Testing the Cabbage Soup Diet - Day 1

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Today, as promised, is my first day on the legendary cabbage soup diet. I've been meaning to try it for many years, but somehow the time was never right (translation: I was able to find excuses). It's a short-term crash diet, based on eating unlimited quantities of a cabbage-based soup which costs more calories to digest than it provides, so you can eat enough to feel full but keep losing weight rapidly.

The diet is augmented by different added foods on each day. You eat as much of the soup as you want, and as much as you want of the other foods for the day - in my case, Day 1: Fruit (except bananas). In theory the selection of additional foods is carefully chosen to maintain your levels of vital chemicals so you don't get sick. I'm told the diet was originally developed by doctors to cleanse the system and reduce weight before heart surgery, but I haven't been able to find evidence or a listing of the "original" diet. There are a whole bunch of variations floating around on the basic recipe and schedule.

So this morning I went down to my fantastic Italian greengrocers, and came back with a carrier bag stuffed full of green things. After a lot of chopping, peeling and simmering, here's what it looks like: The bulk of my diet for the next week.

Actually, it's not bad at all. With loads of onion, celery and tomato in, it's got the base of a good stock mixture (and some of my own vegetable stock cubes in for a boost), and it's well seasoned with thyme, basil, bay and black pepper. It's really pretty tasty, although I've quickly found myself adding a bit of salt to each bowl or it really is bland.

Obviously there's not much in the way of effects today, although I have felt a bit up and down energy-wise, particularly as I missed breakfast (since I didn't have anything allowed by the diet in the house to eat) and then ate a lot at lunchtime. With heavy-digesting foods like this, it's important to spread them out through the day rather than eating big meals, as anything hard to digest brings your energy levels down for a while (the reason why people get sluggish in the afternoon when they eat big lunches).

My brain is already at work trying to screw things up, and I keep imagining that I'm craving chocolate or meat, very unlikely since my last "normal" meal was last night and that's really not time for your body to feel deprived. I have been enjoying the fruit enormously, experiencing the intense flavours and sweetness much more than I normally would, but I think that's largely psychological too. I've been drinking a lot of water and green tea, and the digestive workout seems to be making me quite thirsty. Otherwise I feel as good as ever, really. I'm even looking forward to a supper of fruit tonight when I settle in to watch a new episode of House.

Obviously, a crash diet isn't a longterm solution to weight loss. Right now my normal diet is pretty good - I'm mostly off the overprocessed rubbish foods, I eat a fair bit of veg and fruit, very little out of the freezer (except things I've cooked and frozen myself) and I'm reasonably good about sweets. Week on week I am losing a little bit of weight. It's just that the mountainous task (and stomach) ahead of me are making me feel pretty demotivated. Hopefully this quick boost will help me feel more motivated to be strict with myself and stick with the exercise.

Soupsong's page for the Cabbage Soup Diet

The version of the cabbage soup diet I'm using this week. There are various other versions floating around.

Testing the Cabbage Soup Diet - Day 2

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2nd day cabbage soup diet, and today was a bit 'more difficult. 've Been a bit 'tired and out, very stunning (especially in the morning) and I have a splitting headache, which now finally had to resort to ibuprofen knock out.

The first thing I had a real wave of nausea, which I initially thought I wanted to stay away from classes today, but went quickly. At first I thought, "Well, there you go, the diet," but I wasShe concluded that it was probably my supplement of zinc, which showed me the same way earlier than I had an empty stomach - of course, swallowed the soup is not enough to catch it. I just changed my bowl second part of the day, so that we will soon tell if the soup or not.

I have until the end of yesterday, I was rather tired, said soup, and this morning he had made a real effort to push it. But at home I remembered that some people had suggestedPuree (it's the basic recipe is like a big soup eaten) to help even more interesting, so I mixed the last dish out and it was really very nice.

Supplementary food today and vegetables of all kinds, including a baked potato, so mud to loading a thermos of soup, I made a celery, carrots and two whole tomatoes in college with me gum.

Once again, I was, as I am enjoying the aromas hit you and the natural sweetness ofVegetables - still probably just the contrast with the bland soup. I saved the baked potato as an evening treat (I begin to want foods rich in starch, which is probably for real after two days, but not insurmountable).

Page Soupsong for the Cabbage Soup Diet

The version of the cabbage soup diet, I'm using this week. There are several other versions in circulation.

Testing the Cabbage Soup Diet - Day 6-7

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It 'the 7th and final day of the cabbage soup diet, and I would say a success. Today, a little 'down day had been, to be honest - I felt tired and headachey despite a quiet night, and supplementary food today (rice and vegetables) is hard to enjoy the best of times. But I have no hunger or disease, vertigo, and my state of mind with the observation that I lost a full 2Kg taken this week!

It 'a little' less thanpredicted height (it is 4.4 pounds, whereas the estimates usually 7-10 pounds), but this is a bit 'optimistic - and can be anything, there is always a delay effect with diets, so I probably a bit 'more to lose in the coming days. All in all, I would describe the nutritional care as painless and easy (I have not really felt the temptation to cheat, all week, and usually the first pork pie that I saw would be my downfall!) Is very effective.

The strange thing is, even the things that I missednot have too much of an obstacle for me. I was meat like crazy desire for Friday and Saturday, and yes, the first taste was heavenly. But it's never been a bond too strong to break myself of food, and I really felt the urge to gorge out - on Saturday, I could have unlimited beef, but I had a small piece for a brunch and a (delicious medium rare Orkney Gold) fillet for dinner, do not need more.

Now that I think about tomorrow. My first dayfull meal after a week on a starvation diet. There is a bit 'me, shouting "' s meat pies for breakfast! burgers for lunch! pizza for dinner!" But somehow dragging junk food, grease and flour a bit 'lower today. I'm not saying it is a magical change, but I'm running the idea of baked goods around in my head, the evidence ... and I know that will not come to me, that all make you happy. I think the break of junk-food temptation me the opportunity to develop a piecePerspective, which is brilliant.

In fact, I can tomorrow the first day of my process of raw foods. I have a number of recipes I'm itching to test (including a first vegan chocolate ice cream, was believe it or not!), And yesterday I had a lot of seeds, nuts and legumes increased in preparation. Some of them have germinated prior to use, so I took a couple of large glasses plastic by confectioners in town tonight and I want to lay down some plants to sproutWeeks in advance - it looks like a fun activity and a way to make your own food, even if only on a small scale!

All in all, I give the Cabbage Soup Diet two thumbs up. It is effective, simple and cheap, and it made me really think about what I eat and why. Could you again in a few weeks - can not hurt to keep speed up the process together!

Testing the Cabbage Soup Diet - Day 3 (Plus Rawism and Instinct)

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3rd day of diet and I feel better than ever. Today I particularly attracted to, although not always to sleep as much as I wanted (I have a sudden burst of energy and waking around at bedtime, if possible) on the baked potato at the beginning of my blood sugar in this press release . Physical signs of drowsiness or fatigue at all and without vertigo.

I received a new wave of morning sickness, but it was certainly up to the bar of zinc. Iactually loaded onto the soup and I hoped that would be enough cushion, but unfortunately it is not. I am holding off on zinc for now, or take it when I complete enough on other foods.

So did my late lunch, soup, and the change I tried to cold directly from the fridge, with a little 'sharpen vinegar - very tasty and refreshing! All in all, the soup is not the test, I expected, especially now that they are pure, and there arenumerous opportunities to introduce changes, if it becomes boring.

Today's program calls for fruit and vegetables in addition to the soup, so I have always been at pasture. More celery and carrots in the morning, with grapes and a plum. Then in the afternoon I have a couple of kiwifruit, plums more bananas for tomorrow (no bananas or potatoes today, boo), cabbage, dinner and a bowl of cherry tomatoes, which require enormous willpower for me to just leave her alone now.

I'm all fruits and vegetables to enjoy at another level now in meat and dairy products (and most of the flavors and sauces), were eliminated. I see them in the way I've always felt that it should experience in fruit and vegetables, tasty, varied and tasty by itself and not an obligatory accompaniment of meat. It 'very exciting, and even though I have not lost much weight, I think this week will be worth it for this insight alone.

It's driven me back to athe former area of interest - the raw food. I was interested in the last year, mainly because I was reading Steve Pavlina a lot of items, and speaking very good results eating raw foods. This is an incredibly energetic and apparently healthy diet, and also makes it very difficult to be overweight (put great victory for me!).

The principles of eating natural foods and fresh as possible to make much sense to me. Do not get me wrong, I am a permanent Carnivores. Am sure that I do not give up meat entirely and still enjoy life. But I could see to work 5 days a week on raw food for me. Over the last couple of days ago I dug a bit 'of resources and do some research on the feasibility and the real needs of people (the experience of the lifestyle that I have included) a number of good skiing in the package.

There seems to be a pretty good thread of stories from people who have had a really good experience from crude> Food - more energy, feelings of well proving to be a better resistance to disease, etc. Of course the issue is clouded by the tendency of people to turn an interesting experiment food in a religion and to defend at all costs and against all reason .

Many of the sites I've found to make statements about the impact of diet crude, which is clearly a matter of speculation for a partial understanding of scientific principles (and terribly insignificant take-all terms such as "lifePower), and there are some very strange dogmatic principles occur throughout the county, like the insistence on the "purified" water (whatever that means - distilled? Mineral water?). Effective analysis of the facts are few and far between. When I do I will be given a chance to dig into the database Medical Journal (perhaps it is also my account in universities, and I got it) and see if I have a couple of good peer-reviewed article can be found.

During the excavation, is dip and also links to a group ofI never met people, and are so wonderful there, I should be mentioned. If (philosophical) vegetarians look down on meat eaters, vegans rejoice control for vegetables by means of heart and rawists be a vegetarian to kill their nutrients with heat, which looks rawists? The answer: The instinctos.

For those who do not know (I suspect a lot of people), instinct (or Anopsology) is a philosophy of food from a French cellist called developedGuy-Claude Burger. It is based on the idea that we put on a well-developed instincts and senses, evolved in eons to tell us what we need food and in what quantity, as well as different foods are good for us. Burger found the taste "change" or "Stop", the essential point on which a food we eat, not edible, as our body is no longer necessary.

Instinctos think we should eat all the way at the insistence of the senses - if a foodtastes good, it is because we need more. If it tastes bad, we should stop eating. They argue that only raw, processed foods to keep this authentic primary interaction with our senses, and that over time we have developed methods to deceive the cooking, processing and flavor of food is essentially "our bodies and what to we should not eat or eat much.

So far so good and well - in fact, a lot of this very significant in the context of what is reasonable. Our bodies are unable to say when we need itFood intake and when you should stop and we will develop the desire for food, the nutrients that we are missing (most obviously manifested in pregnant women). But there are a number of problems.

A) have performed our modern, air-conditioning way we can all eat what we have? They were never able to lead to not, without any input from our brain?

B) of fruit and vegetables modern times have been intensively bred for properties like taste and sweetness - many instinctoshave a big problem with excessive consumption of fruit, because they seem to reach a change of taste. This mythical balance between intellect and food, if there ever was, can not be found.

C:) The demands of many theorists and mad instinct to be done. They argue that necessarily a disease like cancer can be treated by eating instinctive, and that life can be significantly expanded, improved intelligence, etc. There is no scientific evidence to support this objective,Large amounts of speculation and religious frenzy by the parties.

D:) instinctos longer eat meat. Stained the left side is? Do not boil. Indeed, they prefer "mature", on the edge of the mark, because it gives the flavor strong reaction. There are many documented cases even when the pro-Instinct groups of people suffer from parasites and infections as a result and the claim that instinct to eat heal and parasitic diseases had not been granted. Womandead, others had to finally give in and take the medicine.

Despite the success of strange in the extreme, full-on diet philosophy Instinct, there are certainly some good things in there, and it got me thinking about how I reacted to the changes in my diet, and all that fresh fruit and vegetables. I'm definitely driven more by my senses, I eat "all day, and I find the collection or commutation of smell and taste in food. I'm sure the development ofstrong desire and sensory responses to food, I miss (the starchy potato had a phenomenal flavor and sweetness, as I have never seen).

Raw food, if I decide to push in this direction is to eat a lot of signal to your body rests. I like the idea of responding more in touch with my body and its needs and not just see that looks good with what. I think it will be interesting to get things from the game.