Soup diets have emerged as a popular strategy for rapid weight loss. These diets typically involve consuming soup as a primary source of nutrition for a limited duration, often ranging from 5 to 14 days. Among the various soup-based regimens, the cabbage soup diet stands out as a well-known example. This article delves into the potential benefits and risks associated with the 2-week soup diet, with a particular focus on the cabbage soup diet and other similar approaches.
Understanding Soup Diets
A soup diet is generally a short-term eating plan designed to help individuals lose weight quickly. Instead of one official soup diet, there are several soup-based diets. While some involve only eating soup for the duration of the diet, others also include a limited list of allowable foods. As the idea is to lose weight quickly, most of these diets are only meant to last for 5-10 days. There are many types of soup diets, with some of the more popular ones listed below. Just keep in mind that there’s currently no research on the effectiveness of these specific diets.
Types of Soup Diets
Several variations of soup diets exist, each with its unique guidelines and food restrictions. Some popular examples include:
- Broth-Based Soup Diet: This diet typically lasts for 7 to 14 days and restricts cream-based soups due to their higher calorie and fat content. It encourages the consumption of homemade or canned broth-based soups that include vegetables and protein. While some programs recommend only consuming broth-based soups, others may allow for small amounts of low-calorie options like lean proteins, non-starchy vegetables, and nonfat dairy. Proponents of a broth-based diet claim you can lose up to 10 or even 20 pounds (4.5 to 9 kg).
- Bean Soup Diet: This diet encourages eating Dr. Greger’s Champion Vegetable Bean Soup up to twice a day. In addition to the soup, you’re allowed to consume any oil-free, plant-based foods, like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. While there’s no calorie restriction, the diet recommends limiting intake of calorie-dense foods like dried fruits and nuts for optimal weight loss results. Unlike other soup diets, Greger’s is meant to be a lifelong shift to a plant-based diet. Proponents of this diet claim you can lose 9-16 pounds (4-7 kg) in just the first week.
- Cabbage Soup Diet: A 7-day eating plan that involves eating a chicken- or vegetable-broth-based soup that contains cabbage and other low-carb vegetables. In addition to cabbage soup, you can also have one or two other low-calorie foods, such as skim milk or leafy greens. If following the meal plan closely, the diet claims you can lose up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) over the 7 days.
- Chicken Soup Diet: The chicken soup diet is a 7-day weight loss diet that involves eating chicken soup for every meal except breakfast. For your morning meal, you can pick from five low calorie options, which include foods like nonfat milk and yogurt, fat-free cheese, whole-grain cereal or bread, and fresh fruit. For the rest of the day, the diet recommends consuming frequent small portions of homemade chicken soup throughout the day. By eating small, frequent portions of soup, the diet claims it will help reduce cravings and encourage feelings of fullness.
- Keto Soup Diet: Designed for those following the ketogenic (keto), paleo, Whole30, or another low carb diet, the keto soup diet claims it can help individuals lose up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) in just 5 days. As with the general keto diet, the soup version is a low carb, high fat, moderate protein eating plan.
- Sacred Heart Soup Diet: Similar to the cabbage soup diet, the Sacred Heart soup diet is a 7-day eating plan that consists almost entirely of a broth-based soup with non-starchy vegetables. While other low calorie foods are allowed, the diet is very specific as to which foods can be included each day. When followed closely, the Sacred Heart soup diet claims to help you lose 10-17 pounds (4.5-8 kg) in 1 week.
Cabbage Soup Diet: A Detailed Look
The cabbage soup diet is a fad diet that became popular in the 1980s. It involves eating primarily cabbage soup for 1 week. Supporters of the diet claim that people who strictly follow it can lose around 10 pounds (lb) in a week. Crash diets such as the cabbage soup diet may cause initial weight loss. However, most individuals gain the weight back once they stop following this eating plan.
How the Cabbage Soup Diet Works
There are several variations of the cabbage soup diet. Most involve eating soup comprising white cabbage for a week while gradually introducing other low calorie foods, such as raw fruits and vegetables, into the diet. As well as cabbage, some people may make soup from other low calorie vegetables, such as: bell peppers, spinach and other leafy greens, mushrooms, leeks, broccoli or cauliflower, zucchini. How much soup someone makes depends on how much they intend to eat. Because cabbage soup is very low in calories, there is no limit to how much a person may consume while following this diet. Most people will need at least 2 bowls daily for the week to avoid feeling excessively hungry. While following the cabbage soup diet, individuals can eat as much cabbage soup as they want. They can also drink unsweetened, low calorie drinks, such as herbal tea and black coffee. At certain points throughout the week, a person may add other low calorie foods back into the diet.
Read also: Bikini Competition Prep Guide
Cabbage Soup Diet Meal Plan
A typical cabbage soup diet meal plan involves the following:
- Day 1: Eat cabbage soup and raw fruits, but no bananas.
- Day 2: Eat cabbage soup and cooked or raw vegetables, but no potatoes.
- Day 3: Eat cabbage soup and raw, low fat fruits and vegetables, but no potatoes or bananas.
- Day 4: Eat cabbage soup, skim milk, and no more than 8 bananas.
- Day 5: Eat cabbage soup, 6 tomatoes, and 565 grams of lean beef or a substitute, such as pork, fish, or chicken.
- Day 6: Eat cabbage soup, unlimited vegetables but no potatoes, and unlimited beef or another protein option.
- Day 7: Eat cabbage soup, sugar-free fruit juice, and brown rice.
Generally, following this diet provides a lot fewer than 1,000 calories per day during days 1 to 3 and around 1,000 to 1,200 calories per day during days 4 to 7. Because it provides so few calories, people following the cabbage soup diet should not exercise during the week. Their bodies simply will not have enough caloric energy to healthily expend during physical activity.
Cabbage Soup Recipe
Homemade cabbage soup forms the basis of this diet. Keep in mind that specific ingredients for the soup may vary.
Ingredients:
- 2 large onions
- 2 green peppers
- 2 cans of tomatoes
- 1 bunch of celery
- 1 head of cabbage
- 3 carrots
- 1 package of mushrooms
- 1-2 bouillon cubes (optional)
- 6-8 cups of water or vegetable cocktail, such as V8
Directions:
- Chop all vegetables into cubes.
- In a large stock pot, sauté onions in a small amount of oil.
- Then add the remaining vegetables, cover with water or vegetable cocktail, and add bouillon cubes or other seasonings if desired.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat.
- Let the vegetables simmer until tender, about 30-45 minutes.
You may season the soup with salt, pepper, hot sauce, herbs, or spices. You may add other non-starchy vegetables, such as spinach or green beans. Every day, you should eat as much cabbage soup as you want - at least for several meals.
Foods to Eat and Avoid
While on the Cabbage Soup Diet, the guidelines note that you can eat 1-2 other low calorie foods daily in addition to the soup. You can drink water or other calorie-free beverages, such as unsweetened tea. Because the diet is low in specific nutrients, you may decide to take a daily multivitamin. While following the Cabbage Soup Diet, you may need to avoid foods that are not part of the meal plan. This includes calorie-containing beverages along with many foods. Proponents of this diet recommend not making any substitutions.
Read also: Transformations with Ozempic
Potential Benefits of Soup Diets
Soup diets, including the cabbage soup diet, may offer some potential benefits, particularly in the short term:
- Rapid weight loss: Those strictly following the diet will likely lose some weight, potentially 10 lb per week or more. This is because it involves eating so few calories each day. However, in most cases, individuals quickly regain this lost weight once they return to their regular diet. Some people may lose weight using the cabbage soup diet. However, there is no scientific evidence to support the diet’s suitability for healthy weight loss.
- Increased vegetable intake: Vegetables provide essential vitamins and beneficial plant-compounds. Plus, increased intake has been linked to a reduced risk of weight gain and obesity.
- Increased fiber intake: As they’re often high in vegetables, and sometimes contain beans, whole grains, or fruits, these diets can provide a decent amount of fiber, which may help reduce appetite.
- Increased water intake: These diets can improve water intake throughout the day. In addition to supporting numerous essential functions in the body, research suggests increased water intake may aid in weight loss efforts.
- Easy to follow: As with other trendy diets, soup diets generally have strict guidelines that make them easy to follow.
- Encourage plant-based eating: Some, like the bean soup diet, can help you transition into a more plant-based eating pattern. Eating a plant-based diet has been linked to a reduced risk of obesity and supporting weight loss.
- Cheaper to follow: The diet is also cheaper to follow than other fad diets, as you only need to buy low cost soup ingredients and a few other foods.
Risks and Drawbacks of Soup Diets
Despite the potential benefits, soup diets also carry several risks and drawbacks:
- Nutritional deficiencies: The Cabbage Soup Diet has so few food choices that it is deficient in many vitamins and minerals and offers no source of protein on most days. The cabbage soup diet excludes most sources of protein, carbohydrates, and fat, individuals may need to take supplements and vitamins during the diet.
- Unrealistic long-term weight loss plan: Like many other fad diets, the cabbage soup diet is not a realistic long-term weight loss plan. Eating so few calories will likely not provide enough nutrition for the body to function properly, which may lead to loss of muscle mass and feelings of illness or exhaustion.
- Temporary weight loss: It is important to note that only around 34% of weight loss that occurs during the first week of a very low calorie diet is from body fat, according to an older 2016 study. The rest of the lost weight will likely come from muscle tissue and water from reserves inside and outside cells.
- Muscle loss: Without much protein, preventing muscle loss during the diet will be difficult. Muscle loss can occur when your body goes into “starvation” mode from not consuming enough calories.
- Reduced metabolism: According to an older 2006 study, crash dieting can also reduce someone’s rate of metabolism, which can increase weight gain after returning to their typical diet.
- Gastrointestinal issues: The diet may also pose short-term side effects, and possibly more serious consequences if you have any underlying health conditions. Aside from feeling generally worn down while following the cabbage soup diet, some people may also experience side effects similar to those of intermittent fasting, such as gas, bloating, or stomach cramps.
- Gallstones: Losing weight rapidly and following low calorie, low fat diets can also increase the risk of developing gallstones.
- Blood sugar instability: Because the cabbage soup diet has the potential to be low in carbohydrates, it may also lower someone’s blood sugar (glucose) levels. This can be dangerous for people with diabetes, especially those who take insulin or other blood sugar-lowering medications.
- Unsustainable: Most people also find eating the same food every day unappetizing and mundane. Therefore, they are less likely to stick to the diet. Additionally, eating a large amount of beef on day 5 may be difficult for many. The Cabbage Soup Diet is not recommended for more than 1 week at a time because it’s restrictive and nutritionally imbalanced.
- Social difficulties: Following the cabbage soup diet can also be difficult socially, as its restrictive nature makes eating with other people or dining out difficult.
- Side effects: People following the Cabbage Soup Diet may experience dizziness, weakness, and lightheadedness. Because this diet is very high in fiber, you may experience flatulence and cramping as side effects.
- Dehydration: Due to the high sodium content of the cabbage soup diet, dehydration is one short-term side effect.
- Havoc on your metabolism: Perhaps one of the most concerning risks associated with fads like the cabbage soup diet is the havoc they can wreak on your metabolism. Indeed, they can lead you to gain weight when you go off of the plan.
- Not vegetarian or vegan: It is low in fat, because you eat mostly vegetables. But it's not vegetarian or vegan, since some meat is allowed.
Read also: Dangers of the 800 Calorie Diet