Sunday 25 May, 2008 at 10:52AM (Nereus)  ::  permalink  ::  comments (1)  ::  trackbacks (1)

This is a diet I've actually used, and as I wrote in a previous entry, it really worked. It uses a theory of 'negative calories', which basically means food that has such a low calorie count, that the energy used by your body to digest it is more than what the food itself provides. It centers around a vegetable soup that I have altered somewhat from the original recipe to give it more flavor, and in the process, slightly less calories (the original recipe worked out to around 71 calories per bowl of soup, my recipe cuts it down to around 53 calories, while still retaining all the important 'negative calorie' components). The good thing about it is that you don't have to starve - you can eat as much of the stuff as you like, as long as it's the right stuff.

The diet is in the form of a 7-day eating plan, which can be used as often as you like. If correctly followed, it will clean out your system of impurities and give you a feeling of well-being and energy. After 7 days of this process, you can lose 10 to 15lbs, depending on your initial weight. Of course you have to eat sensibly once you lose the weight too - watch your calorie intake each day and try to minimize things like candy bars, as they pack in a huge amount of calories for such a relatively small amount of food. It's a whole lifestyle change really, but it doesn't need to be drastic, and if you start gaining weight again, just go back on the diet for a few days. It's also a good idea to cut down on soda drinks - even though there are plenty of zero-calorie soft drinks on the market (I'm partial to diet coke), it's not so much the calories but the effect of the carbonated liquid that has a negative affect on dieting. The reason is that the little bubbles actually help your guts absorb the drink (and food already in there) much faster. Ever notice how drinking champagne gets people 'tiddly' in a shorter space of time than still wines? That's why - the carbonated liquid enables your body to absorb the alcohol into your bloodstream much faster. While some may say this is a good thing (and I wouldn't argue that point), it's not such a good thing when it comes to dieting. This diet specifically says not to drink any carbonated drinks whatsoever (even diet drinks) while on the 7-day plan, but I'll get to that later. First of all, here's the main component of the diet - the soup.

With the following ingredients, a can size is about 14.5oz / 411grams. I prefer low or no salt ingredients because salt raises blood pressure, and although I don't have high blood pressure, I don't particularly want to develop it. The stock cubes I use are larger than normal (each is about 6 grams), which is why I wrote ½ a cube - if you use standard stock cubes, use a whole one. The soy and worcestershire sauce amounts can be altered according to taste - I've been fairly conservative there, and probably use significantly more myself. You can also season with pepper and salt if you wish, but I think the two sauces cover the need for salt and pepper fairly well. The light cheese triangle segment I use is made by a company called 'Laughing Cow', and each wedge is about 21 grams and contains 35 calories. I use either their garlic and herb light cheese or the french onion light cheese - both taste nice even on their own. I use 'Poland' brand spring water as opposed to tap water because the quality of tap water here isn't the best, although I think spring water actually improves the taste too.

soup ingredients :

• 1/2 can stewed tomatoes (I use the type with no salt added)
• 1/2 can french style cut green beans (again, I use the type with no salt added)
• 3 large green onions (also known as spring onions, or scallions)
• 1 bunch of celery
• 1/3 lb baby carrots
• 1/2 medium green pepper (also known as capsicums)
• 1/2 large cube of chicken stock
• 1 triangle segment of light cheese
• 4+ tbsp worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins)
• 4+ tbsp soy sauce (I use the 'lite' soy sauce with less salt)
• spring water
• a pot that holds about 1 gallon (3.75 liters) or more of liquid - certainly no less.

soup instructions :

Dissolve the stock cube in a cup or so of boiling water at the bottom of the pot. Cut all the celery, carrots, green onions and green pepper into small to medium size pieces and then throw them in the pot, along with the stewed tomatoes and green beans. Add enough water to cover everything, then add the soy and worcestershire sauce. Chop the cheese into smaller chunks and toss it in, and then give the whole lot a good stirring to mix it all up. Put a lid on the pot (if you have a lid with a small steam vent, even better), bring the soup to the boil and keep it boiling for 10 minutes, then reduce to a slow simmer and continue to cook until the veggies are tender. Voila, the soup.

This will make a little shy of 1 gallon (3.75 liters) of soup, with a total of about 265 calories. With the bowls I use, this equates to about 5 bowls of soup, of 53 calories each. If you want a full-on break down of the nutritional content, here it is (this is for one whole pot of soup) :

7-day eating plan :

Now for the 7-day eating plan. During this period, the soup can be eaten any time you are hungry. Eat as much as you want, whenever you want - the more you eat, the better. If you're going to be away for the day, take a thermos of soup with you. At the very least, have three bowls of soup each day.

Permitted drinks :

• unsweetened juices
• tea (including herbal tea)
• black coffee
• cranberry juice
• skim milk
• water, water, and more water.

Day 1 :
Any fruit (except bananas) - cantaloupes and watermelon are lower in calories than most other fruits. East only soup and fruit today.
Day 2 :
All vegetables. East until you are stuffed with fresh raw, cooked or canned veggies. Try to eat green leafy veggies and stay away from dry beans, peas or corn. Eat veggies along with the soup. At dinner tonight, reward yourself with a big baked potato and butter. Don't eat any fruits through today.
Day 3 :
Eat all the soup, fruit and veggies you want. Do not have a baked potato. If you have eaten as above for 3 days and not cheated, you should find that you have lost 5-7 pounds.
Day 4 :
Bananas and skim milk - eat at least 3 bananas and drink as much milk as you can today, along with the soup. Bananas are high in calories and carbohydrates, as is the milk, but on this particular day you body will need the potassium, carbs, proteins and calcium to lessen the cravings for sweets.
Day 5 :
Beef and tomatoes - you may have 10 to 20 ounces of beef and a can of tomatoes, or as many as 6 tomatoes on this day. Eat the soup at least once today.
Day 6 :
Beef and veggies - eat to your hearts content of the beef and veggies today. You can even have 2-3 steaks if you like with green leafy veggies, but no baked potato. Be sure to eat the soup at least once today.
Day 7 :
Brown rice, unsweetened fruit juice and veggies. Again, be sure to stuff yourself and eat the soup. You can add cooked veggies to the rice if you wish.

By the end of the 7th day, if you have not cheated on this diet, you should have lost at least 10 pounds. If you have lost more than 15 pounds, stay off the diet for a couple of days before resuming again. This diet is fast, based on the principle of burning more calories than you take in. This diet does not lend itself to drinking any alcoholic beverages at any time, because of the fat build-up in your system. Go off the diet at least 14 hours prior to drinking alcohol.

Due to the variety of digestive systems in individuals, this diet affects different people differently. You may find after several days on the diet that your bowel movements change. If it's a problem, eat a cup of bran or fiber. The basic fat burning soup can be eaten any time you feel hungry during the 7 days - remember the more soup you eat, the more you lose. You can eat broiled or baked skinless chicken instead of the beef if you wish. If you prefer, you can substitute broiled fish for the beef, but only for one of the beef days, as you need the high protein the beef will provide.

Do Not, Do Not, Do Not :
Do not eat any bread or drink any alcohol or carbonated drinks (including diet drinks), and no fried foods whatsoever.

Do, Do, Do :
Drink plenty of water - at least 6-8 glasses every day, as well as any combination of black coffee, unsweetened fruit juice, cranberry juice and skim milk (where mentioned).

This diet allegedly comes from the Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital and is used for overweight heart patients in order to lose weight rapidly, usually prior to surgery. If you ask which Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital, I don't have a clue. All I know is that it worked for me.

disclaimer :

This information is not presented by a medical practitioner. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Neither UrbanScrawl.net nor the authors warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of the information provided here, nor any guarantee of results. Please consult your doctor before starting any weight loss plan - we are not responsible for any medical conditions that you may have, or even medical conditions that may occur while on this weight loss plan. If you decide to undertake this plan, you do so at your own risk. The views and statements expressed here represent the opinions of the authors and should not be considered scientific conclusions.

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weblog : Urban Scrawl
entry title : hospital diet (link)
exerpt : I came across this diet ages ago but have never tried it. Apparently it is (or was at the time) used at Greenlane Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand, for overweight patients who are to undergo heart surgery. Apparently the diet... (read more)
tracked : May 26, 2008 1:32 AM (link)