Cabbage soup diet guideline

The cabbage soup diet is a weight loss plan based on the heavy consumption of low-calorie soup made of cabbage. The diet typically lasts for seven days. The cabbage soup diet is considered a fad diet, which uses specific eating patterns to promote short-term weight loss. Typically, a person can use up to 10 pounds, or an equivalent of 4.5 kg, during the course of diet. Experts believe that most of this weight is lost in water.

There are a number of variations for this recipe. Here is the one we found most convenient. To start with the diet one should make a soup from 6 large green onions, 2 green peppers, 2 cans of tomatoes, 1 bunch of celery, 1/2 head cabbage, 1 package dry onion soup mix, 1 or 2 cubes bouillon/stock cubes either chicken or beef, and taste with any kind of seasoning one likes. The most commonly used spices are salt, pepper, parsley, garlic powder, curry powder or soy sauce.

To prepare a soup, first sauté in a large pot all vegetables except cabbage and tomatoes until tender. Then add cabbage and about 12 cups of water to the pot and mix it with bouillon cubes, soup mix, and seasoning. Cook the soup until it reaches the desired tenderness and finally add tomatoes.

During the course of diet, which lasts seven days, one should eat only the cabbage soup in the desired quantities. The dieter is allowed to drink only water and unsweetened fruit juice on the days when fruits are allowed. On the first day, dieter can eat only soup and fruits, except bananas. During the second day, dieter can eat soup, vegetables, and one baked potato with a little butter. During the third day, cabbage soup, vegetables and fruits, except potatoes and bananas, are allowed. On the fourth day, dieter can eat soup, skimmed milk, and up to eight bananas. Fifth day is reserved for soup, up to 10 ounces of beef and up to six tomatoes. On the sixth day dieter can eat soup, and as much as beef and vegetables, except potatoes, as he or she likes. On the final day of the diet, dieter is allowed to eat soup, brown rice, all the vegetables except potatoes, and unsweetened fruit juice.

This diet gained popularity because of the advantage reflected in the rapid weight loss. It is also a great starting point for future more moderate but less restrictive diet habits. The bad point of the diet is that the soup is pretty much tasteless. In addition, people can feel very weak during the course of this diet. Most of them experience light-headedness, problems with concentration, general weakness and fatigue. The effects of the diet are just temporary.