Cabbage soup diet

MsDivine831

Anyone tried this diet with successful weight loss? I'm gonna be doing this for the next week and would love to hear and share the experience!

MaddieRainbowHealth

@MsDivine831 The cabbage soup diet, or any diet where there is severe limits on any one food group(s), is highly dangerous, and can lead to hypoglycemia, nausea, dizziness, hunger pangs, fatigue, and weakness due to nutritional deficiencies. Much like the "Master Cleanse"/"Lemonade Diet", I'd say it's a really unhealthy diet that can lead to nutritional deficiencies, and put your body into starvation mode, all of which impede weight loss in the long run. Most of the weight you lose on such diets is generally water weight as well...Following the guidelines on MFP and engaging in sensible calorie goals would be the optimum way to go.

DeficitDuchess

MaddieRainbowHealth wrote: »

@MsDivine831 The cabbage soup diet, or any diet where there is severe limits on any one food group(s), is highly dangerous, and can lead to hypoglycemia, nausea, dizziness, hunger pangs, fatigue, and weakness due to nutritional deficiencies. Much like the "Master Cleanse"/"Lemonade Diet", I'd say it's a really unhealthy diet that can lead to nutritional deficiencies, and put your body into starvation mode, all of which impede weight loss in the long run. Most of the weight you lose on such diets is generally water weight as well...Following the guidelines on MFP and engaging in sensible calorie goals would be the optimum way to go.

Everything here's correct except the, reference to; starvation mode that's a myth!

TheRoadDog

I tried it. Weight loss was temporary. Gained it right back as soon as I stopped eating it exclusively. I really like the soup though and usually end up making a crock pot full every month or so.

amtyrell

It is starving while giving you gas. It is not healthy nor sustainable

EmbeeKay

I'm not a fan of restrictive, short term diets, either. You always think you're going to "jumpstart your weight-loss" and then you'll just keep going from there in a healthy manner, but in my experience, that never happens, and my weight jumps back up after the short term diet is over.

That said, I love having that soup on hand. I make it per the recipe instructions but I also add lean ground meat (I use venison, you could use ground turkey) and I can have a large bowl for dinner for very few calories. It's come in really handy when the calories from the rest of my meals are too high for the day but I still want to eat something for dinner. I like how it tastes, too. This is the recipe I follow. (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/13116/cabbage-fat-burning-soup/)

browneyedgirl749

Diets like this are good if you are looking for some weight loss for a particular event (pictures, vacation, etc), but be prepared to gain it back once you go back to eating what you did before. Even if it's healthy eating, you'll gain it back.

MaddieRainbowHealth

@DeficitDuchess Starvation mode is not a myth. Here's an article for more information: http://www.livestrong.com/article/264810-weight-loss-starvation-mode/

DeficitDuchess

MaddieRainbowHealth wrote: »

@DeficitDuchess Starvation mode is not a myth. Here's an article for more information: http://www.livestrong.com/article/264810-weight-loss-starvation-mode/

Metabolism lowering isn't the, same as starvation mode that; many reference! Those that believe in starvation mode falsely believe that, if they don't eat enough that their body's will hold on to; their fat! The body'll still use the, fat for; fuel but at, an abnormally; slower pace!

MaddieRainbowHealth

@DeficitDuchess If you read the article, it explains more about how starvation mode is real. It's an evolutionary adaptation, and as someone who has been in and out of eating disorder treatment programs and talked with countless doctors and nutritionists, they'll all tell you that when the body doesn't receive enough calories, it starts to try and hold onto any fat received, in an effort to survive. That's why people who are anorexic, for example, experience muscle wasting....Their bodies aren't receiving enough calories, so the body begins to try and get calories and fat from other places. The article is really good and informative. It probably explains it better than I am.

smantha32

MaddieRainbowHealth wrote: »

@DeficitDuchess If you read the article, it explains more about how starvation mode is real. It's an evolutionary adaptation, and as someone who has been in and out of eating disorder treatment programs and talked with countless doctors and nutritionists, they'll all tell you that when the body doesn't receive enough calories, it starts to try and hold onto any fat received, in an effort to survive. That's why people who are anorexic, for example, experience muscle wasting....Their bodies aren't receiving enough calories, so the body begins to try and get calories and fat from other places. The article is really good and informative. It probably explains it better than I am.

Truth, but it applies to people who are actually starving. Not people who miss a few meals or eat low cal because they're dieting.

DeficitDuchess

MaddieRainbowHealth wrote: »

@DeficitDuchess If you read the article, it explains more about how starvation mode is real. It's an evolutionary adaptation, and as someone who has been in and out of eating disorder treatment programs and talked with countless doctors and nutritionists, they'll all tell you that when the body doesn't receive enough calories, it starts to try and hold onto any fat received, in an effort to survive. That's why people who are anorexic, for example, experience muscle wasting....Their bodies aren't receiving enough calories, so the body begins to try and get calories and fat from other places. The article is really good and informative. It probably explains it better than I am.

Doctor's receive approximately 6 hours of, nutritional education during all of; their years of schooling & thus they, shouldn't ever provide; nutritional advice but instead refer, their patients to; a Registered Dietitian! Nutritionist's education varies & some just take a course so, their knowledge's highly; unreliable as well! Nutritionist's tend to, operate weight loss scam clinics!

The truth's if, we held onto our fat no; one'd starve to death & yet, people do because the body'll cannibalize itself until, there's nothing left to gain enough nutrients via; to minimally function!

DeficitDuchess

smantha32 wrote: »

MaddieRainbowHealth wrote: »

@DeficitDuchess If you read the article, it explains more about how starvation mode is real. It's an evolutionary adaptation, and as someone who has been in and out of eating disorder treatment programs and talked with countless doctors and nutritionists, they'll all tell you that when the body doesn't receive enough calories, it starts to try and hold onto any fat received, in an effort to survive. That's why people who are anorexic, for example, experience muscle wasting....Their bodies aren't receiving enough calories, so the body begins to try and get calories and fat from other places. The article is really good and informative. It probably explains it better than I am.

Truth, but it applies to people who are actually starving. Not people who miss a few meals or eat low cal because they're dieting.

Only metabolism lowering, applies!

Timshel_

MaddieRainbowHealth wrote: »

@DeficitDuchess If you read the article, it explains more about how starvation mode is real. It's an evolutionary adaptation, and as someone who has been in and out of eating disorder treatment programs and talked with countless doctors and nutritionists, they'll all tell you that when the body doesn't receive enough calories, it starts to try and hold onto any fat received, in an effort to survive. That's why people who are anorexic, for example, experience muscle wasting....Their bodies aren't receiving enough calories, so the body begins to try and get calories and fat from other places. The article is really good and informative. It probably explains it better than I am.

Most of the people who talk about their body going into starvation mode on even very restrict caloric intake are NOT experience starvation. The idea comes from that study done a long time ago where they put participants in a starvation mode, which would be a caloric intake less than half of BMR and was done over a long duration (most studies mention 30 days, but many say months before the starvation adaptions start to become dominant). Metabolism slowing has also been shown (not conclusively) to only happen when body fat stores reach very low levels - aka, the body has exhausted all energy sources so metabolic rates slow as much as 50%.

So in the context of most of these fad diets which are ways to lose 10 pounds over a week or two, they are not a starvation mode diet, but simply a very restrictive caloric diet. The diets themselves tell you they are NOT suitable for long term health even. So while they are not considered dangerous over a few weeks, and you will lose pounds, you also will feel an energy drain and might have other systemic problems.

The general appeal is to the impatient people who get overweight by overeating for years, but want to lose it all by next month instead of making sustainable, valuable lifestyle changes and modifying mental eating habits.

browneyedgirl749

DeficitDuchess wrote: »

MaddieRainbowHealth wrote: »

@DeficitDuchess If you read the article, it explains more about how starvation mode is real. It's an evolutionary adaptation, and as someone who has been in and out of eating disorder treatment programs and talked with countless doctors and nutritionists, they'll all tell you that when the body doesn't receive enough calories, it starts to try and hold onto any fat received, in an effort to survive. That's why people who are anorexic, for example, experience muscle wasting....Their bodies aren't receiving enough calories, so the body begins to try and get calories and fat from other places. The article is really good and informative. It probably explains it better than I am.

Doctor's receive approximately 6 hours of, nutritional education during all of; their years of schooling & thus they, shouldn't ever provide; nutritional advice but instead refer, their patients to; a Registered Dietitian! Nutritionist's education varies & some just take a course so, their knowledge's highly; unreliable as well! Nutritionist's tend to, operate weight loss scam clinics!

The truth's if, we held onto our fat no; one'd starve to death & yet, people do because the body'll cannibalize itself until, there's nothing left to gain enough nutrients via; to minimally function!

I recently read this statistic too! I've been doing research on AIP and found several references to most doctors (unless they specialize in nutrition) only receive about 6 hours of nutritional education and are not fit to provide advise on nutrition.

cee134

Create a deficit and weight loss will happen. Calories in vs calories out always applies.

The key is whatever you do, you have to do for the rest of your life. Meaning watching calories and, for health reasons, eating healthy.

Unless your cabbage soup has all the nutrition you need (which is doubtful) and you enjoy eating it. There is no point to this.

MaddieRainbowHealth

@smantha32 Well said! I pointed all this out because the original OP wanted to know about what people thought about a restricted diet, like the cabbage soup diet, and if continued for a while, even one week, it is possible to go into starvation mode fairly quickly.

MaddieRainbowHealth

@DeficitDuchess It seems like you're dismissing lots of good science and mainstream ideas, as well as my personal experiences with witnessing this phenomenon....Perhaps we should move this part of the discussion to the "Debate: Health & Fitness" section in the forums? I don't want to take over the OP's thread...

ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken

If there is cabbage I will binge on it. Not for the cabbage soup diet but because I love cabbage, throw in some tomato sauce, okra, corn and onions and I will eat my weight in the stuff. I suppose it would assist in weight loss due to the fact that vegetables tend to be low calorie. So maybe add some cabbage soup to your meals and let it take the place of higher calorie items. That should be a help. It does satisfy the appetite. (For me at least.)

FitJulian

so in answer to the OPs question .. The answer is "No it does not work" (please do not ignore collective wisdom - which a lot of people do- because it is not the answer you want)
To lose weight -

• you simply need to eat at a calorie deficit while making sure sure that the diet is balanced .
• Ignore the "evangalicists" (is that even a real word?) who will be talking about eating clean (whatever that means) and the paleo diet (basically nuts and grubs like a caveman )
• use the MFP tools - aim for no more than a pound a week , and stick at it-
• weight fluctuates daily , weigh yourself no more than once a week(preferably naked) , at the same time of day ,(early morning is good) after following the same ritual (wee, poo etc)

There is NO quick way to get rid of unsightly fat (talking generally here obviously not about anyone specific ) bar use of liposuction or a divorce ....

good luck