by James - This article may contain affiliate links.
Before talking about if it works or not, let’s see what grapefruit diet (Hollywood diet) is based on and what it is.
It is a kind of low-calorie diet that is based on the theory that the grapefruit contains a special enzyme and other components which support the fat burning process and this way weight loss. The dieters should consume this citrus with almost each of their meals in raw format or grapefruit juice.
Besides, they should eat meals which are high in protein and fats, but low in carbohydrates. Foods that are high in sugar and starchy carbs are avoided. This means the dieters should not have fruits that are sweet since those contain sugar. In order to avoid starchy carbs, they should not eat starchy vegetables such as potatoes as well as cereals and grains.
Here is the list of foods that are allowed to eat and not.
During the plan, it is advisable to drink a lot of water and eat fresh green vegetable.
It lasts for 10-12 days and then two days are off.
So, this is a low-carb, high-protein and fat diet, which uses the “power” of the grapefruit. Because of the protein intake it is might be schedule for bodybuilding if someone wants to lose body fat.
Contents
An Example Grapefruit Diet Menu
Below you can find a sample meal plan (breakfast, lunch, dinner, bedtime snack). As you see meat, eggs and salad are usually served with grapefruits. These are high in fats and protein.
Grapefruit Benefits
Before talking about the advantages and disadvantages of this regime, watch the video below to learn the facts why this it is super fruit and why it is advisable to eat it regularly. (lowers cholesterol, blood pressure, grapefruit benefits for weight loss, etc.)
What is the grapefruit diet plan?
Pros
- Eating grapefruit, as you see above, is healthy, it contains a lot of valuable nutrients. It cleanses your body.
- The other foods which we can eat are healthy as well. Veggies are rich in vitamins, fiber and minerals, while meat and eggs are full of protein.
- It is is easy to follow, and it is rather cheap.
- There is no need to use other supplements or uncommon ingredients or foods.
- During the two days off you can eat what you want.
- There is no need to do exercises to lose weight with it. However, to get really good results having an exercise plan is surely recommended.
Cons
- Carbohydrates are important parts of a healthy eating plan, especially the complex carbs. This regime cuts them off almost entirely.
- The calorie intake is just too low. It causes weight loss in the beginning, but then the metabolism slows down which will result in weight gain.So, for quick weight loss it may work, but in the long run it is not and has health risks.
- Some food groups are excluded which have health benefits such as all fruits, a few vegetables and things like peanut butter. Fruits and veggies are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals; they must be included in a healthy nutrition plan.
- Dieters should drink too much tea and coffee for their meals. Too much caffeine is not good at all.
- It is a high-fat regime (eggs, bacon) , and the meals in it contain a lot of saturated fats which has several unwanted effects on health.
- Because your are restricted to consume only a few types of things, it is maybe boring after sometime.
- You can only eat about 800 calories per a day that is too few for healthy nutrition.
The Study
Dr. Ken Fujioka made a 12-week study with 91 obese patients. Here is the overview of the results:
After 12 weeks, the fresh grapefruit group had lost 1.6 kg, the grapefruit juice group had lost 1.5 kg, the grapefruit capsule group had lost 1.1 kg, and the placebo group had lost 0.3 kg. The fresh grapefruit group lost significantly more weight than the placebo group (P < .05).
How much weight can you lose on the grapefruit diet plan?
After the 12 days, most of the people lose about 8-10 pounds. But the results vary since there are several variations of it. However, the results are short term, after quitting most of the people regain weight.
Tips for fast weight loss:There are more “human” and healthier ways to lose weight than having grapefruit all the time. Read the following posts.What do I think?
The biggest problem with it is the low calories it provides and the lack of some important nutrients. Because of the low calorie intake this diet is not healthy at all and brings only short-term results. It is just another among the celebrity fad diets.
What is you opinion? Does grapefruit help you lose weight? Share your thoughts below and rate.
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