The cabbage soup diet for weight loss is probably one of the most effective diet plans to help you lose weight quickly. Celebrities swear by it and so do I! Whenever I need to lose a few pounds quickly, the cabbage diet is my go-to lifesaver. Read on to learn how this cabbage soup can help you lose weight as well!
So a few years ago, I weighed over 250 pounds, in fact, I’ve been obese my whole life! I have tried every diet on the internet and lost a few pounds here and there. From personal experience though, apart from this diet plan, the cabbage soup diet is fast acting! However, it does have side effects which you must be aware of.
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What Is The 7-Day Cabbage Soup Diet?
The cabbage soup diet is a diet plan that involves eating a lot of cabbage soup for 7 days. Sometimes called the “sacred heart diet”, the “TJ miracle soup diet”, the “military cabbage soup”, and the “Russian peasant diet”, is a very old diet plan that is rumored to have been created by Raymond Ellis Dietz in the 1930s.
There are many versions of the cabbage soup diet as you can imagine, it’s been passed down for ages but the original cabbage soup diet recipe consists of only 6 main ingredients. The soup is made by combining cabbage, tomatoes, onions, celery, and green peppers which is what you will be making
What I Love About This Diet
What I like most about the cabbage soup diet is that it is different and it actually works if you follow it correctly. The reason behind its success is the fact that cabbage is low in calories and contains a lot of fiber and vitamin C, both of which play an important role in keeping the digestive tract healthy.
After completing this diet, you will LOSE WEIGHT! Because the cabbage soup diet really works! It has never disappointed me! Another reason why I like this diet is that you are allowed to cheat, you are allowed to consume other foods while on the diet so there won’t be a lot of cravings going on.
Lastly, the cabbage soup diet is a short-term diet, you cannot stay on it for more than 7 days because it can cause unwanted side effects. It can be used as a starter diet plan before moving on to real healthy diets.
What Else Can You Eat While On The Cabbage Soup Diet?
When I heard about the cabbage soup diet, my first thought was, “Am I going to eat ONLY cabbage soup for 7 whole days?” Then I started doing some research and found that I would be allowed other foods on some days like vegetables, baked potatoes, zero-fat milk, fruits, beef, fish, chicken, brown rice, and unsweetened fruit juice!
This made me encouraged to start the diet because I am a big girl and I need my food, I’m not going to starve myself with only cabbage soup for a week! Oh, and you can drink as much unsweetened coffee while on this diet!
How Much Weight Can You Lose On The Cabbage Soup Diet?
It really depends on your overall weight and how active you are but with the original cabbage soup diet plan, you can expect to lose up to 7 pounds of water weight and fat in 7 days. Now it’s not written in stone for everyone because each body type is completely different from the other.
For example, the first time I tried the cabbage soup diet, I lost 10 pounds in one week because back then, I had more muscle mass and took 30-minute light walks daily. The second time I did it, which was in the winter, I lost only 6 pounds because I wasn’t as active as the first time.
How To Do The Cabbage Soup Diet?
Along with eating small amounts of other healthy low-calorie fruits, vegetables, and protein, you will eat a lot of cabbage soup every time you feel hungry. I’m talking about as much cabbage soup as you can possibly eat. You also have to drink at least 8 glasses of water throughout the day for the diet to be effective.
Whenever you feel hungry, you guessed it right, have a bowl of cabbage soup! Now before we begin, I’m sorry to say, is gonna feel like torture, because this soup does not taste good! The only way I am ever able to eat it is by adding in some very hot ghost peppers!
7-Day Cabbage Soup Diet Pdf
Click the image above to download the 7-day cabbage soup diet pdf or click this link to download it without even adding your email address!
Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe
This cabbage soup diet recipe yields 6 servings.
Ingredients:
- 1 small cabbage (finely chopped)
- 1 cup of carrots (chopped)
- 1 cup of celery (chopped)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 bell pepper (finely diced)
- 1 quart of chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups of diced tomatoes
- 2 cups of water
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon of oregano
- 1 ghost pepper (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon of pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- a pinch of black pepper
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
How To Prepare The Cabbage Soup
You will need a large pot for this recipe, heat the olive oil and add in the garlic, onions, carrots, peppers, and celery. Saute for 5 minutes on high heat and add in the cabbage and tomatoes. Give it a stir for a minute or two before adding in the rest of your ingredients.
Let the soup come to a boil before lowering the heat to low, let it simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the ingredients are well cooked. Squeeze half a lemon juice over each bowl and serve right away while the soup is still warm. The lemon juice is completely optional, I just like the taste.
Cabbage Diet Nutrition Facts
Each serving of this cabbage soup recipe contains 133 calories, 8% total fat, 5% saturated fat, 33% sodium, 6% total carb, 18% dietary fiber, 6 grams of protein, 7% calcium, 7% iron, and 13% potassium. The percentages are based on a 2000-calorie diet.
Cabbage Soup Diet Plan
Here are the instructions for the cabbage soup diet which you need to follow to get the best results. I’ve also added in a few tips and foods that helped me stay true to the diet. Don’t worry, eating them won’t mess up your results.
Day 1
On day 1 of the cabbage soup diet, you are allowed to eat as many low-sugar fruits as you possibly can, however, you cannot eat bananas, I have no idea why. Try making a fruit smoothie for breakfast but make sure to only use zero-fat Greek yogurt in your smoothies.
Apples, berries, pineapples, and mangos are really tasty in smoothies and are low in calories which makes them great for this diet. You will also eat at least 3 servings of the cabbage soup during day one.
Day 2
Day 2 is much better than day 1 because you are allowed some carbs and a lot of vegetables along with 2-3 servings of your cabbage soup. Start your day with a healthy dose of a vegetable smoothie of your choice. I use baby spinach, avocado, a few tablespoons of Greek yogurt, and a tablespoon of raw honey to make mine.
For lunch, you can have 1 baked potato with other assorted low-starch vegetables, make sure you only use olive oil when baking your veggies. I make an oven-baked platter of potatoes, cherry tomatoes, summer squash, broccoli, onions, and garlic. They taste great!
Day 3
On day three, you still can’t have animal protein, you are allowed to eat low-starch vegetables and fruits plus 2-3 servings of cabbage soup. You aren’t allowed any potatoes as well so it’s gonna be a rough day today!
By the end of day 3, you are going to start feeling the torture! Yep, as they say, “Nothing good comes easy”! Whoever said that did the world a favor because it helps think of the end result. You need all the encouragement you can get on this diet! Whatever happens, don’t give up cause it’s worth it!
Day 4
On day 4, you are allowed to eat bananas, (up to 8 bananas) At least a little starch right? You are also allowed to drink low-calorie skimmed milk (I use almond milk) and as much Greek yogurt as you like. Start your day with a glass of banana smoothie and have 2 to 3 servings of cabbage soup for the rest of the day.
For dinner, you can have a few more bananas any way you like with more cabbage soup! Yuk! Worst day ever! Just hang in there, it’s almost over, you’ve got 3 more days to go, and you can have protein tomorrow yay!
Day 5
Day 5 is soo much better, you are allowed to eat a lot of tomatoes (up to 6 tomatoes) plus 20 ounces of any protein of your choice! You can have beef, fish, chicken, turkey, and even sausage! You can also have some sweet peppers, onions, garlic, and tomatoes with your protein.
Just know that you can’t fry anything or use butter, olive oil is your only friend while on this diet. And you guessed right, 2-3 servings of cabbage soup! You are going to sleep soo much better today and probably have a good dream compared to the previous days!
Day 6
Day 6 is amazing because similar to day 5, you get to eat more protein and what’s even better is the fact that you can have other vegetables besides tomatoes. You can have 1 sweet potato or a regular potato, along with squash and greens plus a protein of your choice.
And yes, more cabbage soup! I don’t think I mentioned this above, you can have up to 20 ounces ( about 1 lb) of protein max on the cabbage soup diet on protein days.
Day 7
You are here, day 7, and although there won’t be any protein today, you can have unlimited fruits, vegetables, brown rice, cabbage soup, and unsweetened fruit juice. And it’s time to say goodbye to cabbage soup because it’s the last day of enduring misery!
Day 8
Congratulations! By day 8, you should be able to see a difference on the scale. You will also feel soo much lighter and surprisingly, healthier. That’s how I feel every time I complete the cabbage soup diet and I hope that’s how you feel too! Now that you’ve successfully completed this diet, it’s time to start a healthy low-calorie diet plan to help you lose more weight and stay healthy!
How Does The Cabbage Soup Diet Help You Lose Weight?
Yes! The cabbage soup diet does help you lose weight because it restricts your calorie intake. It also works because you will be consuming a lot of fiber. Dietary fiber is like a natural laxative and does wonders in reducing constipation, making you feel full longer during the day, and ridding your body of toxins!
As you consume more cabbage soup and stick to the diet, you will spend a lot of time in the bathroom peeing and pooping. This helps you lose water weight that’s why drinking enough water is required while on the cabbage diet plan.
Side Effects Of The Cabbage Soup Diet
The cabbage soup diet is very healthy only if you use it for 1 week. Any longer will cause unwanted side effects because the diet is low in protein, fat, and carbs. Consuming this type of diet long-term can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Also, you will experience low energy levels and light-headedness while on the diet so you need to be careful. People with medical conditions or on medications should always consult a doctor before starting any diet plan just to be safe.
Conclusion
The cabbage soup diet is very powerful and will help you lose weight (water weight) fast, I have done it a few times over the years and it works really well. Let me know if you completed it plus your results in the comments below. I love hearing from you guys!
