Grapefruit Diet Plan For Weight Loss

The grapefruit diet is not a myth. That’s what a new study by the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center at Scripps Clinic confirmed. Researchers there found that the simple act of adding grapefruit and grapefruit juice to one’s diet can result in weight loss.

The 12-week pilot study, led by Dr. Ken Fujioka, monitored weight and metabolic factors, such as insulin secretion, of the 100 men and women who participated in the Scripps Clinic ‘Grapefruit Diet’ study.

Health Benefits

Grapefruit is an excellent source of vitamin C. Pink and red grapefruit are good sources of disease-fighting beta-carotene. If you peel and eat a grapefruit like you would an orange, you get a good dose of cholesterol-lowering pectin from the membranes the same soluble fiber that fills you up by dissolving in water and creating gels. As a member of the citrus family, grapefruit is also a storehouse of powerful phytochemicals such as flavonoids, terpenes, and limonoids. These naturally occurring substances may have cancer-preventing properties.

Pink grapefruit contain a carotenoid called lycopene. Lycopene helps protect cell membranes and may suppress tumor growth, especially prostate tumors.

How To Make The Grapefruit Diet Work For You

Obviously as with any diet we have to cut back on our calories, dropping our intake to around 800 per day. So other than the grapefruit we need to avoid or cut down the amount we eat of the usual foods we eat pretty drastically.

As a general rule 1/2 a grapefruit should be eaten before every meal, you will still be eating 3 meals a day but due to the low calorie intake these meals should be small and lean.

As with all diets perseverance is the key, so try to stay on this diet for at least 12 days and avoid snacking. If you feel the need to snack why not try the “cookie diet” which lets you eat specially made cookies while dieting, or check out the fad diet called “snacking the right way”.

Simple Meal Plans

There are a whole lot of variations out there but I have listed one for each meal to give you the idea.

Breakfast

1/2 grapefruit
2 eggs – boiled or scrambled [use fat free milk or water]
1 slice of toast [wholewheat]
pat of butter to lightly butter the toast
or a little jam – not both.

Lunch

1/2 a grapefruit
3 ounces of chicken, turkey or fish – not fried but grilled or steamed.
A small salad with a little dash of fat free salad dressing

Dinner

1/2 grapefruit
3 ounces of lean meat like chicken, turkey or fish [not fried]
a small salad with a dash of fat free dressing.

Remember to drink a lot more water during this time as not only will it help the hunger pangs but it is also good for you. Avoid all alcohol as they tend to have empty calories. Fizzy drinks are also a big NO!

This diet lasts for 12 days and should never be continued for more than this unless you have eaten normally for at least 4 days. You body will tend to lack in some vital vitamins, proteins and nutrients during this time and this could be detrimental to your health if you just continue with the diet with out a break in between, a good rule here is to take some multi-vitamins during this period.

Considered a fad diet, this diet can be potentially harmful to the person who does try it in a attempt to lose those extra pounds as it could aggravate certain medical conditions. Seek the advice of your doctor before starting this diet if you have any underlying medical problems.

As with all the diets around – remember to persevere, exercise and be above all be patient!