We're gearing up for swimsuit season and an upcoming trip to Destin, Florida so we've been really working on our diet and stepping up our workout routine. This cabbage soup diet recipe came from Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital and we've had it for decades. The bonus is that the soup is delicious! We actually enjoyed eating it and didn't have any trouble getting it down as it is comparable to a vegetable soup.
The plan is a fast, fat-burning diet where you burn more calories than you take in. It will flush your system of impurities and leave you feeling energized and refreshed. This diet does not lend itself to drinking any alcoholic beverages at any time because of the removal of fat build-up in your system. The soup can be eaten anytime you feel hungry - and as much as you wish.
DIET PLAN FOR THE CABBAGE SOUP DIET
DAY ONE: All fruits, except bananas. Cantalope & watermelon are fewer in calories than most fruits. Eat only the soup and fruits. For drinks- unsweetened tea, cranberry juice, or water.
DAY TWO: All vegetables - eat until you are stuffed with all the fresh raw or canned vegetables. Try to eat green leafy vegetables and stay away from dry beans, peas, and corn. Eat along with the soup. At dinner on this day, reward yourself with a baked potato with butter. Do not eat any fruits.
DAY THREE: Eat all the soup, fruits, and veggies, you want. If you have eaten the diet for three days and have not cheated, you will find that you have lost 5-7 pounds.
DAY FOUR: Bananas and skim milk. Eat as many as 3 bananas and drink as many glasses of water and bowls of soup as you can. Bananas are high in calories and carbs and so is the milk, but on this particular day, your body will need the potassium and the carbohydrates, proteins and calcium to lessen your craving for sweets.
DAY FIVE: Beef and tomatoes. You may have 10-20 ounces of beef and a can of tomatoes or as many as 6 fresh tomatoes. Try to drink at least 6-8 glasses of water this day to wash away the uric acid in your body. Eat the soup at least once this day.
DAY SIX: Beef and veggies. Eat till your heart's content of the beef and veggies this day. You can even have 2-3 steaks if you'd like with green leafy vegetables. Be sure to eat the soup at least once today.
DAY SEVEN: Brown rice, unsweetened fruit juice, and vegetables. Again, stuff yourself. Be sure to have the soup at least once today.
OTHER CABBAGE SOUP DIET NOTES:
Acceptable fruits: cantaloupe, watermelon, bananas, tomatoes, pears, apples, peaches, oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, plums, cherries, mangos, strawberries, grapes, raspberries, blueberries
Acceptable vegetables: lettuce, spinach, cabbage, onions, celery, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, carrots, green beans,, radishes, squash, artichokes
ALSO acceptable (on specified days): non fat picante sauce, raisins, brown rice, baked potato, bran or fiber
Absolutely NO bread, alcohol, carbonated drinks (including diet), dry beans, corn, peas, lima beans for the full duration of this diet.
DRINKS: Stick with water, unsweet tea, black coffee, unsweetened juices, cranberry juice, or skim milk. Black coffee is permitted, but you may find that you no longer need the caffeine after the third day.
MEAT: Beef is recommended on this diet. You may substitute broiled fish for the beef on one of the beef days. You will need the high protein beef the other days. You can eat broiled or baked chicken instead of meat (absolutely NO skin on the chicken.)
MEDICINES: Any prescribed medicine and vitamins will not hurt you on this diet, continue those as usual.
BOWEL MOVEMENTS: I know, gross but I feel like we would be silly to talk about a cabbage diet and not mention the effect on the digestive system. We tried it so we can tell you... it's not unbearable. We didn't have to stay near the throne for several days while our bodies flushed the impurities. It was really fine! We didn't have stinky gas or sweat the smell of cabbage (as we heard might happen from others).
The goal of the diet is to curb the craving for the sweets!
CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW FOR A PRINTABLE PDF OF THE CABBAGE SOUP DIET RECIPE AND DIET PLAN
At the end of the seventh day, if you have not cheated on the above diet, you will have lost 10-17 pounds. If you have lost more than 15 pounds, stay off the diet for 2 days before resuming the diet again from day 1.
This 7-day diet plan can be used as often as you like. As a matter of fact, if correctly followed, it will clean your system of impurities and give you a feeling of well-being as never before.
It's actually tasty and enjoyable! The hardest part is staying on track and staying away from the sweets. The goal of the diet is to curb the craving for the sweets and we needed that. We love all the pies, ice cream, cake, and cookies. If we can do this, you can do it. We just finished a week on the diet yesterday, so we're going to take a break and do another round just before we leave for Destin. We will share our progress on the next round of our diet with everyone. ENJOY!
We are NOT health care providers. This is something we have used and seen the benefit of weight loss, less bloat, and increased energy. We would recommend the use of this diet in short spurts.
As always, everyone's body will react differently so you will need to monitor and do what's best for you. It is not recommended to stay on this diet for long periods of time as it will lead to malnourishment. We do not take responsibility for any results of your use of this diet. You should consult with a health care provider before starting it to discuss any concerns.