7 day cabbage soup diet results: does it really work?

One week ago, Trisha and I began an experiment.  We both wanted to lose a little bit of weight and decided to try the Cabbage Soup Diet that promises up to 10 lbs of weight lost in 7 days.

The menu was no fun.  You can eat unlimited cabbage soup and each day had a different set of foods you could eat, mostly containing fruits and veggies and a few protein items, and on the last day some brown rice.  You can eat as much as you want on most days, but it certainly wasn’t the most interesting week I’ve had as far as food choices are concerned.

I started this journey at 167 after having lost almost 40 lbs on my own on the Weight Watchers program.  I had been carrying that weight around since my daughter was born 2 1/2 years ago, and in the last few weeks I had plateaued so I was looking for a (re) kick-start to get to my pre-pregnancy weight of 159.

For 7 days I stayed on plan.  I had minor deviations such as dipping green beans in ketchup and using a little bit of Italian dressing to dip some veggies in.  I also had 1 bite of a breaded chicken patty.  Otherwise I did not deviate from the plan.

It wasn’t easy.

But it wasn’t hard either.

When I did the Atkins plan, within the first week I was craving carbs so bad I felt sick.  That didn’t happen to me on the Cabbage Soup Diet.  I was hungry sometimes but mostly because I just didn’t want anymore soup.  I don’t have a problem with willpower.  If I have a goal in mind I can stick to it, but I wonder if maybe I didn’t eat enough during the week.  I will not eat anything before I will eat something I don’t want.

So I bet you want to know how I did?

Did I lose weight?

Enough to make the 7 days of eating cabbage soup worth it?

Well….

My current weight is (drumroll please…..):

159.2

I lost 7.8 lbs.  I am extremely excited to have reached my pre-pregnancy weight.  A major milestone has been met for me and I am ecstatic!  Now the hard part….keeping it going.  145 – 150 is my ultimate goal.

A few things I’ve learned:

• Cabbage soup does not taste or smell like cabbage.  With some seasonings, it was actually good.  Even my kids ate it.
• You can do anything you set your mind to if you set small goals.
• Having a “diet buddy” helps ten-fold.  Without Trisha to talk to every day, I might have given up.  The support she offered because she understood was priceless.
• Kids imitate their parents.  Don’t use “my kids won’t eat it” as an excuse.  If you are eating it, and it’s all that is in the house, they will eat it to.  And probably like it.  If not, tell them they can’t have any – they’ll be begging for it.

Priorities and reality are important to consider when starting a weight loss plan.  I don’t want to have to exercise every day, nor do I want to deprive myself of some of my favorite foods.  But I have learned that there are ways to make some of my favorite foods with more REAL and healthy ingredients and not sacrifice flavor.  If cabbage soup can taste that good (it really did – just season it up), a homemade pizza with whole wheat flour, less cheese and fresh homemade sauce can taste just as good (if not better) as a store bought frozen pizza and not contain anything FAKE.

I will continue on with my weight loss journey, back on Weight Watchers and take baby steps.  It may take me longer to lose the last 14 lbs but as I do, I will not be making drastic changes like eating cabbage soup for a week because I want to make changes that I can not only stick with but that will also provide me with satisfaction and happiness for the rest of my life.  The reality of it is, I can’t always find time to exercise every day.  Sometimes I want to eat a taco or ice cream or chocolate.   I want to live a life where I am conscious of what I put into my body, and how I take care of myself but not where I am constantly craving stuff I can’t have because I have established a few months of eating and exercise that helped me lose weight but I can’t maintain the lifestyle and still be happy.

They say slow and steady wins the race and I believe that.  I hope to maintain the 7.8 lbs I lost this week, add a few ounces of loss for next week and keep coasting down the hill knowing that I can enjoy food and still be healthy.   And hopefully, set good examples for my kids.

As for Trisha, I know she was hoping for a little bit better results, but honestly for her size, I think she did amazing.  I simply have more weight to lose than she does, and we all know that those lost 5 lbs are the hardest.  

In the end, if you are looking to lose a fast 5-10 lbs in a week, I suppose this is a realistic option for someone provided they check with their doctor first.  I do believe this diet is designed to try and make sure you have all the nutrients your body needs.  It has fresh fruits and veggies but also calcium, vitamin D, protein, fiber and whole grain.  I wasn’t physically (which is way different from mentally) craving anything the whole week, and while I did lack some energy for heavy exercise, I actually felt really good.

BUT.

There is always a but.  Or a butt…

Anyway..

I think that if you commit to a weight loss plan and walk into it with negativity, you will fail.  No matter what it is.

I also think that similar results can be achieved in other ways.  Imagine for one week you ate fruits and veggies for breakfast and lunch.  Only fruits and veggies.  No soda.  No high calorie beverages.  Then for dinner you ate a small piece of lean meat, more veggies and a small portion of wild rice or whole wheat pasta.  I bet there would be similar results to what I achieved eating cabbage soup.

What I’m saying is this:

We have the power to change our lives.  But we have to commit to it heart and mind and just do it.

If you say you can’t, I don’t believe you.

You can.