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Home 
Diets
Calorie Counting
How Does
Cabbage Soup Diet Compare?
BACKGROUND
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PRO
CON
DIET and NUTRITION
EXERCISE
CONCLUSION
Common Misspellings
Whats better than
Cabbage Soup Diet?
Diets
Calorie Counting
What is it?
Cabbage Soup Diet is a weight loss plan said to be a short term solution for 10 pounds of weight loss in a week. It emphasizes eating an unlimited amount of cabbage soup, and many different websites offer different variations.
Generally, one is allowed to eat certain added fruits and vegetables depending on the day of the diet. It’s unknown who came up it with this plan, but it’s believed to have started in the 1980’s. It’s considered a crash diet, and much like other similar diets is advised only for a few days with no guarantee of long term weight loss. Our experts reviewed many diets and found the 18Shake Diet to be the best solution for weight loss. Discover more about the 18Shake Diet by clicking on the link found here.
Do You Know the Best Diets of 2024?
Cabbage Soup Diet Ingredients and Side Effects
The Cabbage Soup Diet dies not rely on diet pills or pre-packaged foods, all the food eaten have to be prepared. One website that promotes the Cabbage Soup Diet says:
“not suitable for long-term weight loss”
It’s instead intended:
“If you have a special occasion coming up or you simply need to lose weight fast”
Often it will be advised that in order to maintain the diet one should follow these rules:
- Drink a minimum of 4 glasses of water.
- Take a multivitamin.
- Eating as much soup as possible, not starving oneself.
- Introducing different recipes to avoid boredom.
A 2 week break is recommended for people who want to restart the diet. Cabbage isn’t the only produce allowed; one can also add things like onions, celery, asparagus, zucchini, squash, barley, some meats, and many different seasonings.
Though this can be healthy, relying on it solely can potentially lead to nutritional deficiencies. Web MD also adds:
“this crash diet won’t help you in the long run, and it doesn’t give your body the nutrients it needs to stay healthy”
Furthermore, they add:
“Health experts don’t recommend following very low-calorie diets unless you’re under a doctor’s care”
This is due to there being numerous damaging health effects that the diet can have. A list of the highest rated diet plans is found in the link provided here.
The results of this diet are not likely to continue, as Web MD confirms:
“you’ll like regain any weight that you lose”
“It will likely leave you feeling hungry, weak, and bored. You might even feel sick”
This is because there’s a lack of adequate food options. It’s not offered as a long term solution, and instead is said to be a quick weight loss solution. There’s one Cabbage Soup Diet website that admits:
“A lot of people quit because the soup can be a bit bland, and they quickly tire of eating it every day”
There are several considerations to keep in mind. It’s not recommended for long-term use, and it’s believed the only reason one might lose weight is due to water weight and not fat. Live Strong.com adds:
“It’s possible to lose as much as 20 pounds of body weight during one week, most of which is water”
This is likely the reason why one sees any weight loss from this diet, since it’s low in carbohydrates and high in fluids, most water weight is flushed out of the body. As you’ll see in the “Customer Opinions of Cabbage Soup Diet”, many customers regained their weight as soon as they stopped the diet.
One popular variation of the diet allows for the following:
- Day one: Unlimited fruit except for bananas alongside water, tea, and coffee.
- Day two: No fruit, only raw vegetables and one baked potato
- Day three: Unlimited fruits and vegetables except for potatoes and bananas.
- Day four: 8 bananas and unlimited skimmed milk.
- Day five: 6 tomatoes and 565g of beef
- Day six: Unlimited vegetables and beef but no potatoes.
- Day seven: Some brown rice and sugar free fruit juice.
A comprehensive list of the top 10 diet plans is offered in the link provided here.
EDITOR’S TIP: Combine this diet with a proven meal replacement such as 18 Shake for better results.
Cabbage Soup Diet Quality of Ingredients
Many of the ingredients are healthy as it relies on fresh produce and grains. However, there is an issue with boredom as the same basic good groups have to be eaten repeatedly.
Also, there’s no science that eating only cabbage soup is healthy and safe. A Dr. Melinda Ratini says:
“You’ll likely get less than 1,000 calories a day on the limited menu. That’s far fewer than the 2,000 daily calories recommended for most adults”
“The pounds come off quickly, but mostly you’ll lose water weight”
“chances are, you’ll regain it all back as soon as you start eating a normal diet again”
The diet was made to help one with weight loss in a one week period, but this does not mean it will help with long term weight loss. Health experts also agree it’s likely not a quality solution for weight loss due to its limited food options. A top 10 list of the highest ranked diet plans is offered in the link provided here.
The Price and Quality of Cabbage Soup Diet
The price depends on where one gets their grocery from, as no prepackaged foods are needed.
The diet does advise to get a multivitamin, due to the lack of food options that are high in nutrients. It’s also necessary to eat unlimited amounts of cabbage soup. This means one will have to cook for the full 7 days, as the diet also limits the kinds of seasonings through reducing sodium provided from salt.
Due to the lack of clinical studies proving that this is an effective and safe weight loss solution, it’s a very poor diet. A comprehensive top 10 list features the highest rated diet pills.
The Mayo Clinic also had this to say:
“Fad diets like this one may be tempting, but keep in mind that long-term weight loss depends on making lasting healthy changes”
The changes needed in this diet are too short term to truly be a quality solution for weight loss.
Business of Cabbage Soup Diet
It’s unknown who created this diet, though many websites offer books and tips. Each group offers slightly different advice, with the only key thing being that you can only eat cabbage soup alongside some fruits and vegetables for a total of 7 days.
The diet will often be presented in either a free format via a PDF, or through a book. There are no claims that anyone made this diet, though each book claims it has the optimal guide. There are often recipe books offered as well as tips.
No studies or proof that this diet actually works and is safe is available anywhere. This makes it impossible to determine why the diet was created and suggested in the way it’s displayed. It also allows many different groups to make claims about what to add to the diet, without providing any proof. Our experts compiled a list of the highest rated diet plans in the list featured here.
EDITOR’S TIP: The top 10 list of the best diets is available here.
Customer Opinions of Cabbage Soup Diet
Here are some reviews from users who have used this diet:
“Cabbage soup is not a filler upper”
“I see no real physical weight loss”
“have quite a headache”
“worst heart burn I have ever had”
People did mention they lost weight, but that they often gained it all back one they resumed eating. This makes sense as it’s likely the only reason one is losing weight is due to water weight.
Some also experienced side effects such as gas, bloating, and nausea. There were also concerns from people that they quickly became bored of it, and that they often felt like quitting. A list of the highest ranked diet plans is available in the link provided here.
Conclusion - Does Cabbage Soup Diet Work?
There are many things to consider about the Cabbage Soup Diet. There’s no science or proof that this diet actually works, and that’s why there’s many different variations on it. Many people who tried it say they regained all their weight loss, which is common for crash diets that serve to reduce water weight instead of fat. Health experts on the Mayo Clinic and Web MD website also confirm its likely not safe or effective for real weight loss.
The highest rated diet plan of 2024 was found to be the 18Shake Diet. It combines a high protein, appetite suppressing meal replacement as well as a natural stimulant free metabolism booster. Many customers say it’s effective for weight loss, and that it’s easy to use. There are no added filler ingredients, stimulants, or processed additives. It contains only natural extracts and ingredients clinically shown to help with weight loss. Many users have left glowing testimonials and positive reviews on their website.
The 18Shake Diet offers its supplements with a full 30 day money back guarantee. Returns are allowed within these 30 days with no risk and no questions asked. Learn more about the 18Shake Diet by clicking the link provided here.
- Product Name
- User Rating
- Easy to follow
- Cheap Price
- Fast Results
- High Protein Diet
- 91/100
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- Dukan Diet
- 89/100
-
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- Paleo Diet
- 87/100
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- Plexus Slim
- 77/100
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- Cabbage Soup Diet
- 29 /100
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Wikipedia
The Cabbage soup diet is a radical weight loss diet designed around heavy consumption of a low-calorie cabbage soup over the time of seven days. It is generally considered a fad diet, in that it is designed for short-term weight-loss and requires no long-term commitment. It has inspired several copy-cats based around similar principles.
BACKGROUND
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Look up the definition of fad diet and you’ll see a picture illustrating the Cabbage Soup Diet. It should not be followed as a long-term eating plan, as it is dangerously low in calories and could do more harm than good. It is possible to lose 10 pounds in a week when you stick to this uber-low calorie plan.
The Cabbage Soup Diet does offer fast weight loss, but it is completely lacking in nutrition, flavor and variety. You'll consume mostly soups of cabbage, onion, celery, carrots, tomatoes and mushrooms. Nutritionists argue that the pounds shed are more likely attributed to the dramatic and dangerous loss in calories and not the proposed fat-burning power found in the cabbage. This diet deprives your body of essential nutrients and has been correlated to difficulty concentrating, feeling light-headed and weak.
Do You Know the Best Diet Pills of 2024?
PRO
- You will lose weight
CON
- Unhealthy
- Dangerously caloric intake
- Primarily losing water weight
- Will regain lost weight if don't stick to healthy eating and exercise following completion
- Does not promote exercise; would be too weak to do so
DIET and NUTRITION
The one-week Cabbage Soup Diet relies on this simple plan:
Day One All-you-can-eat soup and fruit (no bananas). Consume plenty of water, cranberry juice and unsweetened tea.
Day Two Consume all the soup and vegetables you like (no beans, peas or corn). Have a buttered baked potato with dinner. No fruit today.
Day Three Eat all the soup, fruits and vegetables you like, nothing else.
Day Four Eat your soup, no more than eight bananas and all the skim milk you want.
Day Five Have at least one serving of soup today. You can also have 10-20 ounces of skinless chicken or beef and no more than six tomatoes. Drink plenty of water.
Day Six Eat plenty of vegetables and your servings of beef. Today is the day you can go a bit overboard with the meat (2 steaks if you like) - just make sure to add salad and vegetables. Stay away from the carbs - no fries, potatoes, etc.
Day Seven Have at least one serving of soup. Only eat brown rice, vegetables and unsweetened fruit juice.
EXERCISE
No recommendations are made. Given the severely low calories you'll be consuming, you likely won't have the strength for physical activity.
CONCLUSION
For rapid weight loss as a jump-start to a more healthy eating plan, the Cabbage Soup Diet could possibly be a solution. However, fasting or liquid diets like Cabbage Soup promising dramatic weight loss results in only a week are typically only helping you shed water weight. This weight will creep right back on once you stop the diet and continue with previous poor eating habits. Finishing the Cabbage Soup Diet and beginning a healthy eating and exercise regimen is the best advice anyone following this unhealthy approach can receive. Be sure to speak with your physician before beginning.
Common Misspellings
cabbge soup diet, cabbage soup deit, cabage soup diet, cabbagge soup, cabbagesoupdiet.com, cabbage diet, cabagge soup diet, soup diet
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Cabbage Soup Diet?
User Feedback
(Page 22 of 37, 727 total comments)Time_to_start
Oh and a quick question please......what have you gys eaten for breakfast on day 5/6? Can't say I'm looking forward to meat and tomatoes/veg on those days first thing in the morning!!
posted Mar 25th, 2009 10:11 amTime_to_start
+Well I'm on day 3 and it's all going pretty easily really. Got a bit peck'ish yesterday afternoon, so munched on some carrot battons and I was fine. I haven't had any headaches or feeling light headed and even went for a run last night. I have noticed that I'm getting tired earlier and last night was asleep on the sofa by 8:30pm!! I'm feeling much better in myself, so if I don't actually loose that much I'm cool with that, as it;s all about how I feel!! :-)
posted Mar 25th, 2009 10:09 amTime_to_start
A quick question please guys.....I started the diet this morning but have friends coming to stay at the weekend. I'm planning on doing the first few days, taking a break and then doing the last few days - do you know if I should carry on after the break, or start from scratch again?
posted Mar 23rd, 2009 11:25 amThanks and I'm loving the comments/success stories!!
Natalie
Well, I'm on day 6 and I'm down 5 pounds. I lost the first 4 lbs really fast after only two days and after that I've sort of maintained I guess. But my goal was to lose 5 lbs and I've reached that.
posted Mar 22nd, 2009 1:08 amI'm travelling all day tomorrow so I decided that day 6 would be my last day. I found this week to be extremely easy - I wasn't tempted at all. I'm definitely going to do this diet again before I got to Hawaii in a few months :)
Starting Weight: 130 lbs
Final Weight: 125 lbs
Natalie
Helen, on day two I had a V8 for breakfast...not my favorite day, but it wasn't so bad.
posted Mar 18th, 2009 2:38 pmI'm on DAY 3 - I just weighed myself at the gym and I'm down 4 pounds!!
SW - 130 lbs
CW - 126 lbs
4 pounds in 2 days!! If I lose another 4 pounds I will fall off my chair....or rather the scale ;)
Natalie
I'm on Day TWO of the diet which was the day I was least looking forward to because it's the VEGGIES ONLY day (oh wait, I forgot about the baked potato, but still...it's hard for me not to eat any fruit for a whole day). I LOVE fruit, so day 1 was very easy, and I'm looking forward to day 3 and 4.
posted Mar 17th, 2009 4:32 pmI am type 1 Diabetic so it's not as easy for me to stick to the diet to a T, but so far I have been able to. I have to keep my blood sugar a little higher than normal so I don't drop low which would require me to take some form of sugar (on fruit days I just eat fruit which is fine, but on veggie day...today...I wouldn't be able to...so I'm hoping I don't go low!).
I actually LOVE the soup, it's so good! And my parents like it a lot too. So far I can't see getting sick of it.
I am not overweight...I'm 5"5, 130 lbs which actually is an ideal weight for my age. I think it would be a miracle if I was able to lose 10 pounds in one week...I haven't been 120 lbs since I was 18 which is 6 years ago...would be cool though!! I'm hoping for 5 lbs.
Sorry for rambling!!!! Good luck everyone!!
Natalie
+I'm on Day TWO of the diet which was the day I was least looking forward to because it's the VEGGIES ONLY day (oh wait, I forgot about the baked potato, but still...it's hard for me not to eat any fruit for a whole day). I LOVE fruit, so day 1 was very easy, and I'm looking forward to day 3 and 4.
posted Mar 17th, 2009 4:13 pmI am type 1 Diabetic so it's not as easy for me to stick to the diet to a T, but so far I have been able to. I have to keep my blood sugar a little higher than normal so I don't drop low which would require me to take some form of sugar (on fruit days I just eat fruit which is fine, but on veggie day...today...I wouldn't be able to...so I'm hoping I don't go low!).
I actually LOVE the soup, it's so good! And my parents like it a lot too. So far I can't see getting sick of it.
I am not overweight...I'm 5"5, 130 lbs which actually is an ideal weight for my age. I think it would be a miracle if I was able to lose 10 pounds in one week...I haven't been 120 lbs since I was 18 which is 6 years ago...would be cool though!! I'm hoping for 5 lbs.
Sorry for rambling!!!! Good luck everyone!!
helen
just wondering what you all ate for breakfast on day 2???
posted Mar 16th, 2009 5:36 pmTaleah
Ok I'm going to be starting this in a few days.. I'm only doing it cause my bf is taking leave from the Army for a week and I've been trying to lose as much weight as possible before he gets here. And he'll be here in 3 weeks.. I wanna lose like 20 more lbs.. I'm not looking forward to the constant farting lol.. But it'll be worth it.. as long as the gas stops when I see him haha.. how embarrassing !!
posted Mar 15th, 2009 12:45 amHannah
+Im on my third day of the diet and I cant really say I have had that hard a time with it. Ive stuck to the plan down to a tea and I feel great, no side affects at all however I did struggle a bit yesterday as Im not that much of a veggie person, I just ate two salads and the soup but Im back on fruit today which I love. The only problem I have is I have weighed myself this morning and I dont seem to have a lost anything at all, Im not going to let it put me off and I will definatley see it through to day seven. Has anyone else lost weight after day seven but it didnt show half way through the diet?
posted Mar 14th, 2009 7:56 amlyndsy
on this diet do you eat the soup for breakfast,lunch, and dinner??ive been on this diet for 2 months and only lost 9 lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
posted Mar 12th, 2009 9:09 pmJen
I am day 3 and not tired of anything.. BUT haven't really "pooped" to much..It must kick in eventually with all the fruit and soup..Does everyone work differently???!!! ... When did that part kick in to some people
posted Mar 12th, 2009 7:17 pmBernadette
+Hi, I'm eating the soup this very moment, is good'. to day i'm on day 4 and have all my Bananas and skim milk lined up. this soup is making it big in my house thank;'s
posted Mar 11th, 2009 11:37 amJen
So how much water to cover the veggies..How much soup to make??!! I'm doin it right now so feed back would be very wonderful..
posted Mar 9th, 2009 2:47 pmSherry
-Just finished the diet, I lost 10 lbs. I never want to eat another vegetable. I can't eat bananas or drink skim milk, so just had soup that day. I also feel like my bottom is falling out. Good luck all.
posted Mar 6th, 2009 11:36 amshay
Hi! I did workout daily and most days I did only eat the soup. Because on the day four day, I don't like bananas and I don't eat beef either....
posted Mar 5th, 2009 7:22 amSo, hope that helps! But you are doing great!
Elvirus
Congrats on the weight loss shay! I am on day 5 and am excited about the flank steak I roasted last night! I started out at 178 and was at 171 yesterday...but I am up to 173 today. I had 5 bananas and about 5 8oz glasses of skim yesterday with the soup. Shay...did you follow the diet exactly or have you only been eating the soup? I have been following it to a tee but my results don't seem to be as good. Plus, did you exercise? I have been doing about 20 min of cardio a day.
posted Mar 3rd, 2009 7:32 amThanks!
shay
+Drum roll please..................
posted Mar 2nd, 2009 7:36 amEnd result of the 7 days is 169! Yeah, yeah, yeah! Thats a total of 16 pounds gone since last Monday! I am now starting a new lifestyle eating plan today and I am so excited to have jumpstarted this weight loss.
Well, good luck to you all who are trying this or beginning to, I can honestly say that it DOES WORK!!!!!
SW 185 (Feb 23)
CW 169 YEAH!!!!
GW 125-130
Although I have a ways to go yet, I am glad to be heading in the right direction! 44 pounds to go!!!!
shay
Day 7
posted Mar 1st, 2009 7:27 amDown 2 more to 170. YES it is the last day to eat that soup, YEAH! I am so sick of the soup:-) And today is brown rice day, YEAH! So, can't complain, lost 15 of these ugly ugly pounds whether its water/muscle/fat in 7 days! Well will post ending results tomorrow morning. Now I am off to go shopping to buy healthy foods for my new eating lifestyle!
SW 185 (Feb 23)
CW 170
GW 125-130
And yes I do see a difference in my body, in case anyone was wondering.
shay
Day 6
posted Feb 28th, 2009 7:39 amNo loss today:-( But still hanging in there! One more day! Yeah! Still hoping to see the 160s on Monday!
SW 185
CW 172
GW 125-130