The Grapefruit Diet Hoax

Since the 1930's, the grapefruit diet has survived the test of time and emerges, over and again, in diet books and internet pages. For anyone who has not heard of the diet, you can assume the premise easily enough from the title, but let's explain the synopsis of this diet briefly.

This not so new diet is much like the popular Atkins diet, just with the inclusion of lettuce and, you guessed it, grapefruit. Common meals are low carb and low starch vegetables, lettuce, meat and fish, along with 1/2 a grapefruit or an 8 oz cup of unsweetened grapefruit juice. There is also a heavy restriction on calories (you should intake only 800-1,000 daily according to this diet).

While the common person knows about the "miracle" weight loss power of the Atkins diet, this diet says that the weight loss comes from a mysterious enzyme found purely in grapefruit and no other citrus fruit, and combines with fat and protein to lose weight.

The diet plan also consists of a 12 day cycle with meal plans emulating the sample ones up top, and after the 12 days the dieter should cease for two days and then go back to the monotony.

Again, we all know that Atkin and Atkin like diets help us lose weight, that has been proven, but what is the weight lost here, and does it really work?

Based on the grapefruit premise, then no this diet is not effective. While grapefruit lowers glucose levels, and may help you feel full longer, there is no other miracle ingredient that has been proven to make you lose weight.

But you do lose weight, right?

Yes, anyone on a calorie restriction diet will lose weight, that won't be questioned. However, this diet is only "good" if you are looking to have temporary, but rapid, results. While some claim to lose 10 pounds on this 12 day cycle, it is more likely to lose about 2-3 pounds.

The weight lost, by the way, is fluid and not fat. Meaning that as soon as you get off the diet, the weight will come surging right back, and probably extra will follow as well, because your body has adjusted to the low calories by then, and when you eat normally it will swell and keep the fat.

I suggest this diet only if you need to fit into clothes by a certain date and do not care about gaining the weight back. However, if you are looking for real fat loss with permanent results, you have to keep looking, as this diet won't work for your needs.
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Information on the grapefruit diet found here: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-grapefruit-diet