Weight-Loss Tips: How to Lose 10 to 17 Pounds in Seven Days

D. S. Ploshay

Like millions of others, I am trying to lose weight. Many claim I am not overweight, but I know my body. I recently went from a size 10 to a size 12. Whether people think I need to lose weight or not, this jump in size means I've gained weight.

My weight has fluctuated for years. In college I gained some weight: I went from a size 8 to a 14. (I was on the anti-diet: pizza and beer.) Then over time I went down to a 10 and maintained that for years. Over one summer, I did my own version of the Atkin's diet and lost 20 pounds, going back to a size 8. I felt hot for once! As mentioned before, I am now at a 12 and not happy with my figure.

I've got some flab here and there and also have a problem fitting into jeans-due to my womanly hips and thighs. I've faced the reality that I can no longer do the junior department. After doing an article on diet trends, I realized that diet pills and fad diets are not the way to go. Healthy eating and getting some exercise is-burning more calories that you take in is key.

My fiancé and I have made some changes to what we eat and have not gained any weight, however, I wanted to get down to an ideal weight and maintain it. So, I asked my doctor if he recommended a diet. He left the exam room and returned with a copy of the Sacred Heart Diet.

Diet Overview

The Sacred Heart Diet, according to a diet website, was created by doctors at the hospital as a quick diet (just seven days) to help heart patients lose a significant amount of weight prior to surgery.

In addition to losing weight, those on the Sacred Heart Diet reported having more energy, no craving for sweets and that they felt better overall. The diet also removes impurities from the body.

Those on Sacred Heart Diet can lose from ten to 17 pounds in one week by eating a special fat-burning soup every day, and then following a plan of what can accompany the diet each day. The recipe will be shown at the end of this article, but the soup contains stewed tomatoes, green beans, celery, green peppers, green onions, carrots, chicken broth, soup mix and seasonings.

Over the seven days, in addition to as much soup as you want, there is a different diet for each day:
Day One- Soup and fruit. (no bananas)
Day Two- Soup and vegetables (no dry beans, peas or corn), and then a baked potato with butter at dinnertime
Day Three- Soup, fruit and veggies (no potato!) By today, up to seven pounds could be shed!
Day Four- Bananas (at least three) and skim milk- on this day, the body will need calcium and potassium.
Day Five- Soup, 10-20 ounces of beef and tomatoes (one can or six fresh)
Day Six- Soup and as much beef and veggies you want
Day Seven- Soup, brown rice, veggies, unsweetened fruit juice

Approved drinks- water, black coffee, tea, cranberry juice or unsweetened fruit juice. It is very important not to have alcohol or carbonated beverages- even diet.

Preparation

I brought my printout of the diet with me to the grocery store. We bought all the necessary ingredients for the soup, as well our accompaniments: two cantaloupes, some grapes, some plums, baby carrots, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, a big cucumber and snap peas. We also bought a few bottles of cranberry-grape juice and a large bottle of unsweetened apple juice.

As my fiancé and I were preparing the soup, I made the comment that, "Geez, no wonder you lose so much weight on the diet! I'm burning a zillion calories getting it ready!" We had to peel two bags of carrots and chop up a ton of veggies. As I put everything in the pots (I do not have a stew pot, so I used two large pots) I couldn't help but think of how healthy it looked.

I am not a fan of celery, but this soup has a whole bunch. I then recalled reading once that takes more calories to burn than to eat. I looked it up online and according to the Urban Legends Reference Pages, it sure is true. Celery is a negative-calorie food. The site says that an eight-inch stalk of celery takes six calories to eat and six to burn. But yet, it can still fill you up, which makes it great to eat to fight cravings. Realizing this leads me to see how this soup diet can really work.

We also chopped the fruit and veggies that we'd be eating throughout the week. I decided to use the large Ziploc bags I had and made bags for each of us for the week. This way, we could take our fruits and veggies with us to work.

Aside from being tedious in chopping and slicing, the soup was easy to make.

Taste-Test

The pot has been simmering for about a half hour. Gosh, carrots take a while to get soft. The broth was fine-I had already added a ton of salt and pepper to my liking. The vegetables were all tender. The soups tasted okay-I admit it will take a while to get used to. But, with eating fruit and veggies on the side, I am sure I can manage.

Will it Work?

Check out my related article as of March 4, 2007 to see my results. As I am on the diet, I will keep a diary of my progress.

Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cans of stewed tomatoes
3 large green onions (I just bought a bag)
1 large can of chicken broth (or beef broth)
1 package of fat-free soup mix (I used Lipton Onion Mushroom)
1 bunch celery
2 can green beans
2-3 green bell peppers
2 lbs. carrots

(Optional additions: fresh mushrooms, zucchini, squash, yellow onions, chopped garlic, chili flakes or cabbage.)

Directions:

Chop veggies into small pieces and place in pot
Add water to cover
Season with salt, pepper as desired
Add canned veggies
Bring to rapid boil
Reduce heat and simmer until veggies are tender