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Gunning for grapefruit

Do it right
Grapefruit, a low-cal, high-fiber fruit, has been shown to help obese patients lose weight when consumed in moderation.

But diet plans that promote one ingredient as a "magic" fat burner—as the Grapefruit Diet does—are usually accompanied by a very low-cal meal allotment. That's where the weight loss comes in.

If you add grapefruit to your diet, be careful not to max out intake; you don't want to ruin your taste for the nutritious fruit by eating too much, too quickly. Shapiro cautions: "Eating a grapefruit every day won't help you drop 20 pounds without making other lifestyle changes."

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