How To Lose Weight on the Grapefruit Diet

The grapefruit diet is a very popular diet plan that has been around for a long time because it allows dieters to lose weight quickly. It is one of the more popular fad diets still around until today. According to the plan, the grapefruit diet works because a component in the fruit triggers a thermogenic or fat burning reaction on the body when it is eaten with a protein. In reality, the weight loss one gain from the grapefruit diet is due to a loss in body fluids rather than fat.

If you need to lose weight fast, here’s how to do it on the grapefruit diet.

• Cut back on the calories. The grapefruit diet consists of very low calorie and low carbohydrate meal plans. Like the Atkins diet, it is high in protein.
• Eat only the foods allowed on the plan. The grapefruit diet is very selective about what you can eat. You cannot eat foods that are high in carbohydrates and too much starch or sugar. If a dish is not on the approved list, pass it up. Examples of things you can eat on the plan are eggs, bacon, beans, corn, fish, meat, vegetables and grapefruit. If you are having grapefruit juice, do not add sugar or consume the unsweetened kind. With each meal, you must eat half a grapefruit. However, you can eat as much meat and use as much salad dressing as you want.
• Eat half a grapefruit at the end of each meal. Grapefruits are an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber. As the name of the diet plan implies, you need to make grapefruit a staple in your diet if you want to lose weight with this plan. Have a steady supply of fresh grapefruit since you will consume at least half a grapefruit at each meal. The theory behind the plan is that the grapefruit may help reduce insulin levels and help you think you are full so you will eat less at each meal.
• Increase your water intake. You need to drink a lot of water throughout the day, 64 ounces to be exact. You can also have coffee, but without cream and sugar. Soda, alcohol and other beverages are not allowed on the plan.
• Snack only after dinner. Snacking during the day is not allowed so you need to stick to the meal plans. If you want to snack, you can only do so after dinner. Also, your snacks must be on the approved list of things to eat.
• Monitor the weight loss. Dieters say you can lose as much as ten pounds during the first twelve days on the diet. However, doctors and health experts say that you shouldn’t lose more than two to three pounds a week to safely lose weight.

Learn more about the grapefruit diet by doing your research on the Internet or reading books. Talk to your doctor about your interest in doing this plan if it is something you want to try out. As with any diet program, it is more effective if you include some exercise in your day.