The Cabbage Soup Diet
Fad OR Fab Plan?

Written by Diet Bites

Fad Diet Review: An Independent Review of the Cabbage Soup Diet Plan by Diet Bites

The Cabbage Soup Diet has been around for a few years now, promising the dieter a loss of 10 to 15 pounds in just one week. Does it work? Will you really lose weight? How effective is it? Is it a tool that you should seriously consider to jump start your diet?

Does it work?

Let's just say that it temporarily works.

Will you really lose weight?

You will lose weight with the Cabbage Soup Diet, but mostly 'water' weight.

How effective is it?

I've yet to meet one individual who had total success with the Cabbage Soup Diet. At best, I've seen very minimal results - with individuals losing up to 20 pounds, then quickly gaining it back as soon as they quit the diet.

Is it a tool that you should seriously consider to jump start your diet?

Yes! The soup is quite tasty, it's low in calories, and contains some vitamins that you need when dieting. It also acts as a great filler.

Recipe for Cabbage Soup

1 package of Lipton soup mix
2 bouillon cubes for flavoring - either chicken or beef flavored

1 stick of celery (not the whole stalk) - diced

1/2 head of green cabbage - diced

3 carrots - sliced

2 bell peppers - any color - sliced

6 large green onions, or 1 large yellow, white or purple onion - diced

2 cans of tomatoes - either diced or whole

Cooking Spray

Salt, pepper, parsley, garlic powder to taste. Use any seasoning that you like to add flavor.

Spray large pot with cooking spray. Saute onions, peppers and carrots until tender. Add cabbage and about 12 cups of water. Toss in bouillon cubes, soup mix and seasonings. Cook until soup reaches desired tenderness; add tomatoes. Soup can be reheated and contains very few calories.

The Cabbage Soup Diet Plan

The following is the official (or pretty close to it) Cabbage Soup Diet. The following information is being posted as an educational tool - so please don't attempt this diet. It's unsafe, it's unhealthy, and it's not a diet that will give you permanent weight loss success.

The Cabbage Soup Diet was once rumored to have originated by a hospital, but I can't find any data that verifies such. I found Day Four very interesting.

The diet allows up to 8 bananas and 2 glasses of skim milk on this day, and as much of the soup as one desires.

Eight bananas equates to about 800 calories and the skim milk will add another 160 calories.

The soup contains minimal calories. The daily allotment doesn't even total to 1,000 calories - which is quite dangerous.

Day One is much the same. It's going to take a lot of fruit to tally up to 1,200 calories. No one should ever try to diet below the 1,200 calorie mark.

So please examine this diet with a critical eye and see the holes that exist. It's also a very stressful diet and even encourages food gorging, which only serves to stretch your tummy.

Perhaps this is one key reason that people tend to swiftly gain back weight once they stop the diet.

And is this diet something that you'd want to be on for an extended period? It's not only unsafe, it's very boring.

Day One Through Seven Menus for the Cabbage Soup Diet Plan

Day One - Eat all the fruit that you desire, except bananas. Drink unsweetened tea, black coffee, cranberry juice or water. Enjoy as much of the soup as you like.

Day Two - Eat all the fresh, raw and cooked veggies that you desire. Do not eat dried beans, peas or corn. For dinner, eat a large baked potato with butter. Eat as much soup as you like.

Day Three - Combine day one and day two by eating fruit and veggies (no bananas, dried beans, peas, corn OR baked potato). Eat as much soup as you like.

Day Four - Eat up to eight bananas and drink up to two glasses of skim milk. Eat as much soup as you like.

Day Five - Enjoy up to 20 ounces of baked, grilled or broiled beef and a large can of tomatoes, or six fresh tomatoes. Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water and have at least one serving of the Cabbage Soup. If you don't like beef, eat broiled or baked chicken without the skin, instead. Fish can also be substituted.

Day Six - Eat up to 3 steaks and all the veggies you want. Do not eat potatoes. Eat the soup at least once.

Day Seven - Eat up to 2 cups of brown rice, unsweetened fruit juices and all the veggies that you want. Eat the soup at least once. No diet soda on this day.

Related Articles

Problems With Calorie Burn Charts

Ideal Body Weight

Weight Gain Side Effects

Diet Bites  |  Site Disclaimers

Diet Bites is a Trademark