Grapefruit Diet
The grapefruit diet is one of the earliest known Hollywood fad diets. It first came to fame in the 1930′s when many stars used it. It became part of photocopy lore, faxed from machine to machine, in the 1970′s. The diet has been described as bad by the Mayo Clinic, often associated with the diet.
Originally the grapefruit diet was an Atkins style diet that added one half grapefruit before each meal. The diet only allows three meals each day, with no snacking in between meals. The diet claimed that people could lose 10 pounds in 10 days, or 5 pounds in five days. The distribution was just as far fetched, no weight loss for four days then five pounds lost all on the fifth day. It was based on the claim that grapefruit contains fat burning enzymes, something that has never been proven.
Researchers showed that the diet may work in a 2004 study. Eating just ½ grapefruit prior to meals helped people in the study lose 3.6 pounds in twelve weeks. Drinking the juice from the grapefruit led to only slightly less weight loss. Many of the participants lost more than 10 pounds in 12 weeks. The doctor who conducted the study found that the grapefruit diet seems to reduce levels of insulin. But the study didn’t limit people to just diet, they also exercised more which may have resulted in the weight loss.
Here’s a typical grapefruit diet:
- Eight 8 ounce glasses of water each day, this is a must.
- Eat until full.
- Eat all the food listed at each meal, skipping food interferes with fat burning.
- Grapefruit is the key so eat that as specified.
- Try to avoid coffee, but if drunk consume only three cups a day.
- No snacking.
- Butter is OK.
- Avoid sweets and starches such as bread and potatoes.
- Protein and vegetables are fine.
- Eating more will actually result in more weight loss.
- Follow the diet for 12 days, skip two days, then start again.
- Grapefruit with each meal is ½ or 18 ounces of juice.
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