The Cabbage Soup Diet: What You Should Know Before Jumping In

If you’re a woman over 40, chances are you’ve heard of the Cabbage Soup Diet at some point. It’s been around for decades, promising rapid weight loss in just one week. While it might seem like an appealing quick fix, there are several important factors to consider before diving in. As someone who helps women over 40 navigate their health and wellness journeys, I’ve seen plenty of fad diets come and go, including the cabbage soup craze. Let’s break down what this diet really entails, its pros and cons, and whether it’s worth your time.

What Is the Cabbage Soup Diet?

The Cabbage Soup Diet is a short-term weight loss plan, typically lasting seven days. It revolves around a simple concept: eat as much cabbage soup as you want, combined with a few other low-calorie foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins on specific days. The promise? Lose up to 10 pounds in a week. Sounds too good to be true, right?

This diet falls into the “very low-calorie diet” category, which is why weight loss can happen so quickly. But before you stock up on cabbage, let’s take a closer look at how this plan really works.

How the Cabbage Soup Diet Works

Here’s a typical breakdown of what you eat each day on the Cabbage Soup Diet:

• Day 1: Cabbage soup and fruit (except bananas)
• Day 2: Cabbage soup and vegetables (especially leafy greens)
• Day 3: Cabbage soup, fruits, and vegetables
• Day 4: Cabbage soup, bananas, and skim milk
• Day 5: Cabbage soup, beef, and tomatoes
• Day 6: Cabbage soup, beef, and vegetables
• Day 7: Cabbage soup, brown rice, and vegetables

As you can see, the diet is heavily based on low-calorie foods, with very little variety. The goal is to keep calories so low that your body has no choice but to burn fat stores.

My Favorite Cabbage Soup Recipe:

• 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2. carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 tsp. chopped garlic
• 4 C. beef stock
• 2 C. water
• 1/2 head cabbage, chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 14.5-oz. cans diced tomatoes
• 1 14.5-oz. cans beans (your choice)
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 1/2 tsp. chipotle pepper (gives it a little heat, plus smoky flavor)
• Ground pepper to taste

The Pros of the Cabbage Soup Diet

1. Rapid Weight Loss: One undeniable appeal of the Cabbage Soup Diet is how fast it works. If you have an event coming up and want to shed a few pounds quickly, this diet can do that.
2. Simple Guidelines: Unlike some complex diets, the rules are simple. You don’t need to count calories, track macros, or purchase expensive meal plans.
3. Increased Vegetable Intake: For those who struggle to get enough veggies, this diet ensures you’re eating plenty, especially cabbage, which is rich in vitamins and fiber.

The Cons (And There Are Many!)

1. Not Sustainable: Let’s be real—eating cabbage soup for seven days gets old fast. This is not a lifestyle change, but a short-term fix. You’re likely to regain the weight as soon as you return to your regular eating habits.
2. Nutrient Deficiencies: This diet is severely lacking in essential nutrients like healthy fats and adequate protein. Over time, this can lead to fatigue, muscle loss, and a weakened immune system—none of which are worth risking for a quick drop in pounds.
3. Low Energy: With such a low-calorie intake, your body may feel sluggish. This can affect your daily activities, work, and even your mood. You might also find it harder to engage in exercise, which is key for sustainable weight loss.
4. Temporary Results: While you may lose weight quickly, much of it will likely be water weight. Without a balanced approach that includes proteins, healthy fats, and exercise, this weight will likely return—often with a few extra pounds to boot due to metabolism slowing.

The Bigger Picture: What’s Really Happening?

Most of the weight you lose on the Cabbage Soup Diet is water weight. When you significantly reduce your calories, your body uses up glycogen stores (carbohydrates stored in your muscles), which hold water. Once you go back to your regular eating habits, those glycogen stores refill, and the water weight comes back.

Plus, eating so few calories can slow down your metabolism, making it harder to lose weight in the long term. This is a classic trap of yo-yo dieting, where you lose weight quickly, regain it, and end up in a worse place than when you started.

A Better Alternative for Women Over 40

Instead of falling into the trap of fad diets like the Cabbage Soup Diet, focus on sustainable, long-term changes. As women over 40, we face unique challenges when it comes to weight loss, especially with hormone fluctuations, slower metabolism, and the increased risk of insulin resistance. Here’s what I recommend instead:

• High-Protein Meals: Focus on balanced meals that are high in protein to keep you full and help maintain muscle mass.
• Healthy Fats: Incorporate fats from avocados, olive oil, nuts, and seeds. Your body needs these fats for hormone health, especially during perimenopause and menopause.
• Fiber-Rich Foods: Fiber is crucial for gut health, blood sugar regulation, and keeping you full longer. Load up on leafy greens, berries, and whole grains.
• Strength Training: Resistance exercises can help counteract the muscle loss that naturally happens as we age, keeping your metabolism humming along.

Final Thoughts

The Cabbage Soup Diet may deliver quick results, but at what cost? It’s not a sustainable or healthy long-term solution. Instead of depriving your body with crash diets, focus on nourishing it with whole foods, adequate protein, healthy fats, and consistent movement. This balanced approach will not only help you lose weight, but it will also boost your energy, improve your mood, and help you feel more like yourself again.

After all, at the end of the day, it’s about finding a way to eat and live that feels good for the long haul, not just for one week. Let’s prioritize our health, not just a number on the scale.