The Grapefruit Diet is based on consuming grapefruit before every meal. The grapefruit can be consumed as slices or as grapefruit juice.

Principle of the grapefruit diet

The Grapefruit Diet is based on the idea that grapefruit contains fat-burning enzymes. The fruit is said to increase the metabolic rate, burning fat and enabling rapid weight loss.

There are several variations of the Grapefruit Diet. Some diets also recommend that you reduce your calorie intake to about 800-1000 calories a day, while others have no calorie restrictions. In fact, some variation of the Grapefruit Diet encourage people to eat until they are full.

What are you allowed to eat?

You are permitted to eat any food you wish.

What is forbidden?

Nothing is forbidden, although some Grapefruit Diets recommend that caffeine, breads and potatoes should be restricted.

Grapefruit Diet Pros and Cons

The Grapefruit Diet is ideal for those who enjoy grapefruit, but it does not have many benefits.

The diet is easy to start, as there is no calorie counting involved.

The only other benefit of the Grapefruit Diet is that the low-calorie variation can actually cause rapid weight loss. However, this is not due to the grapefruit, but rather the low calorie consumption. On a low-calorie diet, the weight loss is muscle and bodily fluids as well as fat, which means that the weight can be easily regained.

The low-calorie version of the Grapefruit Diet is not balanced because it is basically starving the body.

The other variation of the Grapefruit Diet does not work because grapefruit has been shown to have no fat-burning qualities.

Daily and Weekly Plans for the grapefruit diet

The daily plan is to eat either half a grapefruit before a meal, or drink the equivalent amount of grapefruit juice.

Expected Weight Loss on the grapefruit diet

The Grapefruit Diet expected weight loss ranges from none to roughly 2-4 pounds a week.

Grapefruit Diet Rating

Ease: 5/5 – No calorie counting or changes in dietary habits. All you need is grapefruit.

Balance: 1/5 – The low-calorie version is too low, while the high-calorie version does nothing to encourage healthy eating habits.

Maintenance: 1/5 – Easy to maintain if you enjoy grapefruit.

Overall: 1/5