Making the rounds on social media, the Military Diet claims to help you drop pounds in just three days. Despite its name, this plan has no official ties to the military. Instead, it’s a strict, low-calorie meal plan designed to help you lose a good amount of weight in a short period of time. But is the Military Diet really good for you?
Key Takeaways
- Military diet is a strict, low-calorie 3-day meal plan designed for rapid weight loss, followed by 4 days of restricted calories under 1,500.
- Meals include a fixed set of foods such as tuna, eggs, toast, hot dogs, and vanilla ice cream.
- While substitutions are possible, the diet lacks balance and variety needed for long-term nutrition.
- Following the Military Diet can lead to nutrient deficiencies, low energy, fatigue, loss of muscle mass, and increased risk of developing disordered eating patterns due to extreme calorie restriction and rigid food rules.
What Is The Military Diet?
The military diet is an extremely low-calorie diet that promises to help those seeking rapid weight loss lose up to 10 pounds per week. It’s maintained over the course of 3 days, and then for the next 4 days, you will go back to your regular diet, but maintaining a calorie restriction [1]. It is also commonly known as a crash diet.
How Does The Military Diet Work?
If you intend to go on the military diet, you will be expected to follow through with it entirely for 3 days. During the 3 days, you are required to adhere to a strict, low-calorie diet in which you are to eat a fixed set of foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
On the first day, you are allowed to consume up to 1,400 calories for the entire day. On Day 2, it will be reduced to 1,200 calories, and on the final day, your calorie intake should be no more than 1,100 calories. In case you start to feel hungry, you are allowed to consume an additional 100 calories in the form of protein.
After doing this diet for 3 days, you will then continue with your regular diet. But the condition is that you must keep your calories under 1,500 calories for the next 4 days.
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While on the diet, you will have to stick to eating a specific set of foods and drinks for each day. You’ll find that you have to stick to eating foods like a can of tuna, hard-boiled eggs, and cheese. You will also switch between toast and saltine crackers for different meal times.
Additionally, you are also allowed to switch between water, black coffee, or tea for hydration. If you have any food allergies or you need to substitute certain foods due to your diet (e.g., vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, etc.), you are allowed to do so as long as it meets the dietary guidelines.
The eating schedule is outlined in the next section.
3-Day Military Diet Plan
Here’s an outline of what you will be eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner over 3 days [2].
Day 1
- Breakfast: half a grapefruit, 1 slice of toast, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, and 1 cup of coffee or tea
- Lunch: half a cup of canned tuna, 1 slice of toast, and 1 cup of coffee or tea
- Dinner: 3 ounces of any meat, 1 cup of green beans, half a banana, 1 small apple, and 1 cup of vanilla ice cream
Day 2
- Breakfast: 1 egg, 1 slice of toast, and half a banana
- Lunch: 1 cup of cottage cheese, 1 hard-boiled egg, and 5 saltine crackers
- Dinner: 2 hot dogs (without bun), 1 cup of broccoli, half a cup of carrots, half a banana, and half a cup of vanilla ice cream
Day 3
- Breakfast: 5 saltine crackers, 1 slice of cheddar cheese, and 1 small apple
- Lunch: 1 hard-boiled egg and 1 slice of toast
- Dinner: 1 cup of tuna, half a banana, and 1 cup of vanilla ice cream
Pros of Doing the Military Diet
Doing this diet is associated with short-term weight loss due to a restriction of calorie intake. Restricting your calories puts you in a calorie deficit, resulting in temporary weight loss.
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Download Eato For FreeRisks Associated with the Military Diet
Going on a military diet is associated with several health risks. Here are some of the potential health complications of following the diet [3]:
a) Nutrient deficiencies
First and foremost, there’s a lack of variety in foods. We need to eat a balanced diet that consists of a good amount of protein, carbs, and fiber. With this lack of variety, it may not provide enough nutrients for us to sustain and nourish our bodies.
b) Risk of disordered eating patterns
Another huge concern is that following such a diet, where you are only allowed to consume a certain amount of calories and eat a specific list of foods, can put you at risk of developing disordered eating behaviors. Over time, the Military Diet could reinforce the idea of your body being in a “scarcity” mode, especially during a prolonged period of hunger.
c) Low energy and fatigue
Unsurprisingly, the fewer calories you eat, the fewer calories you have available to burn without feeling fatigue. In one randomized controlled trial that involved patients with metabolic syndrome, 2 days of calorie restriction were enough for them to experience fatigue and hunger, among other symptoms [4].
d) Loss of muscle mass
Losing weight rapidly can also increase the risk of muscle atrophy or loss of muscle. In a systematic review/meta-analysis of diet-induced weight loss in overweight/obese adults, 33 interventions over 8-24 weeks showed that weight loss was often accompanied by the loss of muscle strength [5].
The Final Takeaway: Losing Weight Healthily
Following a calorie-restricted meal plan like the Military Diet may claim to help you lose weight quickly, but it often comes at the expense of your energy, muscle mass, and long-term health. Instead of chasing short-term fixes, focus on a steady calorie deficit, nutrient-rich meals, and strength training to maintain muscle and metabolism.
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