One of the popular fad diets in Hollywood was the grapefruit diet. It dates back to the 1930s, and many Hollywood stars of the time swore by it. It remained popular until the mid-1970s, when it became one of the diets that was sent from fax machine to fax machine, creating a phenomenon known as xerox lore. The diet is credited to the Mayo Clinic, which clearly states that it has nothing to do with the diet and that this diet is not healthy.
Originally the grapefruit diet was an Atkins style diet that added one half grapefruit before each meal. There was no cheating on this diet only three meals a day and no in between meals snacks. The diet made astounding claims such as lose a pound each day for 10 days.
The distribution was just as far fetched no weight loss for four days then five pounds lost all on the fifth day. It was based on the claim that grapefruit contains some form of fat burning enzymes, something that has never been proven medically.
In 2004 a scientific study determined that it is possible that the grapefruit diet helps people lose weight. 1/2 grapefruit with each meal helped people lose 3.6 pounds in only 12 weeks. Those who drank the serving of grapefruit juice at each meal lost just slightly less weight in the same period of time. Some people lost as much as 10 pounds in the 12 week study.
Researchers credited the weight loss to decreased insulin levels caused by eating the grapefruit. But the study didn’t limit people to just diet, they also exercised more which may have resulted in the weight loss.
The grapefruit diet works like this:
- Drink eight servings of water a day. – Stop eating when you feel full. – Eat all the listed foods at each meal, don’t skip food as it interferes with fat burning. – The catalyst to the whole process is grapefruit, so don’t cut it. – Drink only up to 1 cup of coffee at meals. – No snacking before or after meals. – You can have Butter that is OK. – No starches or sweets can be eaten. – Meat and vegetables are fine. – It’s important to eat into you’re full because the more you eat the more you will lose. – Skip two days between each 12 day diet period. – Eat one half grapefruit, or drink 18 ounce glass of grapefruit, at each meal time.
If this seems like an easy diet to maintain then the grapefruit diet may be for you.
