Honestly, when I looked at this site I was horrified from what I saw. I hope some of the information I am able to provide you with in this article makes you rethink this diet as a quick weight loss solution.
Here’s the first problem with the military diet. For three days, you are basically starving yourself, and starving yourself is never a good thing because it can lead to various eating disorders including, but not limited to, anorexia and bulimia. The amount of calorie intake recommended for adult males is 2,500 per day while females is 2,200. Day one of the military diet is only 1,400 calories for the entire day. The third day is ever more appalling with the amount of calories consumed being only 1,000. This is not enough calories for the body to properly function. You’re starving your body of the nutrients it needs.
The second problem I have with the Military Diet is the fact it promotes that you can lose ‘up to 10 pounds a week!’ This statement should immediately set off warning signs in your mind. The healthy and recommended standard of losing weight is between 1 - 2 pounds a week. This is yet again another scam that promotes a quick fix which is neither healthy or lasting. The amount of weight you first lose is mostly water weight, not actual fat loss.
When you begin to starve the body by not giving it the amount of fuel it needs, the body begins to search for other forms of energy to use. People usually think if you don’t eat the body will use fat to fuel itself. THIS IS WRONG. The body will first go to the muscle and take energy out of that to fuel itself. Fat can’t be converted into glucose, which the brain uses. When the body is being starved it sends a message to store more fat for energy use at a later time. The body will first attack the muscle of the body in order to fuel itself.
Another problem I have with this diet is that this isn’t promoted as a one time thing. While I don’t suggest ever doing this diet (even one time) it would at least be a little bit better if they promoted this as a one time deal. The site actually promotes this as a way of life, saying do the Military Diet for 3 days, then have 4 off days where you can eat up to 1,500 calories a day. This diet is promoting starvation which could lead to an eating disorder.
Let me make this very clear: You are starving yourself on this diet. Fasting is not a healthy way to lose weight. If you continue to starve yourself, you are teaching your body to store fat which will make it harder in the long run to lose weight. It has been drilled into our minds that we need to count calories and eat less to lose weight. Instead of focusing on calorie counting, focus on the types of food you are putting in your body. If you have a balanced diet full of vegetables, fruit and protein, there’s no way you’ll go wrong. Instead of focusing on quantity of food, focus on the quality of the food you put into your body.
** all pictures were obtained from google.com/images and themilitarydiet.org**
