Cabbage Soup Diet

So far we have covered the basics of the Mediterranean Diet, the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet and the Zone Diet. Now we can move on to another popular diet of recent years, the Cabbage Soup Diet

The name Cabbage Soup Diet itself is enough to make you lose weight. If you imagine living just on cabbage soup, then it is common sense that weight will be lost. Cabbage is a vegetable that is not going to overload you with calories, so even without additional exercise, I think most people would realise they are going to lose weight if they live on cabbage soup.

The Cabbage Soup Diet, though, is not just about eating cabbage soup. The soup is the mainstay of a 7 day diet plan in which, thankfully for those who try the diet, you are allowed limited other foods.

The article below looks in more detail at the Cabbage Soup Diet: the foods allowed in the diet, the 7 day plan, and the limitations of this very restrictive diet.

Cabbage Soup Diet - The Basics

The Cabbage Soup Diet has been around for a few years now, but its origins are not widely agreed upon. A popular source theory puts it in a Brussels hospital, as a pre-operation crash weight loss programme. However, the diet has also been attributed to more than one American hospital.

The origin does not matter. As with most diet plans, the Cabbage Soup diet has evolved along the way. Whenever you are talking about food, people have their own tastes and dislikes, so if the diet seems like a good idea, but they don't like some of the the ingredients too much, they will vary the recipes, and put their own spin on the diet. Again, this does not matter too much so long as the replacement or additional ingredients do not stray too far from the original calorie count.

The Cabbage Soup Diet In Practice

The Cabbage Soup Diet revolves around the use of, not surprisingly, cabbage soup. The soup itself is not purely cabbage, but is basically a vegetable soup featuring cabbage. Now, if you have been on a typical Western diet, high in fat and carbohydrates, then the sound of that might be as appealing as an open air cold shower at the North Pole. It would come as something of a shock to the system even to think about it, let alone do it.

That shock element is something to bear in mind with the Cabbage Soup Diet; in fact, for most people, it could be the most important thing to bear in mind. It is a seven day diet plan, and as such may have little value in long term weight loss. Common sense will tell you that, if you stick to the diet plan, you will lose weight in that week. Your calorie intake will drop dramatically if you have been on a high calorie diet prior to embarking on the Cabbage Soup Diet.

What the Cabbage Soup Diet boils down to is a diet of negligible calories and a vegetable soup with fat burning qualities. But, do not despair at that point, as you are allowed to eat as much of the soup as you like, plus some fruit, and drink loads of water. Then it starts to get more exciting, with baked potato and even some beef later on in the week.

If you are already on a reasonable diet, then you may find the Cabbage Soup Diet tolerable for the seven days if you have good reason to lose a bit more weight quickly. You will find there are many variations of the cabbage soup around the internet, but the common ingredients are:

1/2 to 1 head of cabbage,shredded

2 - 6 large chopped onions

1 or 2 cans of tomatoes

a celery bunch or a few stalks

1 or 2 packs of dry onion soup mix

2 green peppers

3-6 sliced carrots

Fresh herbs and spices to taste

Green beans and mushrooms can be added, plus further liquid such as balsamic vinegar. There are variations on the above, and you could experiment with your own low calorie additions, until you have a cabbage soup that you may stick with for the duration of the diet.

The Cabbage Soup Diet 7 Day Plan

The Cabbage Soup Diet has a seven day plan that is an integral part of the diet. You can eat as much cabbage soup and drink as much water as you want on each day of the diet.

First Day: Any fruit with the exception of bananas; unsweetened teas. Cabbage soup.

Second Day: Avoid fruit today, but eat as much raw and/or cooked vegetable. One bit of excitement today is a baked potato with a small amount of butter. More cabbage soup.

Third Day: Eat as much fruit and vegetables, with the exception of potatoes and bananas. Cabbage soup, of course.

Fourth Day: It's banana and skimmed milk day; up to 8 bananas and 8 glasses of skimmed milk if you want, plus the ubiquitous cabbage soup.

Fifth Day: And now for something completely different, you can have beef today (or skinless chicken or fish if you prefer). A tiny portion? No, up to 20 oz over the day, with as many as 6 fresh tomatoes. You should have 8 glasses of water; and don't forget the cabbage soup.

Sixth Day: This is another beef or chicken or fish day, with vegetables; eat as much as you like, but baked potatoes are not allowed. Drink at least 8 glasses of water, and indulge in the.........yes, you guessed, the cabbage soup. Some say you should not have fish today if you had it on day 5.

Seventh Day: The final day is brown rice day, mixed with any vegetables and unsweetened fruit juices. Eat as much as you like, and celebrate the last day every now and then with glasses of water and cabbage soup.

Well, that's about it. You will find various versions of the cabbage soup diet, but the above regime and 7 day plan is fairly typical.

Who can use the Cabbage Soup Diet?

The Cabbage Soup Diet is a short term diet and can be a drastic change for many. If you have any health concerns you should consult your doctor before embarking on such a diet.

Is the Cabbage Soup Diet suitable for long term weight loss? No, it has not been designed as such, and it is debatable if it can have any long term benefits in most people. Most doctors will say it is best to lose weight gradually over a long period at about 1 or 2 lbs a day, through lower calorie intake and more exercise.

The Cabbage Soup Diet is suitable for a short, sharp weight loss program. But if you are honest with yourself, is that really what you need? The first few days are difficult, and may put you off the whole idea of reducing your weight to a healthier level. However, you know yourself best, so learn what you can about all the diets and choose what is the most likely to succeed for you.