The grapefruit diet is one of the earliest known Hollywood fad diets.

It first came to fame in the 1930's when many stars used it. It became part of xerox lore, faxed from machine to machine, in the 1970's. The diet has been described as bad by the Mayo Clinic, often associated with the diet.

The grapefruit diet is a lot like Atkins, but with a grapefruit eaten with each meal. There are no snacks allowed on this strict three meals a day diet.

The diet claimed that people could lose 10 pounds in 10 days, or 5 pounds in five 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. Supposedly grapefruit contains enzymes that destroy fat, but no study has ever proven that to be true.

In 2004 a scientific study determined that it is possible that the grapefruit diet helps people lose weight. Participants in the study lost 3.6 pounds on average in a 12 week span, eating one half grapefruit before each meal. Drinking the juice from the grapefruit led to only slightly less weight loss. Some people lost as much as 10 pounds in the 12 week study. The doctor who conducted the study found that the grapefruit diet seems to reduce levels of insulin. However, all the participants slightly enhanced their exercise programs, which may account for the lost weight.

Here's a typical grapefruit diet:

- Dieters must drink eight eight ounce glasses of water daily.
- Stop eating when full.
- Eat all the food listed at each meal, skipping food interferes with fat burning.
- The catalyst t the whole process is grapefruit, so don't cut it.
- One cup of coffee can be consumed at each meal.
- No snacking.
- Butter is OK.
- Avoid sweets and starches such as bread and potatoes.
- Eat any amount of meat, salad and vegetables to make you full.
- Eating more will actually result in more weight loss.
- Follow the diet for 12 days, skip two days, then start again.
- Eat one half grapefruit, or drink 18 ounce glass of grapefruit, with each meal.

The grapefruit diet may be for you.