Some diets out there are built for the long term, and then there are the ones that only work in the sense that you need to drop a few pounds before a big event or to kick-start your long-term weight loss goals. One of the tried, tested, and true recipes that fall into the latter category is the Cabbage Soup Diet – A diet in which you stick to an incredibly strict eating schedule while consuming as much of the ‘miracle’ cabbage soup for an entire week. With this method, you could potentially lose more than ten pounds, but is it really worth it?
How does the cabbage soup diet work, exactly?
The cabbage soup diet is a seven-day-long diet during which time you adhere to a pretty strict eating schedule. You’re supposed to make a great big pot of cabbage soup before you start this diet (The bigger the better; you’ll be eating a lot of this stuff), and if you still feel hungry after consuming your “allowed” foods, you can eat as much of this magical weight loss soup as you need to until you feel satiated.
There are various forms of the Cabbage soup diet, but for the most part, they all share the same basic outline. Here’s one version that’s relatively generic:
The 7-day cabbage plan
- Day One: Eat all the fruits you want (aside from bananas) and all the cabbage soup you’d like.
- Day Two: Eat all the vegetables you want (aside from starchy ones like potatoes and corn) and eat as much of your cabbage soup as you’d like.
- Day Three: Eat as many fruits (except for bananas) and vegetables (except for the starchy ones) as you’d like. Curb any hunger you have with your cabbage soup.
- Day Four: Eat only bananas and milk/yogurt and as much of your cabbage soup as you’d like.
- Day Five: Eat six to eight tomatoes and proteins like fish, chicken, and turkey. Eat cabbage soup when you’re hungry.
- Day Six: Proteins, veggies, and as much cabbage soup as you’d like.
- Day Seven: Fruits, vegetables, and all-natural juices. And cabbage soup of course.
Obviously, there are vegetarian and vegan versions of this diet. You also need to remember to drink plenty of water while you’re on the diet.
Are There Any Health Risks?
For the average person, using the seven-day Cabbage soup diet is generally safe. Not only will you shed your water weight while on this diet, but most versions of it could double as a cleanse, helping you to get rid of any toxins that have built up in your system.
Remember that because you’ll be eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, you’ll be expelling a lot of gas. You might also experience headaches and/or moodiness while on the diet because your body will beg you for more calories. Lightheadedness, fatigue, and frequent urination are some of the other risks involved.
If you choose to put yourself on this diet, you shouldn’t follow it for more than seven days because although it might look like it initially, the cabbage soup diet doesn’t have optimal nutritional value.
Is the cabbage soup diet worth It?
If you have one of those once-in-a-lifetime big events to go to, if you want to do a cleanse to help you get rid of any toxins that have built up in your system, or if you just want to jump-start your diet because bikini season has started, then the Cabbage Soup Diet probably isn’t going to hurt you as long as you remember to only stay on it for a week. Above and beyond all else, with this diet – as with any diet – you need to remember to listen to your body; it knows you best.
The Cabbage Soup Diet is the definition of a crash diet, so expect the weight that fell off you to find it’s way back to you in almost no time at all, especially if you don’t correct the dietary and exercise mistakes that led you to the excess weight in the first place. But if all you need is to lose ten pounds to fit into that dress for next weekend’s big event, it’s definitely an option.
