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If there is one way to lose weight and lead a healthy lifestyle then fruits come second to none. Not just any fruits but a selected few. Grapefruits are lauded to be among the healthiest. That is why the grapefruit diet holds a popular spot when it comes to weight loss. Held in the same regard is the grapefruit juice diet, which is equally as effective. So if you were wondering on grapefruit diet weight loss you will get your answers. This post will also explore grapefruit diet results as well as grapefruit diet reviews.
What is the grapefruit diet?
The grapefruits diet is not new to the world. In fact it can be traced back to 1930s (that’s when it became popular among the masses) but it was there way before this time. The diet revolves around grapefruit, which to many is believed to have a “magical” edge in weight loss. It has to be accompanied with loads of proteins, theoretically said to trigger the process of fat burning, for the grapefruit diet to be effective. In a nutshell, this diet can be precisely summarized as high-protein and low-carb diet approach.
The grapefruit diet does not use a single approach to weight loss. That is why there are various versions of it. Some allow consumption of other foods to certain amounts, while others only stick to the only grape fruit dieting. A good example is the grapefruit juice diet, which will require you to rely on the juice only. In all the versions of the grapefruit diet you are encouraged to take other varieties of foods for breakfast, lunch and supper. It is advisable you drink lots of water and for a change you can turn to black coffee as an alternative.
In overall, the grapefruit diet restricts the daily intake of calories to 800. However, this is way below the daily expectation of calorie intake of 2,500 and 2,000 for men and women respectively. As such, nutritionists and dietitians do not recommend this to be a safe way to lose weight.
A sample for grapefruit dieting plan
Now that you know what the grapefruit diet is, you would also wish to know a plan that you can follow (that’s if you are interested to lose weight this way). Here is a simple meal plan that you can follow (it does not have to be exactly as it is here. You can juggle the options);
· Grapefruit diet breakfast: a glass of grapefruit juice or if you prefer the fruit you can have half a piece, bacon slices (2) and eggs (2). You should take all this down with a glass of black coffee or black tea.
· Grapefruit diet lunch: take meat to your fill, heap of salad with salad dressing; take it down with a glass of grapefruit juice or a half the fruit.
· Grapefruit diet supper: Green vegetables (or the red kind). But avoid the starch laden kinds such as beans, sweet potatoes and peas; adequate fish or your favorite choice of meat; less than half glass of grapefruit juice or half piece of the fruit.
· Bed time grapefruit snack: skimmed milk makes a perfect choice. One glass is all you need.
Mark you! The grapefruit diet plan allows you to have as much butter as you want but you have to stay away from bread and other high carb options. For salad and dressing you do not have any limitations whatsoever. It is highly advisable that you cook your own meals so as to monitor the amount of calories. For the cooking methods you are at liberty to use any, even frying is allowed. If you prefer grapefruit juice instead of the whole fruit ensure that you have it unsweetened to cut down the sugar level. You should as well take 8 glasses of water each day. As long as you play by the stated rules and stick to only what you have to eat, this will be your best weight loss diet.
Grapefruit juice diet
The grapefruit juice diet is one of the versions you can go for if this is your choice of diet. On its own it comes with 2 major variations. One is exclusively relying on the juice without taking any other kind of food. The only addition you can have is water. This is a strict and aggressive approach to weight loss but does more damage than good to your health. The second variation is where you can have the juice in the company of other foods. This one is the most recommended version. What this means is that you are free to follow your low-carb diet and incorporate the grapefruit juice in your eating plan.
The grapefruit juice diet requires you to take it 20 minutes before your main meals. In an experiment done on the same, participants who followed this juice diet for a week lost 7% of their weight in a period of 2 weeks. The principle behind this success is that you are taking between 20-29% less of calories in your daily meals. You will be fuller for long and reduce any chances of overeating. For better results you should go for unsweetened juice. This reduces the amount of sugar you will be taking each day.
Grapefruit diet weight loss
There is so much hype about how grapefruit diet is the best choice in losing weight. Well, there is truth in this but you need to have an objective review of what really happens with this diet. Such will be by answering the question whether grapefruit diet weight loss is true or just another way to introduce people into vain attempt to lose weight. Yes and no you will lose weight with grapefruits. Yes because once you begin on this diet, your water weight will be lost. This is what many people confuse with losing fat. No because you will not lose any fat weight. Grapefruits do not have fat burning capabilities. Not unless they are accompanied with other diets known for fat burning.
But this should not put your efforts to lose weight with grapefruit diet into a limbo. You can add on other foods to your grapefruits and that would give you the results you are looking for. A good example is the grapefruit diet plan sample given in this article.
Grapefruit diet results
The desire to get results from weight loss diets is extremely blinding. There are those who jump into the first opportunity once they hear of a diet only to be disappointed with the results. I would not want you to get the same when it comes to grapefruit diet or with one of its versions. For your heads up, here are grapefruit diet results;
· Weight loss: for this one, we have to be categorical on what weight you will be losing. It is the fluid weight which will be lost. This is not fat weight as many would like to think. Grapefruits do not have any fat burning powers. You will have to enroll into other weight loss diets if you want to lose actual weight.
· Enhanced lean muscles: since you are not limited on protein intake, your lean muscles will be at a better chance to be preserved.
· Less eating: grapefruits or the juice are good choices to keep your stomach full for long. You will be able to stay without eating for long. This is good for anyone who wants to eat the right and healthy meals at all times.
· Headaches and fatigue: taking less or no carbohydrates at all leaves your body energy at critical levels. You will get headaches and feel tired even after doing normal house chores.
Grapefruit diet reviews
There are so many opinions and insights about the grapefruit diet. Some are from those who have had a taste of the diet while others are from real experts who have done countless experiments. To give an objective analysis, here are grapefruits diet reviews;
1. The British Nutrition Foundation has earned a respectable place in the niche of weight loss diet. On grapefruit diet, the foundation experts say this is a low calorie, low carb and high protein diet; which mathematically is a good option for effective weight loss. However, they sound a warning to those who may rush into this diet without a second thought. Taking 800 calories a day leads to a great deficiency and would have far reaching consequences to your health. Another pitfall pointed out by the foundation is the fact that you will not be losing fat weight but instead you will shed your fluid mass.
2. Kathleen Zelman once again gives her opinion on whether the grapefruit diet is all that it is said to be. She will disappoint you if you thought this as the silver bullet to burning fats. No, grapefruits do not burn fat. They only enhance the reduction of water weight, which you will gain back once you are off the diet. She says that that grapefruit and its juice only helps you feel fuller for long and you will eat less. For you to lose weight, she says, you have to accompany the diet with other appropriate diets as well as engage in physical exercise. That is true because researchers have found that there is no single diet that can give optimum weight.
3. Healthline is a renowned online resource for general and specific health topics. On the grapefruit diet, the site is categorical that there are no magical fat burning powers in grapefruits. It agrees with other reviews in this post and elsewhere that you only get to lose water weight by eating less and feeling full for longer. It continues to say that the strict diet variation of the grapefruit are not recommendable and would be disastrous for a long term commitment.
Pros of the grapefruit diet
· Grapefruits contain lots of good nutrients. It is touted as one of the best fruits for anyone looking to lose weight and lead a healthy lifestyle.
· The diet is flexible. With some of the version you can bring on foods you like. A good example is where you can eat what you want for 2 days and then get back to the diet.
· It is relatively cheaper. You only need your grocery budget and you are good to go. Moreover, it is an easy to follow diet and staying on course will not demand so much from you (especially if you are including other foods to you meals).
· You will have a limitless access to proteins. Proteins are good for weight loss and they take good care of your lean muscles. Your body will be left in shape even after you lose weight.
Pitfalls of the grapefruit diet
· Grossly cutting off carbohydrates from your diet is not good at all. You will need them to keep your body supplied with energy. But the grapefruit diet (the strict versions) cut them all.
· The amount of daily calorie intake is way too low. A less strict diet plan with calories would be better for a healthy weight loss program.
· You are allowed to take as much as you want of black coffee and tea. This is too much caffeine and it is known that high amounts of caffeine are not good for your health.
Final opinion on the diet
The desperate need to lose weight has driven people into extreme means of achieving results. Going for a diet that will do more harm to your health in the name of losing weight is not good at all. The grapefruit diet is not a bad approach to lose weight. But the negative side comes when you have to reduce your carbs and calories to dangerously low quotas. The body requires a threshold amount of each type of food. Taking more of one and nearly none of the other will be harmful to your body both physically and mentally.
So, should you go for the grapefruit diet or it versions like the grapefruit juice diet? I would not have a conclusive answer for you. But from the understanding of how body and nutrition works: you should not go for anything that puts your body at risk. If you decide to go for the diet, go for the options that allow you to have substantial amounts of each of the crucial food types. The final decision is yours but you have been duly guided on how to make the right choice.
