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The Grapefruit Diet

Grapefruit Diet Review (UPDATED 2024): Don't Buy Before You Read This!

Fruit diet is a quick fix that may drop pounds, but it's not healthy.

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What is it?

The Grapefruit Diet is a short lasting weight loss diet that claims it can help burn fat. It is a low calorie and low carbohydrate diet that lasts from 10 to 12 days with a 2 day pause in between.

This diet is alternativelyknown as the Hollywood Diet, though it’s unclear why. There are also slight variations on this diet, as some guides offer different suggestions. Certain plans emphasize high amounts of protein with grapefruit and others suggest low calories with grapefruit. The most beneficial weight loss diets as reviewed by our experts were the 18Shake Diet. It offers a fat burning diet pill and a meal replacement that can suppress appetite for hours. Discover more information about the 18Shake Diet by clicking on the link provided here.

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Grapefruit Diet Ingredients and Side Effects

The basic 12 day meal plan is as follows:

• Breakfast: 1/2 Grapefruit or 4 ounces of unsweetened Grapefruit Juice, 2 eggs cooked any style and 2 pieces of bacon.

• Lunch: 1/2 Grapefruit or 4 ounces of unsweetened grapefruit juice,
salad with any kind of dressing and meat of any kind and in any amount. 

• Dinner: 1/2 Grapefruit or 4 ounces of unsweetened Grapefruit juice, Meat of any kind and at any amount which can be substituted for fish, vegetables that are green, yellow, or red cooked with any seasoning and butter.

• No white onions, celery, or potatoes are allowed. The only vegetable one can eat are carrots, peas, spinach lettuce, red onions, cabbage, bell peppers, green onions, cucumbers, radishes, cucumbers, and broccoli.

• As a bedtime snack a glass of skim milk or a glass of tomato juice.

It’s also advised for people to keep eating until they are full. Nothing in the menu can be omitted, particularly the grapefruit which is used to help burn fat. Snaking is not allowed and it’s also advised to limit caffeine use due to effects on blood sugar.

There is no evidence provided to help show why these food combinations would be effective for weight loss. It’s likely one will lose weight due to the difficulty of overeating meats and the few food allowances, but it’s not guaranteed.

Our experts have compiled a list of the best diets for weight loss, made available in the link here.

No proof is offered either to help show why grapefruit is considered a healthy fat burning fruit. Although it is rich in vitamin C, there’s nothing unique about this fruit that shows it has a weight loss effect. Furthermore, diet blog.com adds:

“The grapefruit diet works simply because of calorie restriction and doesn’t have much to do with the grapefruit itself”

There is a serious health risk with eating grapefruit however, as the NPS Medicine Wise website adds:

“A review article published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal highlights more than 85 medicines that can interact with grapefruit with43 of these having potentially serious consequences”

This can be potentially damaging to the body and should be considered for those who rely on medications. It could have serious health risks if not considered. For people with certain conditions, they would be unable to use the Grapefruit Diet.

Potential side effects can include:

• Kidney damage, bone marrowdamage, reduced or slowed breathing, rapid heartbeats which can lead to death, slow heartbeat, and damage to the skeletal muscles.

The diet itself allows for an unlimited amount of meats which can be harmful as well. This makes it impossible to determine what a safe limit would be. Eating this could also lead to high amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat which can have negative health consequences.

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EDITOR’S TIP: Combine this diet with a proven meal replacement such as 18 Shake for better results.

Grapefruit Diet Quality of Ingredients

There is no evidence that eating the specified foods would be healthy. An unlimited amount of meats are allowed which can promote weigh gain if one overeats. Diet.com has also mentioned the potential health risks by adding:

“The risk of using the fad version of the grapefruit diet include nutritional imbalance (for both versions) and weight gain (for the high-protein version”

The low calorie version of this diet also has health risks due to the extreme lack of calories. This can promote side effects such as fatigue, lean muscle mass, malnutrition, and other health problems.

It’s for all these reasons that this is a poor quality diet. Click the link provided for a list of the highest rated weight loss diets.

The Price and Quality of Grapefruit Diet

No official book is offered and the only price one needs to pay is on the same kinds of foods since the diet has similar meals planned for the day. Eating these same foods for the total 10 to 12 days can be extremely difficult.

The overall quality is also poor due to the potential side effects which may result in either the low calorie or high protein version. There are many potential side effects which can result for those who are on medications due to the interaction with grapefruit. Furthermore, diets.com does mention that:

“grapefruit does not contain any miracle fat-burning enzymes”

It’s unclear why this diet focuses so much on using grapefruit as a primary food. Grapefruit is a healthy fruit but it’s not uniquely shown to help promote weight loss. No science or any form of evidence is provided to help prove the Grapefruit Diet would be a solution to weight loss. This makes it impossible to know what to expect from this diet. There are also no further tips or suggestions made by guides which feature this diet.

A comprehensive list of the top ranked weight loss diets is available in the link provided.

Business of Grapefruit Diet

The Grapefruit Diet was created in the 1930’s and became popular once again in 2004 when a study by Scripps Clinic confirmed grapefruit could help withweight loss. However, they have not approved the actual Grapefruit Diet. There was confusion from some cites who used this to claim that this diet would be safe and healthy for weight loss.

A review by Scripps nutritionists mentioned:

“This diet is very restrictive”

“Anytime you start a diet, especially one that restricts carbs, you’ll likely see a lot of water loss... once you reintroduce carbs, the weight comes right back”

Therefore, it’s not considered a lasting weight loss solution. It limits carbohydrates highly which only gets rid of water weight but not fat.

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EDITOR’S TIP: The top 10 list of the best diets is available here.

Customer Opinions of Grapefruit Diet

Very few user reviews are available for this diet. Here are some select quotes:

“I haven’t lost anything”

“Can anyone telling me why I have stopped losing weight?”

“it ruins your body”

“Don’t put yourself through this because of what others think”

There was confusion between users who didn’t understand which version of this diet is the real Grapefruit Diet. There were negative reviews from the majority of users, with only a few actually losing weight. Those who did manage to reduce their weight also mentioned how it quicklyreturned as they resumed normal eating habits. It’s clear from the reviews that there are no long lasting weight loss benefits.

People have also criticized the diet for having a limited menu, and for not being satisfying enough to suppress appetite. For many it was difficult to eat high amounts of meat to help reduce their appetite. Though meat is satisfying due to high protein, people found it difficult to eat a lot of it.

Conclusion - Does Grapefruit Diet Work?

The Grapefruit Diet is a fad diet that recommends being used only for a short period. This is often suggested by other similar diets since it would not be healthy toeat like this for long-term use. It may lead to nutritionaldeficiencies and side effects. Another major problem with this diet is that there is no evidence to support its use. It’s unknown who created it, and there are majority negative reviews from users. Grapefruit may also negatively interact with medication which can cause many serious side effects. This potential risk is not mentioned by any supporters of the diet. Since there are different versions of the Grapefruit Diet, it’s also unknown which is the real version.

Our review experts analyzed many diets and they’ve found the most effective for weight loss is the 18Shake Diet. It combines a meal replacement which suppresses appetite for hours sand a fat burning diet pill. They help provide potent weight loss benefits without the use of any preservatives, fillers, stimulants, colors, or any artificial additives. Customers have also left positive reviews and testimonials to showcase how effective it is for weight loss.

The 18Shake Diet also has its meal replacement and diet pill manufactured in a GMP certified facility. This is a way secure way to ensure the facilities used are clean and consistently making quality ingredients. To learn more information about the 18Shake Diet, click the link cited here.

How Does The Grapefruit Diet Compare?
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User Feedback

(Page 4 of 8, 144 total comments)

Cha'Leya

+

I start this diet diet 4/4/11 and i have lost 11 lbs frm this diet and my aunt started 1'3'11 and have lose 66 lbs as now I like this diet and i movtavate my more and more to keep going so i can get to my goal wight of 140 lbs and working out every other day does some good. The frist few days are temping. if want it u will it.. good luck wgt in was 250 =)

posted Jul 22nd, 2011 2:28 am

laura

+

I've been on the diet for about a week and a half and i've lost about 5lbs. Although i haven't been following the diet exactly, i've eaten slices of cake and still lost weight, but i do work out on the treadmill 40 min 6 days a week.

posted Jul 15th, 2011 8:10 pm

Bia

I have been on this diet for a week, and lost 5 pounds, I didn't follow the diet 2 the tee, but I'm starting 2mrw morning. I wanna lost 20 more pounds. Thanks for all the feedback it helps.

posted Jul 7th, 2011 5:02 pm

jcsmith88

+

I accidentally went on the grapefruit diet I been feeling a certain type of way about my stomach for about a year now lately I've been having a craving for grapefruit juice I drunk it for 1 week and lost 6 lbs... This makes me happy due to the fact that I have been eating fatty foods and no exercise I went from 150 to 144 =)

posted Jul 6th, 2011 12:12 am

Mom of 2

I'm just begining this diet today. I was told to follow the plan to the tee. WELL.....my question is......can I drink water too, if so does it matter how much?? I also want to know about the veggies........can I eat the raw for a snack in between meals? I know it says if you go by the paln u wont be hungry in between, but I am. Please help!!??

posted Jun 27th, 2011 10:25 am

Mom of 2

I'm just starting this diet today. I was told to go by the plan exactly, BUT can I drink water in between the meals and eat the veggies raw as a snack??

posted Jun 27th, 2011 10:19 am

Christina

+

I'm at a stuck weight with my weight loss. So far u lost eighteen pounds since april. So I decided to try this diet and I already lost two pounds since sunday. Hopefully I can get to my goal weight with this diet. i don't follow the specific meal plan that they have either.

posted Jun 22nd, 2011 12:27 am

Lilyane

Does it work if your a vegetarian?

posted Jun 4th, 2011 12:41 pm

nancy

?

which brands grapefruit juice should i drink in this diet as it should be unsweetened hi everybody, i have a ? which brands grapefruit juice should i drink in this diet as it should be unsweetened. i really want to start this grapefruit diet please tell me .

2 Answers
posted May 29th, 2011 5:20 am

Doris

Thanks for the reviews. I have done this diet before it works, if you work it.

posted May 24th, 2011 9:40 am

ladiva

This is my first day on the diet. After reading all your reviews I have to say that I am more hopeful. I know right now that I'm going to struggle a bit with no bread or potatoes, but it'll be worth it if I get the results I am looking to get

posted May 20th, 2011 1:19 pm

Maria

pjb I just started this diet too on 5/16/11 and I do eat cheese it is allowed I have lost 3lbs since Monday good luck I hope you post to hear your results.

posted May 19th, 2011 3:28 pm

pjb

I have been on it 8 days and lost 4-5 pounds - I did cheat and have lite beer on two days but not much. Other than that I have been spot on. I plan on going off after day 12 and then doing it one more time. On january 3 2011 I was 218 lbs today I am 196.5 - most of the weight loss was due to a conventional low calorie diet. I want to get to 185 - I tried this because I was eating only 1400 calories a day and only losing .5 lbs per week I had been losing at the rate of 2 lbs per week. Anybody eating cheese on this diet and losing?

posted May 17th, 2011 3:08 pm

Jessica

+

i think this is a change of lifestyle rather than a strict diet, therefore, there is not a strict rule on what type of food you must avoid or must have.

there are plenty of nutritional information on grapefruit and how it helps the body to lower insulin level hence store less fat. which means, this 'losing' is really just 'storing less' fat than your body would without extra intake of grapefruit. your energy output, such as exercise or even breathing, burns the fat storage, which constantly decrease your fat storage. with low insulin level caused by grapefruit, your body is unlikely to store more fat than you burn. of course you will end up looking thinner.

i have always liked grapefruit and i am looking forward to 'officially' joining the grapefruit diet group to drop fat!

posted May 10th, 2011 5:08 am

Tenesha

i tried this diet last summer for a month and a hlf and lost 18lbs. i getting ready for a wedding in august so i started today. i weigh 183 and i wanna be down 30lbs by august. i have three months . this diet really works. wish me luck my second round!!!

posted May 2nd, 2011 6:39 pm

rabiaarshad

i tried this diet in 2008 and lost 25lb. started again today.

posted Apr 8th, 2011 11:08 am user comment

Cathy

I started this diet and immediately lost 10 pounds. Very hard for me to lose any more pounds if I cheat in any way. I have been on it for 3 weeks now and will stay on it until I lose 20-30 pounds. It is very boring for me, but I just enjoy regular fat-free dressing on my salad and vary the meats each day. The eggs and bacon are very boring and I have no clue what to substitute, but I love the grapefruit.

posted Mar 27th, 2011 11:29 am

Susan

I at 139.8 lbs and my goal weight is to be at 124lbs by May for my trip to VEGAS.
I've done this diet last year and lost a good 10lbs in one month, due to cheating in between. I hope within 12 days i will be able to shed that 10lbs or more. I do plan on working out to see better results and Yogo and TaeBo on top of that. I am a really active person, but overall a tip for those whom want a sexier body.

posted Mar 1st, 2011 9:42 pm

poohcl13

+

I just started this diet today and am looking forward to the results that are to come!

posted Feb 26th, 2011 1:51 pm

poohcl13

I am going to do this diet between the scarsdale diet (they are a little similar). I am hoping to lose 70-80 pounds to feel better about myself! If anyone wants to be buddies while we do this please just message me!

posted Feb 12th, 2011 1:54 am


 

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BACKGROUNDBACKGROUND Start the Diet Now Advertisement

For years, the Grapefruit Diet has remained among the most popular of quick-fix fad diets. While the Grapefruit Diet makes for a great magazine article, nutritionists say it does not offer a well-balanced plan that you could follow for any extended length of time because your body requires more nutrients and calories than this calls for.

It's true that people following the Grapefruit Diet drop significant pounds in about 14 days. This is more likely correlated to the significant loss of calories than it is any weight-burning power the grapefruit may hold. The Grapefruit Diet suggests a total daily calorie consumption of around 800 calories, and nutritionists hold a healthy diet would have at least 1,200.

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PRO PRO
  • The grapefruit is a good source of beta-carotene
  • Helps reduce cholesterol and promotes heart health
CONCON
  • Not a long-term solution
  • Not enough variation in nutrients
  • Not enough calories
DIET and NUTRITIONDIET and NUTRITION

A day on the Grapefruit Diet would look like this:

  • Breakfast with half a grapefruit, two pieces of bacon and two eggs.
  • Lunch with half a grapefruit, as much meat as you like and a salad with your favorite dressing.
  • Dinner would include half a grapefruit, fish or meat, another salad with dressing or substitute buttered red or green vegetables. You can drink coffee or tea.
  • Before bed you could have 8 ounces of skim milk.
EXERCISEEXERCISE

No guidance provided.

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

This is not a diet that could sustain a person for any length of time because of the unhealthy calorie intake. You will lose noticeable weight in a short amount of time, but as soon as you stop following the Grapefruit Diet the pounds will just as quickly return.

Common MisspellingsCommon Misspellings

Grapfruit Diet, The Grapfruit diet, The Grapefruit deit, Grapefruit plan

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