Have you ever wondered how to lose weight with The Cabbage Soup Diet? This popular fad diet originated decades ago and was often prescribed by doctors. But is this really a healthy option when it comes to long-term weight loss?
Keep reading as we take a further look into what this diet is all about.
History of The Cabbage Soup Diet
From what we learned, The 7 Day Cabbage Soup Diet has been around since at least the 1930s. During that time it was used by Raymond Ellis Dietz, who prescribed it to his patients.
However, the American Dietetic Association says this diet came about around 1950. Ultimately, the actual origin and date are unknown.
In the 1960s, Dietz passed along his soup recipe to Dr. J.T. Cooper. This doctor then prescribed it to his patients who wanted to lose weight.
The soup was seen as a way to quickly lose weight while curbing hunger.
During the 1980s and 1990s, The Cabbage Soup Diet resurfaced and was even featured in Cosmopolitan and GQ magazines in the 90s as a trendy way to lose weight quickly.
Some hospitals have even given their patients versions of this diet in the past. The idea was to help them lose extra weight before surgeries (particularly cardiac surgery).
Cabbage Soup Diet Claims
It is important to note that the Cabbage Soup Diet is not appropriate for everyone. In fact, people who have medical conditions, eating disorders, are pregnant or nursing or underage, should never try this diet.
Always talk to your health care professional before trying to lose weight to make sure your plan is right for you. Note that this diet is not recommended nor promoted by nutritionists as a long-term way to lose weight.
This diet would be considered a fad because it is not intended to be done for longer than 7 days. Perhaps the biggest claim is that this diet promises to help you lose 10 pounds in just 7 days.
That’s a fairly bold claim. However, given the nature of mostly eating just a watery vegetable soup for 7 days, there’s a good chance you will lose weight.
What Is The Cabbage Soup Diet?
This fad diet was invented as a way to quickly lose weight. That is because it is very calorie restricted, so you will lose weight.
However, it will most likely be water weight that you lose instead of fat loss.
The diet is a 7 day plan with specific eating rules for each of the days. At the beginning of the diet, you are to make a large cabbage soup which should last you for the duration of the week.
There are a variety of different variations of the cabbage soup recipe available online. But the basic recipe revolves around water, cabbage, carrots, green pepper, celery, onion, tomatoes, stock, salt, pepper and spices.
You can make your own version or use this simple recipe.
Cabbage Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
1 head of cabbage, chopped
a pound of baby carrots, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic
1 bunch of celery, chopped
a large can, diced tomatoes (28 oz)
1 large can, stewed tomatoes (28 oz)
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt (optional)
approximately 1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. tabasco or hot sauce (optional)
Directions:
Place all of the ingredients in a large pot. Fill with water and bring to a light boil to heat up the soup. Then reduce heat to medium high and simmer for about 15 minutes.
Put the cover on the pot. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 30-45 minutes. Keep checking to see how soft the vegetables are.
Turn off heat once at desired texture, consistency.
This soup can also be pureed in a blender for a different texture if desired.
The 7 Day Cabbage Soup Diet Plan
There is more food allowed on the Cabbage Soup Diet than just the obvious. However, you can’t just eat whatever you feel like. And it is not recommended that you exercise, presumably due to the low calories.
Each day on the diet has specific rules for how you are to eat but quantities are not specified. Let’s have a look at what a person would eat on this plan.
The Daily Plan
Day One involves eating the soup anytime you feel hungry. The soup is your main meal(s).
In addition, you are allowed to eat raw fruit with no specific quantity mentioned. But bananas are not on the plan. This is most likely because they are carb-rich and starchy, which is a no-no!
On Day Two of the plan you’ll eat unlimited cabbage soup along with raw or cooked vegetables. The only vegetable you cannot eat are potatoes. Again, this is because of the carb factor.
Day Three allows you to eat unlimited cabbage soup. Plus you can also add in raw fruit and non-starchy vegetables. So you must avoid eating bananas and potatoes once again.
Day Four is soup on the menu again. If you have missed eating bananas, you’ll like this day. You are able to eat up to 8 of them today plus skim milk.
On Day Five you’ll eat more soup, up to 6 tomatoes, unlimited beef and non-starchy vegetables.
Day Six is again soup-based with unlimited beef and vegetables. You are to avoid starchy veggies or potatoes.
If you’ve made it to Day Seven you’ll be eating more cabbage soup. But you can also add in brown rice and sugar-free juice.
Pros of The Cabbage Soup Diet
- quick weight loss (mostly water weight)
- simple to follow
- high in fiber, water which helps fill you up
Cons of This Diet
- lack of variety can lead to frustration, boredom and binging
- not sustainable
- very low calorie which could lead to irritability, fatigue, headaches, lethargy, dizziness, nausea
- lacks adequate protein, carbohydrates, micronutrients
- you might lose some muscle
- does not foster healthy eating habits for long-term weight loss
- weight gain will return with regular eating habits
- can lead to gas due to cabbage and fiber
Why You Lose Weight With The Cabbage Soup Diet
We live in a world of quick fixes. Therefore, it is natural to want to lose weight quickly.
The problem is that if we don’t fix the habits that made us overweight in the first place, no “diet” will ever provide a long-term weight loss solution.
This particular diet will help you shed pounds fast because it is super low calorie and low carbohydrate.
In fact, analyses show that days 1-3 have just under 1000 calories. Days 4 and 7 have just over 1000 calories and days 5 and 6 provide just over 1200 calories.
One issue with the diet is that you will most likely lose water weight during the 7 days. This is because when your diet is suddenly low carb, glycogen is lost from your muscles which results in water loss.
So, if long-term fat loss is your goal, this is not the way to go about it. There are much better ways to help your body burn fat through exercise, healthy eating and hydration.
Final Thoughts On The Cabbage Soup Diet
Never start any dietary or exercise program without first consulting with your health care professional, as not all plans or exercises are right for everyone.
You will lose weight on the cabbage soup diet. But this is not a sustainable way to achieve long-term results.
Moreover, it may even encourage an unhealthy relationship with food or vegetables – which are always a healthy addition to any eating plan.
The diet industry is geared towards offering quick fixes. Although this plan may offer quick results, they will most likely be temporary.
Any plan that restricts exercise and a balanced approach to eating should always be met with skepticism.
Furthermore, it is always better to find a healthy, balanced approach to eating combined with regular exercise to help you achieve long-term, sustainable weight loss.
Have you ever tried the Cabbage Soup Diet? What were your results? Would you do it again? Share your experience in the comments below!
I have never tried the cabbage soup diet, but in the 1980’s my mom would make a version of this soup. She called it hamburger soup because she put cooked ground beef in it. The recipe for the soup you provided sounds quite appetizing to me and I would make this at home for maybe one or two nights, but not as a complete diet. I also might try adding stew meat or the ground beef like my mom used to do. It definitely would cut the calorie count down just by adding this for one night a week, and it would be a much healthier way to cut calories.
It was quite popular back then…I remember my own mom making this as well. I think the cabbage soup could be a nice add on as part of a calorie-reduced, healthy diet but this is a fad not meant to be done indefinitely. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!