5 kilos in just 7 days is the promise of the cabbage soup diet, one of the oldest crash diets. Can that be healthy? And do I really eat only cabbage soup for a week?
The magic of the cabbage soup diet: Eat all day and still lose weight
The cabbage soup diet is one of the oldest crash diets in the world. It was invented – of course – in the USA. There the cabbage soup is known as “Magic Soup” and is still very popular today. And this, although experts strongly advise against this diet. A yo-yo effect and deficiency symptoms due to the monotonous diet are pre-programmed here, people with metabolic diseases should urgently keep their hands off this diet.
What is behind the miracle formula of the cabbage soup diet?
Why does the cabbage soup diet make the pounds drop so quickly? We owe the enormous weight loss above all to the fat burner cabbage. Cabbage is full of water (95%!) and vitamins, which boost our fat burning and energy metabolism.
Nutritionists explain the enormous weight loss, however, mainly by the fact that the one-sided diet attacks our carbohydrate stores and we lose a lot of water – a lot of drinking is very important during this diet! Permitted are water, tea and coffee (without milk and sugar).
The weekly schedule
There are now many recipes and variations for the cabbage soup diet. While some advocates believe that cabbage soup is the only thing to eat (the more cabbage soup a day, the faster the weight loss works), many plans add a few foods to the cabbage soup week. A week of the cabbage soup diet could look like this:
1st Day
- Cabbage soup
- Fruit at will, except bananas
- 250 ml skim milk or 250g natural yoghurt
2nd Day
- Cabbage soup
- Vegetables at will
- Baked potato with 1 tsp butter
3rd Day
- Cabbage soup
- Fruit at will, except bananas
- 250 ml skim milk or natural yoghurt
4th Day
- Cabbage soup
- Bananas (three to six pieces)
- 250g natural yoghurt
- Skimmed milk at will
5th Day
- Cabbage soup
- Fish or chicken fillet, grilled, as desired
- Tomatoes
- 250 ml skim milk or 250 g natural yoghurt
6th Day
- Cabbage soup
- Fish or chicken fillet, grilled, as desired
- Vegetables at will
- 250 ml skim milk or 250 g natural yoghurt
7th Day
- Cabbage soup
- Fruit and vegetables to taste
- 250 ml skim milk or 250 g natural yoghurt
Is losing weight with a cabbage soup diet healthy?
No. As with all other crash diets, the yoyo effect is pre-programmed in the cabbage soup diet and the lost kilos are back on in no time. Many people complain of flatulence and digestive problems, as the cabbage soup diet is highly dehydrated and can have a slightly laxative effect. Digestive tea with fennel, caraway and aniseed can help here.
What is particularly difficult is the monotony of the diet, which ensures that muscle mass is also broken down in addition to our fat deposits, as we do not consume any proteins or such nutrients. In addition, there is the danger of ravenous appetite attacks, which you cannot blame on anyone who eats mainly the same soup for a week. In any case, this diet is not motivating.