Military diet is the new buzzword in the world of dieting. It claims to help you lose 4kgs (10 pounds) in less than a week. Losing the extra kilos is always the hardest part, and this is the reason people are always looking for some effective yet easy and quick crash-diets to lose weight.
People look for effective weight loss diet plans which bring quick results without harming the body. So, it is important to know how effective and safe are these crash diets.
What Is the Military Diet?
The military diet includes a three-day diet designed to lose weight fast. The meal plans are very basic as well as calorie-restrictive. It is also called army diet, the navy diet and even the ice-cream diet. The meals are divided into the major meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Also, this is a low-calorie and low-carbohydrate diet. According to Elaine Magee, a registered dietitian, your body tends to lose mostly water and some muscle with this diet. She explains that water weight falls quickly as the body’s glycogen stores decreases. This happens when you follow a diet low in carbs and calories.
The foods recommended for day one to day three of the military diet is given below
Day One:
Breakfast: Intake of 308 calories
- one slice of bread with two tablespoons peanut butter
- 1/2 grapefruit
- a cup of tea or coffee
Lunch: Intake of 139 calories
- one slice of bread
- tuna (half cup)
- one cup of coffee or tea
Dinner: Intake of 619 calories
- 3 ounces (85 grams) of meat (any meat of choice)
- one small apple
- a banana half in size
- vanilla ice cream (half cup)
The well-known dietitian Lisa Drayer says the total calories intake of day one equals to 1,066, even if you choose all the foods with full fat. For a person who usually consumes 2,000- 2,500 calories, restricting to low-calorie diet will be a drastic change. It will make you feel irritated and tired all day.
Day Two:
Breakfast: Intake of 223 calories
- a slice of toast
- one boiled egg
- half of a banana
- one cup of tea or coffee
Lunch: Intake of 340 calories
- one cup of full-fat cottage cheese
- Five saltine crackers
- one boiled egg
Dinner: Intake of 630 calories if you choose full-fat meat.
- 2 hot dogs without bun
- half-cup of carrots and half-cup broccoli
- half of a banana
- vanilla ice cream (half cup)
Drayer says that processed meats like hot dogs and other meaty foods are always associated with the greater risk of cancer. She also adds that ice-cream is an inappropriate choice to compensate the calorie intake.
Day Three:
It is the most restrictive day
Breakfast: Intake of 232 calories only
- cheddar cheese (one slice)
- Five saltine crackers
- a small apple
- a cup of tea or coffee
Lunch: Intake of 170 calories only
- a slice of toast
- one egg cooked however you like
- a cup of tea or coffee
Dinner: Intake of 460 calories, the maximum of the third-day.
- One cup of tuna
- half banana
- vanilla ice cream (one cup)
Once you are done with this 3-day military diet, you can now eat anything for the rest of the week and then restart with the 3-day diet again. Just keep in mind that you should not exceed the calorie intake more than 1500 calories a day in the next 4 days.
Military Diet Or a Fad Diet?
Many Internet results show that a military diet is also known as the American Heart Association diet, the Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic diet, etc. But, the organizations with which the diet has been associated claims to have no connection with the diet. The calorie content of a military diet is calculated using Supertracker [1] a tool developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture tool.
If you search for this diet over the internet, you will come across a lot of pictures, detailed information on ways to prepare the diet, but there is no information about the nutritionist, guide or expert who can take the ownership of the information.
Any dietary modifications will have an improved balanced diet, including lots of fruits and veggies, and fiber content to help you lose weight. Developing healthy eating habits is very important to kick start your weight loss and have the desired effects for the long run.
There are a lot of people out there waiting deliberately to have that one magic solution for weight loss.
Healthy Alternatives to Lose Weight
Is there any alternative to get the desired weight loss without affecting your healthy?
Drayer says that she would recommend eliminating all the carb-rich foods from the diet first, such as bread, pasta, rice, and cereal. She also suggests increasing water intake and cut down on sweets and sugary drinks for one week. This will help you cut down on the calories and will eventually achieve weight loss. There are many healthy ways to lose weight
According to Magee, cutting down on your calories suddenly for three days like in this military diet, will put your body into a conservation mode, where the body will even slow down the normal process of burning calories. So, she suggests to cut down on calories slowly and indulge in some exercises for weight loss.
To sum up, any diet you follow should be approved by some expert or nutritionist. And talking of this military diet, it is a completely unhealthy and a fake diet to follow. Some experts suggest that you need to track your progress with weight loss.And eat healthy, drink lots of water, detox your body, and indulge in exercises for better results.
Detox diets has been found to be a healthy method to lose weight with long-term results. In addition, it also boosts the immune system and maintains healthy gut microbiome and in turn, enhance the overall wellness.
