How Does the Cabbage Soup Diet Help You Lose Weight? (2024)

  • Definition
    • What Is the Cabbage Soup Diet?
  • Food List
    • What Can You Eat on the Cabbage Soup Diet?
  • Weight Loss
    • How Does the Cabbage Soup Diet Help You Lose Weight?
  • Advantages
    • What Are Advantages of the Cabbage Soup Diet?
  • Disadvantages
    • What Are Disadvantages of the Cabbage Soup Diet?
  • Guide

What Is the Cabbage Soup Diet?

How Does the Cabbage Soup Diet Help You Lose Weight? (1)

The Cabbage Soup fad diet promises dieters can lose up to 10 pounds in seven days. The main reason for this is that it severely restricts calories. Do not go below 1,200 calories a day without a doctor’s supervision.

The Cabbage Soup diet is a low-calorie fad diet designed for quick short-term weight loss.

The origins of the diet are unknown and at times it has been falsely attributed to a famous doctor as well as to a certain hospital. It gained in popularity in the 1980s as the diet was spread by fax.

What Can You Eat on the Cabbage Soup Diet?

As the name would imply, cabbage soup is a mainstay of the diet. There are a number of different recipes that can be found online for the cabbage soup used in the diet.

The Cabbage Soup diet consists of:

  • A fat-free cabbage soup consumed several times daily
    • Other vegetables may be added to the soup
  • Drinking plenty of water
  • Fruits (except banana) may be eaten as snacks
  • Other foods permitted on a limited basis on certain days and according to a specific schedule include:
    • Skim milk
    • Beef
    • Baked chicken without skin
    • Brown rice

It is a very strict diet that specifies exactly what to eat and when, and there is no room for deviation.

How Does the Cabbage Soup Diet Help You Lose Weight?

The Cabbage Soup diet promises dieters can lose up to 10 pounds in 7 days. The main reason for this is that it severely restricts calories.

Some days, the daily caloric intake on the diet plan is less than 1,000 calories per day which is far less than the average adult requires. In general, daily caloric requirements for adults range from:

  • 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day for women
  • 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day for men

The low end of the range is for people who are sedentary while the high end of the range is for people who are active. Calorie requirements also tend to decrease for adults as they age.

People who lose weight gradually, about 1 to 2 pounds per week, tend to have more success over the long term than people who try fad diets.

What Are Advantages of the Cabbage Soup Diet?

Due to the limited caloric intake of the diet, most people who follow the Cabbage Soup diet will likely lose weight in the short-term.

Other advantages of the Cabbage Soup diet include:

  • It is relatively inexpensive, with fruits and vegetables being the mainstay of the diet
  • There are no packaged foods to buy or meetings to attend
  • It is only intended to be followed short-term, for about a week, so many people may be able to stick with it for this short time
  • Because the diet is specific on what to eat and when, there is little guesswork

What Are Disadvantages of the Cabbage Soup Diet?

There are many disadvantages of the Cabbage Soup diet, including:

  • The diet contains fewer than the recommended daily allowance of calories for adults
  • The diet plan is extremely rigid
  • Most of the weight lost will likely be water weight
  • The diet is only meant for short-term weight loss
  • The diet does not yield long-term results and most dieters will gain the weight back as soon as they stop the diet
  • Because the caloric intake is so low, exercise while following the diet probably is not a good idea
  • May not be nutritionally balanced; dieters may need to take a vitamin and mineral supplement
  • Not suitable for diabetics because it is so low on carbohydrates
How Does the Cabbage Soup Diet Help You Lose Weight? (2024)

FAQs

How Does the Cabbage Soup Diet Help You Lose Weight? ›

The cabbage soup diet stimulates the body's metabolism and fat mobilization. This diet limits your calorie intake and causes your body to burn fat for energy. Low sodium, low calories, and high fiber allow you to lose weight faster if you followed a reasonable long-term dietary plan.

How much weight can you lose on a cabbage soup diet? ›

People who follow the diet strictly will likely lose some weight, potentially 10 pounds per week or more. This is because it involves eating so few calories each day. However, in most cases, people quickly regain this lost weight once they return to their regular diet.

Does cabbage soup burn belly fat? ›

Does it work for weight loss? The Cabbage Soup Diet has never been studied, so it's impossible to confirm its effectiveness. While it may result in temporary, short-term weight loss, it is unlikely to lead to sustainable weight loss.

What happens if you do the cabbage soup diet for 2 weeks? ›

It will likely leave you feeling hungry, weak, and bored. You might even feel sick. And if you follow the Cabbage Soup Diet for more than a week, you could run short on key nutrients. Nor does the diet encourage the necessary lifestyle changes you need to make in order to be healthier and have lasting weight loss.

Does cabbage soup detox you? ›

Cabbage has diuretic properties that helps get rid your body of excess liquid and toxins. It helps cleanse your liver and colon. Which is why cabbage forms the base for this detox cabbage soup. You can add veggies or proteins of your choice such as egg, ground chicken, lamb!

Can I lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks? ›

Trying to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks is simply not worth the risk. Summary: It's unrealistic and dangerous to attempt a 20-pound weight loss in 2 weeks. Doing so would require a deficit of 5,000 calories per day, which is far more than what most people eat and burn in a day.

Why am I not losing weight on cabbage soup diet? ›

The diet plan is extremely rigid. Most of the weight lost will likely be water weight. The diet is only meant for short-term weight loss. The diet does not yield long-term results and most dieters will gain the weight back as soon as they stop the diet.

What are the disadvantages of the cabbage soup diet? ›

Cons:
  • Cabbage commonly causes bloating and flatulence because of its high fiber content. ...
  • The diet is strict, allowing only relatively bland foods. ...
  • The diet may cause weakness and fatigue due to low-calorie and low protein intake.
Jan 5, 2021

Can you eat eggs on the cabbage soup diet? ›

They are high in calories and sugar, so they are not recommended on the cabbage soup diet. High-Fat Foods: Foods rich in saturated fats, such as fried foods, fatty cuts of meat, full-fat dairy products, vegetables like avocado, and high-fat sauces or dressings, should be avoided. It is also recommended to avoid eggs.

Why does the cabbage soup diet work so well? ›

The cabbage soup diet stimulates the body's metabolism and fat mobilization. This diet limits your calorie intake and causes your body to burn fat for energy. Low sodium, low calories, and high fiber allow you to lose weight faster if you followed a reasonable long-term dietary plan.

Can I drink coffee on the cabbage soup diet? ›

Most versions allow black coffee while following the cabbage soup diet, but not coffee with milk.

How to lose 10 pounds in a week? ›

To lose 10 pounds in one week, you'll need to burn between 3,500 and 5,000 calories more than you consume each day by restricting your diet to small portions of nutritious yet low-calorie foods, and significantly increasing your aerobic exercise with interval training, sports, and other vigorous activities.

What can I eat for breakfast on the cabbage soup diet? ›

No fruit, corn, beans, or peas. One russet or sweet potato baked with butter or oil is allowed. Breakfast: You can begin the day with the baked potato. Dice the potato into cubes, sprinkle it with some cinnamon and olive oil, then roast in the oven with onions and bell pepper.

How many times a day do you eat cabbage soup to lose weight? ›

Most variations of this diet suggest that people eat this soup two to three times a day—although some variations enable the participants to consume even more of the soup. The cabbage soup used in this diet combines ingredients like broth, nonstarchy vegetables, pepper, herbs and, of course, cabbage.

Does cabbage cleanse your colon? ›

Cruciferous vegetables are beneficial in cleaning the colon and liver as well. These type of vegetables are high in fiber, containing up to 40% of the daily requirement for your body in 100 calories. Types of cruciferous vegetables are arugula, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, horseradish, and turnips.

Is cabbage soup a laxative? ›

Cabbage is high in fiber, per the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. As a result, it can promote movement within your intestinal tract. But too much cabbage (or other fibrous foods) can aggravate conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), per the University of Michigan Health.

How does the 7 day cabbage soup diet work? ›

The diet plan centers around the cabbage soup, which is eaten throughout the week. In addition, it begins with a few days of fruit and vegetables and with little or no protein. Then, bananas and skim milk are added. Later in the week, beef or chicken and rice are added along with the soup.

How fast can I lose 20 pounds? ›

Losing weight safely typically involves losing 1-2 pounds per week. This would allow you to lose 20 pounds within about 5 months at 1 pound per week or 2 1/2 months at about 2 pounds per week.

How quickly can I lose 15 pounds? ›

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as other health institutions, recommends losing weight at a gradual rate of 1 to 2 pounds per week. At this rate, you'll reach your goal of 10 to 15 pounds lost in as soon as five weeks or as long as 15 weeks.

Can you cheat on cabbage soup diet? ›

The cabbage soup diet has low calories. Eat as much cabbage soup as you would like to keep your stamina up and drink plenty of water. If I start to feel sluggish, I cheat and have a baked sweet potato, a protein shake, or some juice.

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