As my family and many of my close friends know, I suffer from a stomach disorder known as GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder). While many people that suffer from this only experience mild acid reflux or indigestion, I have a more serious case. I take prescription medicine to control the acid production within my stomach along with taking serious lifestyle changes. I have had to take multiple food sources out of my diet, including red meats, dairy, sugary products, fatty, and greasy substances. Since having this disorder, I thought it would be beneficial to try what is known as the "Military Diet." Now, I don't eat much as it is throughout the day due to my disorder. Occasionally, I have gone days at a time without eating so I figured this would be a walk in the park.
While I had to add in some moderation due to my luck of a stomach, here is my take on this 3 day diet:
Day 1 Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit, 1 slice of toast, 2 tbs of peanut butter, 1 cup of tea.
Eating this much for breakfast is bigger than what I am used to, so my stomach wasn't too pleased. I chose tea instead of coffee as it's easier on my stomach and put less than 2 tbs of peanut butter on my toast. I noticed I felt more full leading up to my next meal. Usually, my breakfast consists of a piece of toast or a protein bar and two bottles of water.
Day 1 Lunch: 1/2 cup of tuna, 1 slice of toast, 1 cup of tea.
This time, I switched the generic tea for caffeine free. I noticed my stomach was a tad bloated; however, I'm sure for the average person this meal would feel close to nothing. Truthfully, I could go for some graham crackers and honey.
Day 1 Dinner: 3 ounces of meat, 1 cup of green beans, 1/2 banana, 1 small apple, 1 cup of vanilla ice cream.
For my meat, I decided to eat a turkey burger as I can't have many meat products and opted out of the ice cream as I can't have dairy either. I could have chosen to do a dairy free ice cream as those are now available (and definitely not as terrible as they sound!) Going to bed, I felt more full than I had in days which made me skeptical on how I would feel waking up.
Day 2 Breakfast: 1 egg, 1 slice of toast, 1/2 banana
My stomach was slightly queasy in the morning so I was skeptical to eat; however, I chose to keep the breakfast portion in tact for the day. I felt more energized the second I did, but I would've preferred my typical protein bar.
Day 2 Lunch: 1 cup of cottage cheese, 1 hard boiled egg, 5 saltine crackers
Let me begin my saying, cottage cheese HAS ZERO FLAVOR. If I had to describe how nothing tastes, I would use cottage cheese as the reference. This lunch isn't too far off from a typical lunch for me so I kept with it and added two bottles of water. Still thinking about the box of graham crackers in my pantry and my chocolate covered blueberries. *You can do this Jo*
Day 2 Dinner: 2 hot dogs (no bun). 1 cup of broccoli, 1/2 cup of carrots, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream.
By this time, I was definitely craving sweets. I decided to eat a full turkey burger instead of the hot dogs and went for the dairy free ice cream. Food was a little heavier and I had a rough time going to bed from feeling so full.
Day 3 Breakfast: 1 saltine crackers, 1 slice of cheddar cheese, 1 small apple
I actually woke up that morning feeling hungry, which is a rare feeling for me! I kept the breakfast how it said and added a bottle of water with a Crystal Light packet of raspberry flavoring.
Day 3 Lunch: 1 egg, 1 slice of toast
Okay, by now I was starving. Same lunch, just added in another water with a Crystal Light packet. All I could think about was avocado toast and a fruit salad.
Day 3 Dinner: 1 cup of tuna, 1/2 banana, 1 cup of vanilla ice cream
I definitely noticed that I felt much more full the day before than I did today. I chose the dairy free ice cream again and was surprisingly still hungry. I had a heavy debate about eating the whole pint that night.
Overall, I'm sure that for a typical person these three days must have been torture and endless cravings. I had a relatively decent time experimenting with the Military Diet and it's definitely something I would try again. I dropped a total of 6 pounds by the fourth morning. While I'm sure a good portion of it was water weight, I did feel slightly lighter and had less symptoms from my stomach disorder.
I am in no way recommending this diet to anyone and I believe everyone should consult with their doctor before trying such an extreme diet! It was a good experiment and I would give this life style commitment a 5/5! You're one tough cookie if you can beat this diet.