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The Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital Soup Diet???

Has anyone ever gone on this diet? Does it work?

I'm making it right now and I'm about to start tomorrow on it. I've heard from my mom and some other people that it works. Then I read on the internet that it works but you'll gain everything back when you get off it.

Just wondering from people who have tried it. Thanks!

I just found this thread while Googling the soup diets. Most everything posted so far is true. I'm 55, male, and back in the mid 90's the diet claiming to be Sacred Heart was a cabbage soup diet. I see the soup recipe has now eliminated the cabbage. I went on this in '94 with great success. Successful Slimming Magazine did an article about me in '98 because I'd lost a good bit of weight with the diet and kept it off. I also began a strict exercise program.

The soup diet will work but if you don't make lifestyle adjustments, you'll gain it all back when you go off the diet. My weight loss was aided by walking, then jogging, and I ended up being a competitive long distance runner. I still enjoy this sport today. I've ran 14 marathons and dozens of shorter races. I log about 1600-1800 training miles a year. I still make and eat the cabbage soup a few times a year as it seems to clean my system out. Going on the diet originally helped me lose more weight quicker and gave me the energy to pursue the exercise program.

The bottom line is these soup diets work but you must use them as a stepping stone to a healthier basic eating plan and/or a more active lifestyle.

I asked my doctor for a diet plan. It takes me forever to lose weight. So she gave me the sacred heart diet. She said it is to help me lose weight but not long term. She said do it only for a week and then when you are done swith to a low calorie diet and excercise. I am going to try it. If my doctor gave it to me then why shouldnt I believe her? She is helped me out so far a lot so I am going to go ahead and do it.

I have tried this and was never weak, in fact quite the other way. The first few days were a bit hard, but then I had a burst of energy and felt great. I lost about ten lbs and did, after several weeks of doing NO calorie counting, gained it back. If I had continued to reduce caloires I am sure it would have stayed off. I think it is safe to do short term to get a jump on weight loss, but ONLY if you plan to stick to a healthy low cal diet after you complete it. It is and was never meant to be a long term diet.

Yes, it works!!! Ignore the naysayers, there are far too many people successfully using the diet and keeping the weight off for them to deny its validity. Stay on it for two weeks, not just one. There is a really much better version of this diet from a REAL hospital heart group in Penna. Here it is:

Heart Patient Diet- from a Lehigh Valley Hospital heart surgeon

For this diet to be effective…follow the daily plan for 2 consecutive weeks, then take the following week off. You can repeat the cycle for as long as you like or until you achieve your weight loss goal. _____________________________________________ ________________________________________ SOUP Ingredients> Soup to be eaten ALL DAY as much and as often as you can

4 - 11oz. cans chicken noodle soup (Campbell Healthy) 5 stalks of celery (diced) 1 lb. pack frozen string beans 4 carrots (diced) 4 potatoes (diced) ½ green pepper (diced) 2 onions (diced) _____________________________________________ ________________________________________

DRINK 2 LITERS OF WATER EVERYDAY

MONDAY > eat SOUP and all the FRESH FRUIT that you want…nothing else. (no bananas)

TUESDAY > eat SOUP and all the FRESH VEGETABLES that you want…nothing else. (no corn or beans)

WEDNESDAY > eat SOUP and BOTH FRUIT & VEGETABLES, all you want…nothing else.

THURSDAY > eat SOUP all day and 3 BANANAS…1 GLASS OF SKIM MILK…nothing else.

FRIDAY > eat SOUP, up to 8 TOMATOES and ALL the skinless CHICKEN, lean BEEF & FISH that you want…nothing else.

SATURDAY > eat SOUP, ALL the skinless CHICKEN, lean BEEF & FISH that you want...nothing else.

SUNDAY > eat SOUP and all the BROWN RICE that you want…nothing else.

This works, and I use the cantelope and watermelon as recommended as well. Enjoy losing!!!

It's working for me but i'm sure that it's just water weight now - i started Friday  2/22 at 195 lbs and today  2/22 i'm 187- i'm on day 4- - I have not felt hungry at all actually i've been very full.  And go to the bathroom more regular sorry if TMI.  So we will see the true results after its' all over. I don't plan on going back to my old eating habits

My bf's parents tried this. His mom said that she lost a few pounds after being on the diet for a few days but they came back right away. Ultimately, it wasn't worth it because she figured she was eating more calories that she normally would if she was following a regular, balanced diet.

Original Post by kittycd:

It's working for me but i'm sure that it's just water weight now - i started Friday  2/22 at 195 lbs and today  2/22 i'm 187- i'm on day 4- - I have not felt hungry at all actually i've been very full.  And go to the bathroom more regular sorry if TMI.  So we will see the true results after its' all over. I don't plan on going back to my old eating habits

I just began the LV Heart Patient Diet 7 days ago, and I've already lost 10 lbs. in the first 5 days. I've been eating all the way up to 8 PM and quit after that. I eat every couple of hours, and 3 meals are with a small bowl of soup. That has worked the best so far out of the 5 years that I've used this diet to drop pounds.

Hang in and stay strict with the diet, no laxness, and you'll do just great.

Remember, your body wants to fight you over serious weight loss.

Hey there- well of course the diet is officially over now since  2/28 but i wanted to wait at least a couple of weeks to see where my weight will be.  Well all I can say is on 2/22 i weighed 195 and as of today  3/14 I'm 183.  After the 7 days i weighed 183. Now about 4 of those pounds came back after 4 to 5 days but I also changed my eating habits and also started exercising only 2 days a week for an hour now but next week i will start 3 days a week  and in a couple of weeks i lost those additional pounds and this time i don't think it's water weight.  I think that this diet is a jump start to weight loss because losing the weight has really motivatd me to go further

I have done this diet and I lost 5 pounds in the first week. It is a great way to cleanse your system and pay attention to what you eat. However, don't do it for more than one week. It could be dangerous. I used it as a kickoff to eating a low glycemic diet and counting calories. I keep a food journal, work out 4 days a week for 1.5 hours, eat every two hours, and I lost 30 pounds in just over 2 months. I haven't kept a food log or really counted calories in the past 6 months and I haven't gained any of the weight back. Maybe I should do the Sacred Heart Diet again to kick start more weight loss.

My mother did this diet back in the 80's.  I forgot all about it till I read this thread.  She lost about 20 lbs and looked great.  She was so happy that she could wear clothes that stopped fitting years before.  She never gained the weight back.  I also remember she had to make several batches of soup because it was good enough that we (my brother and I) kept eating it.

Hello!  So I am on this diet currently, day 4.

I suck at sticking to diets but.. surprisingly this was easy.  Because it's simple. No counting, etc.  Either you can or you can't eat something.

Day 2 is the hardest, then it's smooth sailing.  It's true, you get sick of the soup, but I don't think the point is to consume the soup constantly, I think it's more of a way to keep you feeling full and curb your urge to binge on nasty food that would break the diet. 

Someone said it's a no carb diet and that's why it works... fruit is loaded with carbs, actually.  It's a low cal diet plain and simple.  BUT it keeps your metabolism from slowing down due to the low caloric intake with the soup.  That's why they insist you stuff yourself, so you are constantly digesting - even if what you are digesting has very little calories. 

I'm on the bananas and milk day and I have to admit - I am SOOOO sick of the soup.  So to keep my metabolism up, I'm eating half a banana and a little bit of milk every hour.  You get to eat all day, it tastes good, you don't feel hungry, it's super low cal, and your metabolism is racing.

I have a million times more energy than before I started, and I feel... clean?  Refreshed, maybe?  Anyway, I would recommend thinking about HOW the diet works and deciding if it's right for you - not whether or not Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital invented it.

how much weight did you lose in your 4 days

I've recently started the cabbage soup diet - I'm on day 3 - so far I've lost 2.5 pounds - I feel great - I'm never hungry and calorie counts analysis on the food intake gives me an  "A"

This diet feels like a fast - I'm only planning on sticking to it for 3 days - if I lose 5 pounds thats great.  Its healthy - there is nothing wrong with eating tons of fruit and vegetables.  The hard part is hitting 1200 calories a day - you really have to eat and eat and eat - haha

Short term won't hurt you and if it gives you the jump start you need to continue on your weight loss journey - then Go for it!!

Good luck :) 

I just started this diet today. I already am having trouble eating the soup. I'm tired of it. LOL But I will keep strong. I have already lost 30 pounds and I'm at a stand still. I have 100 more to go. i thought I would try something different. I hope it works.

I am a guy with a large frame, 6' 0" and have not been anywhere near my normal/medical weight since I was in high school 20 years ago!  Well I have tried many fad diets in the past without much success.  I have done this one twice now and lost a minimum of 10 pounds each time (starting out I was about 90 pounds overweight).  I did this without even working out (walked 1-2 times per week for 20 minutes).

The problem is that I have gained back 2-5 pounds both times I did this diet, so while it is somewhat of a fad, I did manage to keep from gaining all of the weight back by making a change in my eating habits with healthier choices and working out a lot.

I joined one of the national programs out there that manages your food/activity through a point system where you log everything.  While I did manage to lose 42 pounds so far, I have hit a bit of a plateau, and this diet has been recommended for just that.  So having had prior success, I am starting the diet a third time tomorrow.  The only difference this time will be that I am working out a lot more, so I am curious to see how much I will lose this go around.  Also, I am eating a LOT healthier than before, so I am hoping I don't gain back anything this time... we will see.

Original Post by mulox:

I joined one of the national programs out there that manages your food/activity through a point system where you log everything.  While I did manage to lose 42 pounds so far, I have hit a bit of a plateau, and this diet has been recommended for just that.  So having had prior success, I am starting the diet a third time tomorrow.  The only difference this time will be that I am working out a lot more, so I am curious to see how much I will lose this go around.  Also, I am eating a LOT healthier than before, so I am hoping I don't gain back anything this time... we will see.

 Read THIS ARTICLE FIRST.   Sacred Heart Hospital has disavowed having anything to do with it.  It was made up by some nutjob, not medical experts.  You will not keep off any weight you lose.  You will have fluid retention from the very high sodium.  If you keep it up for too long you'll get malnourished.  When you go off the diet you'll be right back where you started from.

Why not just stick to a balanced sensible meal plan?  We all need to change our eating and exercise habits for life, not just for now.  Temporary fixes are not the answer.

The Sacred Heart Diet is a fad diet that has been circulating for many years. The diet was supposedly thought to come from the cardiology department at Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital where it was used for overweight heart patients. However, like most of these diets - this is an urban myth and the hospital initially thought to be associated with it has denied the association and actually given a press release frowning upon the diet.

The Sacred Heart Diet has been called a number of different names (such as the Spokane Heart Diet, the Cleveland Clinic Diet, Sacred Heart Memorial Hospital Diet and the Miami Heart Institute Diet). The diet also bears a striking resemblance to the cabbage soup diet (which is also a unhealthy crash diet)

This diet is not recommended

• The Sacred Heart Hospital in Montreal Canada (Hôpital Sacre Coeur) issued a press release in 2004 stating that "no nutritionist at the Hospital took part in the development of this diet" (ref - French).
• The American Heart Association have claimed that the diet is phony (ref).
• The Sacred Heart Medical Center also disclaim any association with the diet (read here).

The Sacred Heart Medical Center writes:

"One of our major concerns about this diet plan is it emphasizes the consumption of fruits and vegetables while excluding the consumption of meat or fish, cereal grains and milk products on most days. Any diet that focuses on only certain food groups will be low or deficient in essential nutrients and, therefore, lead to poor nutritional status long-term.

Our experience with any low calorie diets, like this one, is that they do not lead to permanent weight loss. Once individuals start eating in a more normal pattern, the weight is regained. ...."

The Sacred Heart diet is a soup-based diet, and claims that you will lose a lot of weight in the first week. This may be true, but most of the weight will tend to be water - and will be gained right back very soon after the diet ends and you go back to your normal eating habits.

This may lead to yo-yo dieting which can add to frustration, self-esteem issues and a life of constantly going up and down with your weight with no real progress.This diet is very clearly an unsustainable fad diet.

Most of these diets claim some magical fat-burning science is involved, or that there is something special about the combination of foods. This is simply untrue - it is nothing more complex than a reduction in calories!

Calorie Count is all about sustainable weight loss, this can be done by using the Tools on this site to achieve a healthy reduction in calories leading to weightloss which can be maintained long-term without too much effort.

It's funny how some of you don't do your research.  Sure this isn't actually supported by any Sacred Heart Medical Centers, but have you actually looked into what this diet is really about.  It's about cleansing.  It's a cleanse to rid your body of fat.  Sure you lose water weight at first but that is like any other diet or change of eating lifestyle.  If you read the directions, it does tell you not to do this continuously.  It tells you to give your body a break.  That doesn't mean go gorge your self in a FEAST!  If you just eat right (assuming you probably didn't in the first place or you wouldn't be looking for a diet) you will lose.  I always do the 7 days, lose 10-15lbs (or should I say water weight) and then continue with the 2nd phase of South Beach.  The only way to lose weight is to eat right & exercise.  This has worked for me in the past as I lost 30lbs in 3 months, then I had my wisdom teeth extracted and I got off course.  I am not perfect, but I get irritated by people who knock something they haven't even tried before.  Don't believe everything you read.  Try it for yourself.  Sure this may not be for everyone but you may find that you like it for yourself.....And yes some of you hit the nail on the head with the soup gets old, but if you just remind yourself why you are eating it (and not cheating) you will lose too!  Sorry, had to let my feelings out!

Nonsense.  Not only has Sacred Heart Hospital disavowed this stupid diet, but cardiologists all over the world throw their hands up in horror.  Do you have any idea how much salt is in the two kinds of canned soup that goes into this mess?  It's high blood pressure in a bowl.

Cabbage and the other foods don't "cleanse" anything.  You'd do much better to develop good eating habits for life rather than following some bogus, unhealthy, temporary fad.  If you want to give your body a break (which it doesn't need) then embark on a fast for a few days as many religious sects do, with no harm done.

Fat is metabolized in your liver, spleen and gall bladder.  Soup only passes through the digestive tract.  It can't remove fat in some magical way.  All it will do is make you pass gas that stinks of cabbage smells.

I'm not looking for any diet.  I want to get healthier and stay that way for the rest of my life.  The way to do that is to educate yourself about what a balanced diet means.

I am rapidly losing patience (can you tell?) with the promotion of this mess.  Please stop for the sake of all the people who come here and who are ill informed.

PS:  I have tried it, back in the 70s and got very sick from it.  Sorry, I just had to let my own feelings out.  If you can, I can.

I've received some pretty stupid diets from doctors over the years but that didnt' make them good for me.  Doctor's study nutrition for a few days in medical school and they are not experts.  Many of them are downright ignorant.  This diet has been "handed around" to people since the 1970s when I tried it.  Who knows who made it up.  For sure it wasn't anybody who knows anything about nutrition and weight loss.  Yes, I lost weight on this diet.  Yes, I got really sick on it.  My digestive tract and kidneys took weeks to recover from all that acidity and salt.

Over the past 3 years I've learned the real way to lose weight and keep it off

• Learn about good nutrition
• Learn what your caloric needs are
• Make a meal plan with the help of a licensed nutritionist (see the Advice section.  Mary Hartley is our nutritionist and had meal plans in her Experts articles.)
• Stick to it for life
   

No silly fad diet will do for you what consistancy and long term commitment will.