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Quick weight loss tip: Follow the 3-day military diet plan

Quick weight loss tip: Follow the 3-day military diet plan
The military diet can be adapted to cater to different tastes and preferences. © Shutterstock

If you need to lose weight fast for a special occasion, we have the perfect diet plan for you. Just follow the 3-day military diet plan and watch those pounds melt away.

Written by Jahnavi Sarma |Published : September 10, 2019 6:52 PM IST

There are countless fad diets doing the rounds today and the3-day military diet is one of them. Despite the name, this diet has nothing to do with the military and our soldiers are not put on this diet to increase their fitness levels. But some advocates of this diet do say that it was originally designed for the US military by nutritionists to spruce up their fitness levels fast.

The 3-day military diet plan claims to help you lose weight quickly. Apparently, you can lose up to 4.5 kg in just a single week. It is easy to follow and requires no exhaustive planning like most other diets. This diet is also known as the ice cream diet, the navy diet and also the army diet. Here, we tell you all about the military diet plan and how to best follow it.

WHAT IS THE 3-DAY MILITARY DIET PLAN?

This is a low-calorie weight loss diet that promises rapid weight loss in a week. It is a 3-day diet that can help you lose up to 4.5 kg in a week. You are not supposed to follow it beyond 3 days. But you can try it again after a gap of 4 days in between till you reach your desired weight. But this gap is a must in this diet.

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This diet is actually divided into 2 parts over 7 days. The first 3 days include a set low-calorie meal plan for breakfast, lunch and dinner with no snacks in between meals. The total calorie intake during those 3 days is around 1,100 1,400 calories per day. Critics of the military diet plan point out this is much lower than the average adult's required calorie intake.

According to this diet, you can follow a healthy and nutritious diet for the remaining 4 days of the week. But you must ensure that your calorie intake remains low.

3-DAY MILITARY DIET PLAN FOR WEIGHT LOSS

This diet induces rapid weight loss. This is because it puts severe restriction on calorie intake. Advocates also say that black tea and coffee also induces weight loss by stimulating metabolism. Besides, the food combinations in the military diet meal menu also has certain weight loss advantages.

But critics say that though severely obese people may lose weight on this diet, most of it may be water weight, which could be due to a decrease in the body's glycogen levels. This is normal when you restrict carbs and calories.

Here, we reveal a few tips on how best to follow the military diet.

3-DAY MILITARY DIET TIPS

The 3-day military diet plan is easy to follow and extremely cost-effective. You don't have to go crazy trying to find the right ingredients for your meals because the military diet plan foods are easily available. In fact, the military diet menu also says that you can swap foods according to your convenience. But the only thing you have to do is limit your calorie intake. You have to restrict yourself to consuming around 1,100 1,400 calories per day when on the military diet. Here, we tell you what foods you can have and what foods you must avoid when on this diet.

The compliant foods in the military diet list consists of black coffee, black tea, green tea, vanilla ice cream, bananas, hot dogs without the bun, eggs, saltines, cottage and cheddar cheese, bread or toast, broccoli, apple, tuna, grapefruit, green beans and meat. The foods that you must avoid are alcohol, milk or cream, sugar, fruit juices and artificial sweeteners.

Now, let us take a look at the 3-day military diet plan menu.

MEAL PLAN FOR THE 3-DAY MILITARY DIET

Here we reveal meal plans for the first 3 days of this diet. On all three days, there is no limit to the amount of tea or coffee you may have. But make sure you don't add milk or sugar to it. And, have plenty of water. You can also infuse water with lemon if you are averse to drinking plain water. But do not use any sweeteners. You are allowed three meals a day without any snacks in between for the first 3 days, You can have 3 meals and 2 snacks in between the meals on the remaining 4 days.

Military diet Day 1

Day 1 recommends a calorie intake of around 1,400 calories. The military diet meal plan menu for the first day can be as follows:

Breakfast can consist of a slice of toast with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, half a grapefruit and a cup of coffee or tea (optional). For lunch, you can have a slice of toast, half a cup of tuna and a cup of coffee or tea (optional). For dinner, have 85 grams of meat with a cup of green beans, a small apple, half a banana and one cup vanilla ice cream.

Military diet Day 2

Day 2 recommends a calorie intake of around 1,200 calories. The military diet meal plan menu for the second day can be as follows:

Have a slice of toast, one hard-boiled egg, half a banana and a cup of coffee or tea (optional) for breakfast. Lunch can be one hard-boiled egg, a cup of cottage cheese, 5 saltine crackers and a cup of coffee or tea (optional). For dinner, have 2 hot dogs without the bun, half a cup of carrots and half a cup of broccoli, half a banana and half a cup of vanilla ice cream.

Military diet Day 3

Day 3 recommends a calorie intake of around 1,100 calories. The military diet meal plan menu for the third day can be as follows:

For breakfast, have a 1-ounce slice of cheddar cheese, 5 saltine crackers, a small apple and a cup of coffee or tea (optional). Lunch can consist of a slice of toast, 1 egg and a cup of coffee or tea (optional). For dinner, have a cup of tuna, half a banana and 1 cup of vanilla ice cream.

The remaining 4 days

You are allowed to eat whatever you like as long as you keep your calorie intake to under 1500 per day. But you are encouraged to eat balanced meals, restrict portion size and, of course, drink plenty of water.

FOOD SWAP TIPS IN THE 3-DAY MILITARY DIET MEAL PLAN

The above meal plans are just a guide and not cast in stone. You can substitute the foods mentioned in the day wise meal menu to suit your taste and convenience. Vegetarians can go for almonds instead of tuna and people who are allergic to peanuts can have almond butter instead. Indians can swap bread for chappatis or rotis (Indian bread) and paneer (cottage cheese) for tuna. But the bottom line is that you need to count your calories. Whatever food you choose must give you not more than the recommended calories.

INDIAN VERSION OF THE MILITARY DIET: VEGETARIAN AND NON-VEGETARIAN

People from different areas of the world have different dietary habits. The military diet can be adapted to cater to different tastes and preferences. Hence, it can be tweaked to cater to Indian tastes also. If you are a vegetarian, replace the tuna, meat and eggs with your preferred protein source like dals, pulses, sprouts, paneer, nuts or tofu.

Here we give a sample meal plan for all three days. We have mentioned both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options here.

For breakfast eat a slice of brown bread (toasted) with 2 tbsp peanut butter (or) an Omelette with 3 whole eggs, 1 apple or 1 banana and a cup of black coffee or tea. Lunch may include a small cup of brown rice/chapati, dal or chicken, a bowl of veg salad and half cup vanilla ice cream. For dinner, have 100gm grilled chicken or fish /100 gm paneer (cottage cheese), mashed potato with mixed salad containing veggies and fruits of your choice except banana.

EXERCISING DURING THE 3-DAY MILITARY DIET

You can exercise during this diet plan. Go for a walk for 30 to 45 minutes every day. You may also hot the gym if you want to. There is absolutely no restriction on any kind of physical activity during this diet plan.