Is It Effective For Weight Loss
Some anecdotal sources say that people following the cabbage soup diet may lose 10 pounds per week or more.
People who follow the diet strictly will likely lose some weight, potentially 10 pounds per week or more. This is because it involves eating so few calories each day.
However, in most cases, people quickly regain this lost weight once they return to their regular diet.
It is important to note that only around 34% of weight loss that occurs during the first week of following a very low calorie diet is from body fat. The rest of the lost weight will likely come from muscle tissue and water from reserves inside and outside cells.
There is no scientific evidence to suggest that the cabbage soup diet is safe or effective for weight loss. No health authorities recommend following the diet.
Proponents of the cabbage soup diet also encourage people not to exercise while following it. However, getting enough exercise is very important to good health overall. Regular exercise is also far more likely to lead to meaningful, long-term weight loss.
Crash dieting can also reduce someones rate of metabolism, which can cause weight gain or prevent weight loss.
When the body does not receive sufficient calories, it has to break down muscles for energy. The lower the muscle mass, the slower metabolism is, as muscle burns more calories during rest than fat.
The cabbage soup diet has many drawbacks.
- dizziness or lightheadedness
- passing out or losing consciousness
The Cabbage Soup Diet Claims
- Day 1: Soup and fruit
- Day 2: Soup and other vegetables, especially lots of leafy greens. No fruit.
- Day 3: Soup, with fruit and veggies, remembering no starchy stuff.
- Day 4: Soup, plus this day you get to eat bananas. I have read varying amounts of bananasanywhere from four to eight, so I suppose its up to you, but eight sounds too high. The bananas bring potassium into the mix. You may also drink a couple of glasses of skim milk, for the calcium.
- Day 5: Soup. Today you get to add proteinas in meat! . You may have one or two 10-ounce servings of a meat, like roasted, baked, or grilled skinless chicken and some tomatoes, preferably fresh. Note: I have seen where they say to eat beef as your protein, but unless its a super-lean cut like a tenderloin , Id go with the chicken. Up to you.
- Day 6: Soup and proteins from Day 5, plus veggies.
- Day 7: Oh, yes! Day 7! On this final day, you eat the soup, some brown rice, and vegetables. Some say you may add unsweetened fruits juices.
And perhaps the most important part of this diet, you must drink a lot of water. A lot. At least a gallon per day You may also drink green or black tea in moderation with no sweetenernot even artificial ones like Splenda. Lemon is fine. By the end of the week, youre supposed to have lost 10 pounds and possibly, even likely, more.
How Is Weight Lost By Following The 7
The weighing scale will tip in your favor because this meal plan causes a massive calorie deficit in your daily diet . This limited menu will give you less than 1000 calories a day. Men are generally not recommended to consume fewer than 1500 calories per day, while the minimum is 1200 for females. Since you are taking much fewer calories, you lose most of your water weight rapidly.
Why does cabbage soup make you lose weight? This restrictive soup makes you shed several pounds because the severe reduction of calorie-intake leads the body to utilize fat as an energy source when calorie intake is very low. This burning of fat is what results in weight loss.
Only 34% of the weight lost is from fat. The remaining 66% is from muscle mass and lost water weight. This water weight is from glycogen stores, where the body stores carbohydrates for energy. When you consume fewer calories than required, the body utilizes the reserve energy first before turning to fat, and also removes extra water stored with the glycogen.
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How To Improve The Cabbage Soup Diet
The cabbage soup diet will deliver pretty awesome weight loss results on its own.
But let me show you some science on how it’s possible to boost your calorie burn rate even further.
Before we get to that, let’s take a look at what you can do to deal with easily the single biggest drawback of the cabbage soup diet.
What Can I Eat On The Cabbage Soup Diet
The cabbage soup diet is a weight-loss plan that has been around for years. It has one major principle: eat as much low-calorie, high fiber food as you want in the form of cabbage soup and fruit. While this may seem like it would result in a bland diet, there are actually many delicious foods you can eat on the cabbage soup diet. In this article, well go over what you can eat on the Cabbage Soup Diet!
In addition to the vegetables the soup already includes, that is, cabbage, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, carrots, and celery, among others, this diet also allows you to add some fruits such as:
- Bananas
- Grapes
- Watermelon
On the other hand, you can also eat certain animal proteins, such as low-fat fish, turkey, chicken, and skim milk/yogurt. You can also include moderate amounts of brown rice.
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Touted Health Benefits Of The Cabbage Soup Diet
Although there is no scientific evidence that suggests the cabbage soup diet is safe and effective for weight loss, eating cabbage soup alone as part of a balanced diet may be beneficial.
For example, a preliminary study on the effects of red cabbage consumption in obese mice found decreased cholesterol over the course of eight weeks. The study was published in December 2016 in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, though its unclear whether the same results would be found in humans and in a randomized controlled clinical trial the gold standard for medical research.
Maybe You Just Really Like Cabbage Soup Theres A Recipe For That
Ingredients
- 1 pack of mushrooms
- 12 spoonfuls of oil for sautéing
- 12 bouillon cubes
- 68 cups of water or vegetable cocktail like low-sodium V8
Directions
Play around with herbs, spices, and even hot sauce until you find a flavor combo you love. You can also add non-starchy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, or brussels sprouts.
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Can The Cabbage Soup Diet Aid Weight Loss
If you follow this diet, you are likely to see a difference on the scales, but this will mostly be fluid changes. It is not possible to lose 4.5kg of fat in seven days. As a dietitian, I would never recommend it, but would provide support and advice for a long-term healthy sustainable plan to follow after.
The Pros And Cons Of Cabbage Soup Diet
The cabbage soup diet has long been one of the best solutions to achieving rapid weight loss. Although it has been changed and adapted across cultures worldwide, the basic premise remains the same. The cabbage soup diet is a low-calorie meal plan where dieters are required to eat or drink cabbage soup 2 to 3 times a day. This diet usually yields outstanding weight loss results. However, with its benefits also comes a set of disadvantages.
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What About Other Fad Diets
Like trendy clothing, fad diets arent made to lastand usually, they arent based on good science or healthy eating habits. And that means that in the long run, trying something like the cabbage soup diet isnt good for you. Fad diets usually involve restrictions of whole food groups and/or severe calorie restriction, Carrell warns. This diet restricts calories which can lead to weakness and fatigue.
What Are The Pros And Cons
Pros:
- Quick weight loss up to 10 pounds or more in only 7 days.
- Body detox and a kickstart to a sustainable diet.
- It may have anti-inflammatory properties, depending on the ingredients. Our diet cabbage soup recipe does have some, such as turmeric, garlic, lemon, and spinach.
Cons:
- If you dont drink plenty of water and start a balanced diet, you may re-gain the weight fast as well.
- It is a fairly boring diet since most of it consists of cabbage soup.
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Pros Of The Cabbage Soup Diet:
Theres no denying that cabbage itself is packed with health benefits, as nutritionist at Lifesum Lovisa Nilsson explains. Cabbage is healthy, as it contains plenty of fibre and antioxidants such as vitamin C, she shares. But does that mean you should only eat cabbage? No.
Windas points out that such a low calorie content will likely help you lose weight temporarily. The choices are so limited that youre not likely to over-consume these foods thus keeping you in a calorie deficit and enabling weight loss, she shares.
Do note here: The large intake of cabbage will mean a large intake of fibre. Which is good, sure, but could make those prone to bloating and increased flatulence, like IBS sufferers, struggle.
Pros And Cons Of The Cabbage Soup Diet
Dietitian Jasmine Carbon points out cabbages nutritional benefits:
Cabbage is a great source of fibre essential for gut flora and bowel health, she says. Eating a portion of cabbage would count towards your 5 portions of fruit and veg a day.
However, it should be eaten as part of a balanced diet. This is not a diet I would recommend anyone to follow, she adds.
Jasmine is concerned with how restrictive the cabbage soup diet plan is, which in turn could affect your body both physically and mentally:
If done for a number of days the person could miss out on vital calories, protein, vitamins and minerals essential for the body to function and to allow you to carry out your day-to-day tasks.
Mina agrees that the diets focus can wreak havoc with your blood sugar levels. Leaving individuals feeling faint or weak and is particularly dangerous for those with diabetes.
The cabbage soup diet also has a reputation for leaving you full of wind . This is because cabbage is high in fibre and can cause some digestive issues for those who arent used to consuming high quantities of fibre.
Expect to experience some gastro-intestinal discomfort such as bloating, gas build up, nausea and flatulence, adds Jasmine. Diarrhoea is another common side-effect of the cabbage soup diet plan.
Whilst weight loss can be expected , its worth noting that those who follow the cabbage soup diet will put the weight back on when they come off it.
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Whats The Upside Of The Cabbage Soup Diet
The diet promises to help you lose 10 pounds of weightand most people will likely drop a few pounds by following it. It is a simple diet to follow, says Stephanie Carrell, RDN, a clinical dietitian at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix, AZ. It also allows for a variety of fruits and vegetables, which are full of important nutrients. It promises fast weight loss, which can help to kick-start an exercise and diet program. If you want some proved motivation, explore weight loss tips from people who have dropped 50 pounds or more.
The Cabbage Soup Diet: Does It Work Is It Safe
May 22, 2018
If youre looking to lose weight, the premise of the cabbage soup diet can be pretty appealing. Proponents of the diet claim that you can drop anywhere up to 10 pounds in a single week by simply swapping your regular foods for ample amounts of cabbage soup, fruits and vegetables.
Like other fad diets, its designed to provide short-term results without a long-term commitment for those seeking to achieve fast weight loss with minimal effort required. Its also easier to follow than many traditional diets, with simple guidelines that specify exactly which foods are okay on each day and which foods should be nixed altogether.
However, its been the center of a good amount of controversy while some tout it as super effective, others claim that it doesnt produce long-lasting results, can be overly restrictive and is downright unhealthy.
So does the cabbage soup diet work? And should you give it a shot or or opt for another diet plan to lose weight instead? Heres what you need to know.
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All About The 7 Day Cabbage Soup Diet Plan
The cabbage soup diet, which has been believed to help people lose up to 9 lbs in a week, was first developed to help patients who undergo major operations to lose weight quickly before surgery, and then, with its success, the cabbage soup expanded, becoming popular as a general weight loss diet.
The 7 day cabbage soup diet plan, which provides strong and fast fat burning, includes foods such as skim milk, raw or cooked vegetables and fruits. We admit that this diet is not very diverse. The most important point to be considered in this diet is that it should not be continued for more than 1 week. If you want to continue losing weight, you have to take a 15-day break and start over. Of course, with the approval of your doctor.
Cabbage Soup Diet Rules: A Day
The meal plan for the cabbage soup diet is followed for seven days in this order:
- Day 1 Day 1 is just the soup and fruit only, says Rothenberg. Bananas arent allowed on the first day.
- Day 2 Cabbage soup and other vegetables
- Day 3 Cabbage soup plus raw fruits and vegetables
- Day 4 Along with the cabbage soup, you can also have a maximum of 8 bananas and skim milk on this day only.
- Day 5 Eat beef and tomatoes along with your cabbage soup. You can eat 2 to 20 ounces of beef, says Rothenberg. Twenty oz of beef 160 g protein, which is roughly 100g more protein than most people need!
- Day 6 Unlimited beef and vegetables along with the cabbage soup
- Day 7 In addition to the cabbage soup, you can have brown rice and unsweetened fruit juice.
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Cabbage Soup Diet Shopping List
- Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of hot pepper paste5 cups of hot chicken stock 1 teaspoon of salt1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper1/4 bunch of dill
Recipe
Control the amount of hot water, add again during boiling as desired.
Has There Been Any Scientific Research Done On The Cabbage Soup Diet
Sadly not, although Windas shares that there has been lots of research on low calorie diets in general.
Your body reacts to drastically restricted your calorie intake by going into a starvation mode, she explains. Which means? Itll lower your metabolic rate and reduce the number of calories you burn per day, which can be counterproductive towards weight loss, she shares.
All in all, the Cabbage Soup Diet isnt the healthiest weight loss plan available out there. Nilsson says: Cabbage soup is nutritionally unbalanced as a meal, and it is vital we consume essential nutrients such as proteins, vitamins B and even healthy fats. By following this diet for a lengthily period of time, you are depriving your body of the nutrients it needs and thus defeating any long-term health benefits and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
If you are determined to give the diet a go, Lovisa has some advice for you. Supplement the soup with, for example, rye bread and some form of protein. You may also find that you get bored of eating cabbage for your meals every day, so I would suggest adding and changing flavours to make each meal more interesting. Got it?
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Will The Cabbage Soup Diet Work For Me
Will you lose weight? Surely. Will you keep the weight off? Not a chance.
The majority of the weight that will be lost is water-weight and not fat. The diet doesnât have enough nutrients, exercise plans or anything else to promote fat burning.
What it does have, however, is a rigorous consumption of cabbage soup.
The cabbage soup diet is a bad idea. Itâs the equivalent of starving yourself but with slight exceptions. It doesnât have an exercise routine or any other behavioral recommendations and doesnât give you the nutrients your body will need.
People have reported feeling light headed while on this diet. And Iâm sure the symptoms donât stop there.
A âdietâ like this makes gimmicky diet plans like the Cookie Diet or the 5 Factor Diet seem like godsends. What baffles me more than how people can think it works, is how people can eat the food. Cabbage soup day-in day-out?
Take or leave this diet? Leave it in the dumpster and never look back.
