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Cabbage Soup Diet
The very definition of an ill-advised fad diet.
BACKGROUND
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Look up the definition of fad diet and you’ll see a picture illustrating the Cabbage Soup Diet. It should not be followed as a long-term eating plan, as it is dangerously low in calories and could do more harm than good. It is possible to lose 10 pounds in a week when you stick to this uber-low calorie plan.
The Cabbage Soup Diet does offer fast weight loss, but it is completely lacking in nutrition, flavor and variety. You'll consume mostly soups of cabbage, onion, celery, carrots, tomatoes and mushrooms. Nutritionists argue that the pounds shed are more likely attributed to the dramatic and dangerous loss in calories and not the proposed fat-burning power found in the cabbage. This diet deprives your body of essential nutrients and has been correlated to difficulty concentrating, feeling light-headed and weak.
PRO
- You will lose weight
CON
- Unhealthy
- Dangerously caloric intake
- Primarily losing water weight
- Will regain lost weight if don't stick to healthy eating and exercise following completion
- Does not promote exercise; would be too weak to do so
DIET and NUTRITION
The one-week Cabbage Soup Diet relies on this simple plan:
Day One All-you-can-eat soup and fruit (no bananas). Consume plenty of water, cranberry juice and unsweetened tea.
Day Two Consume all the soup and vegetables you like (no beans, peas or corn). Have a buttered baked potato with dinner. No fruit today.
Day Three Eat all the soup, fruits and vegetables you like, nothing else.
Day Four Eat your soup, no more than eight bananas and all the skim milk you want.
Day Five Have at least one serving of soup today. You can also have 10-20 ounces of skinless chicken or beef and no more than six tomatoes. Drink plenty of water.
Day Six Eat plenty of vegetables and your servings of beef. Today is the day you can go a bit overboard with the meat (2 steaks if you like) - just make sure to add salad and vegetables. Stay away from the carbs - no fries, potatoes, etc.
Day Seven Have at least one serving of soup. Only eat brown rice, vegetables and unsweetened fruit juice.
EXERCISE
No recommendations are made. Given the severely low calories you'll be consuming, you likely won't have the strength for physical activity.
CONCLUSION
For rapid weight loss as a jump-start to a more healthy eating plan, the Cabbage Soup Diet could possibly be a solution. However, fasting or liquid diets like Cabbage Soup promising dramatic weight loss results in only a week are typically only helping you shed water weight. This weight will creep right back on once you stop the diet and continue with previous poor eating habits. Finishing the Cabbage Soup Diet and beginning a healthy eating and exercise regimen is the best advice anyone following this unhealthy approach can receive. Be sure to speak with your physician before beginning.
Common Misspellings
cabbge soup diet, cabbage soup deit, cabage soup diet, cabbagge soup, cabbagesoupdiet.com, cabbage diet, cabagge soup diet, soup diet
Featured Diets
Related Diets: Juice Diet, Maple Syrup Diet, Grapefruit Solution, 21 Pounds in 21 Days, Martha's Vineyard Diet
Wikipedia
The Cabbage soup diet is a radical weight loss diet designed around heavy consumption of a low-calorie cabbage soup over the time of seven days. It is generally considered a fad diet, in that it is designed for short-term weight-loss and requires no long-term commitment. It has inspired several copy-cats based around similar principles.
User Feedback
(Page 20 of 34, 664 total comments)shay
Day 3 down three more pounds for a total of 9 pounds in three days! Yeah!!!! Going to the store today to buy more fruit! YUMMY!
posted Feb 25th, 2009 7:15 amSW 185
CW 176
GW 125-130
My stomach is shrinking!!!!
shay
Sabrina, I wish you luck on you loss AND congrats on the big day!
posted Feb 25th, 2009 6:48 amSabrina
I've tried this soup before and I think it's actually really good when made right. I do add a lot of seasonings. The last time I did this diet, I lost 11 lbs. I'm 5'2 and weigh 150. I'm on it for the second go round and on day 2 right now...have already lost 4 lbs. I'm not feeling light headed or ill and I do cardio everyday. My wedding is in 11 days and I'm hoping to get off just a few more before then! Wish me luck!
posted Feb 24th, 2009 4:55 pmshay
There is NO WAY!!!!! My scale MUST be broken (which I only bought last week) I am on day 2 and it says I lost 6 pounds?!?!? What?!? This huge drop has me committed to the WHOLE 7 days! I am so excited! I know many are going to say its only water, but guess what I don't care because it is a loss and I feel much better. My stomach looks flatter already ! Glad I was home most of the day though....cause I was hitting the bathroom whether if it was one or the other. Sorry to go on and on, I am just excited!!!! Oh AND the soup was GOOD yesterday! Oh my goodness. But I had made changes too. Instead of green cabbage, I used the red one (which taste much better) and instead of white onion I used the red onion. I don't normally drink the liquid at the end, but I was slurping that soup!
posted Feb 24th, 2009 6:52 amCar
Question, does anyone know what can be substituted on banana day besides bananas? I hate bananas AND skim milk, but I do drink soy milk. I just don't want to be "starving" myself on that day...
posted Feb 23rd, 2009 11:09 amThanks!
sha
I am starting day one today. I have been reading the comments made here and love the end results of the 7 to 15 pound loss in one week. I have tried this about 10 years ago and I think I made it day 3, but this time I am sticking to it! So, my starting weight is 185 and I am 5' 2". I hope to eventually get down to between 125 to 130. Of course by not eating this soup daily, but I hope this will be a jumpstart to weight loss!
posted Feb 23rd, 2009 11:07 amclaire
Im on day 1 of this diet and dont feel as though im missing any normal day food. Its tonight im worried about coz thats the when i eat most. I tryed a different soup just veg through and through except cabbage. I hate the stufff but what ive came to realise is that its the low cal/no cal soup that works. nothing to do with cabbage.
posted Feb 23rd, 2009 7:43 amJuicy
Little question - does anyone know of a veggie alternative for day 5 & 6? Is it ok to get quorn chicken maybe?
posted Feb 21st, 2009 2:25 pmI'm on day 4 (have lost 5lbs so far) :) and love the diet, just can't face the meat days!
HELP!!xx
Jessica
It is day 3 and I am very glad to say I haven't cheated at all!
posted Feb 20th, 2009 1:44 pmI made a fresh pot of soup last night. I made a few adjustments I left out the tomatoes and V8 and added shataki mushrooms,fish boullion and ginger, YUM! put as few fresh bean sprouts on top before you eat it and WOW. It is really good.
I feel great : )
Jessica
Ok so today is day one....
posted Feb 18th, 2009 12:31 pmI have had a grapefruit so far and have a bunch of peaches and strawberrys cut up fro snack. I brought a very large bowl of soup to work for lunch. I added some curry to my soup and it is yummie!! I hava a ton of ideas for veggies tomorrow,
( go to fatfreevegan.com for some great ideas).
Also I got a multi-vitamin and a vitamin c if I feel light headed, I have found that this combo works quite well.
Today I am 155 lbs. I will update daily and share any good recepies I come across!
Good luck all : )
pete
Hi.I am a 40 yr old male recently divorced and now living in my own home. Bliss... I have developed quite a bit of weight around my stomach region and i heard the girls at work discussing this diet. I carefully/discreatly listened and started it this morning. The first cup was quite nice so i had to have another. 8 hours into the diet and i have nearly finished the pan. I have also had 1 pint of water to 1 mug of soup. BUT.... I am starving. For some reason i fancy a fish finger sandwich of which i do not usually have. I have to admit i have passed quite a bit of water but i dare not go anywhere due to the wind problem. If this is whats its like only 8 hours into the diet god only knows what the end of the week will bring. HELP.. I need food.....
posted Feb 18th, 2009 9:58 amJessica
I will be starting the diet tomorrow. Since I was a little kid my mother has been using this diet and it has always worked.
posted Feb 17th, 2009 6:10 pmI actully like the soup so I don't think it will be hard.
Also, I have recently lost about 15lbs., over the last 4 MONTHS! by counting my calories and exercising......I have since plateaued and the Cabbage Soup Diet is just what I need to kick start my continued weight loss!
I will keep ypou posted on my progress:)
kelly and liam
my husband and myself are on our 1st day today and though i don't feel hungry i do want to eat something like a sandwich..............
posted Feb 16th, 2009 1:18 pmoh well i think we are off to bed early so we can't have owt to eat, hope we feel more positive tomorrow!
Julian
Here is what I have discovered, if you check back I tried the soup in Jan. Well time has gone by and I have gained the weight back and whatever, I have realized how important it is to keep track of what I put into my body (mypyramid.gov is good) um... I have stepped up my workouts and continue to supplement my regular meals with the soup. Rather than just the veggies I have been adding a mix of proteins to each pot I warm up. Fish one day, ground turkey another, shrimp, chicken breasts and a bit of feta or other cheese. Doing this has allowed me to keep up my energy, step up my workouts and really enjoy the soup. Ill be back to let you know results.
posted Feb 6th, 2009 11:48 pmemily
The diet i tried didnt have cabbage in it, but it required the same schedule.
posted Feb 5th, 2009 1:34 amI wanted to lose 10 lbs max... flush out my system.. have more energy etc.
I made it to the middle of day two before i was so incredably nausous that i had to leave work. I felt so weak and faint.
I ate the soup all the time and drank the cranberry juice but it didnt matter..
It was making my system all out of wack.. I didnt have to pee at all for those 2 days... that cant be good.
Maybe it was too much on my system because im not in need of weight loss? I tended to eat alot of junk food and thought this would clean me out and make me feel better,
Now.. i'll stick to watching what i eat and working out.
Good luck to all who try this.. :)
Soni
Can you have a cup of coffee durig this diet?
posted Jan 28th, 2009 9:16 pmdina
Okay so today is Monday! Yesterday was my 7th day on the cabbage so here are the results ! Me and my husband stated this diet on 01/19/2009 he is 5’4 and 326 33 yrs old I am 5’3 250 and 28 yrs old, So a week later we both got onto the scale he lost 15(311) pound and I lost 8 (242) hmm I ate the same thing as he did but he lost more! But anyhow I am still happy with that ! Well I’m going to start another pot of soup today! Because I know this has worked! I don’t drink soda and the craving for it has went away so im good now the only thing I cheat on is my coffee I use splenda in it! I c ant live without my cup of coffee! Well I will let everyone know in another week how we did! Good luck to you all! P.S Set your mind to it and you will be able to do so!!
posted Jan 26th, 2009 9:51 amOh as for the soup I found that you should only keep the soup for 2 days! Because it gets a taste that is yuk not good! So for day 3 start with a new pot of soup! Once again good luck!!!!
pinky
just a question.....do u have to make this soup once a week and drink from it everyday....or do u make a fresh pot everyday? pls help!!
posted Jan 22nd, 2009 8:16 pmpreeti
hi...quick question...it might be stupid...but i just wanted to know....
posted Jan 22nd, 2009 7:53 pmthe recipe given on the cabbage soup diet site....are you supposed to make it once...and drink it for the week...(like left-overs)
or do you have to make a fresh pot everyday?? :S pls help....
i've done this diet before...and i made a fresh pot everyday....its a bit of a task to chop these veggies day after day haha.....
i lost 10lbs and i wanna lose some more....
dina
okay im back day 4!! i had a very rough first 2 days but i have done it!! i have not cheated and im very happy so far i have lost 6 pounds so i see the change!!!!!
posted Jan 22nd, 2009 11:09 am