The Grapefruit Diet is no fad. It's a short-term, rapid weight-loss diet that's been around for more than a half century. Nobody seems to know who invented it, but most who have heard or read about the diet know it's based upon grapefruit or grapefruit juice interacting with protein to burn fat and shed pounds quickly. Usually, most of the weight lost is in fluids.
Time Frame
Most versions of the grapefruit diet forecast a loss of 10 lb. after 12 consecutive days, and no more than 800 calories are consumed in each of those days. The website Soy Quick cautions it "is only intended as a jump-start for the dieter." Weight loss is traced to the increase in metabolism generated by grapefruit and foods specified in the diet. Exercise is not a major factor, and long-term weight reduction is unlikely. "Eat until you are stuffed," states the website Every Diet. "The more you eat of the proper combination of food, the more you lose."
The Diet
According to Every Diet, the dieter is to consume 1/2 grapefruit or 4 oz. of unsweetened grapefruit juice before breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast consists of two eggs, any style, and two slices of bacon. Lunch is any kind of meat in any amount with a salad and dressing of choice. Dinner is any style of meat or fish, in any amount, with any green, yellow, or red vegetables prepared with butter or seasoning. A late snack is a glass of tomato juice or skim milk. Vegetables specified are red or green onions, bell peppers, radishes, cucumbers, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, carrots and peas. Avoid white onions, potatoes and celery.
Instructions
The grapefruit and grapefruit juice are interchangeable. Eat as much of the specified food as possible at each sitting. Eliminate nothing from each meal because the combination of foods burns fat. Grapefruit is the catalyst. Consume little or no caffeine -- it hinders the burning of fat. There is no eating between meals, and all pastas, breads, desserts are forbidden. Butter may be used in preparing meats and vegetables on the diet.
Scripps Clinic Study
In 2004, the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center at Scripps Clinic in San Diego conducted a 12-week study of the grapefruit and grapefruit juice diets. The study monitored the weight and metabolic factors of 100 obese men and women who were divided into three groups. Those who ate half a grapefruit with each meal lost 3.6 lb. Those who drank grapefruit juice lost 3.3 lb. Many participants lost more than 10 lb. Those in the group consuming no grapefruit or grapefruit juice experienced virtually no weight loss over 1 lb., says Dr. Ken Fujioka, the study's principal researcher: "For years people have talked about the grapefruit diet, and some even swear by it, but now we have data that grapefruit helps weight loss."
Considerations
The diet is strict and lacks important nutrients normally achieved from those balanced in the four major food groups. According to "National Institutes of Health: A Doctor's Guide to Diet Plans from A-Z": The grapefruit juice diet "is low in calories, protein, and several vitamins and minerals." It "should be followed for only 1 to 3 weeks. And dieters should be made aware that grapefruit may interfere with certain medications."
Consult a physician before going on any diet, including the grapefruit juice diet.
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