- ~TIPS~
- Jazz it up by adding lots of spices, herbs and a variety of veggies.
- This makes enough for about 3 days.
- Keeps well in the fridge for about 3 day.
I’m going to Disneyland next week and decided that I didn’t want to take my muffin top with me, especially since I have this cute form fitting top that I want to wear so bad WITHOUT SPANKS!! When I need to lose my gut or 10 pounds quickly I turn to 3 diets that never lets me down; my smoothie diet, The 17 Day Diet (review coming soon) and my newest love, the 7-day diet!!
I know some people HATE these kinda diets but I love them! They work well for me and the weight stays off as long as you eat a healthy, balance diet afterwards. I never do though since I mainly use these diets for quick weight loss for an event, the week before Thanksgiving, or to jumpstart my spring dieting before swimsuit season.
OK so let’s talk about the 7-day diet!! It’s an old diet that has been around for YEARS and revised over and over again. You are likely to find several different version online. Lately these 7-day diets have become really popular. Even Dr. Oz has one. I first read about it on Justin and Ashley’s blog (she answers a lot of questions about this diet so if you have them, check out her FAQS section) I think this diet is a great cleanse because I always feel so refreshed and clean inside and out afterwards.
On the 7-day diet you follow a certain eating plan everyday. Along with eating these specific foods you are allowed to have cabbage soup aka wonder soup aka weight loss soup aka miracle soup aka weight watcher soup whenever you’d like. This is what drew me to the 7-day diet because I love that I can eat this soup in unlimited quantities. I HATE being hungry and I will not stick to any kind of diet if I’m hungry. Point. Blank. Period. Don’t forget you MUST drink 8 glasses of water each day. My results vary if I slack on water, but 8-10 pounds is what I usually lose.
Now about this weight loss Cabbage Soup (Wonder Soup), the website (my7daydiet.com) says you should boil the vegetables in water, uh…no ma’am!! I’ve always used chicken broth or vegetable broth with seasoned canned tomatoes and it has never hindered my weight loss. There is NO WAY I would be eating this soup everyday if I made it according to the recipe on the site. Yuck! Throughout the diet I also use salt, pepper, lots of herbs & seasonings, olive oil, and a tad of butter. I also add 0-5 calorie flavorings to my water to make sure I get in all my water. These changes have never affected my results.
So here is a brief overview of the diet plan. Get more details on my7daydiet.com
Day 1- Eat nothing but fruit today (except for bananas) and as much of the diet cabbage soup as you’d like. I like to eat baked cinnamon apples in the morning, a large fruit salad and cabbage soup for lunch, and cabbage soup and a melon salad for dinner. I snack on fruit throughout the day, usually frozen berries, grapes and watermelon.
Day 2- Eat nothing but vegetables (except corn or other starchy veggies). However, you do get to start the day with a baked potato. You will LOVE having this baked potato trust me! I never thought I’d be so happy to eat a baked potato in the morning! I put a tad bit of salt and butter (I cheat) on the potato along with some broccoli and tomatoes. For lunch I do the cabbage soup and salad sprinkle with salt, pepper and olive oil. This is actually pretty good. For dinner I do mashed cauliflower topped with a stir fry.
Day 3- Today you eat fruits AND veggies (except bananas, corn and other starchy veggies) You also don’t get a potato today, sucks! I just do a repeat of day one and two for my foods.
Day 4- Today you eat only bananas and milk/yogurt. This is the DUMBEST day by far. I hate it. You can only have bananas and milk. I eat bananas, rice milk, almond milk and yogurts and of course the miracle soup. It’s not that difficult, but if you hate bananas I feel sorry for you boo.
Day 5- Today eat only tomatoes (6-8) and protein like fish, turkey and chicken. I had no problems with this day since I love meat and was happy to get it! I had wonder soup for breakfast and added extra tomatoes since I don’t like tomatoes plain that much. For lunch I had grilled chicken topped with tomatoes seasoned with salt, basil, pepper. For dinner I had more wonder soup, but I add ground seasoned turkey to it. Very filling. I got tired of the soup on this day.
Day 6- Today it’s protein and veggies- Unlike yesterday you can have other veggies besides tomatoes. I had a salad for breakfast seasoned with olive oil, spices, salt and pepper. For lunch I had a stir-fry with chicken, spices and veggies (so good) for lunch I had a spaghetti squash with pasta sauce and ground turkey. I think spaghetti squash is off limits but I had to have it! (it didn’t effect my weight loss) Today was so yummy! lol
Day 7- Today it’s just fruits, vegetables, and juices. Booo!!! I hated this day because I wanted more meat, but I was glad it was the last day. The scale says I’m 7 pounds lighter this morning so that was great to see. I feel clean inside. I’m hungry today though. REALLY HUNGRY!
Day 8- 10lbs down this morning and I can see it!!
Watch me make this Weight Loss Cabbage Soup Recipe (Wonder Soup) from start to finish!
- ½ head of cabbage, chopped
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 cup white or yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 14 oz can basil, oregano, garlic diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- few shakes of black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add celery, onions, bell peppers, and carrots.
- Saute until slightly tender.
- Stir in garlic.
- Pour in chicken broth.
- Stir in tomatoes and cabbage.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce heat.
- Cook until cabbage is tender.
- Stir in oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, black pepper and salt (if using)
- Taste broth and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve and enjoy!
Any additional exercise while you were on this diet? I want to have a go at this!
thanks for sharing
Hey!!! Can I use greek yogurt or do you use regular milk yogurt? And how do you make your baked apples for day 1? Thank you
)
OMG, this diet really works. I did it twice a year or so ago and lost 19 lbs in two weeks with no exercise. I did gain about 8 back but am doing it again soon.
Hey Tam! Any suggestions on what yogurt to use? Greek or regular?! Thanks
)
Whitney
I really want to have a go at this diet! does the soup last a long time, like the whole week from this recipe? or will i have to make more?
x
I’m defintly gonna try this! 10 pounds. I have a question though. Does this diet still work if I’m not overweight? Also is it safe? Because some people say not to lose more than 2 pounds a week. Thanks for replying
I just finished making this and I must say it is sooo good, now I can say I made homemade soup! I will be trying this diet next week! Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks!!! I am going to start this next week, hopefully it will works for me since I have a goal of 25 lbs to lose in 2 months! Tell us more about your smoothie diet!
Has anybody tried this recently? please give an update on your results, I’d love to hear bout them!
This diet is great!!! I am on my 7th day and have lost 16 pounds!!! Day 4 was my favorite day because I ate frozen yogurt and lost 2 pounds that day!! What a great way to start off a healthy lifestyle change!!
I am so going to do this! After Thanksgiving that is lol or maybe before give my self some eating room lol. your Recipe is much more appealing than the original one. I am so excited i can hardly wait, please dont remove this one or the Macaroni anytime soon. Do you have a recipe book i can buy?
am doing this diet. and wow i hate the banana day too. but i have not try making the soup yet. thanks for uploading
but can i make it for 7 day…? fridge and microwave everyday ?
This is day one and i am doing good so far. the cabbage soup is delicious and filling. im enjoying my fruit. Can i use spenda sweetner on my stawberrys?
I lose 7 pounds in 6 days eating no Meat Thank you Mrs. Diva
i did it and i lost 6 pounds in 7 days. Thank you
This is more then I normally eat in a day. I have an issue with my legs and I don’t move as much as most people there by requiring less caloric intake. I’m afraid I’ll gain weight or wont lose any at all. Any suggestions?
can we eat curd with vegetable
This cabbage soup was out of this world!!! Never really ate cabbage before but I will definitely make this again… I forgot to add the carrots but it was still good regardless! My boyfriend swore that he hated cabbage but he finished the whole pot and told his co-workers that he made it lol! Thanks Monique… another hit recipe!
Please be careful of these diets. Make sure you do your research. The calories in this plan are dangerously low and can cause migraines and fatigue. If you have high blood pressure, do not add salt and minimize the use of bullion in this soup. More importantly, this diet (like many others) will not keep the weight off for most people. In order to lose weight (and to keep it off) you must make a lifestyle change and a life-long commitment to healthy eating and exercise. Our bodies don’t do well under drastic changes (e.g. sudden drop in necessary calories), gradual change is healthier and has a lasting effect. That said, this recipe does look very healthy for you (as long as it is paired with other healthy foods through out the day which include protein, carbohydrates, and sufficient amount of calories to function). It looks like it might be good with some chickpeas or beans for added protein.
I am trying this diet for the first time. I used fire roasted canned diced tomato to add some heat to the soup – worked great! Anyone know if tofu is a good protein to use on day 5&6?
I have been on this diet for 2 days and I chronically suffer from migraines …I have NOT had any headaches but I am craving tons of snacky foods !! It’s killing me .. I am excited that I have only 5 days left..And I hope to lose the 10 pounds
Iam on my 7th day today and I lost 5 pounds….I cheated a lot and still lost 5 pounds….water is the key for diet. ..thanks diva
Day One- What can you drink besides water?
I’m on day 4, banana/milk and it’s killing me. I HATE milk and can’t wait for lunch so I can eat soup! This is supposes to curb our desire for sweets? I’m not craving sweets, I’m craving a big, fat, juicy burger about now.
The soup is much better than I had expected. Spices really make a difference. I don’t even miss the salt. My husband isn’t following the diet but he likes the soup too and eats it with me but with a big hunk of bread slathered in butter. It doesn’t bother me though. I think it’s funny. He doesn’t want to tempt me so he hides when he eats foods I can’t have. He acts like a closet eater, it’s hilarious!
I’m down 4 lbs and can’t wait for day 5…MEAT!
The soup is awesome. What is OK to drink on this diet? Just water? Does herbal tea count towards your water intake? Is a glass of red wine off limits?
I need to drop some pounds and I am planning to do this recipe. Just watching the video it look so good I love cabbage and vegetables so this will work for me.
I have lost 7 lbs in 4 days!
I did make the soup today and such great colors and it really taste good.
I came across this recipe/diet last week. I finally got around to making it this morning and used low sodium V8 juice as the base instead of the chicken broth. Another site suggested it. Also, I didn’t use the red pepper flakes nor any salt. I made mine in the crock pot. I simply washed the veggies, cut everything up and threw them in. Six hours later, I tried it and I have to say that it tastes really good! I don’t think I’ll have any problems eating it each day. I’m starting tomorrow and I will re-post here with my progress. I am overweight by 50 pounds now (I’m 48 yrs old, female and 5’4″). For the past month I really have started eating a lot better. I’ve completely cut out processed foods (no boxed stuff at all), cut out sugar in my coffee, and not drinking as much coffee, not using sugar anywhere else, started eating more veggies and fruit and have been walking 2 miles each day. I’m also eating salmon and tuna most of the time and drinking at least 8 glasses of water each day. I started drinking hot green tea with a squeeze of lemon to replace the coffee I used to drink more often and I started taking a multivitamin. Over the last month I’ve lost eight pounds. So that was encouraging. Other than being over weight and having a low thyroid level…I’m pretty healthy and somewhat active. I have always walked, biked and kayaked when in season. But I’ve never really had the willpower to cut out sweets and sugar. I’ve basically been eating wrong most of my life. I’ve rarely eaten fast food but I am someone who really enjoys eating out at cute cafes with friends and family. I’ve tapered that down but when I do go out to eat I’m only ordering salads or half sandwiches. Anyway, I’m writing all this because about a month ago I tipped the scale at 200 lbs. It really hit me hard, even though I’ve pretty much hovered around 180 for the past 20 years. So that combined with turning another year older really changed my thinking. This past month has been effortless, I haven’t “cheated” on this “diet” at all. I truly think that if one sets their mind to do something, they can do it. So why am I trying this cabbage soup diet? I know that a lot of fitness trainers, etc are against diets like this and suggest more exercise and eating better. I would agree, but if you’ve never been really over-weight I think it might be hard to grasp or understand that not everyone has the willpower or motivation to stick to such a drastic lifestyle change. Many times I tried but failed because I didn’t see quicker results. I’m trying this cabbage soup diet for the week because even though I’ve already seen results by losing 8 lbs, I feel I need some extra motivation. I also feel that it’s a much healthier alternative to diet pills and powders. I spoke to my doctor about it and she said that (for me) she can’t see the harm in eating this menu for one week. I also feel that if I can lose 10 more pounds that I will see a change in how my clothes fit and in turn I know that that will motivate me even more. Best of luck to everyone who tries this cabbage diet. I would love to hear about peoples progress, it helps motivate me
Okay ladies here’s the deal. First let me start by giving you some information about myself.
*30 yrs old
*Weight at start – 161lbs Height 65 inches or 5’5
*Workout schedules – Twice a week
*Medical conditions -Fibromyalgia/Migraines/Insomnia
I made the soup with all the ingredients Monique instructed us to use except I did not use any red pepper or oregano except for what was in the canned tomatoes. The soup was easy to make and it was actually pretty good my kids even liked it! Now let’s get down to business. I started on a Monday.
After the completion of the diet I will say that it was not worth it. Most of the weight is water weight. Eliminating protein from your diet completely is not healthy so I didn’t do that 100% by day 3 I added blackbeans to my soup which didn’t affect my weight loss at all. I bought a vegan salad with Romaine lettuce, black beans, onions and peppers, with mild sauce*nothing but tomatoes from Chipotle, a restaurant in our area. I also snacked on walnuts, almonds, and brazil nuts from time to time, because I am not the type to eat a lot of vegetables.
Something I discovered was steamed collard greens with tomatoes, garlic, and onions. Delicious! I completed 6 days of the 7 day diet and kept some of the habits and that is what it is about. Today is day 9 and I weigh156 lbs. so 5lbs isn’t bad, but my weight fluctuates everyday. I have learned it is also about bodyfat not ju st what it says on the scale. This diet has been a success in that I am more willing to eat fruit and veggies, but I would not do this for serious weight loss that you want to keep off and a real life change. Consider the Mediterranean diet for those who want something to follow and include exercise. In my opinion this is much more healthy and I would not even consider it to be a diet, but I’m no expert!!! Why did I try this diet, the same reason many of us do, for fast results. Most of us like to know that our efforts are paying off, but in the end this diet just does not give long term results but if you need something fast so you can fit into that FABULOUS DRESS or look sexy on vacation, go for it!!!
Just made the soup but apart from water/skimmed milk what else can you drink. I’m a big coffee head
Well I made my soup yesterday all this week I’ve been on a low carb diet and I’ve gone straight into this diet so I had the soup for dinner yesterday it was nice ish
Hi I have made the cabbage soup and I have started it I really need to loose 14pounds and hoping to carry it on for 2 weeks. I have also started exercising I am finding it hard cause its my 2nd day. So u can imagine how my normal diet would be. I will keep in touch with my progress. Good luck for all you who are on it know.
Hi just a quick up date It’s my 3rd day and I hav lost 9lbs. I have been exercising. And I am having 2 to 3 cups of tea. A cup of tea is a must for me morning , midday , n about 3ish. Am drinking loads of water. What I have done av got a Callander and ticking of days that helps. One more thing I will not eat after 7 if am really Hungry I will have fruit or veg. I will keep up dating.
Keep it up! I admire your ability to exercise with this detox…I found after the 4th day that I felt a bit down. I am on day 6 now, and felt fairly weak today- although I feel fine otherwise. I cannot imagine workin out (although I chase a 1 year old, so maybe that is a bit of a workout?) Congrats!
Hi ruki thank you for your inspiration, my word u must be a big woman wanting to lose more than a stone, u shouldn’t have gone Crzy with your lidl shopping. Anyway look forward to your next commets
ok- 5 stars for this recipe (if you eat it once…lol) I am finishing day 6 of the 7 days (tomorrow is the last day- Praise Jesus!) I have to tell you- KUDOS to you for makin it to day 3 before you got tired of eating soup…I made it to day 1 and thought “holy Hannah- if I gotta eat this allllllll week, Imma not make it”. I followed a lot of your suggestions- I ate greek yogurt (flavored) on the milk/banana day, and had frozen yogurt after dinner that night. I weighed myself this morning- down 10.5 pounds. I am excited to see where I end up on Monday morning. (I made my husband do this too- as I told him if he didn’t, he would be eating a lot of PB&J…out on the porch). It’s not easy, but has been worth it, if you need to see results!
Ok, back to the soup- It is delicious! I doubled the recipe, as I made it for 2 people, and used a huge head of cabbage. It lasted us until Thursday (but my husband ate a lot more of it than me, and I honestly didn’t eat it every day…) I think this would be AMAZING on a cold day, with cornbread. Thanks for posting!
Hi everyone I start my cabbage soup today, so its kinda OK. Wish me luck guys.
Day 4 and lost 5.5 pounds. Day 2 was the hardest for me but now, I am making a point of losing as much as I can. Cabbage soup is actually very good. My kids like it as well. So, I add quoina to their soup and they really enjoy it along with their regular dinner. I feel better already and the bloated feeling I had before starting this diet is going away. I am looking forward to see my final results and start my weight watchers diet to lose additional 10 pounds and I will be back to my normal self. Great diet!!!!
You see – effectiveness will depend on how close to your ideal body weight you already are. Obviously, if you have a BMI of >30, then you’re likely to have the capacity to lose weight more quickly. If you’re down at 24, then it’s going to be a whole lot harder, but then you probably don’t need to lose it in the first place – shouldn’t, even.
I’m a guy and started this with a BMI of 31. I didn’t look obese because I’m tall and get away with it to some extent. Nevertheless, I was clearly overweight and probably with a lot of visceral fat (the really dangerous stuff).
7 days on this diet lost me 12.5 lbs (5.6kg), which is impressive.
Very few cheats – a few extra cooked vegetables with the protein & tomato day (but the same kind of veg. that’s in the soup anyway). A bit of beetroot on day 2. Swapped days 5 & 6 around. Nothing significant. Probably consumed about 2.5l-3l of water each day (85oz – 100oz).
I did some exercise too – two hard bike rides of about 4 miles and two sessions at the gym, including some weights work and some CV.
Anyway – very pleased with the result, though I know it’s totally unsustainable. Nevertheless – the principles are good. Largely reducing carbohydrates, not mixing protein & carbohydrates, drinking much more water, avoiding snacking & sugars, lots and lots of fruit & vegetables. Actually, I worked out about 14 different recipes that I could live on for ever. I like strong flavors, spicy food and a feeling of satisfaction, so I needed to factor these in to my recipe ideas. All done and I think it’s sustainable, when combined with the necessary exercise.
Did this once again. I am on day 6 and from 182lbs on day 1 (5’8″) to 172 this morning. I have taken pictures every other day to keep me motivated and say “wow” when i look at how much my body (tummy/butt/thighs) are changing. And yet, I feel good on day 6. A little tired but still good. I have to say I have not followed this to a “T” (added tostitos, salsa twice this week, egg white with my veggies (on veggie day) and yogurt twice and still feel I have lost an amazing amount of weight. I did get on the treadmill once this week and walked a mile but that was it.
I am hypothyroid and no matter how little I ate, I could never lose more than 1-2 lbs. and it would return a day or two later. I am hoping on day 8 when I weight in I will see a loss of 13 lbs. and then I plan to take 3 days off to adjust my refrigerator to healthier foods so I can maintain. Overall, I hope after the two weeks to be down to 160-165 lbs. I know for sure I have to give up the sugar, it is a definite no no in any weight loss program.
I really need to loose 15 lbs before vacation in June and was wondering if it possible to do the diet two weeks straight or if I need to take a break in between?
Renee – I have done this for two weeks. It was about 8 years ago and in total lost 19 lbs. I wouldn’t go any longer than that.
hey………………..people says that it stops periods……..is that true?
No
I added a can of tomato paste to this soup and it tasted DIVINE!!!! Today’s my first day, I can’t wait till I’m finished with this diet! <3