Are soup diets the key to losing weight fast?

For years the Cabbage Soup Diet was the go-to for women who wished to lose weight fast - there is however nothing fun or sexy about chowing down on cabbage for days at a time. 

Yes, it's cheap, but experts believe you're simply losing water weight, depriving the body of protein and opening yourself as much as uncontrollable cravings. The conclusion? It's better in theory than it is in practise. 

But can a brand new wave of soup diets banish this bad karma making all of us adore liquid diets once again? 

Well, according to Fiona Kirk, best-selling author of So What The F**k Must i Eat?, Eat Live & Lose The Flab, and today Soup Can Make You Thin, slim people know that a tasty bowl can satiate, crush cravings and you energised. 

Plus, she believes a soup-only diet can help you lose weight within Ten days. 

Her trick is to eat a number of different soups which include vegetables, beans, healthy fats like olive oil and protein, for breakfast, as a snack and before going to sleep to encourage a good sleep. 

So is this overkill or accurate? Soup diets claim to work due to the combination of water and nutrient-rich vegetables, which results in goodness being more readily absorbed into the body (and drastically reduces bloating). The truth is, soup diets work in exactly the same way as any extreme calorie restriction regime. 

At the same time the possible lack of calories flushes liquids from your system, which means that 3lbs loss you see in three days might just be from water. 

What is the verdict?

If you want to lose weight quickly for a special day or party this will defo have the desired effect, but the weight you lose won't be maintainable when you revert to solid food. 

It is not designed to be considered a long term solution, so never remain on a soup diet in excess of 7 days. Pay attention to the body - if you start getting headaches or feel light-headed you will possibly not be getting enough calories. 

Can I do a slightly less drastic version?

YES! Swapping your cheese filled sandwiches for a hearty vegetable soup along with a bread roll at lunchtime can help perfectly into a healthy weight loss programme. Plus, the fibre in the vegetables should keep you feeling fuller for longer so you're less tempted by the choccie biscuts.