WHAT EXACTLY IS THE CABBAGE SOUP DIET?

The Cabbage Soup Diet is a short-term weight-loss plan designed to burn fat fast. The program claims an average weight loss of 10 or more pounds in the first week. The company’s philosophy is simple: drown yourself in cabbage soup. The exact recipe, and type of cabbage used varies by website. Most of these diets allow other fruits and vegetables periodically to keep up some semblance of variety, these include potatoes, onions, bananas, and apples.

Little information is available about the founder or history of this diet. Research, however, indicates that it first appeared sometime in the early 1980s. Since its founding, this diet has had a variety of names: military cabbage soup diet, TJ Miracle Soup Diet, [Sacred Heart Diet], and the Russian Peasant Diet. Please be aware, though this fad diet claims medical and university affiliation, that no organization has ever come out in support of the Cabbage Soup Diet.

THE BASICS OF THE CABBAGE SOUP DIET

This diet does not rely on prepackaged foods or diet pills to drive weight loss. You need to prepare all food by hand following one of the online recipes. One promoter of the Cabbage Soup diet says that the plan is “not suitable for long-term weight loss” . The plan is actually formulated to help you “ “If you have a special occasion coming up or you simply need to lose weight fast.”

While there are countless variations of this diet, they typically ask you to do the following:

• Drink at least four glasses of water a day. This keeps you hydrated and helps boost your energy levels.
• Take a multivitamin daily. This helps replace any nutrients lost by adhering to such a restrictive diet.
• Eat as much soup as you need to feel full. Feeling hungry is the quickest way to stop weight loss in its tracks.
• Change up your soup recipe regularly. If you do not, you’ll quickly grow tired of this diet in hours, not days.
• Take a two-week break in between each attempt at the Cabbage Soup Diet. This lessens your chance of facing serious side effects.

One popular variation of the diet asks you to adhere to the following schedule:

• Day One: Tea, coffee, water, and unlimited fruit (though you’re limited on bananas).
• Day Two: Raw vegetables, cabbage soup, and a single baked potato.
• Day Three: Unlimited fruits and vegetables except for potatoes and bananas.
• Day Four: You can eat up to eight bananas and drink an unlimited amount of skimmed milk.
• Day Five: On day five, you can have up to 565 grams of beef and as many as six tomatoes
• Day Six: Unlimited beef and vegetables, but no potatoes.
• Day Seven: Sugar free juice and brown rice.

THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE CABBAGE SOUP DIET

Unlike many fad diets, this one doesn’t ask you to take any questionable substances or supplements. This diet, while lacking in nutrition, has a few benefits:

• The ingredients used in the soups and during regular meals are wholesome and healthy.
• This diet is very upfront about its unsuitability for long-term use.
• By helping you drop water weight quickly, this diet is a safe way to drop weight.
• It’s short and simple to adhere to. Many people feel like they have nothing to lose by giving it a shot.
• You can cheaply buy the ingredients for the Cabbage Soup Diet at your local grocery store.

THE DRAWBACKS OF THE CABBAGE SOUP DIET

While it benefits from a simple set of ingredients, the Cabbage Soup Diet has its fair share of issues:

• Many dieters end up feeling hungry and bored after just a few days on this diet.
• Nearly all of the weight lost is water-based. It quickly returns once the diet ends.
• Common side effects include gas, nausea, bloating, and migraines.
• The lack of an exercise component makes this diet very ineffective over the long term.

WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF THE CABBAGE SOUP DIET

Read below for what some user’s thoughts on the Cabbage Soup Diet:

• “Cabbage soup is not a filler upper”
• “Have quite a headache”
• I did the cabbage diet last year and my stomach became as flat as an ironing board!
• “I see no real physical weight loss”
• “Worst heartburn I have ever had”

While some people mentioned pounds lost, many of them went on to complain about how quickly it returned. In addition, many serial dieters saw different results depending on when they began the diet. Others experienced uncomfortable side effects such as nausea, bloating, gas, and headaches.

Conclusion – Does the Cabbage Soup Diet Work?

The Cabbage Soup Diet perfectly embodies the shortcomings of most fad diets. While it sometimes produces results, without requiring a lifestyle change, these results are short-lived and superficial. And, to be fair, the lost water weight is much more the result of reduced calories than cabbage soup.