Fad diets such as the cabbage soup diet promise dramatic weight loss in a short time, though the results typically don't last. Dieters commonly gain weight after restrictive diets, and you may end up weighing more than you did when you started. Before you commit yourself to a week's worth of cabbage, consider the risks, and check with your doctor to make sure your body can handle such an extreme diet.
Diet Information
Though variations on this diet exist, the basic cabbage soup diet regimen involves eating cabbage soup daily, often with added vegetables such as green peppers, tomatoes and celery, as well as onion soup mix, canned vegetable juice and bouillon. The diet lasts for seven days, and dieters can also eat specific foods -- mainly fruits and vegetables -- on certain days of the program. This diet severely restricts daily calorie intake, and proponents of the diet claim that you can lose as much as 10 to 15 pounds in just one week.
Gaining Weight
Although you'll likely lose weight on the cabbage soup diet, you'll also likely gain the weight back. According to an April 2007 research study published in the American Psychological Association's "American Psychologist" journal, most people regain the weight they lose when dieting, especially when following extremely restrictive diets such as the cabbage soup diet. The study, led by UCLA associate professor of psychology Traci Mann, found that as many as two-thirds of dieters eventually regain more weight than they initially lost.
Expert Insight
Nutrition scientist Elaine Turner with the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences notes that the cabbage soup diet eliminates water weight, which does not lead to permanent weight loss. "It's physically impossible to lose 10 to 15 pounds of fat in a week -- that's roughly equivalent to 40 to 60 sticks of butter," says Turner. "Anyone claiming that kind of dramatic result is losing mainly water weight that will come back after a short time."
Warning
Rapid weight loss through crash dieting can slow down your metabolism, and may actually cause you to gain more weight in the future. Restrictive crash diets such as the cabbage soup diet also deprive the body of essential vitamins and nutrients and can lead to heart palpitations or cardiac stress. New York City cardiologist Isadore Rosenfeld also warns that repeated crash dieting, or yo-yo dieting, can increase your risk of heart attacks.
Suggestions
While most fad diets won't deliver significant results in the long run, choosing instead to eat a balanced, nutritional diet can help you lose weight and keep it off. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, cut back on fatty foods and don't starve yourself. "For realistic weight control you need a variety of foods so you won't get bored or suffer long-term health problems from nutritional deficiencies," says nutrition scientist Turner.
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