Hollywood loved the grapefruit diet. Stars and starlets used it as far back as the 1930s. Then in the 70's it became a piece of fax junk, sent from machine to machine, commonly known as xerox lore. The diet has been described as bad by the Mayo Clinic, often associated with the diet.

Originally the grapefruit diet was an Atkins style diet that added one half grapefruit before each meal. The diet only allows three meals each day, with no snacking in between meals. 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.

In 2004 it was proven that the diet may work. Participants in the study lost 3.6 pounds on average in a 12 week span, eating one half grapefruit before each meal. People drinking the same serving size of grapefruit juice lost slightly less weight. Some people lost as much as 10 pounds in the 12 week study. 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:

• Drink eight servings of water a day.

• Eat only until you are full at each meal.

• Eat every item of food listed for each meal because the menus are formulated to burn fat.

• Grapefruit is a catalyst that starts fat burning. Do not change the amount of grapefruit.

• One cup of coffee can be consumed at each meal.

• No snacking.

• Eat butter if you want.

• No starches or sweets can be eaten.

• Meat and vegetables are fine.

• Eat until full in order to maximize weight loss.

• Follow the diet 12 days on, 2 days off, 12 days on etc.

• Eat one half grapefruit, or drink 18 ounce glass of grapefruit, with each meal.

Now you can go try the grapefruit diet.

The grapefruit diet is a fad diet, the likes of which seem to come from nowhere every now and then. A grapefruit diet involves consuming large amounts of grapefruit, it is that simple. The theory behind the grapefruit diet is simple enough. The fruit, it is claimed, contains an enzyme that actually helps you burn fat. One thing though with grapefruit diet as with other kinds of fad diets is the lack of substantial proof behind the theory. Grapefruit diet could be said to be one of the offshoots of the modern generations' obsession with losing weight and appearing attractive.