Souping Can Help You Lose Weight, But You Have To Be Careful and Committed (2024)

Souping, similar to juicing, has been popular in recent years as way to detox the body and to lose weight, but eating only soup for days at a time can cause problems, if you’re not careful.

The diet calls for having soup three to five meals a day and adding vegetables to help cleanse and detox your system. The weight loss occurs by cutting calories from fat and likely from carbohydrates.

As part of a healthy meal plan, soup is fine, says Sharon Cox, a registered dietitian with Parkland Hospital System, but meeting your nutritional needs with soup for all of your meals would present a challenge.

“[Souping is] trying to help us eat more healthy foods in a way,” Cox says. “But you would still need to get in the right amount of protein. You would still needs carbs included and healthy fats.”

Interview Highlights

What to consider when souping:There are problems with pesticides in vegetables, so you'd need to buy some vegetables that would be organic. You would want to get chicken and meat from cows that grow and live in the pastures or on ground; not in the factories because you’d get a lot of antibiotics and other additives. You also have to consider your cooking utensils. You don’t want to cook all those soups in aluminum pans or some poor-quality pot because of chemicals being released into your food over time.

Consuming too much water: For those people that may have kidney problems, heart failure and other problems where fluid should be restricted, souping could be a problem. But the amount of fluid or water you’re taking with the soup should be about average. Maybe six-to-eight ounces per bowl of soup, you would be OK. If you’re not urinating most of what you’re taking in, you should cut back.

Behavioral changes needed to lose weight:If you could say 100 percent that you be able to sustain or continue to eat soup for the rest of your life to maintain a healthy weight loss, then you may be a person who could commit to souping. But it doesn’t really change our behavior because we still need to eat, we need the three meals, we need to know our serving sizes, how to prepare the food, and we need to enjoy and eat our food with the thought that it’s good nourishment for our body more than just to feel full.

Resources

Interview responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Souping Can Help You Lose Weight, But You Have To Be Careful and Committed (2024)

FAQs

Does souping help you lose weight? ›

May induce weight loss: Though evidence for soup-based diets is lacking, some research has found that eating soup as part of a regular diet may have some health benefits, including weight loss. In a 2011 study, soup intake was associated with lower body mass index (BMI) and smaller waist circumference.

What does souping do to the body? ›

Similar to juicing, souping can be used to increase your daily intake of nutrients, and even to lose weight, by replacing meals with between 4 -6 liquid meals per day. High fibre soups can be placed into your meal plan on a regular basis, either through a full-on soup cleanse or simply by replacing one meal a day.

What is the one food Dr. Kellyann says to eat? ›

An incredible superfood, bone broth is an essential protein that plays a vital role in your health and appearance and makes mini-fasting a breeze.

Why am I not losing weight on the soup diet? ›

Opting for Creamy Soup All the Time

But unfortunately, this type of soup contains a hefty dose of fat. This means that you're more likely to gain weight than lose some if you're always choosing to eat creamy soup. These soups are mostly made with a roux—composed of equal parts of butter and all-purpose flour.

Which soup is good to reduce belly fat? ›

5 Best Soups That Will Help To Burn Belly Fat
  • Vegetable soup. Lean protein from chicken combined with a variety of vegetables can make a satisfying and low-calorie soup that can help you feel full and satisfied.
  • Chicken and vegetable soup. ...
  • Black bean soup. ...
  • Lentil soup. ...
  • Tomato soup.
Nov 4, 2023

How much weight can you lose on a soup cleanse? ›

Broth-based soup diets generally last for 7 days. However, some can last as long as 10–14 days. Over that time, proponents of a broth-based diet claim you can lose up to 10 or even 20 pounds (4.5 to 9 kg). On a broth-based soup diet, cream-based soups are restricted, as they're higher in calories and fat.

What happens if I only eat soup for a week? ›

As the soup diet usually only lasts for 7-14 days, it's not recommended in the long term. The NHS also highlights how very low-calorie diets like this often lead to short term weight loss, but it's likely that you'll put some or all of the weight back on once you go back to eating normally.

How many times a day do you eat the cabbage soup diet? ›

Most variations of this diet suggest that people eat this soup two to three times a day—although some variations enable the participants to consume even more of the soup. The cabbage soup used in this diet combines ingredients like broth, nonstarchy vegetables, pepper, herbs and, of course, cabbage.

What does soup do to your stomach? ›

Boosts Digestion

Soup's warm, liquid consistency also helps stimulate your body's digestive tract, making it an excellent appetizer before eating heartier foods. If you're looking for a nutritious, comforting meal after a long winter day, a warm bowl of soup might be the perfect option.

Is Dr. Kellyann Petrucci a real doctor? ›

A weight-loss and natural anti-aging transformation expert, Dr. Petrucci has a private practice in the Birmingham, Michigan area and is a concierge doctor for celebrities in New York City and Los Angeles. She is a board-certified naturopathic physician and a certified nutrition consultant. Dr.

What is the downside of bone broth? ›

While bone broth is generally considered safe to consume, there are some potential risks to be aware of. Lead contamination. Some studies show elevated levels of lead in bone broths, which can be harmful to health if consumed in large amounts. Bacterial contamination.

What are the worst soups for weight loss? ›

The 5 Worst Soups for Weight Loss (and 5 to Try Instead)
  • Clam chowder. Anything with the word "chowder" in it is probably going to be high in cream, fat, and calories. ...
  • Potato soup. ...
  • Lobster bisque. ...
  • Chili. ...
  • Broccoli and cheese soup.
Jan 12, 2012

How to lose 10 pounds in a week? ›

To lose 10 pounds in one week, you'll need to burn between 3,500 and 5,000 calories more than you consume each day by restricting your diet to small portions of nutritious yet low-calorie foods, and significantly increasing your aerobic exercise with interval training, sports, and other vigorous activities.

Which soup is good for weight loss? ›

What really makes a difference is the calorie count. Avoid creamy, thick soups and choose low-fat, low-calorie alternatives like tomato, mushroom, chicken, and carrot soups instead. A healthy vegetable soup can also help you meet the daily recommendation of 5 servings of fruit and vegetables.

How often do you eat fat burning soup? ›

Most people will need at least two bowls per day for the week to avoid feeling excessively hungry. While following the cabbage soup diet, people can eat as much cabbage soup as they want, as well as unsweetened, low calorie drinks, such as herbal tea and black coffee.

Does soup speed up metabolism? ›

Souping star #2: Chicken

Protein has its own well-documented appetite-suppressing properties, so when paired with soup, the effect is intense. Our bodies also burn a lot of calories just to break the protein down, generating enough heat to temporarily increase metabolism, boosting it up to 900% more than other foods.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Fr. Dewey Fisher

Last Updated:

Views: 6179

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (42 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Fr. Dewey Fisher

Birthday: 1993-03-26

Address: 917 Hyun Views, Rogahnmouth, KY 91013-8827

Phone: +5938540192553

Job: Administration Developer

Hobby: Embroidery, Horseback riding, Juggling, Urban exploration, Skiing, Cycling, Handball

Introduction: My name is Fr. Dewey Fisher, I am a powerful, open, faithful, combative, spotless, faithful, fair person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.