The 3 Day Diet Plan Review, Foods, Benefits, and Risk

Written by Gouher Munshi Updated on November 19, 2023

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The 3-day diet plan is also called a Military diet. This diet is claimed to help in weight loss, up to 4.5 kg that 10 pounds in a single week. It is a free diet and there is no expensive food or supplement requirement.

The military diet plan requires a 3-day meal plan followed by four days off and the weekly cycle is repeated till you get your goal. Specialists of this diet claim that it was invented by a nutritionist in the US military to get soldiers in top shape directly.

However, the reality is that the diet is not linked with any military or governmental organization.Â The military diet is also known by many names such as army diet, navy diet, or ice cream diet.

The Meal Plan

Table of Contents

Here is the 3-day meal plan.

Day 1

On one day plan, you will need to consume 1,400 calories.

Breakfast:

Eat one slice of toast with two tablespoons of peanut butter.

Have half grapefruit.

One cup of tea or coffee (optional).

Lunch:

A slice of toast.

Half a cup of tuna.

A cup of coffee or tea (optional).

Dinner:

Eat 85 gm of meat with one cup of green beans.

One small apple and half banana.

Eat one cup of vanilla ice cream.

Day 2

On day 2 you need to consume 1,200 calories.

Breakfast

Eat one slice of toast and one hard-boiled egg.

Eat half a banana with one cup of tea or coffee(optional).

Lunch

Have one hard-boiled egg with one cup cottage cheese.

Eat five saltine crackers.

Have one cup of tea or coffee (optional.

Dinner

Eat 2 hot dogs, without a bun.

Have half a cup of broccoli and one cup of carrot.

Have one banana.

Eat one cup of vanilla ice cream.

Day 3

On day 3 you need to consume 1,100 calories.

Breakfast:

Eat a one-ounce cheddar cheese slice.

5 Staline crackers

One small apple

One cup of tea or coffee (optional).

Lunch:

A slice of toast.

Eat One egg, cooked according to your wish.

A cup of tea or coffee (optional).

Dinner:

Half a banana

One cup of tuna

One cup of vanilla ice cream.

Feel free to consume more tea or coffee as you like, as long as you do not need any calories from cream or sugar. Drink enough water also.

The Remaining 4 Days

The remaining days of the week involve dieting. Snacks are allowed and there is no specific restriction for any food group.

However, you are allowed to limit portion size and keep complete calorie consumption under 1,500 every day.

3-Days Diet: How Does it Work?

The 3-day diet is divided into two stages over 7-days.

For the first 3 days, you must follow a meal plan with low calories for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Snacks are not allowed in between meals.

Total calorie consumption in this phase is approximately 1,100-1400 calories each day.

It is much diminished than the average adult disease, but you can lessen your calories need usingÂ this calculator.

For the remaining four days of the week, you are urged to consume healthy and regular to keep calorie consumption low. Experts of the diet claim that you repeat the diet many times until you reach your weight aims.

Extra Foods Permitted

Food replacements are allowed during the 3-day phase for people with limitations, but servings should consist of a comparable calorie amount. For example, if you have a sensitivity to peanuts, you can substitute peanut butter with almond butter.

You can also change 1-cup of tuna for some almonds if you do not like seafood. The essential thing is that calories continue the same. If you change the meal plan in any form, you will need to calculate calories.

Experts of the military diet suggest drinking warm lemon water and withdrawal drinks including artificial sweeteners.

Review of the 3 Day Diet Plan Review

Is the Military Diet or 3 Day Diet Based on Evidence?

There has been no study on the military diet/3-day diet. However, the average individual is very likely to reduce some pounds because of the week-long calorie restriction.

If fewer calories absorb your fat mass than leave it, you lose fat. However, experts of this diet claim that it has some weight loss benefits because of food combinations in the diet plan. These combinations are told to boost metabolism and burn fat, but there is not reality back to these claims.

Green tea and Coffee do consist of compounds that can easily boost metabolism, but there are no identified combinations of food able to do this.

If you look at the all foods listed in the diet plan, it simply does not look like a fat-burning diet. Foods with high protein promote metabolism more than other food. But most of the meals in the 3-day diet are less in protein and high in carbs, which is an invalid combination for weight loss. Some people also claim this diet plan has the same health benefits as occasional fasting. However, there is not fasting in this diet.

Is the Military Diet Sustainable and Safe?

The military diet or 3-day diet is likely safe for the normal individual because it is extremely short to harm anything.

Still, if you were to undergo this diet for more months at a time, the more calorie restriction could cause your chance of nutrient declines.

It is true if you do not normally consume vegetables and other healthy food on your off days.

Additionally, consuming crackers, ice cream, hot dogs every week has the potential to improve metabolic problems. Fast food should not be a regular part of this diet.

In terms of sustainability, this diet is very simple to follow. It does not depend on long-term habit modifications and only needs willpower for some time. That being said, it clearly will not help you keep the weight off for much longer because it does not help changing habits.

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Can You reduce 10 Pounds in a Week?

This diet became famous due to its claims to lessen 10 pounds that is 4.5 kg in a week. This speed of weight reduction is reasonable for overweight individuals who seriously limit the calories. However, most of the weight loss will be because of water loss and no fat.

Water weight drops quickly as the glycogen store of the body get a decline, which happens when you restrict calories and carbs. This feels good on the scales, but that weight will be recovered when you start eating usually again.

The target caloric consumption for the diet for both the 3-days and the 3-days should be 1500. Although calories restriction itself is right for overweight persons who wish to reduce weight, the content of the 3-day diet can cause an undesired health problem.

Lack of Dietary Fiber

It is suggested that everyone eat high levels of dietary fiber, but this is especially essential for those on low-calorie diets. Because of different food allowed on the 3-day diet, the diet may not meet the everyday recommended value of fiber consumption. Dietary fiber is important in lowering coronary heart problems and diabetes over the long term. In the short term, a lack of dietary fiber in the 3 diets may lead to constipation.

Lack of Nutrients

Again, because of the low variety of food allowed on this diet, the diet may not provide enough nutrition. For example, non-starchy vegetables like brussels sprouts, spinach, and kale are suggested as part of a balanced diet. Eating such food is believed to lower the risk of increased heart problems and cancer.

However, these types of vegetables are not allowed in a 3-day diet. Adherents to the diet may cause malnutrition.

Gallstones

For those people trying for weight loss, it is recommended that only 1-2 pounds of weight should be reduced every week. Those who reduce weight rapidly, such as the promised 10 lb every week in the 3-day diet, are at risk of increasing gallstones.

Gallstones are pebble-like materials commonly composed of cholesterol that formed in the gallbladder. If a significant quantity of weight is decreased in a short period, the liver can release added cholesterol into the bile and cause problems with gallbladder emptying. In serious cases, a gallstone can cause abdominal pain secondary to bile duct blockage. If left untreated, major problems can result.

Muscle Loss

Atrophy is a well-known risk of rapid weight loss. Research comparing the rapid weight loss effects with sustained and slow weight loss that feels rapid loss are more likely to have wasting muscle.

With time, muscle mass loss has been linked with higher levels of mortality and morbidity. The negative result of muscle atrophy can be increased in those with type 2 diabetes.

Effectiveness as a Weight Loss Tool

Additional to health risks, the 3-day diet might not be effective tool for weight loss tool. Commonly, low-calorie diets such as a 3-day diet should also hold a low glycemic index. The glycemic index is used to divided foods based on the carbohydrate content. The glycemic index indicates the blood glucose reaction to a particular food-related with the reaction to an equal number of similar carbohydrates like white bread.

Diets containing a low glycemic index are related to high satiety, implying that the 3-day diet may not be a sustainable mechanism for weight loss, as members may eat

refused food to satiate hunger.

There is proof that recommends that low-calorie diets such as the 3-day diet may be associated with a variety of long-term and short-term risks. Several people argue that to get a safe and sustainable weight reduction, it must be done securely in a prolonged time.

Foods to Eat on the 3 Day Diet

Apples
Carrots
Bananas
Eggs
Bread (whole-wheat), in small amounts
Cheeses
Coffee
Green beans
Greek yogurt
Meat
Grapefruit
Hot dogs
Ice cream
Saltine crackers
Peanut butter
Tea
Tuna

Foods to Avoid on 3 Day Diet

Artificial sweeteners
Oranges
Butter
Fruit juices
Creamers
Milk
Yogurt (except for Greek
Sugar (except for ice cream)
varieties)

You can also follow this diet plan even if you are a vegan or vegetarian by replacing meats with tofu or beans. It is necessary to remember that several of the suggested foods have low fiber. That goes against most standard recommendations for weight loss. For example, the American-Heart-Association says to add high fiber foods to keep you full without more calories.

Benefits of the 3 Day Diet Plan

Many benefits can be gained by following this diet driven by particular weight loss. This diet shares different same benefits that can be achieved from intermittent fasting, while still allowing followers to consume a small number of certain foods.

Youâ€™ll lose weight

Weight loss is the main benefit of 3 days diet for effective and quick weight loss. The diet claims to help its followers to lose around 10 pounds in just one week, and 30 pounds in one 1-month and since the cycle of diet can be repeated after weeks and months, there is no limit for how much weight you can lose. This will depend on how you consume food during your off days also. Even if you follow the 3-day diet and eat cookies or pizza on other days, you will not get the expected results. Still, the structure of the military diet helps to kick start the fat burning process of the body for rapid changes.

Speed up Metabolism

By adding high protein foods, high fiber, and foods that consist of more calcium, the 3-day diet is created to promote metabolic rate- the number of calories you will burn from the day. It is how your body burns fat, and by activating this process, you will help to turn the body into a fat-burning machine. A myth says that fasting, even intermittent fasting like you would do on the 3-day diet, leads to the metabolism to slow down starvation mode. However, there is no study to support this. Research shows that you will not enter starvation mode until the body hits a rate of nearly 5% body fat. As long as you have fat left to consume, your body will continue to metabolize it and utilize it as fuel.

Increased Motivation

It is not easy to push ourselves to a challenging and strict diet like this one and once you get used to it for the first three days, you will feel ready to follow anything. Sticking with a 3-day diet is the best way to develop your willpower and learn what it takes to be motivated even in the temptation. You will also be more likely to adhere to it due to the immediate result. Many different diet plans include slow weight loss in the long term, which can be demotivating for individuals who are looking for a quick fix. The 3 day or military diet helps to increase motivation till you reach your goal.

Lower Cravings

Cravings will possibly be an issue, particularly if you are managing from an unhealthy diet containing simple carbs and sugar. People who enjoy 1-2 drinks with dinner will also struggle a bit while the first some days on the 3-day diet. There are some methods you can use to win these cravings, though, so you can continue with the diet rather than give in. However, once you have made it to the first cycle, you will quickly see that your desire for unhealthy foods will go away. The intermittent fasting cycle of this diet help to detox you from previous eating habits while developing a new healthy habit. You will be more used to eat smaller portions and prevent overeating.

Improve Glucose tolerance

This diet is the same as intermittent fasting, the 3-day diet helps to improve insulin sensitivity. The macronutrients in this diet plan provide your body with all it needs for proper response to the presence of blood glucose. During fasting days with low-calorie consumption, your body utilized stored fat and sugar for energy. It also improves both blood glucose and cholesterol levels.

This diet is only suitable for the short term with another intermittent fasting diet, which makes 3 days diet and four days off, an ideal way to practice it.

Boost Immune System

Research tells that cyclic fasting, such type recommended by the military diet can trigger the immune system regeneration process, where stem cells change from a lethargic state to one of self-renewal. After some days of fasting, which have any day where you consume less than 1000 calories, can induce this process. When you keep these cycles over an s6-month period, your body starts to remove damaged immune cells and begin to replace them with a new cell.

According to scientists, when your body is pressurized to utilized stored fat, ketones, and glucose for energy, it breaks down a specific portion of white blood cells.

Low Risk of Diabetes

While the 3-day diet is not suggested for people with diabetes because of a sudden decrease in calorie count, it can help to prevent disease growth. Thanks to the high fiber and high protein in this diet, which help to process sugar effectively from ice cream and fruit. It will keep the body developing extra insulin that will increase blood. If you are at risk of metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance, following this diet could help to get the body back to track. It helps with effective body function and improves healthy weight loss by preventing metabolic conditions and diabetes.

You, Will, Learn About Your Hunger

When you follow the 3-day diet, you will understand your hunger and your eating habits. Often, we are not eating due to actual hunger, but we feel bored, emotional, or craving. These are not good reasons to eat, since food is only supposed to be what provides energy to bodies. By lowering the food you eat and stick with a restricted low-calorie diet like a military or 3-day diet you will know when you feeling hungry. It is the best lesson to continue after days off from diet too to prevent overeating from stress or boredom.

Improve Your Spiritual Well-Being

Fasting is followed by religions all around the world and has been for centuries. The idea of fasting as a spiritual practice center near the theory that going without food clears the mind and fine-tunes your ability to choose on the signals your body give. It opens up to increase self-awareness, more ability to heal, and understanding on emotional levels.

Discontinuing your habits like unhealthy eating, alcohol, can help to see your addictions and preventing mind and body from these addictions.

Reduce Your Oxidative Stress

Many types of research have indicated that intermittent fasting like a 3-day diet can provide good anti-aging benefits.Â According to scientists, this could be due to the diet helps to make the cells stronger to fight against free radicals. There are unstable molecules created by bodies when our cells are functioning improperly. Free radicals float in the body, breaking apart links between atoms and other cell components including important protein and DNA.

Since fasting cause to force your body to remove unhealthy cells to create a place for new healthy ones, these malfunctioning cells are changed by keeping your body strong by removing free radicals.

Scientists claim that exposing the body to less environmental stress and fasting improves the repair process of cellular.Â

Stimulate Brain Function

Intermittent crash diets or fasting cycles, protect brain functions. The shock of lower calorie consumption keeps more stress on cells and forces the brain to adopt a stronger flexible stress response.

New cells are produced and neurons are activated to grow. It can help your brain resist the negative effects of accumulated protein plaques, which are one of the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s. It also makes the brain extra resistant to the damaging effect of Parkinson’s and can even lower the occurrence of epileptic seizures.

Overeating has proven to have a detrimental effect on the brain, reducing the impact on the brain, impairing the function, and stimulated uncontrolled excitation scientists. It is likely because of how humans evolved and no doubt get long periods where food was scarce.

Improve Heart Function

Apart from weight loss and prevention for diabetes, there isÂ evidenceÂ to prove that intermittent fasting and 3 days diet can provide benefits for cardiovascular health. According to some studies, fasting helps with the heart by increasing adiponectin, which is a protein that is utilized by the body in the metabolism of lipids and carbohydrates.

Research on animals has shown that these benefits are not unlike those achieved from a workout, including heart rate, improved blood pressure, and lowered cholesterol.

The creator of oneÂ studyÂ even said that the result noticed in patients who do intermittent fasting got benefits same as bariatric surgery but without the expenses and risks linked with the process.

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Prevent Certain Cancers

Animal studies have also shown that the type of calorie restriction or fasting practiced during the military diet can reduce the risk of growing some types of cancer. Lowering the lymphoma incidences, longer survival after tumors treatment, and reduced cancer cell forming rate have been discovered how these findings would apply to humans. Researchers say this evidence shows that both intermittent fasting and calorie limit are effective at changing different risk factors that can lead to chronic disease growth and make it a healthy eating option for everyone.

Faster Healing And Recovery

Intermittent fasting and caloric limit have shown to increase performance and endurance among athletes means that it can be hard to manage energy while you are following 3 days diet, and you will be rewarded with good performance in the end.

Research has been performed on weight trainers and cyclists to reveal that intermittent fasting can promote post-workout muscle growth, manage the lean mass, reduce fat mass, and increase recovery after a workout.

However, make sure to get enough nutrition. Supplement your lower calories a day with healthy, full of nutritious food during off days.

Increased longevity

StudiesÂ have indicated that restricting calorie consumption helps to increase lifespan in anima. This is not something a human can easily manage, but by practicing intermittent fasting as prescribed by the military diet, you can notice a longer life without spending it obsessively counting macronutrients and calories.

Calorie restriction for the long term can even be detrimental. Humans will experience a loss of strength and lean muscle mass, also a loss of bone mineral density. It is also the type of miserable, who wish to eat the same tiny meals every day without really feeling satisfied?

While there has not more research on fasting and longevity of humans, it will suddenly lower the risk of increased diabetes, obesity, cancer, and heart disease and if you are less prone to diet from that ailment, you will possibly have a better long-life chance.

Things to remember on theÂ 3 Day Diet PlanÂ

The 3-day diet or military diet is an easy eating plan, but there are some things to consider before starting this diet. You will be able to stick with this diet if you understand everything about this diet and what you can expect.

This Is A Low-Calorie Plan

While on a military diet or 3-day diet plan, you might see that you begin feeling weak, tired, and grumpy. That is because the plan lowers your calorie consumption to under 1500 every day under what is commonly suggested for an adult. Some fatigue and sluggishness are to be expected, but you should cheer up again once you are eating normally during the 4 off days. Workout is encouraged to intensify weight loss efforts, but the plan does recommend against vigorous during the three days that you are following the reduced-calorie diet. Instead, make some light workouts like yoga, walking, or swimming. Do weight training or running on days off.

Drink More Water

Supplement the low-calorie diet plan suggested by this eating by consuming enough water. Water can help to keep you full and it can also help to promote metabolism and energy levels, which is essential during this diet. The 3-day diet encourages you to drink warm lemon water, if possible, you especially in the morning. It is the best way to detoxify the body during this diet because lemon juice help to balance hormones and support weight loss.

Experience Cravings

It is a very fair point since it is normal to manage cravings when you have abruptly lower caloric consumption but because it can be a hard problem to overcome, it is necessary to consider this further. The best way to deal with needs is to add small snacks, so you do not have to go much longer without eating something.

You can also learn about other ways to know the cravings like meditation, acupuncture, and even just temporary distractions such as not watching Tv control temptations.

It Is Not Possible To Eat Out

During restricted diet das you won’t be able to eat out at a restaurant or any out party. You may need to schedule these eating out on off days, still make sure to have healthy choices. Eat foods that are steamed or grilled without any sugary and saucy simple carbs. Avoid alcohol, which is not suitable for any diet plan.

This Diet Is Not for Everyone

The military or 3 days diet is not recommended for people who have any disease such as high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, or heart disease.

Make sure to take professional advice before starting this diet for weight loss. While healthy people without any disease can follow this diet.

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