Everything You Need to Know About 3 Day Military Diet – Shortest Diet Plan

Reviewed by: Dr. T S Deepthi Sarojini | Author: Manoja Kalakanti

This can easily be called the shortest diet ever. A three-day diet plan, better known as the 3 day military diet plan! Its claim to fame? It can help you shed 4.5 kgs in a span of a week. Doesn’t it sound too good to be true? It certainly does, so we thought we would do a thorough evaluation of this diet and help you make your own conclusions.

The military diet plan was supposedly designed by the nutritionists in the US military to ensure that their soldiers went back to top shape in real quick time. But there are people who refute these claims of it being designed by the nutritionists at the military.

This diet forms the cyclical pattern where you follow the diet for three days and stop following it for the next four days. Then start on it again till you reach your goal weight.

What is the Military Diet all about?

The military diet has also earned itself many more fancy names such as the navy diet, the army diet and hold your breath, the ice-cream diet! Does a diet and ice-cream go together? The proponents of this diet plan obviously thought so. It does sound like a silver lining in the bleak sky of diets and some more diets.

Not entirely sure how you team up a burger and an ice-cream and dream about fitting into that little black dress, but then it has worked for some people surprisingly well. It may not be everybody’s cup of tea though since it is restricted with a capital R.

The only saving grace is that feeling you are in an army school, at least diet wise, lasts only for three days; the rest of the days you are let off the hook. It is a strange amalgamation of regimented days and not so regimented days.

So, what does the military diet review say is it any good? Read is it effective? In some ways it certainly is, especially if you have an event to attend, or a party where you want to look thin in not only the selfies but also otherwise, then this diet is probably what you should try.

The Pros of Following the Military Diet

Why does the military diet work?Just the simple fact that the diet is very simple! It does make you wonder though, “Is it really all of it? Are you sure we are not missing out on something?” Actually, this diet is as simple as it looks, with no suggestions of reaching out for expensive supplements or foodstuffs. What are the other benefits of this diet plan?

You do not have to exude enormous amounts of willpower- That’s right, you just have to follow it for three days in a week and you get quick results, so needn’t wait for the better part of a year to get results.
It is perfect for busy people- You know what put’s me off most diets? The fact that you need to head out for grocery shopping for most days of the week. For one day you need to eat this, for the next day you need to consume something else. It is inconvenient and difficult to follow. But the military diet can be followed easily because it is uncomplicated. A diet that is doable, well, what’s not to like about that?
Counting calories takes a back-seat- Most diets ask you to keep a track on the calorie count. But the military diet does not ask you to eat this much calories for breakfast, this much for lunch and so So, you need not spend hours planning menus and concocting recipes.

The menus are straightforward and simple, and you can tuck in without worrying about anything else. Each meal is designed in such a way that it has an adequate amount of protein, carbohydrate, and fat. So if you are a vegetarian or vegan, you will have simple substitutes to follow.

It is also a form of intermittent fasting- We know how the concept of intermittent fasting has caught on and how it increases insulin sensitivity. Intermittent fasting is combining two different phases of eating, one is following a period of fasting and the other is a period of normal eating.

After not eating for a restricted time period, when you eat the food is directed towards your liver cells and muscles instead of taking it towards your fat cells. It also decreases insulin-like growth factor which promotes muscle growth, accelerates fat burning and reduces the risk of type 1 diabetes. So though the military diet cannot be labeled as a fast in the real sense of the term, since the calories are well within the 1000 calorie mark, it can come pretty close to a fast.

This diet increases your metabolism- This diet is great for boosting your metabolism power, since it adds three things to your diet, high protein (keeps you full for longer), high fiber (foods such as apples, green beans and broccoli, boost your metabolism) and high calcium foods (bind to the fat and aid in digestion, foods like cottage cheese and ice-cream).

Military Diet Menu

The military diet plan results show that it is pretty effective and super easy to follow as well, as the foods are easy to procure. So if you plan to start the diet right now, you can, because the foodstuffs would be there in your pantry. It is doable, and if you want to lose a little more weight, you can continue with it for several weeks till you get results. We give you some dietary ideas which you can follow, and some options as well so that you do not have to keep eating the same thing over and over again.

Make sure that your military diet calories comes up to be 1300, and you consume that number of calories when you are following this diet.

Breakfast:

Day 1- A slice of toast 2 tbsp. of peanut butter with one cup coffee or tea/a Paratha
Day 2- An omelet made with three eggs/Cooked oats
Day 3- 1 egg 1 slice of toast and ½ a banana

Lunch:

Day 1- A slice of toast/two rotis and 1 cup of lean protein and 1 cup of tea and coffee.
Day2- A cup of veg sabzi and 1 cup of cottage cheese and 1 hardboiled egg.
Day3- A bowl of dal and rice/Chicken and rice

Dinner:

Day 1- Grilled chicken (200 grams)/grilled fish (200 grams)/a bowl brown rice and dal
Day 2- 4 oz. of any kind of protein and 1 cup of spinach, ½ carrot, ½ a banana and ½ cup of coconut ice-cream.
Day 3- 1 cup of grilled chicken, ½ a banana and 1 cup of vanilla ice-cream.

Apart from the foods listed above you also have to drink plenty of water to initiate fat loss and also to eliminate toxins from your body. Fizzy drinks should be strictly eliminated from the military weight loss diet. Even if it is fat-free or with fewer calories, there is no place for artificial drinks in your diet.

Food Substitutions of the Military Diet Plan

Vegans or vegetarians can easily replace the meat, fish and the eggs in the diet with lentils, soya or tofu, nuts and/or cottage cheese. Even the fruits can be replaced with the right ones, provided you choose a fruit of similar calories. Like if you want to replace a banana, you have got to ensure you substitute it with a different fruit of the same calorie count.

Also, the 3-day military diet substitutions should be from the same food group, so if you want to replace chicken with fish, you can do that, but you can’t replace a fruit with a fish or chicken.

Also, if you aren’t a big fan of grapefruit, you can easily add a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water. The results are absolutely the same. It has the same fat burning properties as a grapefruit.

The Military Diet Results with the Right Exercise

If you are already exercising, then combining the military diet plan with exercises can give you the right results. But if you have been sedentary lately, an extremely tough workout may not fit into your scheme of things.

Starting small makes sense, so start with a brisk walk, a good 35-40 minutes of the brisk walk can be regarded as ideal as long as you walk fast and hard; swinging your arms vigorously.

You can also add different forms of other exercises too, especially if you think you have the strength and feel that you can challenge your body. But stop if you feel tired or weak, as the sudden change in your diet may make you feel like that, then try other gentle forms of exercise like hatha yoga to leave a positive impact on both your body and mind.

Keep a track on your fitness proceedings by getting the help of a gadget like a pedometer or Fitbit, so if you are aiming to put in 10k steps a day, this will help you to do just that. You can enhance the effects of a military weight loss diet with proper forms of exercise.

The Things you should not do while Following the Military Diet Meal Plan

You already know what do to in this military diet meal plan, but there are some things which you should not do so that you reach your goal weight very soon. The stricter you are with your dietary choices, the better results you will get so try and follow it to the T.

The no snacks diet-Unlike the other diets, the military diet plan does not allow you to snack. That is probably the hardest part of it. Since in every other diet plan you followed till now, snacks have been allowed. This may prove to be a tough phase to endure, but you might get rewarded at the end of this regimented diet plan with a svelte body, so you might as well grin and bear it.
Bye, bye weekend indulgence- All of us over indulge in the weekends and end up feeling guilty and also gaining a few inches on your waist in the process. But then if you are working so hard in dropping the extra kilos, why should you throw it all away just to please your taste-buds? Just a few more days and you will be there on the other side of the fence.
Don’t skip the phase two of the diet- If you think that you will keep repeating the phase 1 of the diet, stop right there, as continuing the diet for too long may leave a negative impact on your body. Also, if you are going back to your old eating ways, then you will find it difficult to maintain the weight you had taken so much pain to lose. So, make healthy eating an integral part of your lifestyle and you will be able to maintain your weight pretty effortlessly.

Before you go – A few Points to Remember

The Military diet plan is not an easy plan to follow, but since you are able to lose almost 4.5 kg a week, it makes sense that you pay heed to the dietary restrictions. A few points to remember are as follows:

Start off your day with lots of water- At least 1 liter of water is what you should aim at. This will help you drive away your hunger pangs and keep your sudden cravings in control. So, if you have a craving, the first thing you should do is drink water.
Make dieting easier- Stock your fridge with the right kind of foods, which are an integral part of the military 3-day diet. So that when you begin with your diet, you won’t find it difficult to stick to it.
Say yes to exercise- Even if it is for thirty minutes, don’t forget to exercise. Stick to the lighter form of exercise in the first part and a heavier form in the second phase. This way you will able to reap maximum benefits.

A diet buddy to the rescue- You will feel motivated to carry on with the diet with greater enthusiasm if you find a friend who is willing to stick it out with you. You can share your successes and failures with your friend, so it will be easier for you to follow the diet and with greater efficacy.
Swap the fizzy drinks with lemon water- Begin your day with lemon water. It is far more refreshing than those fizzy drinks with empty calories.

Does the 3-day military diet plan work? Well to find out you have to begin the military diet plan; especially if you want to lose weight within a short period of time, it is really effective then. So what are you waiting for? Start today! And if you have followed the diet and got some amazing results, do share with us in the comments section below. Happy Dieting!