Diets

Before starting any new eating plan you should consult your doctor to see if it is right for you, particularly if you are taking any medication.

Has anyone tried the Kick Start Soup Diet?

Stage 1 - Here are the details:

Enough for one person for 2 days.
Ingredients: 3 tomatoes, 2 large cans of crushed tomatoes, 2 cans of liquid stock (beef, chicken or vegetable), 2 cups of water, 1 packet of vegetable or French onion dry soup powder, 1 bunch spring onions, bunch of celery, including leaves, 2 cups of green beans, 3 green capsicums, 1kg carrots, 2 stock cubes (your choice, vegetable, chicken, beef).

Method
1. Chop all the vegies into small pieces and put them in a big pot with the remaining ingredients. Add salt & pepper to taste. Bring to boil and simmer until it is nice and tender.

Have as much of the soup as you want, whenever you want.

7 Day Plan
The quantities recommended are per day. Avoid toast and cereal for breakfast while on this plan. Stick with the recommended foods for each day.

You should only follow this seven-day eating plan for a maximum of three times in six months.

Day one -SOUP AND FRUIT: Eat any fruit except bananas because they are high in kilojoules. Eat as much as you want. If you do not want soup for breakfast, have a fruit salad instead.

Day two - SOUP AND VEGIES, NO FRUIT: Eat as much fresh, raw or lightly steamed vegies as you like. Leafy greens are great but avoid peas, corn and beans as they are high in sugar. Reward yourself at night with a jacket potato, a little butter or better still, some yoghurt.

Day three - Soup, Vegetables and Fruit.  Eat all you want but no potatoes.
Day four- Soup and Banana Smoothies.  Make a banana smoothie with milk because it is a great source of potassium. Have a maximum of three large bananas per day.

Day five - Soup, Beef and Tomotoes. Eat a piece of lean beef or a skinless breast of chicken no bigger than a deck of cards with six ripe tomatoes. These quantities are per day. You can go easy on the soup today.

Day six - Soup, Beef and Vegetables. Eat plenty of beef (skinless chicken or fish) and vegies today. You might not need soup as much but your body will tell you. No potatoes.

Day seven - Soup, Brown Rice, Vegetables & Fruit Juice. You might need more soup today.

Remember: do not eat any bread, fried foods or oil on the seven-day plan. While on the plan, do not have any soft drinks or alcohol.

You can drink unsweetened fruit juice or cranberry juice; black, green or herbal tea (you can have skim milk with black tea); coffee; skim milk and plenty of water.
If you have any side effects you can have one sandwich with cheese, ham, tomatoes per day. Otherwise discontinue.

By the end of the seven days you may have lost as much as 4-6kg, if you haven't put on those walking shoes and gone for a daily walk you won't have lost as much.

If you lose more than 6kg on Stage 1 do not attempt this stage again for a few months. Go on to stage two.

You should only follow this seven-day eating plan for a maximum of three times in 6 months. Once you've reached this maximum take 6 months off the plan and follow a low-GI program.

Once you've completed the seven-day eating plan it is time to move on to Stage 2 - a long-term, low-GI eating plan.

Stage 2 - Details here: http://au.todaytonight.yahoo.com/article/39710/diet/kick-start-stage
While stage one of the Kick-Start Diet brings rapid weight loss, Stage 2 begins where a lot of the carbohydrates you have been avoiding can slowly be returned to your diet.