No More Mistakes with Fast Weight Loss

1 Thing to do immediately about Fast Weight Loss

With many diet crazes out there in the market, you may not have heard of the popular cabbage soup diet. This diet has been given credibility by a number of prominent health experts. However, as is true before starting any new diet, it is important to learn about the details of the diet, as well as any limitations, risks, side effects, potential benefits and tips on how to follow the diet for best results.

What Is A Cabbage Soup Diet?

Cabbage soup diet is a nutritional plan for weight loss that consists primarily of eating cabbage soup anywhere from 1-3 times per day, in addition to various other nutritional components, such as vegetables, lean meat, dairy products, fruit, and certain starches. This is a short-term diet that promises fast results, as it will let you cut your total caloric intake in half, at least, if you follow the specific directions every day. While many people labeled the cabbage soup diet for weight loss as a fad, but there are a number of proven benefits to this strategy. It is considered an effective and safe way to lose weight loss quickly.

Cabbage Soup Diet Meal Plan

The basic structure of the cabbage soup diet is rather straightforward but is quite rigid. There are no limitations on the varieties of foods you can eat, but it is important to narrow down the range of foods you are eating to specific days. This is just to ensure you that you get enough nutrients over the course of the week, while also re-training your metabolism and appetite, which can help your healthy habits moving forward. Most people choose to eat in 4-5 intervals in a day to have balanced calorie intake and stabilized energy levels.

Day 1 – Cabbage soup and fruits, but no bananas.

Day 2 – Cabbage soup and vegetables, such as carrots, onions, celery, and asparagus. 

Avoid beans and corn. One starchy vegetable is allowed for dinner.

Day 3 – Cabbage soup, fruit and green vegetables. Avoid all starchy vegetables.

Day 4 – Cabbage soup, skim milk and bananas.

Day 5 – Cabbage soup, mixed with beef, as well as tomatoes and plenty of water.

Day 6 – Cabbage soup, along with beef and vegetables.

Day 7 – Cabbage soup with brown rice and vegetables.

How Does Cabbage Soup Diet Work?

A cabbage soup diet is based on the idea of caloric restriction, as we know that cabbage is a calorie-negative food. Essentially, it takes more calories to burn cabbage in the digestive process than the food actually contains. By making cabbage soup the central part of this diet, it is believed that it helps speed up the metabolism and reduce calorie intake, without depriving the body of too many essential nutrients for too long.

As mentioned, this is only intended to be a short-term diet, as the limited caloric intake can eventually have negative effects on the body. While most people don’t go on this diet for more than 7 days, there are reports of people using this diet for a month, losing up to 30 pounds in the process. A caloric deficit of 50%, combined with semi-regular exercise, can result in rapid weight loss, provided you can deal with the potential side effects of this diet.

Limitations

The inherent limitations of a cabbage soup diet for weight loss are the duration it can be used for, the potential nutrient deficiencies, and the single-focus nature of the diet.

Duration: Unlike some diets that can become a permanent lifestyle change, the cabbage soup diet for weight loss is typically only used for 3-10 days, although exceptions do apply. Since the duration is inherently limited, many people relapse or see the results they achieve disappear once they stop dieting and return to old patterns.

Nutrient Deficiency: Unless you know what you are doing or know a lot about specific nutrients in your diet, there is a good chance that this weight loss will result in certain nutrient deficiencies. While the basic minerals and vitamins are largely covered, some entire food groups are eliminated on given days, making it difficult to acquire protein or carbohydrates.

Single Focus: Most weight loss include a comprehensive approach to lifestyle, weight loss, and exercise, but this weight loss is solely focused on your eating habits, which can be less effective than broader dietary approaches.

Recommendations

If you are considering going on the cabbage soup diet for weight loss, the best advice includes speaking with your doctor, drinking your fruit, increasing water intake, eating a few fats every day, “fake” eating and keeping physically active, in moderation.

Water: Drinking 6-8 glasses of water per day will help you feel full and speed up the detoxifying process, making you feel even better.

Drink Your Fruit: On the fruit days, try making smoothies, rather than eating the fruit whole. This will increase satiety, making you less aware of the low-calorie intake.

Sweet Treats: Allow yourself a few M&Ms or Tic-Tacs every day, as this can distract the body from the fact that it isn’t getting carbohydrates or fats.

Fake Eating: In desperate times, put a delicious food in your mouth, like a piece of cake, and let it sit on your tongue. You can even chew it a bit, but then spit it out. The taste will keep you from going crazy but the calories won’t go into your body!

Speak with Your Doctor: Perhaps most importantly, before embarking on this diet, it is essential that you speak to your doctor about any particular risks or complications this weight loss might have for your health.

Recipes

There are a few wonderful cabbage soup recipes that will make this rather challenging weight loss a bit easier for those who love variation and flavor in their food. The most important thing is that the cabbage soup for weight loss is fat-free.

Recipe #1 – Basic Cabbage Soup

Ingredients:

Garlic

Onion

Cabbage

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

4 teaspoons of chicken bouillon

Step 1 – Cook the garlic and onions in the olive oil in a heated saucepan for 5-7 minutes.

Step 2 – Add the salt, water, pepper, and bouillon. Stir continuously. Bring to a boil.

Step 3 – Add the chopped cabbage and allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the cabbage is wilted.

Step 4 – Allow simmering for another 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Recipe #2 – Flavorful Cabbage Soup

Ingredients:

Carrots

Onions

Vegetable Broth

Bell Peppers

Garlic

Green Beans

Celery

Parsley

Oregano

Salt

Pepper

Tomatoes

Thyme

Olive Oil

Water

Cabbage

Step 1 – Cook all vegetables except for cabbage and tomatoes, in a large frying pan in olive oil, until the onions are transparent.

Step 2 – Add 6 cups of vegetable broth, as well as cabbage, spices, and tomatoes to the mixture.

Step 3 – Bring to a boil for 1-2 minutes, then reduce to a simmer.

Step 4 – Allow the mixture to simmer for 20-30 minutes before removing from heat and serving.

Rapid Weight Loss

Although individual results may vary with the cabbage soup diet for weight loss, people can lose up to 10 pounds in a week when they stick closely to this diet plan. Cabbage soup for weight loss is high in fiber, as well as low in cholesterol, saturated fat, and calories. This dietary fiber can help cleanse the digestive tracts, thoroughly eliminating any excess waste, while also helping the body eliminate water weight loss. For some people who retain water, the majority of the weight loss is from water, which is notorious for returning quickly after individuals go off their weight loss.

This isn’t the case with everyone; however, there are plenty of people who use the cabbage soup diet for weight loss as a starting platform for a healthier approach to their eating habits. While some of the weight may come back, the awareness of the effect that healthy, low-fat food can have on the body is extremely valuable for all of us to know to ensure long-term wellness.

Side Effects of Cabbage Soup Diet

Eliminating nearly half your calories doesn’t come without a cost, most notably a drop in energy levels, poor gastrointestinal health, headaches, nausea, and excessive flatulence.

Stomach Issues: Many people experience cramping, stomach pain, constipation or diarrhea when they first begin this diet. This is a combination of changing your diet rapidly and reducing the normal nutrient content that your digestive system expects.

Flatulence: The most common and embarrassing side effect of a cabbage soup diet is the nearly constant flatulence. The gases released during cabbage digestion are unpleasant and difficult to avoid.

Nausea: Some people have experienced nausea, lightheartedness, muscle weakness and dizziness after a few days on a cabbage soup diet. This is largely due to the sudden drop in calories, particularly if you have a relatively fast metabolism, or are an active person. While many people choose this diet for weight loss, others use it to detoxify, but depriving your body of calories can be dangerous.

Headaches: Similar to nausea, headaches or even migraines can occur when on this diet, due to the lower energy levels in the body. It is important to drink a lot of water, as it can prevent headaches and help you feel full.

Mood Swings: If you have ever been extremely hungry, you know that it can affect your mood. Therefore, expect some emotional or unpredictable moments when your body is literally begging you to give it more calories.

Sources

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/55/4/811.short

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/53/5/1124.short

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/oby.2001.134/full

3 Mistakes in Diet That Make You Look Dumb

How to Turn Your Diet from Zero to Hero

If you keep trying to diet, but with no success, the reasons might be simpler than you think. The solutions might be, too.

Nothing is more frustrating than busting your butt in the gym and making healthier food choices, but still not losing weight. Trust me, I know; it's one of the biggest complaints I hear from new clients. Most of them are desperate for results and feel like they've tried every diet, every workout plan, and every low-fat food on the market.

There are two general categories of people in this predicament: People, who just can't seem to lose weight, and people who can lose weight for a while but gain it all back—and then some. Whichever category you're in, have faith: There is a solution. You may think there's some complicated hormonal problem preventing you from losing weight, but 99 percent of the time, it's one of the reasons below.

Keep in mind that whatever approach you take to losing weight, you have to combine it with consistent, vigorous exercise. Do both and your chances of reaching your weight-loss goal increase astronomically!

You Don't Stick To Your Diet Long Enough

You try "Diet X" for a few weeks, and at first, you lose a couple of pounds. But the next week, you don't lose an ounce—even after all the sacrifices you've made. So you decide that Diet X isn't right for you and move on to another plan. And so on. All the while, your weight stays pretty much the same.

Time for a reality check. The problem isn't the diets plans you're choosing. It's you! This may sound harsh, but the fact is that there's no magical diet out there that can suddenly make all the weight melt off and stay off. Fat loss can be a slow, sometimes painful process. You have to commit to something for longer than a few weeks if you want lasting results. After all, you didn't gain all the weight overnight, so don't expect to lose it overnight.

Solution: Your challenge is to choose a plan that seems realistic for your lifestyle and stick to it. It's that simple. Stop questioning whether there's a better program out there, and commit to the task at hand. Consistency is key when it comes to achieving weight loss. This might not be the sexy answer you were hoping for, but it's the truth.

You Don't Consume Enough Calories

This next reason for an unsuccessful diet is a bit counter intuitive. Many people assume that if they're not losing weight, it's because they're eating too much. So they eat less. And while this may be the right course in some cases, drastically reducing your calories doesn't work in the long run.

When you cut your calories, you can start to lose muscle as well as fat. You can also put your body into survival mode, adjusting to fewer calories by slowing down your metabolism.

Solution: Instead of starving yourself, start by keeping a detailed and accurate food journal for a minimum of 1-2 weeks. A clear picture of what you eat every day will emerge. Then, make small adjustments to your food choices so that you start to lose weight—but without losing muscle. Start by aiming to lose no more than 0.5-1.0 percent of your current body weight per week to maximize muscle retention.[1] If you weigh 130 pounds, try to lose 0.6-1.3 pounds per week. If you weigh 160 pounds, shoot for 0.8-1.6 pounds.

You've Been Dieting for Too Long

Do you remember the last time you weren't dieting or doing something to try to lose weight? If you're not sure, you've probably been focusing on fat loss for too long. Most people who are unsuccessful in their weight loss tend to diet year-round. Typically, they go through periods where they're "being good" and getting results, but then eventually fall off the wagon—hard.

This cycle of compliance/weight loss and non-compliance/weight gain becomes a pattern that can be hard to break. That's because your body has a natural "set point," a certain body weight or body-fat level it will fight to maintain.

Think of it like the thermostat in your house. When you don't get all the calories you need for long periods of time, your body regulates itself by turning down your metabolism, just as a thermostat would if your house got too hot. It's a regulated system designed to keep your metabolism in line with your daily caloric intake.[2,3]

Solution: Give your body a break! If you've been consistently dieting for more than three months, or if you're spending way too much time fantasizing about the pastry shop down the street, take a break from dieting. Oddly enough, ending a diet can sometimes make it easier to lose weight. Eating normally for a while can help your cravings subside. And that can make it easier for you to choose healthier foods, give yourself more reasonable serving sizes, and lose weight.

Sources

Helms, E. R., Aragon, A. A., & Fitschen, P. J. (2014). Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

Rosenbaum, M., Hirsch, J., Gallagher, D. A., & Leibel, R. L. (2008). Long-term persistence of adaptive thermogenesis in subjects who have maintained a reduced body weight. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.