A small bowl of lentil soup.
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A study by Barbara Rolls of Pennsylvania State University, published in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 1999, showed that eating soup before a meal decreased the amount of calories lean women consumed at a meal. Rolls went on to demonstrate that the type of soup eaten before the meal didn't matter much -- subjects who ate soup before a meal generally ate less at the meal than a non-soup control group.
This research gave way to fad soup diets. Although research seems to indicate that soup can be an effective part of a weight loss plan, there is no research that conclusively demonstrates how much weight you can lose if you only eat soup for two weeks. Most likely, your results will depend on how much soup you eat and how calorie-rich it is.
It takes an energy deficit of 3,500 calories to lose 1 lb. Cutting back 500 calories per day leads to a weight loss of 1 lb. in about a week, which is about the fastest weight loss that the American Dietetic Association recommends. The number of calories you can cut from your diet by eating only soup depends on what you eat now and the types of soup you start to eat. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends an active adult woman should eat about 2,200 calories per day to maintain weight. Dropping below this intake level should result in weight loss.
The huge array of soup makes it impossible to generalize calorie counts. You could make squash, chickpea and red lentil stew, from "Eating Well" offers filling fiber and protein with 300 calories per serving. If you ate one serving of a similar dish three times a day, your calorie total for the day would add up to 900. If you normally eat about 2,500 calories per day, it would only take you four to five days to lose 1 lb. However, if you opted for a creamy clam chowder at 450 calories per serving, the loss would take longer. Another challenge is avoiding bread and crackers along with your soup.
The diversity of soup makes it possible to eat a wide range of vegetables and legumes while dieting. You can also vary the flavoring style to keep the soup interesting. The warmth of soup could make you feel full on less food, at least for a while.
No matter how flavorful you make soup, or how many different kinds of broth you use, it's going to get boring after a while. This will make it very tempting to binge on convenient unhealthy foods like French fries or cake, especially if you go out with friends. Even if your soup is made of healthful ingredients, you can still eat too much of it and end up gaining weight. Although you may see an initial weight loss when you first change your diet, the American Dietetic Association says very fast weight loss is usually due to water, bone and muscle loss. When you go back to eating your regular diet, you could gain back everything you lost plus a few bonus pounds.
Canned soups are convenient and they offer the benefit of nutrition information right on the label, so you know exactly how many calories you are consuming. However, most canned products also contain a lot of salt. Look for lower sodium soups. Another problem with any crash diet is that consuming such a limited range of foods also limits the nutrients you can get from food. Consuming one type of soup for two weeks would leave some big gaps in your nutritional profile.
FAQs
The Cabbage Soup Diet is a short-term weight loss diet. Proponents of the diet say that it can help you lose up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) in a single week, but many health experts warn that the diet does not promote health and wellness, and results are unsustainable.
How much weight will I lose if I only eat soup? ›
Broth-based soup diets generally last for 7 days. However, some can last as long as 10–14 days. Over that time, proponents of a broth-based diet claim you can lose up to 10 or even 20 pounds (4.5 to 9 kg). On a broth-based soup diet, cream-based soups are restricted, as they're higher in calories and fat.
What happens if you only eat soup for 2 weeks? ›
As the soup diet usually only lasts for 7-14 days, it's not recommended in the long term. The NHS also highlights how very low-calorie diets like this often lead to short term weight loss, but it's likely that you'll put some or all of the weight back on once you go back to eating normally.
Is the 7 day soup diet safe? ›
Typical soup diets are fad diets that are not backed by science. They may have health risks and other drawbacks. Eliminates healthy foods: Experts agree that an all-soup diet would eliminate otherwise healthy food groups, such as fruit and grains, and lead to nutrient deficiencies and imbalances.
Is soup good for losing belly fat? ›
While no soup alone can magically melt away belly fat, certain soups can be a healthy addition to your diet as part of a balanced and calorie-controlled meal plan. A classic choice, vegetable soup is low in calories and rich in fiber.
How much weight can you lose on the 7 day cabbage soup diet? ›
People who follow the diet strictly will likely lose some weight, potentially 10 pounds per week or more. This is because it involves eating so few calories each day. However, in most cases, people quickly regain this lost weight once they return to their regular diet.
Which soup is good for weight loss? ›
Aruna Mallya, Senior Dietitian, KMC Hospital, Mangaluru, suggests a bowl of high protein soup which can help in weight loss. She suggests avoiding a sweet corn soup or anything that has more calories – like potato soup which can lead to weight gain.
Why am I not losing weight on a soup diet? ›
Opting for Creamy Soup All the Time
Indeed, creamy soup is delectable. But unfortunately, this type of soup contains a hefty dose of fat. This means that you're more likely to gain weight than lose some if you're always choosing to eat creamy soup.
What is souping to slim down? ›
The idea behind a soup cleanse is that you eat only vegetable soups for a certain number of days, and afterward—poof—you're magically slimmer and healthier.
What is the 21 day soup diet? ›
What is the Bone Broth Diet? The bone broth diet is a 21-day plan that involves eating Paleo for five days and fasting for two. During the five days of eating Paleo, you drink anywhere from one to three cups of bone broth. On the fasting days, you have three to six cups of bone broth.
For one, soups and salads tend to generally have ingredients that are rich in important nutrients, including antioxidants, protein, vitamins and low on carbs, they are also quite hydrating. A balance of nutrients and ample water intake are keys to good weight loss.
Can you get your 5-a-day from soup? ›
Tinned and fresh ready-made soups might contain enough vegetables to count towards your 5-a-day, but it can be hard to know how much they really contain.
How to lose 10 pounds in a week? ›
To lose 10 pounds in one week, you'll need to burn between 3,500 and 5,000 calories more than you consume each day by restricting your diet to small portions of nutritious yet low-calorie foods, and significantly increasing your aerobic exercise with interval training, sports, and other vigorous activities.
What is the Dolly Parton diet? ›
You may have heard of something called the Dolly Parton Diet — which consists of eating cabbage soup (yes, cabbage soup!) as your main meals along with fruit and vegetables. It's also known as the TWA Stewardess Diet and, well, the Cabbage Soup Diet.
What actually burns belly fat? ›
Physical activity helps burn abdominal fat. “One of the biggest benefits of exercise is that you get a lot of bang for your buck on body composition,” Stewart says.
How much weight can you lose in 2 weeks on a diet? ›
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a safe and achievable weight loss goal is to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week. This means that in two weeks, you can safely lose between 2 to 4 pounds. However, this can vary depending on your current weight, diet, and level of physical activity.
What soup can I eat everyday to lose weight? ›
17 Best Soup Recipes For Weight Loss
- Best-Ever Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup.
- Healthy Butternut Squash Soup.
- Hearty Asian Beef Noodle Soup.
- Hearty Italian Sausage Soup.
- Chicken Tortilla Soup.
- Slow Cooker Cuban Tomato and Black Bean Soup.
- Slow Cooker Green Chile Pork Soup.
- Keto-Friendly Avocado Soup.
