Cabbage Soup Diet
The very definition of an ill-advised fad diet.
BACKGROUND
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
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.
> Leave Feedback
User Feedback
(Page 4 of 20)
My last day was Sunday ( I actually enjoyed Day 7) total weight loss 9 lbs. Disappointed it wasn't more, but am happy with the way my clothes fit. I do recommend this diet, however, maintenance is the key. If you go back to your old ways, the pounds will creep back on. Good luck everyone!
I STARTED THE DIET YESTERDAY & I LOST 3 POUNDS IN ONE DAY. I FELT BETTER. ON YESTERDAY IT GAVE ME A BURST OF ENGERY.
Thought I'd give a little update, as it's been a couple of weeks since we finished the diet and I think it's always good to know what happens to people after.
Well my boyfriend and I both put 2lbs back on the week after we finished but that wasn't suprising seeing as we had a wedding to attend! My boyfriend lost the 2lbs again last week and I stayed the same, so no gain or loss for me.
We're both still feeling great, and have noticed that our clothes are fitting better and looser. We've started doing a lot more exercise and changed our way of eating really, as ultimately we know this is the way to a long-term healthy bod. We're going to try hard to keep it like this and still have the odd treat, as life would be soooo boring without!!
Sorry to hear it didn'tt work out for you Shy, I guess everyone is different and some bodies can cope better than others. Hope you're feeling ok now.
Cheers for now guys!
SOOOOO im getting ready to start my CSD today its day one and im kinda worried i dont care for cabbage soup that much but i am really sick of feeling tired all the time because of being over weight im only 20 sooo they say the younger you are the faster you lose well i guess we will see i hope to lose 15lb.s soo wish me luck
made it to day 3, that morning was fine but later on in the day i passed smooth out! i had a massive migrane. and i followed everything to the T. i did lose 5 lbs but that was the worst feeling in the world. i quit, im done, and will never try this again....im sticking to the gym and muscle milk.(also eating right). but now im 153...i guess. good luck to all the rest. i felt like i was going to die, and to have my two sons(6 and 4) find me on the floor was horrifying in itself...
Does anyone know if unsweetened fruit juice is the same as "no sugar added" fruit juice.
I'm on Day 3 - so far, so good....although i am kind of hungry...again!
day 2 was hard cause i dont like the raw veggies, but i got on the scale today(day3) and i weigh 153!!! im so excited. i do feel a bit weak but im in it til the end! im pushing for 145lbs.
I started the diet yesterday (4/13/09) and its going okay. Im 5'5 and 158lbs. i love cabbage and soup so this is perfect for me. i dont like raw and dry vegetables though. ill keep yall posted. i model and i have an event saturday...shy
hi im going to start this diet tomorrow. my birthday is coming up and i really need to lose a few pounds to fit in my dress. i hope this works.
I just started the CSD and am on my second day! The fruit day was more difficult than I though. I actually was sick of fruit after awhile. The vegetable day is worse lol. But I am looking forward to my baked potato.
I like how I feel; in control. I get hungry easier but I am sure that this will go away in time. I hope I lose something but if not, at least it is something new to try and get your body on a healthy track again.
I've finished the diet and lost 6lbs overall with my boyfriend loosing 8lbs. I did put 2lbs back on after my weekend break, but lost that and a further 2lbs on the second week. I have to say I couldn't bare the soup by the end of it but we're both feeling great and it's given us the incentive to watch what we eat going forward, as we'd like to loose a bit more. This diet isn't something I'll be continually doing but I'd definitely do it again if I want to loose some weight before a special occasion.
Katie - Well done, you're doing brilliantly! I think if you're not going to watch what you eat for a week, then you will inevitably put some weight back on. Everything in moderation, so keep that in mind and I'm sure you'll be fine :-)
So, I completed the cabbage soup diet about a month ago, lost 6 pounds joined weight watchers and lost another 7 pounds. I want to do it again next week because I feel that I am starting to plateu and want to reach my goal weight by the end of May for a cruise.
My question - I will return to weight wacthers right after i finish the soup diet for the second time. I will remain on weight watchers till the end of May and take a week break for my cruise. On my cruise, if I eat how I would like (not weight watchers), will I gain back the weight i lost on the cabbage soup diet 2 and a half months and a month and a half before?
Please help!
Just to update anyone who is thinking of splitting this diet, as I have.....I completed the first four days, lost 4lbs (my boyfriend lost 5!) and am feeling a lot better in myself. We had a weekend off and now continuing with day 5-7. I know you're not meant to do it this way but I have a wedding on Friday, so will see how I go for this week. :-)
Natalie
I didn't want to eat meat and tomatoes either for breakfast on days 5 and 6 so I opted for an orange on both days.
Profile
Message
Oh and a quick question please......what have you gys eaten for breakfast on day 5/6? Can't say I'm looking forward to meat and tomatoes/veg on those days first thing in the morning!!
Well I'm on day 3 and it's all going pretty easily really. Got a bit peck'ish yesterday afternoon, so munched on some carrot battons and I was fine. I haven't had any headaches or feeling light headed and even went for a run last night. I have noticed that I'm getting tired earlier and last night was asleep on the sofa by 8:30pm!! I'm feeling much better in myself, so if I don't actually loose that much I'm cool with that, as it;s all about how I feel!! :-)
A quick question please guys.....I started the diet this morning but have friends coming to stay at the weekend. I'm planning on doing the first few days, taking a break and then doing the last few days - do you know if I should carry on after the break, or start from scratch again?
Thanks and I'm loving the comments/success stories!!
Natalie
Well, I'm on day 6 and I'm down 5 pounds. I lost the first 4 lbs really fast after only two days and after that I've sort of maintained I guess. But my goal was to lose 5 lbs and I've reached that.
I'm travelling all day tomorrow so I decided that day 6 would be my last day. I found this week to be extremely easy - I wasn't tempted at all. I'm definitely going to do this diet again before I got to Hawaii in a few months :)
Starting Weight: 130 lbs
Final Weight: 125 lbs
Profile
Message
Natalie
Helen, on day two I had a V8 for breakfast...not my favorite day, but it wasn't so bad.
I'm on DAY 3 - I just weighed myself at the gym and I'm down 4 pounds!!
SW - 130 lbs
CW - 126 lbs
4 pounds in 2 days!! If I lose another 4 pounds I will fall off my chair....or rather the scale ;)
Profile
Message
Natalie
I'm on Day TWO of the diet which was the day I was least looking forward to because it's the VEGGIES ONLY day (oh wait, I forgot about the baked potato, but still...it's hard for me not to eat any fruit for a whole day). I LOVE fruit, so day 1 was very easy, and I'm looking forward to day 3 and 4.
I am type 1 Diabetic so it's not as easy for me to stick to the diet to a T, but so far I have been able to. I have to keep my blood sugar a little higher than normal so I don't drop low which would require me to take some form of sugar (on fruit days I just eat fruit which is fine, but on veggie day...today...I wouldn't be able to...so I'm hoping I don't go low!).
I actually LOVE the soup, it's so good! And my parents like it a lot too. So far I can't see getting sick of it.
I am not overweight...I'm 5"5, 130 lbs which actually is an ideal weight for my age. I think it would be a miracle if I was able to lose 10 pounds in one week...I haven't been 120 lbs since I was 18 which is 6 years ago...would be cool though!! I'm hoping for 5 lbs.
Sorry for rambling!!!! Good luck everyone!!
Profile
Message
See 109 more diets
