The Military Diet has gotten a lot of attention recently, mainly because it promises unbelievable weight loss in a very short amount of time. The Military Diet advertises that it is a “rapid weight loss plan” that will enable you to “lose up to 10 pounds in one week.” The diet plan gets even more enticing because you will allegedly lose those 10 pounds “without strenuous exercise or prescriptions.” Sound too good to be true? It might be.
The Military Diet is a “3-Day Diet,” meaning you’ll have to adhere to the very strict meal plan for three days and then have another restrictive diet for the other four days. The Military Diet works because you’ll need to adhere to extremely low calorie consumptions for three days a week. You’re looking at three days of only eating between 1,000 to 1,200 calories per day, followed by four days of only 1,300 to 1,500 calories per day. Keep in mind, a moderately active male between the ages of 19 to 30 should consume between 2,600 to 2,800 calories per day. So your body has no choice be to lose weight, a great deal could be healthy water weight.
The special food combinations in the plan are “designed to burn fat, kick start your metabolism and make you lose weight quickly.” The Military Diet also advertises that it will “provide energy and control sugar swings so you keep burning fat for all three days.”
The foods in the diet are in some cases very yummy and very un-diet-like, such as hot dogs and ice cream. You’ll even be allowed to enjoy carbs. However, you will be restricted to so little calories that even those few bright spots of the diet may not fulfill you because you’ll always be hungry.
Here is an example of what three days on the Military Diet looks like:
DAY 1:
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
DAY 2
Breakfast
1 egg
1 slice of toast
1/2 banana
Lunch
1 cup of cottage cheese
1 hard boiled egg
5 saltine crackers
Dinner
2 hot dogs (without bun)
1 cup of broccoli
1/2 cup of carrots
1/2 banana
1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream
DAY 3
Breakfast
5 saltine crackers
1 slice of cheddar cheese
1 small apple
Lunch
1 hard boiled egg (or cooked however you like)
1 slice of toast
Dinner
1 cup of tuna
1/2 banana
1 cup of vanilla ice cream
Beverages are restricted to water and herbal teas, with an occasional cup of coffee but absolutely no sugar or creamers are allowed. Alcohol is also prohibited on the Military Diet. There is also a lack of grains and vegetables in this diet. Expect to be hungry, irritable, and fatigued when on this diet since you are robbing your body of energy.
The Military Diet, which has nothing to do with any branch of the U.S. military or any armed forces anywhere, is said to promote “intermittent fasting.” However, if you look closely at the eating regimen, there is no specific time when you have to eat and not eat. So technically, there is no fasting at all.
While the diet promises to “kickstart your metabolism,” there is no exercise regimen, which is what typically affects your metabolism. The diet utilizes green tea and coffee to alter your metabolism, but those beverages barely have any effect, if any on your metabolism. If you do strenuous exercise while on this restrictive diet plan you could get dizzy or potentially pass out.
There is a “substitutions” option on the Military Diet, but honestly they really don’t make sense. Toast can be substituted with a protein bar, grapefruit can be traded in for water with baking soda, tuna can be exchanged for cottage cheese, and ice cream can be traded for apple juice.
Low-calorie diet plans have impressive short-term results. However, only getting 1,000 calories a day while also living your life and working out will rob your body of important sustenance especially when you are eating hot dogs and ice cream. If you continue these low-calorie diet plans you will put yourself at risk for chronic disease, depression, and potentially damaging your metabolic function permanently, which will lead to obesity.
You’ll also put yourself at risk for micronutrient deficiencies because you won’t get your daily allowance of critical minerals and vitamins. The lack of the right nutrients could weaken your immunity system and increase your chances of getting sick. This diet also appears to not have enough protein, which will hurt your sessions at the gym.
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“The Military Diet has ‘fad diet’ written all over it, claiming special food combinations can help you lose weight and allowing for unhealthy fake foods, like hot dogs and one cup of ice cream,” said Kristen Kizer, a registered dietitian at Houston Methodist Hospital.
The Military Diet admits that it is ideal for “emergency situations” when you are looking to lose a lot of weight and fast. The diet mentions getting ready for a cruise, slimming down for a wedding, or attempting to make your ex jealous. So if you are using the diet strictly for a quick fix and not expecting to keep losing weight over the course of months then this may be what you are looking for.
However, if you think that this is a lifestyle choice that will keep you thin over the long haul, then you might be disappointed and could be depriving your body of necessary nutrients. Not to mention that you’ll end up putting the weight back on because you and your body won’t be happy that it is being somewhat starved. You may overeat once you get off the diet and get into a yo-yo habit of eating.
Natural bodybuilder Paul Revelia explains the pitfalls of the Military Diet and how you could actually end up gaining weight in the long run on this diet.