Diets have been around for years, it keeps evolving, and people are finding different ways to help them lose weight. We have diets that can be taken as a supplement, vegetable diet, and believe fruits alone can also help you lose weight? I’m skeptical about this, so that’s why I’m keeping tabs on the Grapefruit Diet.
The grapefruit diet has been crazed nowadays and is also dubbed as the “Hollywood Diet”. According to its proponents, it can help burn fat, leading to weight loss in just 12 days. How amazing is that?
In this article, we will find out if the grapefruit diet is as effective as its supporters claimed to be. We will get to know what the diet is, its effectiveness, how it will help you lose weight, its benefits, and any side effects that can harm your health.
By the end of this article, you will find out if you can give the grapefruit diet a try!
What Is The Grapefruit Diet?
The grapefruit diet has been around since the 1930s and has evolved ever since creation because of the many variations that it has now. It is one of the quick diets because you can lose up to 10 pounds for 12 days.
The diet is not a single diet where you can only eat just one kind for a week. It consists of much more than the grapefruit itself because it incorporates the fruits in every protein-rich meal plan. The meal plan of the diet is strict and can give you 800 to 1000 calories a day.
The grapefruit diet can help you lose weight because of the fat-burning enzymes that the fruit has. You don’t need to engage in physical, intense activities for you to lose weight.
Why Use a Grapefruit Diet?
The grapefruit diet is good if you want to lose weight for a short period as it can help you burn fat for just a matter of 10 days. It revolves around grapefruits which is known to be rich in enzymes that have fat-burning capabilities.
Grapefruit is also known as a magical ingredient because it can trigger fat burning and weight loss if you eat it with protein. It can promote weight loss, but you can lose fluids rather than fats, so the weight you lost will return once you go back to your regular diet.
The grapefruit diet is good, and you can take it to the next level by eating it with protein and antioxidant-rich vegetables that can boost the body’s metabolism. It can also soothe inflammation that is linked to slow your metabolism.
How To Do The Grapefruit Diet
There are different versions of the grapefruits diet, but many use the version that could last up to two to three weeks. No matter how long the other versions, everyone has the same focal point: all of them are low in carbohydrates and calories but should be high in protein.
The grapefruit diet will give you about 800 calories per day, and you can prepare your food however you like, and you can even include some dressings, spices etc.
What To Eat
The Grapefruit Diet is required to eat 4 meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack at bedtime. You are also encouraged to drink a lot of water throughout the day and can drink black coffee.
If you are curious about a daily meal plan for a Grapefruit diet, here is one example that you can copy.
Grapefruit Diet Meal Plan
Breakfast
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Two eggs
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Two slices of bacon
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A cup of black coffee
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One half of grapefruit or eight ounces of grapefruit juice
Lunch
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Salad with your choice of dressing
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Meat (unlimited)
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One half of grapefruit or eight ounces of grape juice
Dinner
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Any red or green vegetables (avoid starchy vegetables)
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Meat or fish (unlimited)
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One half of grapefruit or eight ounces of grapefruit juice
Bedtime Snack
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Eight ounces of skim milk
In preparing your grapefruit diet meal plan, you should take note of the following:
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You can use any dressing you like for your salad
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You can prepare any method for your food, and it includes frying
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The grapefruit juice that you prepared should be unsweetened
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Food and beverages not in the diet plan is not allowed
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You can only have one snack, which is after dinner
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You need to drink plenty of water, about sixty-four ounces a day
How Does Grapefruit Diet Works
The Grapefruit Diet is a diet that is low in calories and carbohydrates and has moderate protein. It will give you around 800 to 1,000 calories per day that will help you lose weight. With the diet plan, you will lose weight with or without the grapefruit.
There are still no scientific studies that can back up why grapefruit enzymes can help you burn fat and why it is on the grapefruit alone and not in the other citrus fruits. A study thought that including grapefruits in your meals can reduce insulin levels that can promote weight loss. It can also help enhance physical activity that can help you lose weight.
Consuming grapefruit is nutritious because it has vitamin C and fiber that is a component you need for a fat burner. It is a low-calorie fruit that you can enjoy eating without worrying you’ll gain weight.
Benefits Of Grapefruit Diet
The Grapefruit Diet has a lot of good benefits that can help your overall health.
Grapefruit Is Nutritious
If you add grapefruits to your everyday meal, it will help your health because they will be good for weight loss. It contains plenty of vitamin C and has over 60% of your daily recommended intake. As you know, vitamins have antioxidant properties that can strengthen your immune system.
Grapefruit Can Help Burn Fat
Grapefruits are rich in fiber, and the daily consumption of it means your magnesium, potassium can improve your diet. However, more studies are needed to prove if it can burn fat.
Can Help You Feel Fuller
The grapefruit diet will give you about 800-1000 calories. The count could be below for your daily calorie intake, but it won’t make you feel hungry because of the grapefruit because it will make you feel fuller and won’t feel any hunger pangs.
Side Effects Of Grapefruit Diet
The Grapefruit Diet can help you lose weight, but there are some side effects that you should be aware of and can be unhealthy.
Only Temporary
The diet is temporary and would not be a good plan for the long term. You will eventually gain back the weight you lost during the weeks you have been taking the diet.
Health Drawbacks
The diet can be unhealthy for your body because of the low-calorie content that you are getting daily. You may lose weight, but it won’t be healthy for your body as it can weaken your bones, lower your metabolism, and cause weakness and fatigue. You can also have nutrient deficiencies and lose your muscles.
Limitations
The diet is very restricted when it comes to its meal plans and you can get bored eating the same thing every day. It doesn’t have many varieties that will make you stick to your diet plan.
How Safe Is the Grapefruit Diet?
Grapefruit is considered safe and can help your balanced diet, but the fruit can interfere with some medications. If you are using the following medications, you need to consult your doctor before you get through with the grapefruit diet.
Here are the following medications that grapefruit can interfere to:
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Simvastatin
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Atorvastatin
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Nifedipine
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Cyclosporine
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Buspirone
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Amiodarone
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Fexofenadine
Grapefruit can slow the breakdown of medications into your gut and liver, increasing the side effects and can cause complications. It can also reduce the drug’s effectiveness.
Pros And Cons
Pros
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Can help with weight loss
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Can give you a balanced diet
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It can give you more vitamin C and fiber
Cons
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Only a temporary fix
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Can have unhealthy side effects
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Can cause weakness
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It lacks variety
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Some recommended food is high in saturated fats
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for a quick weight loss fix, then the Grapefruit diet is proper for you. It is popular in Hollywood because of how drastic weight loss it can give you. Imagine losing a lot of weight in just a few weeks. No wonder celebrities and influencers use this, especially if they are working on essential projects that require them to lose weight immediately.
The diet follows a strict diet plan that you can only eat and should be followed if you want to lose weight. The diet plan’s food is low calorie that can help you sustain energy throughout the day. The grapefruit itself included in the list will give you vitamin C and fiber to help you burn fat. However, I’m not too fond of the diet because you can quickly lose weight, but you can also quickly get it back again once you get back to your regular diet.
I would recommend the grapefruit diet for those who want a crash diet that they need. It could be for a wedding, a pictorial, or you want to fit in your bikini for the summer. As you read, it is not a good plan for the long term because it can have some side effects on your health which isn’t advisable for any health buff.
I hope this grapefruit diet review will help you decide if this is the proper diet for you.
