How Long Can I Stay on the Cabbage Soup Diet?

I have done a lot of research about this diet over the past couple of weeks. (I'm on day 5 now) Many alter the diet and some stay on it for a two week period instead of one.

Today, I called my doctor and his concern about the diet is nutrition and that vitamins are essential if eating only the foods allowed on the diet. He also said that the diet should NOT be continued after one week because it is a diet designed for temporary quick water loss and nothing more. He even said that this diet could be harmful if overused beyond the one week. He also expressed concern that I was on it in the first place until I explained I was using it for more of a detox prior to a follow-up diet. He stressed the importance of stopping it after the one week.

He said the only weight I would lose is water weight as it is not a fat burning diet. He said it is a semi-starvation diet and the body needs more nutrition to be healthy and to burn calories! He said "you need calories to burn calories and that means being patient and eating proper portions and exercise of balanced, nutritious foods." He asked me if I have been feeling lightheaded and when I said yes he warned me not to push the envelope.

He wanted me to come in for a check up but after I told him that I was having some chicken today and the soup and tomatoes he conceded and made me promise that I would return to a diet with more balanced nutrition.

I am continuing to the end, but will also include a leafy salad everyday from here on out and a few other things. It may take more time to drop a few pounds but overall, I'm doing the diet as a way to detoxify before going into a better healthier way of eating which was always the goal....long term health and to shrink my hunger a little using this diet. I sure wish there was a magic wand but there just isn't!

By Chubby