About Cabbage Soup
According to proponents of the cabbage soup diet, you can lose up to 10 pounds in 1 week following this eating plan. You can eat all the soup you want, but the rest of the diet is very restrictive. The diet is meant to be a quick start to a longer-term weight-loss plan, or a fast way to fit into a particular outfit for a special occasion.
Identification
The diet includes cabbage soup as the main focus along with different foods for each of the 7 days, and at least four 8-oz. glasses of water a day. A multivitamin tablet is also recommended. Besides cabbage, the soup includes the low-calorie vegetables tomatoes, onions, green peppers, carrots, mushrooms and celery. Some options for adding flavor include V8 Juice, bouillon, packaged soup mix and various spices (see Resources below).
Details
The plan has specific instructions for each day, and all days are different except for the cabbage soup (see Resources below). Day 1, for instance, allows as much fruit as desired but no bananas. Another day calls for several bananas. Day 2 forbids fruit but allows all vegetables except dry beans, peas and sweet corn. On Day 5, you can eat some fish, chicken or beef. The diet prohibits grain products such as bread and pasta, along with soda and alcohol. It does not allow cheese, but does include skim milk on one day.
Benefits
In addition to being low-calorie, the diet is designed to have a psychological effect by providing enough variety so that people don't quit. It can be a good motivator by providing a noticeable weight loss in a short time. After you complete the cabbage soup diet, you can change to a longer-term plan. Another option is to maintain this new weight level and then do the again 2 or 3 weeks later for another weight loss of up to 10 pounds.
Considerations
For most people, this diet will require a lot of willpower. In addition, cabbage can cause gas. If you add bouillon, soup mixes or V8 Juice to the cabbage soup, that also adds a great deal of salt and sometimes monosodium glutamate, or MSG. Because the diet does not involve any long-term change of habits, the weight may be easy to gain back. Although the cabbage soup diet is mostly vegetarian, it does add meat one day. The diet should not be followed for longer than 7 days because it does not provide adequate nutrition.
Expert Insight
A few celebrities are reported to be cabbage soup diet aficionados, but the only one to confirm it in the press is Emmy-winning actress Jamie Pressly of the television show "My Name is Earl." Pressly said she used the cabbage soup diet and exercise to shed extra weight she gained during pregnancy.
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