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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.
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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 27 of 37, 727 total comments)S N
i'm on day 3 too now and struggling. good luck with the exercise and healthy eating. i can't do any exercise on this diet as i'm so weak. am looking forward to banana day tomorrow though. i think that at the end of the day, this diet will definitely shrink your stomach and make you think about what you eat. i've lost 2 pounds and i'm on day 3. don't think i'll be losing a tonne of weight but i know that when it's over i won't want to go back to what i was eating before. it's a great kick-start.
posted Jun 25th, 2008 9:31 amhazel
day 3, i purified the soup in a blender, much easier to eat because it was getting old fast. fruit and vegetables all day. but i was starting to get soooo light headed and irritable. unfortuantetly, i cheated and had a few drinks saturday night with some friends. BIG BIG MISTAKE! i ended up throwing up soooo much that night. did lose 4 lbs that night... but i guess my will power is not strong enough for this diet. i think it does work if you can stick to it. for me, im just going to start putting the miles on my treadmill and just eating smaller portions of healthier food. good luck to anyone who can stick to this for 7 days!
posted Jun 23rd, 2008 4:55 pmS N
hazel, i'm 5'5" and the same weight as you so very interested to see how you get on. i'm starting the diet 2moro as i'm going to ibiza with my friend who looks like a size zero! not looking forward to getting into a bikini at this point so need to lose at least a stone in the next 3 weeks!! good luck to everyone on here!!
posted Jun 23rd, 2008 10:03 amhazel
day 2 and feeling very nauseated... i ate the soup last night for dinner and i almost threw up. i did drink 6 bottles of water yesterday. maybe too much water??? any suggestions to relieve the nauseousness?
posted Jun 21st, 2008 7:55 amCasey
I did the diet for 2 weeks. When I was first given the diet in 2001, it said that it was repeatable. The first week, I lost 14 lbs. and the 2nd week, I lost another 11 lbs. By the end of 2 weeks, I could not eat another bite of cabbage soup. I tried everything...shredding the cabbage, cutting it into bigger chunks, flavoring it differently with tomatoes and soup, etc, but it was still cabbage soup. After the diet, I did keep the weight off for 6 months, then summer came and I decided to try it again. I lost 9 lbs the first week, but very little the 2nd week. I think it was because I began to cheat. DO NOT CHEAT THE DIET because it is very unhealthy if you do. There are some things that are not listed on this website that you should know. Firstly, you must follow the diet to a T! There is a reason you have to drink excessive amounts of water on that day--it is to flush the uric acid out of your system that has been building up. Uric acid causes GOUT and is exacerbated by alcohol, so DO NOT DRINK BEER WHILE YOU ARE ON THE DIET (even if you can convince yourself that beer is mostly water, like I did). As a result, I DID get gout and it was very painful. It also eventually caused me to have kidney stones, which is a pain even childbirth can't even approach, and gall stones, whichj are also pretty bad. Once again, DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOL WHILE ON THE DIET. The diet will cause you to urinate a lot, and will cause your stools to become soft (garbage in = garbage out). It has been years since I have done the diet, but I am ready to try it again...this time a bit wiser about the consequences of cheating.
posted Jun 19th, 2008 10:29 pmhazel
started the diet today. love the soup! starting weight 147. will update next week after my full 7 days... p.s. the peeing every 30 minutes is getting annoying, but im very optimistic!
posted Jun 19th, 2008 4:34 pmmo
eat lots of melons, especially on the first day, you can lose an upto to 4lbs. It worked for me.eat lots of melons with the fruit!
posted Jun 19th, 2008 4:34 pmRoss
The cabbage soup diet sucks! You are hungry all the time and the weight does not stay off very long. It all comes back. But that is not the worst of it. When the hunger from the cabbage soup diet forces you stop doing it and consume normal food you get diarreah and throw up! It is absolutely not worth it, not even for a crash diet!
posted Jun 19th, 2008 9:38 amerikaaa
hey, im starting this diet tomorrow.. im 140 now, and i reallly want to be 100. any suggestions??
posted Jun 18th, 2008 4:53 pmNat
i started this diet yesterday but had sandwich last nite will this make a difference and i have only half a stone to lose will this diet help me
posted Jun 18th, 2008 10:23 amMaya
its my fourth day of the diet today and just had sum banana milkshake, i lov bananas and have been waitin for day four.i havent been passing a lot if wind as people have said you should. the soup tastes nasty after a few days but just 3 days to go and have just about lost 2ibs i beta lose loads in the next couple of days. i dont feel very hungry and i love fruit!
posted Jun 18th, 2008 10:23 amEva
Is the soup supposed to look a little chunky and not like a liquid?
posted Jun 17th, 2008 2:48 pmAudrey
In May of 2005 a couple of my friends and I decided that, we were just not looking to hot. So we turned to our Medical Assistant Teacher and asked her "Teach, we wanna lose weight but we're just not to sure if we should just kill ourselfs by working out or by dieting our way to a better looking us, what should we do?" She recommended a diet, so she prints out the 7 Day Diet paper out of the Web Site and said, "You can't go wrong with this, try it and if you dont like it...no biggie" We walk out of class and looked at eachother and said "lets do this!" the first thing i did when i got home was grab some money and went grocery shopping bought everything took it home and started my diet the next day. I was 175 Lbs before i started in May then came August and i had only lost a total of 15 Lbs, I was dieting for 1 week and would take a break the next week, not stuffing myself with junk but eating normally 3 times a day, the next week i would continue with my diet. I was eh, somewhat happy but not satisfied, so, I decided to throw in the workout. For one week straight i would diet without working out and the next week i would get on my treadmill for about 30 to 45 minutes a day, eating normally 3 times a day and guess what?...I lost 15 more Lbs in 3 weeks, so i completed the entire month with 5 more Lbs off with a total weight of 140 Lbs. I had lost more in one moth dieting and excercising than with dieting alone, so if your trying to lose weight a bit faster and you think you can handle the 7 day diet, you have to make this happen, try it and if you dont like it...no biggie! Remember everyone's body is different and not everyone has the same metabolism, if you feel like you can no longer handle it because you feel dizzy or having headaches than this is probably not for you. I really dont recommend this diet for anyone who is diabetic because of the amount of sugars or non surgar your body will be consuming, it's completely different for them. Again, this diet is not meant for everyone, but really, you will LOSE WEIGHT!!!! =) P.S This is not the greatest diet ever, take care of yourself and weight. Since the begging of 06' i stopped and gained a bit so now it's 2008 and i'm ready to get on this Diet again ;) oh, by the way....No Cheats, let's do this!!!
posted Jun 13th, 2008 9:34 amJennell
I have been doing the Cabbage soup diet for one week in every month since Sept. 07, and have lost 50 lbs. It takes alot of discipline in between the weeks that I do the diet but it has worked for me. To get past the lack of nutrition i take multi vitamins and drink and ensure once a day while doing it. I also exercise 3-5 times a week, so it realy takes more than just the diet. Anyone can do it and lose the 10lbs but it takes control after to keep it off. It realy must be a lifestyle change if you want it to work. Its not a quick fix to a life long problem.
posted Jun 12th, 2008 9:25 amChelsea
I am leaving for a resort trip to Mexico with the girls in 2 weeks and would like to lose some weight before I go. I will keep you posted on my results. Thank you all for sharing your comments as they inspired me to believe that this diet has helped many people lose excess weight.
posted Jun 12th, 2008 9:25 amSadan
You guy are angels brought down here by God, you have installed in me some hope and positive cabbage energy. I am 5'9" and I weight 228 pounds, I am planning to lose 48 pounds in 5 months, I have tried every diet or weightloss schemes nothing had worked, this is my final solution, I will start the diet on Monday 9/06/08 and I will combine it with 30 minutes of cycling daily. I need to lose at least 22 pounds in 12 days, for my holiday break...tips..cant cook...although I am used to fasting for a month... Many thanks keep the positive energy going...you guys are great....I will try to lose at least 15 pounds in one week...I will get back to you guys after 7 days on the 15/06/08 wish me luck...
posted Jun 8th, 2008 10:08 amtiffany
hey Brenda.. no, I havent put on any weight and Im still losing.... I went off the diet for maybe 2 weeks... BUT in that 2week time frame I ate fruit for breakfast..grilled chicken salads with lite dressing for lunch.. fruit as a snack.. and then 3oz of meat protein (mainly fish) and veggies...and fruit as a evening snack.. I havent had any bread(which is hard, but now after so long I dont miss it) and i havent had any soda, mainly water, skim milk, and tea(when I wanted somthing else besides water to drink).. I still am keeping up with my excersises 4 days a week@ 1.5 hours at my gym... and I give myself one cheat day.. sunday... anything I want.. BUT I dont go crazy.. so when I say anything.. I mean foods with in reason.. like last Sunday for my cheat day I had Olive Garden..(with the black tie mousse cake dessert lol) I think if you do good 6 days a week then on the 7th day.. you should treat yourself.. Im almost at my goal now of 120lbs...and I feel great....and have so much energy since Im not eating those fried foods I used to eat..after a while you really dont miss the bad stuff if you treat yourself once in awhil.. so in answer to your question.. No, I havent put any weight on.. but I cant stress enough to excersise AFTER you do this diet.. all this diet is is a jump start to get you going on the right track..
posted Jun 6th, 2008 2:40 pmfaith
today is my 1st day, im hungry but excited to lose weight, i weigh 190 and want to lose about 40 pounds. ill let you know how it goes
posted Jun 5th, 2008 7:00 pmZ
I have been doing the Cabbage Soup diet for years. I kinda cheat on the way I make the soup. Mine is more of a veggie soup without potatos, corn or peas, but chock full of all kinds of other veggies. Whenever I want to kick start a new eating regime, I do this diet. It's a fast way to lose a few pounds, but you do have to make sure you change your eating habits after you do the diet or you will gain the weight back and then some. I found that if I didn't put enough time in between when I go back on it that I had a hard time eating the soup and I ended up just eating fruit and veggies most of the time. I also found that drinking warm water through out the day helps with feeling hungry and if you put a pinch of baking soda in it it helps the gassiness (yes beano helps too). Can't cheet if you wanna maximize your weight loss. The first time I went on the diet I lose 18 pounds (yes I'm serious). I worked out like crazy, drank alot of water and ate alot of "fat burning" foods. The next couple of times I lost 12lbs, the last time I lost 10. I just started this round today. I'll let you know how it goes.
posted Jun 2nd, 2008 6:18 pmSarah
Don't do this! This is a starvation diet and it'll make your metabolism slow down in the long run. I recommend the Day Off Diet instead - it keeps your metabolism up while you lose weight.
posted May 31st, 2008 9:27 am