Cabbage Soup Diet

My roommate was discussing how people at her work were on this diet. I was bored today and decided to look it up. Basically it helps you lose 10-15 lbs in a week on a short term basis to get a kick start on a more healthy diet to follow. I read around and seems also to be a good 'de-tox' from junk diet. I checked about 20 sites as there are variations on the recipie. This is what I thought might taste the best, as some call for 6 onions which seems a bit much to me. Would you try this diet? Have any suggestions for the recipie variations (notice that all the ingredients are predominantly low-carb except the carrots)?

Cabbage Soup Diet

2 onions chopped
2 bell peppers any color chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes
6 diced carrots
1 bunch celery chopped
1/2 lb of chopped green beans
1 head cabbage chopped
1-2 pkg Lipton (onion) soup
Season to taste with salt, pepper, curry, garlic powder, italian seasoning, whatever sounds good
12 cups of water

Optional (as found in other recipies):
1-2 bullion cubes
48 oz of v8 juice
1/2 cup balsalmic vinegar
10 oz. of musrooms

Cook Time: Boil on the stove for 10 mintues and simmer until veggies are soft or cook on low for 2 hours. (Why not use a crock pot in my opinion?)

The idea is you can eat as much soup as you want, but you must follow this plan for the 7 days. If you plan to keep this up long term websites suggest that you go on it a week, and then off for two weeks, repeat.

7 Day Plan:

Day 1

All fruits except bananas.

Day 2
All vegetables, raw or cooked. This includes baked potato with a LITTLE butter.

Day 3
Fruits and vegetables, but no potatoes or bananas.

Day 4
Bananas and skim milk -- eat as many as 8 bananas and drink as many as 8 glasses of skim milk.

Day 5
Beef, skinless chicken, and/or fish -- as much as 20 ounces, total. You can also eat 6 tomatoes. And you must drink 8 glasses of water. Don't forget at least one bowl of soup.

Day 6
Beef, skinless chicken, or fish and vegetables. Drink 8 glasses of water and eat at least one bowl of soup.

Day 7
Brown rice, vegetables, and unsweetened fruit juice.

Note: No carbonated beverages, sweetened fruit juices or alcohol. Take a multi-vitamin once a day. (An extra Vitamin C tablet if you feel light-headed.)

The Cabbage Soup Diet – Against:

• Does not contribute to long-term weight loss
• Not nutritionally balanced
• Monotonous
• Lacks some essential vitamins and minerals

The Cabbage Soup Diet – For:

• A do-it-yourself diet
• Not very complicated to follow
• Affordable
• Good break from junk-food diet