The Cabbage Soup Diet ! Does it work? Get the recipe, pros & cons, and more!
Are you looking to drop some weight for an upcoming event, to fit back into a favorite dress, or just to give yourself a kickstart into a healthier lifestyle?
You may be considering the Cabbage Soup Diet. It’s trending right now and it’s likely you’ve seen it talked about among weight loss and fitness forums. Usually a fad diet like this is started by a particular organization, but the origin of the Cabbage Soup Diet is still unknown. It goes back as far as the 1980s and 1990s.
Here’s what you need to know.
The Cabbage Soup Diet is not intended for long-term weight loss. If you’re looking for a lifestyle change, this is not it. If you’re just looking to drop a few pounds quickly, such as for a wedding or special event, then this may be just what you’re looking for. As the name implies, it’s a diet that requires you to eat large amounts of cabbage soup. If you really hate cabbage, or don’t think you can stomach eating mostly cabbage soup for a week, this is not the diet for you.
Important Note: This diet is not meant to be done for more than one week at a time.
Some proponents of the diet claim you can lose up to 10 pounds in a week from it. Let’s take a look at some pros and cons.
Pros:
You will lose weight fast.
It’s a great kickstart to a regular diet.
Cons:
Most of the weight loss is water.
Only eating one thing gets boring.
What Is It Exactly?
So, how does this diet plan work? It’s actually very strict, but you’ll have the freedom to eat as much cabbage soup each day as you want. The idea is to use the soup to fill you up, so you’re not tempted to eat other foods.
If you’re planning to try it, you’ll need to make some large batches of cabbage soup as preparation so you’ll have plenty to eat throughout the week. You are allowed a few other foods, but the guidelines are below.
Here is a general layout of the diet:
Day 1 – Cabbage soup and all the fruit you want, except bananas
Day 2 – Cabbage soup and veggies, including one jacket potato with butter
Day 3 – Cabbage soup plus fruits and veggies (but no banana or potato)
Day 4 – Cabbage soup plus up to eight bananas and as much skimmed milk as you’d like
Day 5 – Cabbage soup and up to 20 ounces of beef and up to six tomatoes
Day 6 – Cabbage soup plus as much beef and veggies (excluding potatoes) as you’d like
Day 7 – Cabbage soup plus brown rice, veggies (but no potatoes), and unsweetened fruit juice
Will the Cabbage Soup Diet work for you?
If you stick with it fully, it will work for you. The problem most people have is with sticking to it. Most people give up on the diet before they get the results they actually seek.
If you want the best shot at success, you need to follow the diet exactly. You should also drink plenty of water every day (8 glasses or more). You can take a daily multivitamin as well. Also, be sure to eat a lot of soup. Trying to starve yourself, or consuming too few calories will have the opposite effect that you want. It will cause your body to hold onto fat because it fears starvation. It can also cause you to cheat because you’re feeling so hungry.
So, stick to the soup, but eat up!
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Here's a quick easy recipe for cabbage soup! It's filling and will help you lose weight. Have a bowl instead of a meal and it'll carry you to lose weight but it's hearty enough for you to stay satisfied.
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 lb fresh cabbage chopped
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 4-5 garlic cloves minced
- 2 large carrots peeled & chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper diced
- 5 1/2 - 6 cups vegetable broth I prefer low sodium
- 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
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Drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil into a large pot or pan, then place the pan over medium heat.
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Toss in the onions, celery, and bell pepper.
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Cook until translucent.
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Next, stir in garlic, and cook for 1 minute.
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Now pour in the vegetable broth.
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Add in the cabbage, and carrots then stir.
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Once all of the cabbage is in the pot, add in the diced tomatoes (with the juice).
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Sprinkle in all the seasonings, then stir the ingredients.
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Cover the pan with a lid, and cook for about 15 - 20( depending on how tender you like your cabbage).
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Serve and enjoy!
Try these recipes as well!
7 Day Vegetable Soup Diet
Vegetable Stir Fry Recipes
Rosie, You are right on time especially after New years Day. We need to get back to basics and lose those few pounds we put on since Halloween. Thank you and I will share this with my Facebook friens. I’ll give them the link after the first.
Marlene Owens
Hi Marlene!! I have more diet/ detox recipes coming, so stay tuned! XOXO
Thanks, avery good thing, gonna try this, i love cabbage, you are the best cook, loving all your receipes, do you have a book?,
Hi Roni! I don’t have one yet, but we’re working on it 🙂
HI Rosie,
I am cooking the cabbage soup now and my house smells amazing. You forgot to add when to put the carrots in so I cooked them with the onions. Will let you know how it turns out. BTW, I did your candied yams and Turkey wings for Christmas and everyone LOVED them! Thx for sharing!
Ooh, Thanks for the heads up! Enjoy, and stay tuned for more healthy & diet recipes . Xoxo
Hi Rosie,
Thank you for all the AMAZING recipes. I have also tried the cabbage soup diet and it is wonderful especially after the holidays. I would love to know if you have a book coming soon. Please continue to keep your GREAT recipes coming!!!!
Hi Yvette! I’m working on the cookbook, but not so sure when it will be out 🙂
The soup is a winner. My husband liked it and we plan to stick to the 7 day plan. We added 1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper to the pot to give a little kick. I also added some Apple cider vinegar to my bowl and it was wonderful . Thanks again for sharing.
Thanks for trying Mika!
So I can eat this three times a day! Breakfast lunch and dinner.
Hi Rosie,I have did the cabbage soup diet before & it it really do work.gonna try it again I will let u know he out come.
I tried this recipe today. I found the recipe easy to follow and DELICIOUS. I love it! Plan to eat through out this week. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Rosie,
I was wondering if you meant 3 ribs of celery or 3 whole stalks of celery? Seems like a lot of celery. 🙂
Thanks,
Robert
Yes, three ribs
Tried it today . It was great!! 🙂
I don’t follow the strict diet but I love the soup for just a regular diet. I have a problem getting enough vegetables each day and the soup helps with that.