7-Day Diet Weight Loss Cabbage Soup
“How I lose 10 pounds in 7 days with this cabbage soup diet AKA Military diet!”
Watch me make this cabbage soup from start to finish!
2020 update: Yes! I am still using this cabbage soup to give me a jump-start to weight loss. I HATE it! But I LOVE IT! It helps that the soup is delicious, though!
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 shirt that I want to wear so badly…. WITHOUT SPANX!!
When I need to lose my gut or 10 pounds quickly, I turn to three diets that never let me down; my green monster smoothie diet, The 10 Day Green Smoothie Cleanse and my newest love, the 7-day cabbage soup diet!!
Here’s Why I Adore The Cabbage Soup Diet:
- It works!! It’s not science. Cut your calories, unhealthy sugar, and starches for a period of time while drinking lots of water, and you’ll lose weight quickly.
- It’s quick!! By the morning of my 8th day, the scale is always 7-10 lbs lighter. My clothes fit differently, and my usually bloated gut is flat. I love it!!!
- I cheat!! I’ve discovered that I can cheat a bit on this diet. I’ve snuck a muffin in a few times. BEST. MUFFIN.EVER!! I’ve also used some condiments to spice things up.
- Great for pre-diets! This diet is GREAT for the start of a real diet/eating plan. You know, one where you eat a variety of healthy foods and a decent balance of calories. Sometimes you just need a jumpstart, a cleanse, or a boost of confidence on the scale. This diet does it!
Side Note: If you’re interested in trying the green monster smoothie, see how I prep my smoothies!
I know some people HATE these quick diets, but I love them! They work well for me, and the weight stays off as long as I eat a balanced post-diet. If you jump back to eating harmful sugars and carbs right away, you’re going to gain the weight back quickly.
Pace yourself. I mainly use this diet for quick weight loss for an event, the week before Thanksgiving, or to jump-start my spring dieting before swimsuit season.
As always, consult a doc before cutting your calories like this!
What is the 7-Day Cabbage Soup Diet ??
OK, so let’s talk about the 7-day cabbage soup 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 versions online. It’s a short-term, weight-loss eating plan that involves, you guessed it, LOTS OF CABBAGE SOUP!
No worries, my jazzed-up version of the cabbage soup is delicious! Lately, these 7-day diets have become really popular. Even Dr. Oz has one. I first read about it on a blog I stumbled upon and thought I’d give it a try. I didn’t expect much, though. Now I’m hooked!
I NEVER thought I’d like this cabbage soup, but it’s so good!
What Else Can You Eat On The Cabbage Soup Diet?
That was my question as well!! I’m a greedy girl, and I need FOOD!!!! You can have unlimited cabbage soup (Thank GOD!!) and certain foods per day on the cabbage soup diet. Those “certain foods” are listed below.
How Much Weight Can You Lose On The Cabbage Soup Diet?
On the cabbage soup diet, most people lose between 5-10 pounds. For me, it’s usually in the 7-10 pound range. Everyone is different, though, just read the comments below, and you’ll see!
How Do You Do The 7 -Day Cabbage Soup Diet?
On the 7- day cabbage soup diet, you follow a specific eating plan every day. Along with eating these foods, you can have cabbage soup as often as you’d like. This soup is also called wonder soup, weight loss soup, miracle soup, and weight watcher soup. So many names for this soup!
This unlimited soup rule drew me to the 7-day cabbage soup diet. I love that I can eat this soup in unlimited quantities. I HATE being hungry, and I will not stick to any diet if I’m hungry. Point. Blank. Period. Don’t forget you MUST drink eight glasses of water each day. My results vary if I slack on water.
The Cabbage Soup Recipe ( Wonder Soup)
Now about this weight loss Cabbage Soup (Wonder Soup), most websites featuring this diet say you should boil the vegetables in water, uh…no ma’am!! I’ve always used chicken or vegetable broth with seasoned canned tomatoes, which has never hindered my weight loss.
Try to use the low-sodium versions if possible (I don’t. I’m a rule breaker.)
Let me just say there is NO WAY I would be eating this soup every day if I made it with water. Yuck!
Throughout the diet, I also use salt (very lightly), pepper, lots of herbs & seasonings, olive oil, and a tad of butter on potato day. I also add 0-5 calorie flavorings to my water to ensure I get in all my water if needed. These changes have never affected my results.
7-Day Cabbage Soup Diet Eating Chart
(Don’t forget to drink your water daily and eat your cabbage soup as much as you’d like!)
My 7-Day Diet Cabbage Soup Diet Journal & Meal Suggestions
(Update: I now add detox tea with a squirt of fresh lemon to my mornings. WOW is all I can say! Try it! I use Total Tea, but any detox tea will work)
Day 1- Eat nothing but fruit today (except for bananas) and as much of the diet cabbage soup as you’d like. You should try to stick with fruits with lower sugar content, like apples, blueberries, etc. I enjoy eating baked cinnamon apples (using gala or Honey crisp apples) in the morning, a large fruit salad and cabbage soup for lunch, cabbage soup, and a melon salad for dinner. Get your crunchy fix with dried fruits—snack on fruit throughout the day. Frozen pineapples and frozen grapes make delicious treats. Also, frozen watermelon blended makes a refreshing, natural slushy. Today wasn’t as bad as I’d expected.
Day 2- Eat nothing but vegetables (except corn or other starchy veggies). However, you get to start the day with a baked potato (russet or sweet). 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 prefer sweet potatoes. I dice my sweet potato into cubes for breakfast, sprinkle with a little olive oil and cinnamon, and roast it in the oven with some bell peppers and onions. I do cabbage soup for lunch, and a salad sprinkled with salt, pepper, and olive oil. It’s pretty good. I do rice cauliflower topped with a stir fry of zucchini, roasted carrots, and bell peppers with light soy sauce (cheating) for dinner. I snack on baked spinach chips. Today was ok.
Day 3- Today, you eat fruits AND veggies (except bananas, corn, and other starchy vegetables). You also don’t get a potato today, which sucks! I just do a repeat of days one and two for my food.
Day 4- Today, you eat only bananas and milk/yogurt. This day is the DUMBEST day by far. I hate it. You can just have bananas and milk or unsweetened yogurt. Boooooo, but let’s make the best of it! For breakfast, I do a banana smoothie made with bananas, almond milk, and Greek yogurt. I eat cabbage soup for lunch. For dinner, I do another large banana smoothie and more cabbage soup. I make banana ice cream by freezing banana slices and then blending them. I also eat some dried banana chips. It’s not that difficult of a day, very dull, and if you hate bananas, I feel sorry for you, hun.
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 made turkey sausage patties for breakfast, topped with tomatoes. I had grilled chicken topped with tomatoes seasoned with salt, basil, pepper, and cabbage soup for lunch. I had more wonder soup for dinner, but I added turkey breakfast sausage and more tomatoes. Very filling. I got tired of the soup on this day. Ugh!!
Day 6- Today, it’s protein and veggies- Unlike yesterday, you can have other vegetables besides tomatoes. I had turkey sausage and roasted veggies for breakfast. I had a stir-fry with chicken and veggies for lunch, so good. I had spaghetti squash with tomato sauce and ground turkey for dinner. Spaghetti squash is off-limits (starchy), but I had to have it! Today was the best! I didn’t have any cabbage soup today because I was feeling over the cabbage.
Day 7- Today, it’s just fruits, vegetables, and juices. Booo!!!!! I hated today. I wanted more meat. Thank God it’s 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, super hungry! I make a huge fruit and veggie smoothie using spinach, apples, oranges, grapes, and water for breakfast. It was so divine and sweet! Kept me full until it was time for lunch! For lunch, I do a large salad, cabbage soup, and watermelon slushy. For dinner, I do another riced cauliflower stir fry with roasted veggies. I snack on baked cinnamon apples and cantaloupe.
Day 8- 10lbs down this morning, and I can see it!! My tummy is nice and flat, my face looks much slimmer, and my husband notices my weight loss. He’s not happy that my booty looks smaller. Neither am I! My fingers are thinner, and my wedding ring fits differently. Today I paced myself with food and will do so for the next week while on vacation: no sugary foods or bad carbs. I continue with a diet full of fruits, veggies, and lean meats. I’ve incorporated eggs, oatmeal, and whole-grain pasta. Honey and stevia make excellent sweeteners. My calorie intake is now at its recommended level for healthy weight-loss w/with exercise. I FEEL GREAT!!
Don’t Mess Up Your Beautiful Results!!!
Here are some of my favorite delicious and healthy snack recipes!
Italian Herb Baked Spinach Chips recipe
Healthy Ice-cream Sandwich Recipe (Strawberry Banana)
Healthy no-bake granola energy bites recipe. (Peanut-butter and chocolate)
HELPFUL CABBAGE SOUP DIET PRODUCTS
7-Day Cabbage Soup Diet FAQ
(Always talk to your doctor BEFORE starting a low-calorie diet such as this)
Here are a few frequently asked questions about the 7-day cabbage soup diet
I don’t eat what’s recommended. Can I substitute it with other foods? I don’t know because I’ve only replaced the water in the cabbage soup for chicken broth. Other than that, I follow the plan with a few cheats here and there. : ) There’s only one way to find out; try it and see!! And be sure to come back and let us all know how it worked out!
Can you drink coffee on the cabbage soup diet? You’re only supposed to drink water, black coffee, or unsweetened herbal tea. I cheated with a tiny bit of coffee with cream a few times to avoid a headache.
I loved my results. Can I do this beyond seven days? It’s not recommended. Your body will start to hold on to weight if you cut it’s calories too much for an extended period. You’ll have better weight loss results if you complete this diet and then start on a balanced, healthy diet for your size while eliminating bad carbs and refined sugars.
Can I exercise on the cabbage soup diet? Not recommended. Your calories are minimal on the cabbage soup diet. Do not work out for the seven days while on this plan or a few days afterward. Contact your doctor before and after starting this diet if you need help figuring out the best plan for you.
I feel so tired of this diet, help! This diet may not be for you, especially if your days are high energy. The cabbage soup diet has low calories. Eat as much cabbage soup as you would like to keep your stamina up and drink plenty of water. If I start to feel sluggish, I cheat and have a baked sweet potato, a protein shake, or some juice.
I gained all my weight back shortly after completing this diet? 7-day diets work to eliminate mainly water weight, which is why the results are so quick. Be sure to continue drinking lots of water after the diet. If you stop with the water intake, your body will start to hold on to fluids again.
Pace yourself after the diet and eat small, frequent portions of fruits, veggies, and proteins: no refined sugars and bad carbs. Don’t stuff yourself either. Start with a balanced eating plan or lifestyle that will support average weight loss along with exercise. 7-day diets are mainly useful for cleanses, quick water weight loss, and pre-diet boosts.
Get the Recipe: 7-Day Diet Weight Loss Soup (Wonder Soup)
Ingredients
- 1/2 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
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- few shakes of black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
Instructions
- 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 and cook until fragrant.
- Pour in chicken broth.
- Stir in tomatoes and cabbage.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.
- 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!
Video
Notes
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.
Wanna Check Out More Diets & Cleanses I’ve Tried & Reviewed
10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse Review
Green Smoothie Diet
Sweet Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Drink
Looking for delicious healthy recipes? Check out my full collection here!
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Thanks for the tasty soup recipe. It certainly was flavourful enough to keep me going. One tip for the banana and milk day…..I mixed bananas with cultured coconut milk and then froze it to make a treat. I try not to eat dairy hence the coconut but certainly using yogurt would result in the same treat! Delicious and it really made me feel like I was cheating! One tip…..if you do this then make sure that while it freezes you stir every half hour so that it doesn’t crystallize.
I had a bag of cabbage left over from a recipe and didn’t want to waste it. So I googled cabbage soup (I have fond memories of the soup my grandmother made) and found all these sites about the cabbage soup diet. I really liked what Diva said about each day and thought I’d try it.
I have made drastic lifestyle eating changes over the last 6 months by following the New Sonoma diet, also called the Mediterranean diet. But I have been stuck at a 15-20# weight lose for a very long time now. Yes, I have been cheating but I have not been able to keep myself out of the garbage drawer and limit my portions. I am now on day 2 of the cabbage diet and so far I have had no issues. I am not hungry and I especially love the idea that I can eat whenever I am hungry. My husband LOVES the soup so it only lasted for 4 meals. I always use fresh herbs in my cooking thanks to the Sonoma diet and the flavor of the soup is outstanding. Most other diets limit the eating of fruits, which I love, so
day 1 was a real treat.
So I found similar recipes on other sites….ncan I use fresh tomatoes instead of sodium loadad processed stewed or canned tomatoes??
I am loving this diet! I’m on day 3 and already down 7 pounds! I started at 169 lbs 5’7. And I am so happy with the results… I did forget to eat my potato on day 2 and on day 3 I am completely drained… but I sneaked in a yogurt and instantly got some energy back, then some soup and I am good.
I can already see results and it makes me soo happy… The only thing I did different in my soup was use garlic powder instead of actual garlic and I seasoned with lemon pepper. Everything else was the same.. I love this soup so much I made double the recipe and I ran out on lunch of day 3. Gotta make some more! You can really eat as much soup as you like!
Can’t wait to see how much weight I lose! Miami Vacation coming next month!
My friend did tell me that this diet basically is just getting rid of water weight so I wonder how long this diet will stay effective.
I’m down 14 pounds! I must have been eating really unhealthy! LOL I’m gonna extend the diet until the weekend and then take a break.
BEST DIET EVER!
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 🙂
Good Job Mary!
I’m so excited for you and your journey. And I agree, if we finally set our minds to being healthy and make a few habits its much easier than everyone imagines. I did great eating healthy and working out in january. February has been a slow start so i need to get back on track so I will make this soup tomorrow and hit the gym!
Good luck to everyone.
Be happy, and be beautiful you!
Loved reading your story… I to was almost 170 a yr ago and now I have been eating healthy but I really got off track at Xmas with my 5 grandkids here, I went all out… so I have been trying NOT to crave the sweets and eat too much fruits to stay within my calorie allowance. I am 60 yrs young lol and 5’3″ I would love to keep in touch with you to see how you are doing and maybe help each other out with ideas and suggestions and maybe just for inspirtation and enouragement… looking forward to hearing from you.. tomorrow I am going to go out and buy all I need to make this soup.. I will double the recipe to last 7 days. thanks
Val
Hi Mary! I read your post regarding the cabbage soup diet. You stated that you would post an update. Well, If you have I am unable to locate it and if not can you please do so? Your age and body type is a lot like mine and I am carious about the effectiveness of that wonderful soup.
I look forward to your reply!
Sincerely,
Venus
@Bolivia how did it turn out after the 7 days? How much weight did you lose? I’m on day 1 for the 2nd time. I want kfc real bad and I never craved it before
OMG!! you sound so much like me!! You motivate me to start this diet, I”ve been putting it off cause I havent got the ingridients yet. but will definetly will and keep you guys posted on my progress.
I did make the soup today and such great colors and it really taste good.