What is the military diet? Everything you should know about this strange 3-day diet plan

What is the military diet? Everything you should know about this strange 3-day diet plan

Diets may be a better turn-the greatest “diet” trends of 2018 were more about healthy eating habits than losing weight-but that does not mean that strict diets belong to the past.

Take the insane popularity of the ketogenic diet, for example. Or the resurgence of a strange 2015 diet fad called the military diet, a three-day diet that promises 10 pounds of weight loss thanks to a random selection of foods like ice cream, toast, and hot dogs.

Is this three-day military diet plan the secret to rapid weight loss, or is it all just a hoax? Here, dietitians and nutrition experts share what you need to know about the military diet and whether it's actually healthy for you.

Why is it called a military diet?

Let us clarify one thing: Despite its namesake, according to the registered nutritionist Tara Allen, RD, the military diet actually has no legitimate military origin, which says that the diet as a rumor began that the nutrition plan was introduced to help soldiers quickly get fit.

The military diet plan is similar to other three-day diet plans (think Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic three-day diet plans) in that it claims to promote weight loss in a short period of time by restricting calories.

According to Adrienne Rose Johnson Bitar, Ph.D., Postdoktorandin at Cornell University, which specializes in history and culture, the diet also has an amazing similarity to the retro diet of the drinking man (or the Air Force diet) of the 1960s of American food, pop culture and health. Similar to the military diet, the drinking man's Diet Martinis and Steaks in the nutrition, but kept the carbohydrate and calorie numbers quite low, she explains. "Both of these diets were low -calorie or low -carbohydrate plans that promised impressive short -term results, but contained unhealthy or withdrawn foods," says Bitar. (Another unhealthy nutritional trend that contains a lot of red meat: the vertical diet. You can say with certainty that you can also skip this diet plan.)

What exactly is the military diet plan?

Overall, the military diet is a fairly low -calorie plan when you consider that dieters are encouraged to consume around 1,400 calories on the first day, 1,200 calories on the second day and about 1,100 calories on the third day, explains JJ Virgin, a nutritional specialist certified by the board. (Here is what you really need to know about counting calories.) The food on the plan is supposedly "chemically compatible", she says, and should work together to promote rapid weight loss. If you are on a diet, you should keep these three days in a week, adds.

Foods approved by the military diet are not what is typically considered "diet food," including hot dogs, toast, ice cream and canned tuna, says registered dietitian Brooke Alpert. Check out the full diet meal breakdown below. The same meals are prescribed to everyone following the diet and carefully planned so that you don't overeat or deviate from the diet (since you can only eat the foods recommended below), says Alpert.

Day 1

Breakfast:1/2 grapefruit, a slice of bread/toast with two tablespoons of peanut or almond butter and a cup of coffee

Lunch:A slice of bread or toast, 1/2 can of tuna and a cup of coffee

Dinner:3 ounces. Meat (the size of a deck of cards), a cup of green beans, a small apple, 1/2 a banana and a cup of ice cream

Day 2

Breakfast:a boiled egg (optional), a slice of bread or toast, 1/2 banana

Lunch:A cup of cup cheese, a hard -boiled egg, five salt crackers

Dinner:Two hot dogs (no roll), a cup of broccoli, 1/2 cup of carrots, 1/2 banana, a cup of ice cream

Day 3

Breakfast:a slice of cheddar cheese, a small apple, five saltine crackers

Lunch:an egg (cooked as desired), a slice of bread or toast

Dinner:a cup of tuna, 1/2 banana, a cup of ice cream

It is important to note that liquids are also limited to the diet and water and herbal teas are the only approved drinks, explains the registered nutritionist Beth Warren. It's okay to drink coffee on the first day - but sugar, cream and artificial sweeteners are taboo, which means that you can only use stevia in your coffee (if necessary). However, alcohol is definitely taboo, especially since wine and beer tend to contain a lot of calories, says Virgin.

Is the military diet really healthy?

First of all, the inconsistency of the military diet is a red flag, according to Warren, who says that the diet doesn't match the structure of meals and that the lack of guidance can make it confusing and difficult for a dieter to understand how to follow and what to eat.

Although the diet includes foods from several food groups, registered dietitian Toby Amidor RD believes it's not enough for a complete daily diet - especially since high-calorie, low-nutrient foods like hot dogs and vanilla ice cream are part of the limited menu. "Due to the lack of adequate amounts of whole grains, vegetables, dairy, and protein, you will not be able to meet all of your nutritional needs during these three days," she explains.

Limiting your daily intake of fruits and vegetables means you're probably not getting the amount of fiber, antioxidant vitamins A and C, potassium, and phytonutrients you need daily, she says. Since the diet also includes limited dairy products, you'll also likely be low in vitamin D, calcium and potassium — nutrients that most Americans are already deficient in, says Amidor. Since the diet is extremely low in carbohydrates, you also don't get enough whole grains - which are a great source of B vitamins and fiber, she says.

Overall, the diet is too low in carbohydrates and calories to provide your body with enough nutrition and nutrients it needs to stay healthy, Amidor adds. It's enough to physically survive, but you might be a bit "hungry" and potentially have extremely low energy levels, says Warren.

If you are surprised by weight loss? Yes, you will lose some weight with the military diet if you are used to consuming a few thousand calories a day (just like every diet that limits your calorie intake), says Amidor. However, it is likely that they will return to their old eating habits and the weight will increase as soon as they have ended the diet, which can generate a vicious circle, she says.

Before you try ...

“The benefits of the military diet are that it is easy to access and free to follow,” suggests Allen. However, the disadvantages – including minimal food choices, reliance on processed meat (which isn't the healthiest) and the small amount of fruit and vegetables allowed – tend to outweigh the benefits, says Virgin.

And of course the low -calorie nature of the military diet can be dangerous, says Amidor. This applies in particular if you want to do sports: the attempt to do high -intensity training with such a low -calorie diet may lead to you get weak, dazzling and tired - therefore cardio or go with a low intensity your safest option during this diet, says Allen.

It's safe to say the military diet is another short-term crash diet, says Alpert. Any weight lost is water weight, she says, and you may even see a loss of muscle mass because it's a low-calorie plan.

And like all crash diets known to man, Alpert says, the military diet is intended to have only a short-term effect, rather than teaching positive eating habits that can be maintained for a long, healthy life. As a result, she says, it's very likely that participants will gain back the weight they lost shortly after completing the diet. (Really. You should stop restrictive diets.)