Losing 10 pounds a week can be very enticing for a lot of people. That could explain the popularity of many fad diets such as the cabbage soup diet. This diet has been around for over 2 decades and promises you can lose 10 pounds a week by following this strict meal plan for 7 days eating mostly cabbage soup.
Here is the 7 day cabbage soup meal plan:
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.
Some tips you need to remember: there is no limit to how much of the cabbage soup you can eat daily. On days 3,5,6,and 7 you can also eat as much chicken, fish, fruit, or vegetables as you want. The most common recipe for cabbage soup includes: cabbage, onions, peppers, carrots and tomatoes and whatever seasonings you prefer. While on the cabbage soup diet you cannot have any bread, alcohol or carbonated soft drinks.
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. No expensive ingredients; in fact, it’s very cheap.
3. Simple; no exercise or any other behavior changes are suggested, it’s only the 7 days meal plan.
4. Encourage the dieter to eat more fruit and vegetables.
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. The diet is quite bland and boring and many people may choose not to eat it after a few days which would make there caloric intake even lower.
3. Most cabbage soup recipes are high in sodium or monosodium glutamate.
4. Most of the weight loss with the cabbage soup diet comes from water weight, not fat loss, which will be easily put back on once you start eating the way you normally do.
5. The common cabbage soup recipes usually result in bland soup and some dieters have report to feeling nauseous whenever they smell the soup after finish the 1 week program.
6. Flatulence (farting) is a common, and unwelcome, side effect of the diet.
7. If you eat out it’s tough to follow the meal plan in 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. 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. Drink at least 5 glass of water per 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. You should probably stay home during your diet. Not only will you feel weak due to your low calorie intake, but you don’t want to have a problem with gas while standing in the line at the grocery store!
9. Consume food supplement tablet to complement this diet.
10. Keep track of your progress by using a daily journal.
11. Use a reminder to make sure you eat the right food of the day.
12. Stock up. Make sure you have everything on hand for your diet before you start.
13. Don’t skip your protein shakes. It’s important to maintain your protein levels throughout the diet.
Follow the plan carefully and stay motivated and you can lose up to 10 pounds in a week. That’s a great start for anyone!
