What are the Results of the Cabbage Soup Diet?

There's really no quick fix to losing weight, and most medical professionals will tell you that diet and exercise are the only long term ways to get weight off and keep it off. But for those who want a jump start to shedding unwanted pounds the popular cabbage soup diet has been known to take off as many as 10 pounds in one week.

Cabbage Soup

• The cabbage soup diet is a short term weight loss plan that is intended to be used for only seven days. The program is designed to melt pounds fast. The soup is made from cabbage along with a variety of other vegetables including green peppers, onion, tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms and celery. Seasonings such as V-8 juice, bouillon and other spices can also be added for flavoring. Try making the recipe with different spice choices to keep yourself from tiring of the taste (during the seven days you are on the cabbage soup diet), since sticking with the plan for the entire week is key to your weight loss success.

Other Food Choices

• Although the soup is the main focus of the cabbage soup diet, it is certainly not the only food choice you will have for the entire week. On day one, you can eat all of the fresh fruit you want. The next day of your cabbage soup diet, you can eat all of the vegetables you want and even indulge in a baked potato with butter for your final meal. On days five and six, meats like beef, chicken and fish are recommended.

Why it Works

• It sounds amazing that any diet can produce an average 10 pound weight loss in only one week, but there are some logical reasons why the cabbage soup diet works so well. First, the cabbage soup diet is very low in fat. In addition, the carbohydrate count is also lower than in most diets and there are no refined sugars. The diet is also very high in fiber, which is key to any weight loss plan. The addition of at least four glasses of water each day while on the plan also helps to aid in the digestion process.

What Dieters Say

• As with any diet and change in your eating habits there can be a few unpleasant side effects for some people. The high fiber content in the cabbage soup diet may produce temporary bloating and gas for some. Some dieters have also reported feeling light headed while on the cabbage soup diet. For some, the soup is bland and not as hearty as their normal diet and it also contains a fairly good amount of salt. For most people committed to getting the pounds off these few side effects are well worth the end result.

Benefits

• Aside from being able to lose weight fast, the seven day cabbage soup diet can also lead you to a healthier way of living. For many it is a great way to start cutting out the junk food and begin eating healthier foods. Because you are allowed to eat as much of the soup as you like in addition to unlimited portions of fruits and vegetables on certain days, you are far less likely to get hungry or feel deprived on this diet.