fruit except banana, protein shake, fat burner drink, lemon water or herbal water and of course, cabbage soup Day 2: Vegetables; vegetables, cabbage soup, protein shake, fat burner drink, lemon water or vegetable juice, baked potato Day3: Fruit and Vegetables; fruit, cabbage soup, vegetables, protein shake, fat burner drink, lemon water or vegetable juice. Day 4: Bananas; cabbage soup, low fat dairy product, banana, protein shake, water with lemon or herbal flavoring. Day 5: Fish and Tomatoes; cabbage soup, poultry or fish with tomatoes, protein shake, fat burner drink, water with lemon or herbal flavoring. Day 6: Poultry; chicken or fish, cabbage soup, vegetables, protein shake, fat burner drink, lemon water or vegetable juices. Day 7: Rice: mushroom risotto, cabbage soup, vegetables, fat burner drink, protein shake, lemon water or vegetable juices.
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.
While it is named The Cabbage Soup Diet, there are no scientific studies that show cabbage properties to burn fat. The seven days meal plans indicate that this is another low calorie diet with 800-100 calories per day, the cabbage soup is just there to satisfy the dieter whenever he is hungry.
Pros
1. Lose weight fast; most people will lose between 10 -15 pounds over the 7 days of the cabbage soup diet.
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 diet is very low calorie and considered unhealthy. The cabbage soup itself contains very little protein and the dieter usually will suffer lack of proper nutrition. It is not recommended to consume less than 1200 calories per day unless it is advised by a doctor.
2. Continuously eat cabbage soup throughout the entire week can be really boring, which can encourage the dieter to eat less than the already low calories per day.
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. Many dieters have reported feeling sick just by the smell of cabbage soup after going through the 7 day diet. And they are turned off by the blandness of the soup.
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.
From the facts, it is obvious that this diet has many drawbacks and not recommended; many experts will suggest a traditional long term healthy diet. But it is also true that fast weight loss is really tempting and many will still try it. If you do plan to try this diet program, here are a few things to consider:
1. No kids or teenagers! This diet is for adults only.
2. Do not stay on the cabbage soup diet for more than 7 days.
3. Consult your doctor if you have any health issues.
4. During the diet, keep remind yourself that the program only last for seven days and it will result on significant weight loss.
5. Drink plenty of water, at least 5 glasses a day.
6. Use spices and seasonings to liven up your meals and help prevent boredom.
7. Don’t skip your meals, no matter how bored you might be getting with the soup you can’t risk lowering your calories any more than they already are.
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. Consume food supplement tablet to complement this diet.
10. Keep a journal so you can track your weight loss.
11. Keep track of what you’re supposed to be eating everyday, write it down on a chart if you have to.
12. Keep steady supply of the ingredients, fruits, and vegetables in your refrigerator.
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.