Cabbage Soup Diet
The Cabbage Soup Diet is a 7 day meal plan, aimed at achieving fast weight loss.
It is not a long-term weight loss solution, but is known to be effective over the short term.
Apparently it originally came from a hospital (Sacred Hearts Hospital) to stimulate weight loss for surgery patients – but this cannot be verified.
Pros
- Fast weight loss.
- The change from some of our normally junky eating habits can be beneficial.
- Vegetables from the Brassica family (such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower) have been found to aid in preventing cancer.
- Many say they enjoy eating the soup.
This diet is not recommended. I Love This Diet also uses soups, but it is much healthier.
Cons
- Some complain that the Cabbage Soup a little too bland.
- Be prepared for gas…
- Requires will power.
- Lacks good nutrition
- High in salt.
- Not a long-term answer.
Cabbage Soup Recipe
6 large green onions
2 green peppers
1 or 2 cans of tomatoes (diced or whole)
1 bunch celery
1/2 head cabbage
1 package Onion Soup Mix
1 or 2 cubes bouillon (optional)
1 48 oz. can V8
Juice (optional)
Season to taste (salt, pepper, parsley, curry, garlic powder, etc).
Note: There are a number of variations to this recipe.
Cabbage Soup 7 Day Meal Plan
| Day 1 Homemade cabbage soup, plus any fruit, apart from bananas. |
| Day 2 Homemade cabbage soup, plus other vegetables, including a baked potato with butter for dinner (potatoes are off-limits on other days) |
| Day 3 Homemade cabbage soup, plus other fruits and vegetables. |
| Day 4 Homemade cabbage soup, plus anything up to 6 bananas and fat-free milk. |
| Day 5 Homemade cabbage soup, plus 6 tomatoes and up to 450 grams of meat or fish. |
| Day 6 Homemade cabbage soup, plus meat(beef) and vegetables. |
| Day 7 Homemade cabbage soup, plus brown rice, pure fruit juice, and vegetables. |
No bread, carbonated beverages, or alcohol.
The iPhone, iPad App
The cabbage soup diet is also available as an iPhone/iPad app for dieters to use on the go.
It tracks your progress and is loaded with recipe variations as well as step by step directions on how to make the soup as well as stick to the diet plan.
Exercise
Because of the very low calorie nature of the cabbage soup diet, exercise isn’t recommended. Going for a walk could be acceptable, but anything strenuous could be potentially dangerous.
Summary
The biggest drawback of the Cabbage Soup diet plan is the sheer monotony of eating cabbage soup.
However some diets (such as the negative calorie diet) basically look at the nutritional properties of the cabbage soup diet, and make it more interesting by combining other foods that have the same effect.
There are also serious concerns regarding the nutritional quality of this diet. On many days the diet is low in protein, calcium, and essential fatty acids.
There is also high levels of sodium or MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) when using onion soup mix and bouillon.
Weight loss will probably occur due to the low calorie intake not because of some magical property of cabbage soup.
See Also
The New Cabbage Soup Diet which retails for $6.99
The Super Skinny Cabbage Soup Diet which retails for $4.99
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Aren’t you just losing water in the first week, detoxing?
Its my 7th day on this soup diet ,havn`t cheated and doing it for 3 weeks.I took a break from gym as I wasnt loosing the weight i wanted to loose fast.I can tell you,this diet works wonders,i havnt weighed myself but my pants are now loose.Will update u on how much weight i have lost wen am done.I JUST LOVE IT!
I am lalergic to lactose, so what shall drink instead of milk.
I plan to start this diet today. My question is Can I drink water with fresh fruit in the water and can I drink decaf coffee?
I did this diet for 3 months.. It was hard but I lost 83 lbs
Hi Im starting this diet today and I saw your post I would like to know How did you do that? Did you alternate the weeks, like taking a break eating another foods and coming back to the soup?.. Thanks..
can anyone tell me if I can drink coffee or not
Yes Absolutely you can have black coffee, and lots of water, every day. (no alcohol or any other types of beverages, except on day 7, which is brown rice/veggie day where you are allowed UNSWEETENED Cranberry Juice.
Coffee without sugar should be fine.
I am planning to start it tomorrow, I need to lose 40 pounds. can I have this diet for a month continuously or should I give it a break in between?
I did this diet for 3 weeks . The weight came off very fast, unbelievably fast. First full week was nearly 6 pounds lighter, the second week an additional 8 pounds. When I got to my third week, I was cabbaged out. Many that saw my drastic weight change and appearance , suggested that I should stop the diet. I did stop only because after 3 weeks I had plateaued, no more weight was being lost. You will feel incredible and look fantastic very quickley. It worked for me and I think every so often IF I need to drop some pounds, I will redo this diet… IF need be.
hi i am starting this tomorrow … what drinks can you have i take it coffee is out ???
from tuesday onwards i am going to start
cabbage soup weighr loss diet. I want to know
can we use anthing else celeary bunch as it is unavailable
in our area. Please tell me its substitute.
try bell pepper
ANN you said that you stire fry your cabbage…did you still lose the weight and how much.
Have not weighed myself today is day 5 Feel great with lots of energy I did not eat the baked potato and made the soup fresh again on day 4 just because the other soup was soggy and the fresh stuff taste so much better I put a ton of mushrooms in it and spinach too, The mushrooms make it meaty. Instead of potato day I did add a teaspoon of sour cream & hot sauce to get a creamy soup with some heat was sooooo good. I do not feel as tired or heavy I am excited to weigh myself on day 7 I think I am going to continue for maybe 10 days since I feel great, I walk & take vitamins. I do drink the milk. Good luck to all.
Hi I started this diet Monday this my fifth day but I have’t weight myself but I feel lighter on the 7 day it said to eat brown rice I don’t like brown rice what should substitute it with. Thank you
Can I eat fish on day 6 instead of beef?
I know it is not on the “menu” but I put a tablespoon of light sour cream in my soup (about a 2 cup bowl) when it is nice and hot. It adds about 25 calories to the soup, but makes it REALLY tasty & creamy. I usually eat 2 bowls of soup a day when I am on this and it really helps me get through it without feeling so deprived….it is worth the 50 calories a day to me.
Starting on Monday I’m going to start this diet, does the recipe they give, make enough for a week?
I plan to drink the amount of water suggested per day. I just need to know if I am allowed to drink coffee with artificial sweetener and am I allowed to put flavor in the water.
Today is day 2 for me,yesterday was hard but today could not wait to eat that bake potato.Feel a litte bit lighter already.
Just wondering on day 4. WHat can I replace skimmed milk with because I don’t drink milk. and can we eat other things besides banana and soup?
if i am allergic to bananas what can i substitute them with. coz there is no way i am having 6 bananas. or can i just leave them out
Just eat apples instead.
U will have to eat something else with POTASSIUM because that is what the bananas are for and they have a high carb factor and the milk is for CALCIUM u could take supplements of either of these if u dont u could get bad leg and muscle cramps ;o( the soup helps u lose lots of water and thus upsets ur electrolyte balance
I would like to begin this diet next week but i am vegetarian and day 5 and 6 contains meat or chicken or fish so could anyone tell me how can i replace day 5 and 6?
You can replace the meat with soya substitutes or one of the beef days with fish but not both.
well there are things you can replace with the meat, like tofu or somthing aquivalent to meat with the same amount of protien(:
How many times a day can I ear the soup? & Do I have to make a new batch of soup every day? Please help!
Just make one big batch like a soup kettle and use it all week. You can eat as much soup as you want everyday. I am on it right now. To avoid the stomach discomfort I throw it in a blender and puree it.
I’m sorry if this sounds stupid but I really can’t cook and I have no one to ask. Do I just put all the ingredients in a blender and mix them together without adding water or something ?!
I want to start the diet Friday but Im curious If I need the green onions and bell peppers because I dont eat them. Does any one know if I can use a different veggie or leave it out??? Please reply!
Just use them. If they are hard on you stomach just throw the soup in a blender and puree it. I do and have avoided the stomach problems.
Tomorrow is Day 3 Ya Bananas
and i am down 6lbs so far 
. i made the soup in advance and cooked it in a slow cooker and covered in the fridge 
i feel ALOT looser and way more energy.
This DOES work!
i like cabbage soup it makes me feel like a peacock ready to fly.
<3 
Hey,
I am starting the soup diet tomorrow! How many days does the soup lasts in the fridge before it goes bad? Did you make it just for one time for hole week or??
Its fine in the frig all week. On it now for the third time in 15 years. Use a big soup kettle for a weeks worth.
I talked myself into doing this cleansing diet….I tried it years ago and got good results………I need to do this because I have over 100lb to lose so I need this to get me motivated ..so wish me luck..
.
Good luck!
i dont like tomatoes..can i use tomato sauce instead of whole or diced tomatoes?
I started this on Saturday and I am now on day 6, one day left. I lost 11 pounds so far and I feel great. I think the first 3 days were so hard but I felt so much better and alot of energy.
i don’t get it. can you only eat 1 bowl of cabbage soup a day??
Nope, you can eat as much cabbage soup as you want.:-)
My boss suggested this diet to me and today is my first day i so pray that it works because i have lots of kilos to loose,,,,,oh and it worked for my boss,he shed a lot of weight