Grapefruit For Weight Loss? Slim Down Using Grapefruit Diet

The grapefruit diet also is known as ‘the Hollywood diet’ that has helped people lose over 10 pounds a week. This diet is quite easy to follow. It involves eating grapefruit or drinking juice before every meal.

Grapefruit is a filling, but low-calorie, snack. Between the tart taste and the time it takes to peel them, you can’t mindlessly munch your way through several hundred calories’ worths of grapefruit the way you might with other snacks. This undoubtedly makes it a healthy snack option to include in your diet.

However, this fruit by itself cannot help you lose weight. Some food components go along with it in order to get the results you’d like to see. In order to lose up to 10 pounds in a week, you will need to follow this diet with the meals recommended to go with it.

What Is The Grapefruit Diet?

Unlike other diets, the grapefruit diet is not as restrictive. A restrictive diet is a harder one to follow. The diet calls for a protein-rich meal plan that incorporates a grapefruit or grapefruit juice at every meal. Not so bad right?

Grapefruit helps in this diet for its fat-burning elements. A 2006 research revealed that eating grapefruit could lower blood sugar and, in some cases, lead to weight loss. 15 candidates who ate half a grapefruit before meals for 12 weeks lost more weight than a non-grapefruit-eating control group.

This was how the grapefruit diet became much more popular; when a diet is science-backed and approved.

What Do You Eat On The Grapefruit Diet

There are many versions of directions for this diet, though many versions call for it last no longer from 2 to 3 weeks.

One main principle for this diet is that every version has to be low in carbohydrates and calories but high in protein. In some versions, the diet calls for eating no more than 800 calories per day.

Generally, people following the grapefruit diet can prepare their foods however they like, including with spices, salad dressings, or butter. This is a great advantage of this diet because it keeps your food delicious tasting. Diets with blad tasting food do not last very long.

Foods allowed in this diet are;

• Grapefruit
• Vegetables
• Meat and Poultry
• Eggs
• Bacon

Foods to avoid in this diet are;

• Other fruits
• All grains, starches, and sugars
• Beverages other than coffee, tea, or water
• Dairy products

Sample Menu Plan

Breakfast: two boiled eggs, two slices of bacon, and 1/2 grapefruit or 8 ounces of grapefruit juice

Lunch: salad with dressing, any meat in any amount, and 1/2 grapefruit or 8 ounces of grapefruit juice

Dinner: any kind of meat prepared any way, salad or red and green vegetables, coffee or tea, and 1/2 grapefruit or 8 ounces of grapefruit juice

What Snacks Can You Eat On The Grapefruit Diet

Snack is only permitted after dinner while following this diet. Some people recommend 8 ounces of skimmed milk at bedtime but you can also get creative with it. You just have to make sure you eat what is recommended only and avoid others. Oven-baked kale chips and other vegetable chips like carrots and parsnips are good options too.

Is It Safe?

This is not the safest diet out there because it is restricted against healthy fats, carbohydrates, and some vitamins and minerals that are important for you. Although you can lose great weight on this diet, it is advised not to follow it for longer than 2 weeks.

Also, if you take any medications, you should be aware that grapefruits may cause some counter-interactions. It is advised you speak to your doctor before starting any type of diet as it may not be right for you.

Final Thoughts

Food plan: Consume fresh grapefruit or grapefruit juice before eating. Remove all grains, starches, and sugars, including all other fruits other than grapefruit.

Recommended Duration: 10 days to two weeks.

Safety: This diet is too restrictive to be considered safe for long term weight loss, and grapefruit can interfere with many commonly used medications.

Effectiveness: It’s possible to lose weight on the grapefruit diet due to the severe calorie restriction. A better, more sustainable option would be to eat a healthy diet that includes grapefruit (if it is safe for you) as part of a sustainable weight-loss plan.