The Grapefruit Diet Plan - Is It Right For You?

As fad diets come and go, one that has been around for quite a while now is the grapefruit diet plan. It seems fairly easy; eat a grapefruit diet plan right for you?

The plan claims that if you follow it precisely you'll lose 10 pounds in 12 days. But what you might not realize is that the plan provides for only 800 calories a day. Why is that an issue!

The USDA has set a threshold of 1200 calories as being safe. Anything below 1200 calories per day is considered a starvation diet. So, 800 calories is going to leave you feeling miserable, not to mention the harm it can do.

The grapefruit diet plan has a meal schedule that includes some of the following:

• A grapefruit with every meal
• No desserts or snacks
• No eating between meals
• 8 full glasses of water a day
• Eat until you are full

According to several studies done on this diet plan the results have been all over the map. Some dieters lost 30 pounds following the plan while others lost only 2-3 pounds.

There is no doubt that grapefruit is nutritious and will help with weight loss, but eating one with every meal would be extremely difficult to do for more than a few days to a week. There is also a caution for anyone who is taking medications and considering the grapefruit diet plan. Talk with your doctor first.

Although you can lose weight with the grapefruit diet, I can't recommend it as a weight loss solution. There are just too many underlying issues in being on the plan and maintaining your health. The right solution is finding a diet plan that allows you to eat a wide variety of foods while also maximizing weight loss. That's the combination that will keep you happy and produce results.