Lose 10 pounds in 3 days? That sounds absolutely absurd, but it’s what the new Military Diet is claiming it can do. Also known as the Three Day Diet, the Military Diet is currently one of the world’s most popular diet plans. So how does it stack up as a guide to losing weight?
Let’s check it out.
What is it?
The Military Diet, although claimed to be developed and used by the military, is not associated with any military or government organization. Instead, it’s a fad with a back story that serves as a gimmick.
The diet is advertised as a 3-day diet without exercise that can help you lose ten pounds. However, in reality, it’s simply a low-calorie diet with stricter restrictions during the first 3 days of the plan. For the first 3 days, you can only eat about 1,000 to 1,300 calories a day. Then, for the next 4 days, you can have slightly more calories but no more than 1,500 a day. You then repeat the diet weekly until you reach your desired weight goal.
How Can You Get Started?
The meal plan is strict and requires following a regulated meal plan. Here is the exact plan that you must follow for the first three days of the diet.
Day One (1,400 calories)
- Breakfast: 1 slice of wholegrain toast with 2 tablespoons of butter, ½ a grapefruit, 1 cup of coffee or tea
- Lunch: A slice of wholegrain toast, ½ cup of tuna, 1 cup of coffee or tea
- Dinner: 3 oz of any meat, 1 cup of green beans, 1 small apple, ½ banana, 1 cup of vanilla ice cream
Day Two (1,200 calories)
- Breakfast: 1 slice of wholegrain toast, 1 hard-boiled egg, ½ a banana
- Lunch: 1 hard-boiled egg, 1 cup of cottage cheese, 5 saltine crackers
- Dinner: 2 hot dogs without buns, ½ cup of carrots, ½ cup of broccoli, ½ banana, ½ cup of vanilla ice cream
Day Three (1,100 calories)
- Breakfast: 1 slice of cheddar cheese, 5 saltine crackers, a small apple
- Lunch: 1 slice of wholegrain toast, 1 egg cooked as you wish
- Dinner: 1 cup of tuna, ½ banana, 1 cup of vanilla ice cream
If you don’t like the food or are allergic to the foods in the plan, it is possible to find military diet substitutions. You however, have to make sure that you’re eating the proper amount of calories per day.
The Diet for the Remainder of the Week
For the remainder of the week, you are not restricted to a diet. There are no food group restrictions and you can even snack between your meals. However, you should still follow certain guidelines so that you can maintain the results of the first three days.
Limit your portion sizes so that you don’t overeat and avoid fast foods. You should try to stick to healthy foods such as vegetables, fruit, and protein.
The general guideline is to limit your calorie intake to just 1,500 calories a day. However, for women, you should really stick to a diet around 1,200 calories a day.
You can use a tracker or a calorie journal to keep track of your calorie intake, and use a calorie calculator to determine exactly what you intake should be based on your current weight.
What Should You Drink?
The best thing for you to drink on the military diet is water. If you start your day off with about a half to one liter of water every morning, it will help you deal with cravings throughout the day and avoid the urge to snack between your meals. If you’d like, you can also add half a slice of lemon to your water as lemon has properties that speed metabolism and provide you energy throughout the day.
If you’re a coffee addict, you’ll be happy to know that caffeine is not restricted on the Military Diet. You can drink as much caffeine as you want; however, you should avoid sweeteners or cream in your coffee or tea. Instead, use stevia as a replacement to sweeten your drink.
Some Tips to Get the Best Results
Here are some ways that you can get the best results from your week of the Military Diet.
- Go grocery shopping and get everything you need for the entire week prior to starting. This will prevent you from stressing out about your meals and will help you stick to the diet.
- Schedule your meal times and stick to it every day. Be sure not to eat your dinner too late, as you have no time to work off the calories. This will help your weight loss last longer.
- Although the diet does state that it works without exercising, adding a workout to your day can improve results. However, you should stick to light workouts during the first three days as your body will not have enough calories to sustain intense exercises. You can try yoga, walking, or a light jog. During the last four days of the week, you can up your workout routines and try more strength and core workouts.
- Avoid alcohol during your week as this is simply empty calories.
