Cabbage Soup Diet: How to lose 10 Pounds in 7 Days

Wherever you may have heard about the cabbage soup diet, your next thoughts probably were: Does that really work? Am I supposed to only eat soup? No, you still get to taste delicious complements. This simple plan restricts your calorie intake by allowing only a limited number of foods, plus as much cabbage-based soup as you can eat. Adhering to this regimen for a week is said to produce pretty quick weight loss of about 10 pounds. This fast drop of weight may seem appealing, but experts say that crash dieting can be dangerous. If you really want to lose weight quickly you need to proceed carefully. Here’s what you need to know.

How the Cabbage Soup Diet Plan Works
The logic behind it is pretty simple: if you base most of your meals on low calorie foods, your body will be forced to turn elsewhere for energy. Over time, it will consume your fat reserves. Vegetables such as cabbage are high in water content but low in kilocalories. Therefore it only seems reasonable that a fat-free soup that incorporates them could help to reduce your waistline. You may eat as much of the soup as you want, plus unlimited amounts of a few specific foods per day. These change to ensure that you’re getting appropriate levels of nutrition. They also keep things interesting and fresh.

On average, you can expect to get between 800 and 1,000 calories per day. That’s about half of what the average person requires, so there’s a big shortfall for your body to make up out of stored fat reserves. Under ideal conditions, this can lead to fast, effective weight loss. You just need to make sure that you’re the right candidate for a fat-burning soup diet like this.

What You Can Eat and When
The restrictions can seem a little strange at first. During the 7 days of this soup diet you can have unlimited amounts of specific foods every day, but nothing else. On the first day, for instance, you can have as much fruit as you want, except for bananas. That means that in addition to your usual soup, you can consume ananas, kiwis, oranges, strawberries or just about anything else. Some versions prescribe unlimited water, tea, or coffee, as well as a tablespoon of fat free salad dressing and a glass of milk every day. Others will limit you to water, with fruit juice on any day when fruit is allowed.

By day two the focus shifts to vegetables. Fruit is no longer on the menu, but instead you may feast on cucumbers, artichokes, carrots, turnips, tomatoes, peppers and any other vegetables. Be careful though to avoid adding fat or sugar to them. Also, don’t forget to have at least two big bowls of cabbage soup. On day three, the menu includes both fruits and vegetables. This enables you to assemble a more interesting salad to go with your daily soup.

Time for Protein and Carbohydrates
Four days into it, most people are craving a little protein and some carbohydrates. That’s why you’re free to have unlimited amounts of skim milk and six to eight bananas on this day. Consider making a smoothie for breakfast, or have bananas for snacks between soup-based meals. Remember: There is no restriction when you eat your “free foods” or how much you can have at a time. You just have to make sure that you stick to those foods and those foods alone.

Tomato lovers will be happy to hear that the fifth day gives them access to their favorite vegetable-like fruit. You should also eat plenty of lean protein on this day. Skinless chicken is recommended, as well as lean beef or fresh fish. Try to have 15 to 20 ounces of these healthy protein sources to help maintain your muscle tone. Vegetarians can substitute tofu or seitan for the meat parts.

Day six is another meat day. It includes the standard two bowls of cabbage soup, plus unlimited beef and fresh vegetables. Just steer clear of potatoes; their high starch content can increase your calories rapidly, causing your weight loss to slow. The seventh and final day of the week-long cabbage soup diet re-introduces grains into your diet with brown rice. You can also have plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit juice. Avoid meat, potatoes and other calorie-dense foods, however.

Keeping Things Interesting
Eating the same thing day after day can get pretty boring. That holds true for cabbage soup as much as it does for any other food. You can help avoid getting into a rut, however. Just make sure that you change the recipe periodically. Adding the right ingredients to your master batch of soup can really help you enjoy the plan and will make it a lot easier to stick with it. Try adding Chinese vegetables and Szechuan seasoning or basil and Italian spices to vary your meals while keeping them healthy. Books like the Ultimate Cabbage Soup Diet, which you can get here, can help you find the perfect variations for your recipe.

Potential Side Effects
It’s important to remember that this kind of diet isn’t for everyone. It involves significant calorie restriction over a very short period of time. That means that you shouldn’t try it if you suffer from low or irregular blood sugar. You should also avoid trying it if you’re diabetic or have other metabolic disorders. It’s also a good idea to schedule it on low-activity weeks. Lowering your caloric intake can make you feel tired or dizzy. So it’s not the best choice for the same week you plan to run a marathon!

If you don’t usually eat many vegetables, you could experience some discomfort in form of flatulence. That’s because cabbage is very high in fiber. This will go away over time, but it can be an unpleasant surprise. You might also find it easy to gain weight back after you return to a normal eating schedule. If you want to keep the fat off after you’ve just burnt it, consider watching your meals very carefully. Using this diet too often could cause muscle weakness or nutritional problems. It’s best to stick with it only for the recommended amount of time, which is 7 days.

When the Plan Works Best
If the cabbage soup diet isn’t right for long-term use, when can it help you? This short-term diet is best for occasions when you need to lose about 10 pounds very quickly and don’t have the leisure to use a more balanced approach. If you know that you’re going to have to wear an old dress in a few weeks or you’re surprised by how your swimsuit fits, this diet could help.

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