Grapefruit Diet

The Grapefruit Diet was designed to jumpstart a weight loss program and to help dieters lose the largest amount of weight in the shortest amount of time. The low calorie, fat free and vitamin C enriched diet is based on the consumption of grapefruit and/or grapefruit juice. The grapefruit is intended to enhance the fat burning process and accelerate weight loss. Pink grapefruit introduce beta-carotene, which helps to reduce cholesterol levels and build a healthy heart.

The 12-day diet plan includes a complete menu for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack. The snack consists of 1 glass of skim milk. Grapefruit or grapefruit juice is included with each of the meals. The menu provides two lists - a list of foods to choose from and a list of prohibited foods. The diet limits calorie consumption to between 800 and 1200 calories per day. Proponents of the Grapefruit diet claim that strictly following the diet can result in the loss of up to 10 pounds in the first 12 days.

The Nitty Gritty on the Grapefruit Diet

The effectiveness of the diet plan is dependent upon how well the dieter adheres to the following rules:

• Drink eight 8 oz. glasses of water daily (64 oz. total per day).
• At any meal, eat until you are full.
• Eat the minimum listed at each meal.
• Do not eliminate anything from the diet. In particular, the bacon at breakfast and the salads. The combinations of food propose to burn fat; omitting one part of the combination interrupts the process.
• Do not add or reduce the amount of grapefruit or grapefruit juice. Grapefruit is the catalyst that puts the fat burning process in motion.
• Limit coffee to a maximum of 1 cup per day. Coffee affects the insulin balance and hinders the burning process.
• Do not eat between meals
• Fry food in butter and use butter generously on vegetables.
• Do not eat desserts, breads, white vegetables or sweet potatoes.
• Double or triple helpings of meat, salad or vegetables.
• Eat until you are stuffed. The more you eat the more weight you will lose.
• Stay on the diet 12 days, then stop the diet for 2 days and repeat for another 12 days.

Who created the Grapefruit Diet?

The Grapefruit Diet was first introduced in the1930.s, as the Hollywood Diet, by Kelly D. Brownell, PhD. A professor of psychology at Yale University, Dr. Brownell, also serves as professor of epidemiology and public health as well as director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders.

There are many variations of the Grapefruit Diet, which is based on the presumption that grapefruit contain special fat-burning enzymes. However, there is no scientific basis to the claim. The low calorie diet allows for one to burn far more calories than are consumed, thus inevitable weight loss.

Medical Studies

Paul Costanzo, Center for Psychiatry and Weight Management, indicates that no systematic clinical studies exist to back up the claims made by the author of the Grapefruit Diet.

Cautionary Notes

Because the diet does not require a change in eating habits, the crash-diet effect leads the body to believe that it is being starved, which slows down metabolism. These combined factors can lead to long-term weight gain rather than weight loss.