Cabbage soup diet: surviving the seven-day program

Tea Cabbage soup diet It is one of the fad diets that is designed to lose weight quickly and does not require a long-term commitment. It is designed as a seven-day program in which the dieter will have strict meal plans with cabbage soup as the main ingredients. The program itself is not new; It first gained popularity in the 1980s due to the claim of a weight loss of 10 pounds per week.

An example of the 7-day meal plans:

Day 1: Fruit; They consist of cabbage soup, fruit (except banana), protein shake, fat burning drink, and water with lemon or herbs.

Day 2: Vegetable; They consist of cabbage soup, vegetables, protein shake, fat-burning drink, baked potato, and water with lemon or vegetable juice.

Day 3: fruits and vegetables; They consist of cabbage soup, fruits, vegetables, protein shake, fat-burning drink, and water with lemon or vegetable juice.

Day 4: Bananas; They consist of cabbage soup, banana, low-fat dairy, protein shake, and water with lemon or herbs.

Day 5: Fish and Tomatoes; They consist of cabbage soup, fish or chicken with tomato, protein shake, fat burning drink and water with lemon or herbs.

Day 6: Poultry Day; They consist of cabbage, chicken or fish soup, vegetables, protein shake, fat burning drink, lemon water, or vegetable juices.

Day 7: Rice Day; They consist of cabbage soup, vegetables, protein shake, fat-burning drink, mushroom risotto, and water with lemon or vegetable juice.

He points out that there is no limit to the consumption of cabbage soup on any one day, the dieter can eat as much as he wants. On days three, five, six and seven, there are no limits to the consumption of fruits, vegetables, fish and poultry. Recipes for the soup itself generally consist of cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes with preferred seasonings. The program also bans alcohol, bread, and carbonated beverages.

While it’s called The Cabbage Soup Diet, there are no scientific studies showing cabbage’s fat-burning properties. The seven day meal plans indicate that this is another low calorie diet with 800-100 calories per day, the soup is there to satisfy the dieter whenever they are hungry.

Pros

1. Rapid weight loss; the dieter can expect to lose 10-15 pounds by the end of the program.
2. No expensive ingredients; in fact, it is very cheap.
3. Easy; no exercise or any other behavior change is suggested, it is just the 7 day meal plan.
4. Encourage the dieter to eat more fruits and vegetables.

Cons

1. The diet is very low in calories and is considered unhealthy. The soup itself contains very little protein and the dieter will generally suffer from a lack of proper nutrition. It is not recommended to consume less than 1,200 calories per day unless recommended by a doctor.
2. Eating cabbage soup continuously throughout the week can be really boring, which can encourage the dieter to eat less of the already low calories per day.
3. Soup recipes generally contain high levels of sodium or MSG (monosodium glutamate).
4. There is a theory that weight loss comes primarily from fluid or muscle mass, not from fat loss, which will return once the dieter returns to normal eating behaviors.
5. Regular cabbage soup recipes generally result in a bland soup and some dieters have reported nauseating every time they smell the soup after finishing the 1-week program.
6. Possibly farts frequently.
7. Eating out is difficult as the program meals are not normally served in a restaurant.

From the facts, it is obvious that this diet has many drawbacks and is not recommended; many experts will propose a long-term traditional healthy diet. But it is also true that rapid weight loss is truly tempting and many will keep trying. If you plan to try this diet program, here are some things to consider:

1. This diet is for adults, it is not suitable for children and adolescents.
2. Follow this diet one week at a time, don’t try to prolong it.
3. If any health problems occur, see your doctor immediately.
4. During the diet, remember that the program only lasts seven days and will result in significant weight loss.
5. Drink at least 5 glasses of water a day.
6. Try different varieties of spices and seasonings to minimize the boredom of continually eating the soup.
7. Even if you don’t like it, force yourself to eat a lot of soup. This diet is already low in calories and you don’t want to starve yourself because of your aversion to cabbage soup.
8. Try to stay home, you will probably be too weak from the low calorie and fizzy foods from the massive amounts of cabbage. If you are away from home, take your soup with you.
9. Consume a food supplement to complement this diet.
10. Keep a journal to track your weight loss from day one.
11. Use a reminder to make sure you eat the right meal for the day.
12. Keep a constant supply of ingredients, fruits, and vegetables in your refrigerator.
13. Consume a protein shake to avoid a lack of protein.