The Cabbage Soup Diet

I have 9 more pounds until I'm at my pre-pregnancy weight and they are being pretty stubborn. In spite of the fact I've done at least 6 miles, 6 days a week since the beginning of September, they're still here. My eating has not been the best. Since my hubby eats fast food, it has been too easy to have him pick me up a bean and cheese burrito, or "just" an order of animal-style fries. My motivation to loose the extra weight before the holidays, combined with our super-small food budget since I'm still off work has left me few options.

So, I found the perfect solution. The Cabbage Soup Diet, also known as the poor man's diet. Perfect! I'm blogging to hold myself accountable, because sticking to this is going to be tough, especially for me since I'm home all day.  If I didn't blog for accountability, chances are I would only make it 3 days. I'm starting on Sunday the 15th since I have a baby shower on Saturday that will probably have some really delicious food, and because I want to be finished before our anniversary on the 23rd. I have two events during the 7 days that will be challenging; visiting my friend Andrea and my monthly book club meeting in LA. As luck would have it, we read Kitchens of the Great Midwest, a fiction novel with some really amazing recipes in it that a few of the girls are planning to prepare when we meet up to discuss. I'll report here how I do, good or bad. My friend Nicole lost 11 pounds in 7 days, so I'm hopeful.

Cabbage Fat-Burning Soup

• Prep
  20 m
• Cook
  25 m
• Ready In
  45 m

Recipe By:Nell Marsh

"This tomato and cabbage soup was rumored, in days of old, to melt away those thighs."

Ingredients

• 5 carrots, chopped
• 3 onions, chopped
• 2 (16 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, with liquid
• 1 large head cabbage, chopped
• 1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix

• 1 (15 ounce) can cut green beans, drained
• 2 quarts tomato juice
• 2 green bell peppers, diced
• 10 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 (14 ounce) can beef broth

Directions

1. Place carrots, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, green beans, peppers, and celery in a large pot. Add onion soup mix, tomato juice, beef broth, and enough water to cover vegetables. Simmer until vegetables are tender. May be stored in the refrigerator for several days.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2015 Allrecipes.com
Printed From Allrecipes.com 11/13/2015

(My friend added Italian seasoning, garlic, chili powder, paprika and cumin, saying that without it, it was too bland.) 

The Cabbage Soup Diet meal plan: Day 1: Unlimited cabbage soup and fruit (excluding bananas). Water and sugar-free fruit juice to drink. Day 2: Cabbage soup and additional vegetables. One jacket potato with butter for dinner. No fruit at all. Day 3: Unlimited cabbage soup plus any fruit and vegetables you choose (excluding potatoes or bananas). Day 4: Unlimited cabbage soup and skimmed milk. Plus up to eight bananas. Day 5: Unlimited cabbage soup and 565g of beef and 6 tomatoes. Drink 6-8 glasses of water today to flush extra uric acid from your body. Day 6: Unlimited cabbage soup and limitless beef and vegetables (excluding potatoes). Day 7: Unlimited cabbage soup with a little brown rice, vegetables and sugar-free fruit juice

No coffee unless black, lots of water and obviously no alcohol.