Quick weight loss is a tempting prospect. The idea that you can shed unwanted pounds in a few days makes fad diets like the 7-day cabbage diet popular. Also called the cabbage soup diet, this plan features a menu that restricts calorie intake to between 800 and 1,000 calories per day. However, the 7-day cabbage diet does not provide adequate nutrition and is not effective for long-term weight loss.
The Diet
As the name suggests, the 7-day cabbage diet is built around eating large quantities of homemade cabbage soup for a week. MayoClinic.com says promoters of the 7-day diet report losses of up to 10 lbs. in a single week. Since the diet does drastically reduce calories, you are likely to see some short-term weight loss, and you'll often hear that the 7-day cabbage diet originated in a hospital setting. However, there is no evidence to support this and the diet is not recommended by health care institutions such as the Mayo Clinic.
The Menu
The centerpiece of the 7-day cabbage diet is the cabbage soup, and it provides the bulk of your food. Additional food items change each day. You are allowed any fruit except bananas on the first day. On day two, you can eat vegetables plus a baked potato with butter. You can have any fruits and vegetables you want on day three. On day four you are limited to low-fat milk, six bananas and the soup. On day five you are permitted 450 g of meat or fish, plus six tomatoes. For day six you get vegetables and meat as additional food items. On the final day, you are allowed pure fruit juice, vegetables and brown rice.
The Soup
Every Diet points out that there are several recipes for the cabbage soup. One version includes, in addition to cabbage, two green peppers, six green onions and a bunch of celery. Other ingredients are a 48 oz. can of V-8 juice, a package of onion soup mix and one or two cans of tomatoes. You can season to taste and add one or two cubes of bullion, if you like.
Considerations
The 7-day cabbage diet includes lots of vegetables, which is fine as far as it goes. However, you won't get adequate nutrition. MayoClinic.com points out that there is very little protein and almost no complex carbohydrates. There are insufficient vitamins and minerals. Because you consume very few calories, you may feel tired and weak. Plus, the excessive consumption of cabbage tends to cause a lot of gas. To achieve healthy weight loss in the long run, you need to adopt a lifestyle that combines a balanced, nutritious diet with regular exercise. The 7-day cabbage diet does not lead to good nutrition and includes no exercise component.
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