Is The 12 Day Grapefruit Diet The Answer?

There has been a diet plan that has been around since the 1930s. That makes it anything but a fad diet. What we are talking about is the 12 day grapefruit diet. Grapefruit has a lot of benefits for dieters. It's fat free, low calorie, high in fiber and is packed with vitamin C.

The grapefruit diet itself is incredibly simple to follow. All you do is eat one-half of a grapefruit before each meal. There also appears to be enzymes in the fruit that keeps your appetite in check, meaning you will eat fewer calories overall. Grapefruit is also believed to speed up metabolism which helps to burn more calories. So, not only will you take in fewer calories, but you will also burn more off. Both of these things are key to losing weight. In fact, some tests have shown that it's possible to lose ten pounds in two weeks by changing to the 12 day grapefruit diet.

So what's the catch? Even though it has been a round for as long as it has, the 12 day grapefruit diet is still classified along with fad diets. That's because it relies on making only one change and doesn't incorporate other necessary elements of weight loss.

You can do the diet, but that doesn't give you a free pass to stuff your face with all kinds of junk food. You still need to watch what you eat, trying to eat a variety of healthy foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein and whole grains. If you really want to shed pounds, you also need to exercise. That doesn't mean you have to jog 10 miles a day, or hit the gym for 3 hours. Instead, find activities you enjoy and try to get moving for 20 to 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week.

At the same time, you should be changing your habits. Changing how you prepare food can have a big impact. Opt for grilling, steaming and baking instead of frying food. Eat 5 or 6 smaller meals throughout the day instead of 3 larger meals. Another good rule of thumb is to eat food in as close to its natural state as possible.

But does all of this mean the 12 day grapefruit diet is bad? Not at all. While you should still make all of the changes we just discussed, the grapefruit diet can help you lose weight quickly. It isn't practical to think you could stick to such a diet, but it could give you a great start. Losing a few pounds in a week or two can be very motivating and will give you a better chance of weight loss success.

Finally, combining all of these things is the way to drop those extra pounds. Do the 12 day grapefruit diet, exercise, eat right, and make other habit changes and you will lose all the weight you need, lose it for good, and you won't drive yourself crazy in the process.