The Grapefruit Diet Plan & Menu

If losing weight seems daunting, trying a diet that allows the pounds to melt away quickly may seem like an effective solution. Although eating a low-calorie diet featuring grapefruit may help you lose weight, it may not be the healthiest solution, according to the American Heart Association. Consult your doctor before starting a new diet regimen, especially if you have health problems or allergies.

Significance

The Grapefruit Diet has unknown origins, although it is often incorrectly attributed to the Mayo Clinic, according to the website MayoClinic.com in the article "The Mayo Clinic Diet: A Weight-Loss Program For Life." The Mayo Clinic did not create the diet and does not recommend the diet for weight loss. The Grapefruit Diet may be effective because it is a very low-calorie diet, which will help you drop pounds, notes EveryDiet.org.

Function

The Grapefruit Diet involves eating grapefruit juice or 1/2 grapefruit along with other low-calorie foods. Follow the diet for 12 days, then take two days off to eat whatever you want before resuming the diet for an additional 12 days, recommends EveryDiet.org in the article "Grapefruit Diet." Do not eat between meals and limit your caffeine intake to one cup of tea or coffee per meal. Do not eat desserts or starchy foods such as potatoes while following the diet.

Sample Meals

EveryDiet.org recommends eating 1/2 grapefruit or a glass of grapefruit juice for breakfast along with two eggs cooked in any style and two slices of bacon. For lunch, eat a salad with any kind of dressing, any style and amount of meat and half a grapefruit or a glass of grapefruit juice. Eat any type or amount of meat or fish for dinner, plus any red, green or yellow vegetables and 1/2 a grapefruit or a glass of grapefruit juice.

Considerations

While following the Grapefruit Diet, you are permitted to have one snack after dinner consisting of a glass of tomato juice or skim milk, notes EveryDiet.org. If desired, use butter generously when cooking meat or vegetables because eating some fat is necessary. Do not eat any snacks between meals.

Expert Insight

According to Jorge Cruise, the author of "The 3-Hour Diet: Lose Up to 10 Pounds in Just 2 Weeks by Eating Every 3 Hours!" the Grapefruit Diet will cause weight loss because fewer calories are being consumed. This does not mean, however, that the weight will stay off. Cruise says that as soon as you resume your normal eating habits, the weight will immediately return. The American Heart Association warns against trying fad diets that involve eating the same food -- in this case, grapefruit -- over and over again.