The military diet is presently one of the most famous diets in the world.
It is reported to help one lose up to 10lbs in 3 days. It is cost-effective, you don’t need to buy books or expensive supplements and hard to find or expensive foodstuffs or fruits.
The military diet plan involves following a three days meal plan and then eating normally again for the remaining four days and within that 3 days you are guaranteed losing 10lbs (pounds) and the cycle can continue for as long as you want to reach that weight loss goal.
People have claimed that this diet was designed by US military to ensure that the soldiers get into shape quickly but the truth is that the diet is in no way connected to US military or any institution owned by the government.
The military diet is all about portion control and counting your calories. For the 3 days where you will be strictly following a meal plan, the calories for each meal of the day have already been calculated except you substitute a meal in which case you will have to calculate it.
On the four days where you are free to eat whatever, it is advised to keep a record of what you eat so that your calories can be calculated and balanced properly.
When you lose so much weight very quickly it is called water weight, experts claim that you can lose 5lbs of water weight in a day, but experts that have tried the military diet claim that whatever weight that’s been lost in the period of that diet is not just water weight, however, there are no studies or proof to back the statement up.
The 3-day military diet although reportedly effective, it is not a long-lasting solution to weight loss, neither is it a very healthy eating plan, it also doesn’t teach the basic skill needed to sustain weight loss in the long run, like the planning and preparation of a healthy meal.
Benefits and disadvantages like most diets, the three-day military diet has its benefits and disadvantages.
Benefits:
- It promises quick weight loss.
- Its structured plan gets rid of the guesswork out of dieting.
Here is the list of some food popularly found in the military diet meal plan:
Bananas, Bread (whole-wheat in small amounts), Carrots, Coffee, Eggs, Grapefruit, Hot dogs, Ice cream, Meat, Saltine crackers, Tea, Tuna
These are some of the foods you should not eat on the Military Diet:
Artificial sweeteners (except for stevia), Creamers, Fruit juices, Milk, Oranges, Sugar
THE MEAL PLAN
This is the 3-day meal plan you should follow especially if you don’t know how to calculate your calories.
DAY 1
This is the meal plan for day 1 and it rounds up to around 1,400 calories.
Breakfast:
- A slice of toast with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter.
- Half a grapefruit.
- A cup of coffee or tea (optional).
Lunch:
- A slice of toast
- Half a cup of tuna
- A cup of coffee or tea (optional)
Dinner:
- A 3-oz (85 grams) serving of meat with a cup of green beans
- A small apple
- Half a banana
- One cup of vanilla ice cream
DAY 2
Breakfast:
- One egg
- One slice of toast
- Half a banana
Lunch:
- One hard-boiled egg
- 1 cup of cottage cheese
- Five saltine crackers
Dinner:
- Two hot dogs without the buns
- Half a banana
- 1 cup of broccoli
- Half a cup of carrots
- Half a cup of vanilla ice cream
DAY 3
Breakfast:
- 5 saltine crackers
- 1 slice of cheddar cheese
- 1 small apple
Lunch:
- 1 hard-boiled egg (or cooked however you like)
- 1 slice of toast
Dinner:
- 1 cup of tuna
- 1/2 banana
- 1 cup of vanilla ice cream
Read Also: 3-Day Cardiac Diet – Lose 10lbs in 3 Days with Heart Healthy Diets
VEGETARIAN MEAL PLAN
If you are a vegetarian this is the vegan meal plan you should only make substitutions after calculating your calories.
DAY 1
Breakfast:
- Half a grapefruit
- One slice of toast
- 2 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 cup of caffeinated coffee or tea
Lunch:
- Half an avocado
- 2 tablespoon hummus
- One slice of whole-wheat toast
- 1 cup of caffeinated coffee or tea
Dinner:
- Tofu (up to 300 calories)
- 1 cup of green beans
- Half a banana
- One small apple
- 1 cup of dairy-free ice cream
DAY 2
Breakfast:
- Half a cup of baked beans
- One slice of whole-wheat toast
- Half a banana
Lunch:
- 1 cup of unsweetened soy, hemp, or almond milk
- Half an avocado
- 2 tbsp. hummus
- Five saltine crackers
Dinner:
- Two veggie hot dogs without the buns
- Half a banana
- 1 cup of broccoli
- Half a cup of carrots
- Half a cup of being dairy-free ice cream
DAY 3
Breakfast:
- About 15–20 almonds
- Five saltine crackers or half a cup of couscous or quinoa
- One small apple
Lunch:
- Half an avocado
- 1 tbsp. hummus
- One slice of whole-wheat bread
Dinner:
- Half a cup of canned chickpeas
- Half a banana
- 1 cup of dairy-free ice cream
Conclusion
As stated in the beginning the military diet involves restricting the consumption of calories and potion control for three days and eating regularly for the remaining four days in the week.
For effective results, you need to evaluate your diets for those remaining four days too, eat normally but reduce your consumption of junks that are high in calories and fat.
The military diet is effective and harmless in a short period but over time it may have some risks such as regaining weight especially if you reduce your calorie intake every day of the week.
Learning more healthy eating habits, in the long run, is the best way to lose weight and to maintain weight loss.
Read Also:
- Carb Cycling for Weight Loss: 7-Day Carb Cycling Meal Plan
- 7-Day Beginner Keto Diet Meal Plan for Weight Loss
- 7 Day Cucumber Diet Plan to Lose 15 Pounds in 1 Week
