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Sacred Heart Diet
Quick weight loss program, similar to the Cabbage Soup Diet.
BACKGROUND
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The Sacred Heart Diet is a 7-day eating plan that is supposed to shed pounds quickly by consuming a special soup made of broth and vegetables as your main source of food. According to the diet, during the seven days, you can lose up to 10 pounds or more. Each day has specific guidelines for which foods and drinks to consume. There is a thorough list of restricted foods and beverages, so that you'll know exactly what you can and can't consume.
This diet supposedly comes from the Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital, although reports on the Web refute this. It is used for overweight heart patients in order to lose weight rapidly, usually prior to surgery. In addition to losing weight quickly, it is intended to also wash your body of impurities while giving you a surge of energy without the ingestion of caffeine or other energy-enhancing products. This diet is also sometimes referred to as the Cabbage Soup Diet.
PRO
- There are notable health benefits from avoiding certain processed foods like refined sugars and flours
- Does not call for any funky supplements or herbal concoctions
- Reliance on the diet's consumption of vegetables, fresh fruit and lean protein is beneficial to one's health and can possibly aid in weight loss also.
- Its one-week time frame is manageable for individuals with a strong will power and who want to lose weight quickly
- Supports exercise
CON
- Diet may be restrictive for some
- No scientific evidence that this soup will actually burn calories
- Once you've completed it, you are on your own to reestablish your eating routine
- Does not give any guidelines for how to sustain long-term weight loss
- Given its strictness, the individual may run the risk of having a gorge fest when Day 7 is completed
- Sacred Heart Hospital and The American Heart Association deny any relationship with the diet
DIET and NUTRITION
The soup, which is made from 11 ingredients, is the supposed magic pill of The Sacred Heart Diet. The soup includes canned tomatoes, mushrooms, green beans, bell peppers, celery, beef stock and vegetable juice. You can find the complete Sacred Heart Diet Recipe here.
For the seven days of this diet, you will eliminate bread, white sugar, alcohol, fried foods, and carbonated beverages
The Diet has specific guidelines for each day that you must adhere to in order to reap the supposed benefits.
Each day, you will consume your sacred soup in addition to certain kinds of fruit, certain allowable beverages, protein and other cooked or canned vegetables. For instance, on Day One, you may eat as much soup as you want to as well as fruit except for bananas. On this first day, you can only drink coffee, black tea, water or unsweetened juice without milk or sugar added to the beverages On Day Two, you can have soup, vegetables and a baked potato with a small pat of butter for dinner. On Day Four, you may eat at least 3 bananas, and drink as much skim milk and soup as you can. The diet continues for the following three days in which you add lean red meat or chicken and still continue to eat the soup.
Abiding by the diet's guidelines is intended to yield the results you are looking for.
EXERCISE
There are no specific exercise recommendations for The Sacred Heart Diet other than to follow your usual exercise routine by getting in some form of exercise on most days of the week.
CONCLUSION
Albeit it is a very restrictive diet, The Sacred Heart Diet is a commendable eating plan given its reliance on vegetables, fruits and lean protein. It is clearly high in fiber, nutrients and minerals. It is similar to many low carbohydrate diets out there for its avoidance of refined sugars, flour of any sort, fried foods and added fat. Although there is no scientific proof that the sacred soup which you ingest every day is a magic pill to melt off the pounds, it is a great way to feel full and to get in more than your five veggies a day. But its reliance on veggies and fruit might give some stomach cramps if your system is not used to this way of eating. Since this such a one-shot punch to lose weight, it might be that you gain the weight back just as quickly or even more quickly as you lost it.
And do make a pact with yourself before starting this diet that on Day 8, when The Sacred Diet officially ends, you don't hightail it to McDonalds and order 3 double cheeseburgers and 2 super-sized fries. Do be gentle on your gut as you acclimate it back to the foods that you normally consume: order the Happy Meal.
Common Misspellings
sacrid, saecred, hart, scared
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Related Diets: Cabbage Soup Diet, Juice Diet, Maple Syrup Diet, Purple Diet
User Feedback
(Page 6 of 21, 420 total comments)Jamie
I started this diet today, I made the soup last night. I hope it works, and I will leave updates about my progress.Good luck to you all.
posted Dec 2nd, 2010 10:25 pmKarlee
I just finished day 3 of the diet, and I have also worked out each day... I weighed myself at the gym tonight and I haven't lost any weight. I did eat a ton of veggies before the gym so maybe some of the was not processed yet or something. I am also not "overweight" so maybe I wont loose as much. But I am pretty upset because I havent even cheated. okay I had one diet coke. but come onnn. thats not really cheating. anyways, ill report back once im finished hopefully the results will change, YAYYY BANANAS&MILK tomorrow.
posted Dec 2nd, 2010 5:13 amAlicia
Ok everybody, I started day one last week but that was thanksgiving week so what was I thinking. I did not skip Thanksgiving dinner so that was out the window. But I did start day one over again on that Saturday after thanks giving, which was November 27, 2010. Today is November 29, 2010 and I am on day three of my first week. I have done it faithfully without cheating for these three days so I should be seeing some success. I will I will log my progress at the end of the week!
posted Nov 30th, 2010 1:23 amTammy
Just finished making my soup and Im ready to tackle day one. I realize it isnt a great reflection of healthy eating but it certainly puts you on the right track to a healthier lifestyle. Can't wait to see these results!
posted Nov 24th, 2010 4:41 pmAlicia
Day 1
posted Nov 22nd, 2010 8:37 pmI just started this diet today. A friend of mine did this diet and she told me she substituted the home made soup and did it with canned vegetable soup because she really didn't want to deal with making the soup. The soup change did not stop her results. I am doing the same. I will follow the diet using canned soup and let everyone know how it is going.
Alicia
Jamie
I did this diet for over a year, and lost 186lbs!! after you do this diet for a few weeks it becomes very easy to follow, I did change some things, mostly just adding meat, I also didnt follow the 7 day plan after awhile it was good to get started, but for the daily life was hard, you have to make it work for you, or you wont do it....so I did make the soup, I would eat fruit in the morning with almonds, munched this at my desk all morning until lunch, ate the soup for lunch, munched carrots and celery and almonds the rest of the day and had a low carb dinner. The soup is the key. You can play with the soup too, add extra peppers yellow and orange ones, and instead of water i used organic veggie broth, i am actually starting this program again because after 9months I was wandering too far off my "disciplined" path. When you quit eating all the junk, you notice a huge change, and you will see how bad it is for you, when you do eat fast food after being on this diet, you feel horrible!!
posted Nov 17th, 2010 3:02 amAngela
I have never tried this diet. I will be starting it today. I have 20 lbs to lose hopefully it will help me lose some. Will post more when I get results.
posted Oct 18th, 2010 10:31 amchristine
hey people..
posted Oct 18th, 2010 9:42 amso ive so far done 2 weeks on this diet. and in total lost 12 pounds so far. 8 the first week and 4 the second ( i had a few cheats - chocolate, chocolate cake, and a lot of alcohol on sat night ) naughty naughty. i had a day off yesday and treated myself to a chow mein out the chinese. but starting day one again today ! :)
loving the compliments off people saying they can see a difference.
this diet definetly works :)
shelly
I did this 7 day diet back in late 2007 & lost 11 pounds in the 7 days.I felt awesome & am starting it again monday!It works!
posted Oct 16th, 2010 7:25 pmMelissa
I just started this diet, and this first day is extremely hard. My hope is that it'll only get easier.
posted Oct 14th, 2010 8:37 pmheather
what spices did you add to make the soup taste good? and some of the recipes or different which one is right?
posted Oct 13th, 2010 11:54 amallison
I have done this diet before and found it to be a great way to start a workout routine or get into better habits (cooking everyday, packing a lunch for work, lessen cravings for sweets or coffee) I lost 7 lbs last time, and still had enough energy to work out. I am always hungry, so this diet is the best because you always stay full. I have reccomended it to friends and family. My dad lost 15 lbs on it and was able to go on a week long hiking trip in the mountains after this success - which was his motivation.
posted Oct 12th, 2010 2:36 pmIt is only a spring board to better things though, it won't change your life afterward, and you will gain the weight back unless you make a commitment for other changes. Great start though!
Tanya
Day 8 (Begining Day one again)
posted Oct 11th, 2010 3:04 amI Have rid myself of 5 kg's (11pounds)! I am loving it!
Mom only lost 2 but did eat all sorts of things yesterday.
I am going to make goal weight on this diet, I am very very happy!
Christine
On day 6... And I have now lost 8 lbs!!!! I can see a difference in my face and the teams I haven't worn in over a year are closer to fitting to the last time I tried! I have had a few cheats ( mini mars bar ice cream 150cals.. And a few haribo tangy cherry sweeties i also had 3 vodkas and diet coke last night ) but apart from those I have been strict. going to miss out day 7 and start on day 1 again tomorrow.
posted Oct 10th, 2010 11:46 amGood luck to everyone doing this diet! I think it's great. :) x
christine
ok updating my results like i said... i have lost 5 pounds and just starting day 4. pretty good so far.
posted Oct 8th, 2010 2:48 ami found on the first 2 day i was going to the toilet A LOT! hope they keep coming off. ran out of soup so going to buy more ingredients for it :D
Tanya
Day 4
posted Oct 7th, 2010 2:12 amI have lost 3.5 KG, Mom has lost 2.5 KG
Walked for an hour this morning.
This diet.......I am loving it!
Tanya
Day 3
posted Oct 6th, 2010 6:24 amMom and I are both 2kg lighter... and feeling great. The veg day was difficult, fruit seems to keep us fuller for longer, probably also the sugar in the fruit?
Started walking this morning.
Feeling smaller, less bloated.
Hope to loose 10kg before end November.
Christine
ok so i have been reading comments from this website and other since yesterday. and today started the diet, i live in the uk so this morning looking for the lipton soup mix found to be difficult, but found a substitute.
posted Oct 5th, 2010 10:59 amhad a fruit salad for lunch - took me 2 hours to eat cause it made me feel so full.. and was only 400g. and going home from work at 5 to some Watermelon and will start making my soup. going to add some chilli to the recipe as i know that also speeds up your metabolism, and some onions. cant wait to have the soup, i remember making it before and quite enjoyed it. will try my best to have 3 bowls tonight to make up for today. and also going to do my jillian michaels 30 day shred... tough workout.. boxersize and zumba tomorrow also.
i shall leave my progress on thursday ( day 3 ) and see how i am. hoping to lose 14lbs in a fortnight on this. i am 230 just now and want to get to 195 by xmas, and 140 by next summer. we shall see what happens.
Tanya
Well we started yesterday... so far so good. The soup is very tasty, had soup, apples & Papaja. I am 1kg down, Mom lost nothing but she is over 60 so it might take a bit longer. Mom had a headache last night, dont know if it is due to the detox or the menopause?
posted Oct 5th, 2010 2:35 amDidnt get round to any excercise.... hopefully today, even if we just go for a walk.
Had one cup of coffe each after dinner, a change from my usual 6-7 cups of coffee and 6-7 cups of tea, it also helps that it is spring so not craving warm comfort food.
Looking forward to results on Monday, feeling very positive, must say it does help to have someone else in the house dieting with you.
Feeling great
Day 2 here we come!
Jodie
I've just started the diet, but I can see I'm going to have far more success with it that others. I LOVE the soup, I think it tastes great! The last diet I did was the master cleanse..and although I agree it works you better have will power made of steel..the fact that I could eat nothing was extremely hard and the taste of the lemonade was terrible, nevermind drinking salt water..I had a very hard time keeping the salt water down, thats if I could even make it through the big glass of it!! This one seems like a breeze compared to that!! Im hoping I see results like I did with the master cleanse!..I really dont want to have to resort back to that!!
posted Oct 4th, 2010 6:01 pm