Leaf Out Cabbage Soup Diet To Lose Fat

Jan 20 2008 Dr Gareth Smith

Q MY wife has decided the best way to lose weight is to go on a diet where she has nothing but cabbage soup. Please tell her to eat something else.

A SETTLING domestic disputes is not my job but I can tell your wife the only weight she will lose on this diet is water and muscle mass.When the body runs out of glucose (24 hours after not eating), it starts to use glycogen stored in the liver.

Glycogen is attached to water and as it is used the water content in the body goes down, so she will lose weight.

But I assume your wife wants to lose fat, not water. The problem is she will not lose fat until she has lost glycogen water and protein in the form of muscle.

Her metabolism will slow down, so when she eats, all of the excess calories will be immediately turned into fat.

She needs to eat healthy lowfat foods more often - up to five times a day - and do moderate exercise.