Ever thought of losing 10 pounds in 3 days? Well, the military diet says you can do this while still enjoying your ice cream, and saltine crackers and also no stringent exercise package is involved. Sounds enticing right? You’re not alone, as the military diet is currently the rave of the moment and is being supported by some celebrities like Khlóe Kardashian.
There are many diet plans out there, ranging from ketogenic diet, protein diet and the likes, but few promise quick results like the military diet and it is gaining popularity in this day and age when people want to lose as much weight as possible in a very short time. Moreover, the foods are your everyday real foods, and no special beverages or supplements are required.
The military diet sounds easy, but be prepared to be hungry and tired especially if you work out on those days because it is a form of strict dieting. It is a low-calorie diet of between 1400 and 1100 calories over a three day period in a week. Then the remaining four days are given to regular diet which must not exceed 1500 calories per day. The military diet website touts that adherents to this diet could lose 30 pounds over a 30 day period although dieticians advice against going on such strict diet with it’s limited nutritional variety for such a long time.
However, before you key into this diet plan, let’s explain to you what you need to know about it about the military diet weight loss program.
Why is it called the Military Diet?
Let’s clear the air. If you have been thinking that this diet is perhaps what keeps the military fit and ready for action then sorry to disappoint you, as this diet has no correlation with the military whatsoever.
The United States Department of defence has its own nutrition plan known as the Warfighter Nutrition Plan, specifically designed for service members to meet their nutritional needs and does not endorse any other nutrition plan. This bit of information was supplied by Maj Carla Gibson, a spokesperson for the Pentagon, according to Men’s Health.
This diet has been called several names such as the Cleveland Clinic diet, the Mayo Clinic diet, the Birmingham hospital diet and the Kaiser diet. However, none of these hospitals has actually endorsed this diet, according to CNN report.
Calorie Content
Considering that the average man needs between 2000 to 2600 calories a day, the military diet is a low-calorie diet plan as dieters are expected to consume roughly 1400 calories on the first day, about 1200 calories on the second day and not more than 1100 calories on the third day. While you can still take your ice cream and hot dogs, the diet ensures that you follow a strict pattern – same for everyone, with just a small variation for people with some food intolerance and vegetarians.
Here is what the military diet looks like:
Day 1
For Breakfast
½ a grapefruit
1 slice of toast/ bread
2 tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter ( a salt-free and sugar-free brand is recommended)
Lunch
½ a cup of tuna
1 slice of toast or bread
1 cup of coffee or tea
Dinner
3 ounces of meat (any meat is acceptable)
1 cup of green beans
½ a banana
1 small apple
1 cup of vanilla ice cream
Day 2
Breakfast
An egg (cooked, however you want)
1 slice of toast bread
½ a banana
Lunch
1 hard boiled egg
1 cup of cottage cheese
5 saltine shakers
Dinner
2 hot dogs (no bun)
1 cup of broccoli
½ cup of carrot
½ a banana
½ cup of vanilla ice cream
Day 3
Breakfast
5 saltine crackers
1 slice of cheddar cheese
1 small apple
Lunch
1 hard boiled egg
1 slice of toast/ bread
Dinner
1 cup of tuna
½ a banana
1 cup of vanilla ice cream
After the third day, you should eat your normal menu so long as the calorie intake does not exceed 1500 calories per day. Herbal tea and water are the only recommended fluid intake for three days. Also, sugars, creamers and artificial sweeteners cannot be added to your coffee while beer and wine are off-limits, as they tend to pack a lot of calories.
Likewise, no snacking is allowed. Although you may wish to ‘borrow’ food from a particular meal at snack time, but eat less of that meal.
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Does it Work?
Having examined the military diet requirements, the next question that easily comes to mind is whether the claims are attainable. If you have been consuming some thousands of calories per day and suddenly drops it down to a little above 1000 per day, there will be some weight loss because essentially, you will burn more calories than you consume.
According to experts, weight loss during restrictive calorie intake is usually from water stored inside muscle and other tissues, therefore, it is possible to lose 10 pounds in a week but the weight reduction is typically from water loss, not fat and there is every tendency that the Dieter will gain back most of the pounds lost, once the diet ends and he returns to his normal way of eating. Hence, this diet can bring weight loss, in the sense that you burn more calories than you consume, but it is recommended for those who want to lose weight quickly but it is not advisable for a long-lasting weight loss plan.
How healthy is Military Diet?
There is a risk of nutrient deficiency for those who follow the military diet for months at a time as it does not contain the adequate amounts of vegetables, whole grains protein and diary required to meet the day’s nutritional needs. That means you’ll be losing out on fibre, viamin A, C & D antioxidants and other phytonutrients that the body needs for optimum performance. Also, your energy level will be low because of your reduced calorie intake. Hence you might want to skip high-intensity workouts and bend in favour of low-intensity cardio and walking.
Furthermore, the reliance on junk foods like ice cream and highly processed foods such as hot dogs can only mean one thing – the diet is high in saturated fats, salt and sugar. This is one of the major drawbacks of this diet as consuming these items are not healthy in the long run.
However, there are some advantages to the diet. For one, it incorporates fruits and vegetables, as well as proteins. Proteins are essential for preventing the loss of muscle mass and it also improves the feeling of satiety, thus making the Dieter less inclined to go snacking.
Bottom Line: It is possible to achieve weight loss through the military diet, however, a more sustainable, healthier weight-reduction plan should be considered for a more lasting result. Moreover, the elderly, nursing mothers and pregnant women are strictly exempted from the military diet.
