One of the popular fad diets in Hollywood was the grapefruit diet. It first came to fame in the 1930′s when many stars used it. It became part of xerox lore, faxed from machine to machine, in the 1970′s. The Mayo Clinic, which is often credited as the diet’s creator, claims to have nothing to do with the unhealthy diet.

The grapefruit diet is essentially like the Atkins diet with the addition of a grapefruit before each meal. There are no snacks allowed on this strict three meals a day diet. Supposedly a person on this diet could lose 10 pounds in only 10 days. As wild as that sounds, this is wilder – the diet claimed someone might not lose weight for 9 days, but then suddenly drop 10 pounds in the last day. It was based on the claim that grapefruit contains fat burning enzymes, something that has never been proven.

Researchers showed that the diet may work in a 2004 study. Participants in the study lost 3.6 pounds on average in a 12 week span, eating one half grapefruit before each meal. Drinking the juice from the grapefruit led to only slightly less weight loss. A few of the participants lost an astounding 10 pounds. Researchers attributed the weight loss to decreased insulin levels caused by eating grapefruit. However, all the participants slightly enhanced their exercise programs, which may account for the lost weight.

The grapefruit diet works like this:

- Eight 8 ounce glasses of water each day, this is a must.
- Eat only until you are full at each meal.
- Eat everything listed for each meal, do not skip foods, they are specifically formulated to help burn fat.
- The catalyst t the whole process is grapefruit, so don’t cut it.
- Try to avoid coffee, but if drunk consume only three cups a day.
- Never eat between meals.
- Eat butter if you want.
- No starches or sweets can be eaten.
- Do eat meats and vegetables.
- Eating more will actually result in more weight loss.
- Follow the diet 12 days on, 2 days off, 12 days on etc.
- Grapefruit with each meal is ฝ or 18 ounces of juice.

Now you can go try the grapefruit diet.