To understand the nature of this trending diet, I tested it out on myself and will reveal my results for both weight loss and general well-being.
What is the 3 day Military Diet?
The 3 day military diet is a popular diet trend that has been around for a while. I remember as a 14 year old, I tried it for my first time, yet never recorded the results. With Quarantine eating habits spurring binge eating habits, many dieters have turned to this 3 day military diet as a fast way to control their hunger, suppress their appetite, and to shed an extra 10 pounds. The diet consists of 3 days of a calorie deficit meal plan with limited substitutions. To give a run down of what I ate for these three days, I will include the entire 3 day diet meal plan below:
Day 1
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 vanilla ice cream.
Breakfast:
- A slice of toast.
- One hard-boiled egg.
- Half a banana.
- A cup of coffee or tea (optional).
Lunch:
- One hard-boiled egg.
- A cup of cottage cheese.
- 5 saltine crackers.
- A cup of coffee or tea (optional).
Dinner:
- Two hot dogs, with no bun.
- Half a cup of carrots and half a cup of broccoli.
- Half a banana.
- Half a cup of vanilla ice cream.
Breakfast:
- A 1-ounce slice of cheddar cheese.
- 5 saltine crackers.
- A small apple.
- A cup of coffee or tea (optional).
Lunch:
- A slice of toast.
- One egg, cooked however you like.
- A cup of coffee or tea (optional).
Dinner:
- A cup of tuna.
- Half a banana.
- 1 cup of vanilla ice cream.
**Day 1 of this diet is roughly 1,400 calories, while Day 2 is 1,200 calories, and Day 3 is 1,100 calories, according to Heathline.com.**
My Results
Day 1: I usually don't eat breakfast and instead have a V8 Fusion (50 calories with ginseng energy). Starting this diet was a struggle at first as I had to remove my daily V8 Fusion from my diet. After forcing myself to eat breakfast at 8 am, I was full for 4 hours, and ate lunch at 12pm. I felt hungry and tired the first day at work without my usual caffeine, yet somehow managed to run 3 miles after work. I ate the dinner for day 1 at 7 pm.
Day 2: I woke up and weighed myself and I had lost 3 pounds from my initial starting weight after day 1. After limiting my calorie intake, I was slightly hungry for breakfast, so again, I ate at 8 am, lunch at 12 pm, and dinner at 7 pm. I was hungrier this day, but my mood was improved and I did not feel as tired as the first day. I was able to easily jog 5 miles after work and felt great.
Day 3: I woke up starving, and realized the diet limits calories as you hit day 3, which was a bummer. I weighed in and had lost 5.5 pounds from my start weight. I ate breakfast at 8 am, lunch at 12 pm, and dinner at 5 pm. After dinner, I went for a 5 mile run and while I had the energy to run, I felt very tired after and was still hungry. This typically is not a normal behavior for me as I never have an appetite after a workout or run. While this was the hardest day, I had an increased positive mood filled with accomplishment for completing the diet. I also could see the detox process of this diet work as my skin was clear and glowing, as well as all bloating and puffiness of my body was decreased, especially in my stomach and lower abdomen.
Day 4: End of diet. I weighed myself and had lost roughly 7.5 pounds.
For the final results of this diet, I did not lose the promised 10 pounds, but instead lost roughly 7.5 pounds.
While I did "lose weight" meaning I have a smaller number on the scale, I additionally did get a much flatter stomach. Whether it is water weight, or portion control, this diet did succeed in giving results. Were the results 10 pounds? No. But the results were very close and the results do vary on body size, height, and exercise levels. My exercise levels were 30 minutes the first day, about an hour for day 2 and day 3. Perhaps an increased amount of exercise can enhance your results, so give it a try! Overall, I would recommend this diet for anyone looking for a quick detox, flat stomach, and for short term weight loss. My mood has increased and for my overall general well-being, I would say it has increased as well post-diet.
Hopefully, you found these results useful to decide if you want to start the 3 day military diet!
Best of luck to you and stay safe!
<3 Gabe
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