The 3 day military diet: how it works and how much weight can I lose? 

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There are so many different diet plans out there, and it seems the latest one people are putting to the test is the 3-day military diet.

This is one of the diets that work fast and as such, it is popular with several celebs – including Khloe Kardashian.

In case you’re thinking of joining the hype, we’ve explained everything you need to know about how the military diet plan works and included some of our top recipes, which you could include in a military diet meal plan.

So, if you’re determined to shed some weight and get in shape before you jet off on your summer holiday, read on…

What is the military diet plan and does it work?

You’d be forgiven for thinking the military diet is connected with the organisation because of the name,  but it’s not actually linked at all.

And, you may also be glad to know it doesn’t involve any hard-core military exercises either.

The diet has been nicknamed the ‘military diet’ because it is pretty tough to follow.

It requires three days of a prescribed diet, followed by four days of eating whatever you like (as long as you stick below to 1,500 calories).

Now the question is, does it work?

According to the military diet website, the diet plan can enable you to shed up to 10 pounds in just one week by burning fat and speeding up your metabolism.

The diet works because the combination of foods you eat on your three days of the prescribed diet have been cleverly put together so the foods chemically break down each other and optimise weight loss.

The 3-day military meal plan is low calorie providing only 1000 calories per day, which is very low when you consider the average woman burns 1800 calories a day.

So, for three days you are in a calorie deficit because you are eating less calories than you are burning.

The idea is to repeat this weekly cycle until you are happy with your weight.

The 3-day military diet meal plan

The military diet website provides free meal plans online for your three days of strict dieting.

Every meal plan breakfast starts the day with a grapefruit. For those of you that can’t eat grapefruit are advised to put half a teaspoon of backing soda in water and drink it.

Breakfast

1/2 Grapefruit

1 Slice of Toast

2 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter

1 cup Coffee or Tea (with caffeine)

Lunch

1/2 Cup of Tuna

1 Slice of Toast

1 cup Coffee or Tea (with caffeine)

Dinner

3 ounces of any type of meat

1 cup of green beans

1/2 banana

1 small apple

1 cup of vanilla ice cream

There is also a vegan diet and vegetarian versions of the military diet available online.

What can I drink on the 3 day military diet?

The 3-day military diet advises you to keep hydrated with water only– a lot of water.

And, for those of you are coffee addicts, you can still drink coffee – but black coffee only (5 calories), do not add milk or sugar.

You also have to stop drinking alcohol during the three days on the prescriptive diet, but you can drink alcohol on your four days off.

What can I eat on my four days off?

On your four days off, you can technically eat whatever you like, as long as it is less than 1500 calories.

Most people will still lose weight if they are keeping their calories intake below 1500.

Remember a healthy diet will have a positive effect on your mood and general wellbeing.

How much weight can you lose on the 3 day military diet?

One week of following the diet plan is said to enable you to lose up to 10 pounds – most of this will be water weight.

But, everyone is different. Weight loss depends on lots of different factors including the person’s metabolism and diet before starting the plan.

You probably won’t be shedding 10 pounds every week – most dieticians suggest losing just one-two pounds per week is a healthy way to lose weight.

Is the military diet healthy?

The military diet is very low calorie based, because of this it may leave you lacking in energy.

For the three days of prescribed dieting, you are only consuming 1000 calories a day, and this is a lot less than the amount you were probably eating before.

Therefore, some people may experience headaches, dizziness and consistent hunger as a result.

With any diet, it is good to speak to your GP before you begin.