3-Day Military Diet: How It Works, Benefits & More

In the simplest of terms, the 3-day military diet restricts your diet for three days and relaxes for four days. In other words, you adhere to a rigid meal plan for three days and your normal eating patterns for four days.

This seven-day food plan may result in weight loss, but it may not be sustainable long term for healthy weight loss. It's quite simple to follow and does not necessitate including pricey food stuffs.

There are claims that it could help you lose ten pounds in the first week. For sustainable weight loss tips, check out these five weight loss secrets for beginners.

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What is the 3-Day Military Diet?

The 3-Day Military Diet, often known as the '3-Day Diet', is a rapid weight loss method that comprises three days of a very low-calorie eating plan followed by four days of a less restricted, low-calorie one. According to the diet, mixing selected foods can enhance metabolism and burn fat, but there's no scientific research to back the claim.

The diet cycles on for three days and then off for four days, with the 'on' days offering roughly 1,100-1,400 calories, while the four 'off' days supply only 1,500 calories. That's quite restrictive and could be insufficient energy for most people.

The military diet is a form of intermittent fasting, as it involves intermittent calorie restriction. Intermittent fasting diets alternate between times of restricted calorie intake and periods of unrestricted food.

Nonetheless, while you can eat whatever you want on your days off, the programme encourages people to follow a less limited but predetermined meal plan on those days to continue losing weight.

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3-Day Military Diet Meal Plan

The 3-day military diet plan consists of a limited number of meals — 16 in all — that are distributed between breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Breakfast Options:

• Toast or saltine crackers
• Hard-boiled eggs or cheddar cheese
• Peanut butter
• Grapefruit, apples, or bananas

Lunch Options:

• Toast or saltine crackers
• Cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs or canned tuna

Dinner Options:

• Apples or bananas
• Vanilla-flavored ice cream
• Green beans, broccoli or carrots
• Any meat, hot dogs without a bun, or canned tuna

Additionally, the recommended serving sizes for these 16 foods gradually decrease over time. Your daily calorie intake fluctuates between 1,400 calories on day one and 1,100 on day three.

The diet encourages drinking water or herbal teas as the only liquids allowed. The menu does permit caffeinated coffee or tea twice a day, but it advises against creamers and sweets.

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Remaining 4 Days

The only need for the remaining four days of the diet is that you eat in a healthy way. For those who want to lose weight more quickly, a 1,500-calorie plan that's less restrictive is offered. Snacks, for example, are acceptable during these days, but you're urged to watch your portion sizes.

However, you should know that 1,500 calories a day is still a calorie restriction that might not satisfy everyone's energy requirements. That's particularly true if you lead an active lifestyle, as doing so results in higher energy expenditure and higher calorie requirements.

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Is the 3-Day Military Diet Sustainable?

The 3-Day Military Diet is supposedly beneficial for short-term weight loss, but any weight lost while following the regimen is likely to be gained back once you resume eating normally.

The military diet does not teach the fundamental skills, such as proper meal planning and preparation, which can support sustained weight loss. It's neither a long-term weight loss solution nor a healthy eating plan.

The diet is not backed by any scientific evidence whatsoever. You may even harm your body by sticking to such a restrictive diet that requires you to consume a bare minimum amount of calories, even more so if you're a student or working professional.

Hot dogs, an artificial item that has undergone extensive processing, are promoted as part of the 3-day military diet. The military diet also promotes harmful eating behaviors and patterns, which may lead some people to favor whole, natural foods over processed ones or to develop eating disorders.

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Final Thoughts

The 3-day military diet is an imbalanced and potentially dangerous diet that promises rapid weight loss. Due to the fact that most weight you would lose would be water weight, it's likely you will soon regain the weight once you return to your regular eating habits.

Rather than relying on unhealthy fad diets like the 3-day military diet, which can be harmful to health, you should focus on adopting healthy and sustainable eating habits that can help you become fitter in the long term. Check out these proven ways to lose weight through healthy diet that might be more up your alley.