Is this diet unhealthy?

Graelwyn75

You work in the medical field, yet would follow this sort of plan to lose weight?
That is somewhat disturbing, actually.

As is the fact I am responding to an old, resurrected topic.

bbylaura22

I just looked up on google "Does the three day military diet really work?" and the results I found were ALL negative! Okay maybe not all but most. I just want to put in my opinion because I don't think this is necessarily a bad diet. I'm on day two right now and I feel pretty weak. Weak enough that I might not work out. BUT THAT'S NOT BECAUSE I'M NOT EATING ENOUGH. It's because I'm so used to constantly eating boxed junk food that eating little amounts of healthy foods is different to my body.

Some would consider this to be a FAD diet and I agree with that. You get results instantly that won't last. UNLESS, this 3 day diet is only to jump start your progress. Over the past 3 years, I've tried everything.....90 day diets that are guaranteed to work. Exercising my brains out and eating all protein. Just simply eating healthy and walking a couple times a week. Yoga. Dance. Pilates. Running. Volleyball. Basketball. (I haven't tried soccer yet, but that sport just looks plain boring) NOTHING HAS WORKED. I get so motivated the night before and within a day I've already eaten a cookie, or missed a work out.

This is the first diet where I've stuck to the schedule precisely for more than 24 hours! It has given me a sense of accomplishment and has shown me that I really CAN do what ever I put my mind to. I may feel weak, and I may be pretty hungry right now but I know the progress I see at the end of these three days will be well worth it. It's a lot easier to see quick results, and then maintain that (even lose a couple more) than it is to change your whole lifestyle and see small results.

In conclusion to this very long comment, I'd like to put out there that this diet has given me lots of hope and I do hope that you all try it at least once.

elsll

People, it's not supposed to be sustainable! There is lots of evidence recently that intermittent fasting is actually very healthy, and not harmful. The key point is INTERMITTENT. This diet is 3 days on, 4 days off. Everyone processes calories differently - we all have different metabolisms. Some people can try to take the "slow road" and attempt to lose weight gradually, AKA the "healthy" way, and they never lose! This diet is not recommended as a daily eating plan. It's intermittent. I see no problem with it as long as the other four days you eat healthy body fueling foods. There is lots of proof that the weekly total of calories is in many ways MORE important than the daily totals. You can build a deficit by cutting back on some days, and actually get to eat much more enjoyably on the others. In fact, there is an option here on MFP that you can use to see your weekly calorie totals.

More importantly, why people get so offended about what other people are doing is beyond me. I rarely respond or post on these message boards because everyone seems to be a "know-it-all". Truthfully, the only thing that any of you knows is how what you are doing WORKS FOR YOU. Opinions and recommendations are one thing as are cautionary warnings. But for those of you to actually get OFFENDED that she has tried this and it worked for her, you need more help than just your diets.

And I am in the medical field, and have done extensive studying in nutrition. No, my diet is not the healthiest, and it's not because I don't know better. It's because poor habits were formed in youth that are hard to reverse. We all have those problems. And the reason for that is because what is BELIEVED to be healthy changes as the years do. When we were young, our parents thought they were feeding us well. The topic of nutrition is touchy, but it makes sense to me that maybe there is not only ONE right way. And that probably what we think of as "right" right now, may be proven "wrong" in the future. Keep an open mind people, and try to judge less. After all, we are all on here for the same reasons.

NYCNika

Can I call it the "Lose your muscle and prep your body to hold on for dear life to every calorie it can retain" diet?

volume77

I think dropping too quickly and reducing calories calories too much will mean you will lose muscle. Not good. Inevitably you will end up eating too much (ie the Valentine's chocolates) and your slowed metabolism will mean that you'll replace your lost muscle with fat. I've done this may times myself through yo yo dieting.

I'd say to just be sensible, eat AT LEAST 1200 calories a day and do some strength exercise. Boring advice but that's just my opinion.

BTW - Just recently I've been trying to increase my protein and decrease my carbs (specifically sweets) and it seems to have worked for me

this exactly

volume77

All I'm going to say is look at ME, for example. I was anorexic/bulimic growing up for nearly 17 years. I mostly starved, or ate very very little. I am 5'6" and weighed 110 lbs. Once I got my head out of my *kitten* and began to eat healthy, my body freaked out and virtually stored ALL of my food as FAT. Now here I am...once 110 lbs, and NOW tipping the scales over at 236 lbs. This wasn't brought on by midnight ice cream runs, or super sizing at McDonalds. I have never been a chronic over-eater OR binge eater OR junk food phene.... I just started eating normally. My body retained EVERYTHING...food, fat, AND water. My digestive track got SO messed up I was lucky to take a "whoop" ONCE in a month. Point to this story, your body needs food, or you are going to screw up. Maybe not right now, but in the near future. It's going to look fabulous at first, and you're going to think that "Dang, I'm smokin' hot".........Until your body turns over the "freak out" switch and you balloon up to a whopping 250 lbs.....then all I can really say is....Have fun with that......Because it's harder to get off once it packs on this way.

You know it isn't a healthy option. Stick with what you know is right. Tough love sucks, but I hate seeing people starve themselves, or UNDER EAT thinking they are working a miracle, then get slapped in the face with extreme belly flab because of it.

It happened to me too.

me three

maggs155

Everyone on here think THEY KNOW IT ALL:) I forgot every one on MFP are doctors!!!!!

pouncepet

People, it's not supposed to be sustainable! There is lots of evidence recently that intermittent fasting is actually very healthy, and not harmful. The key point is INTERMITTENT. This diet is 3 days on, 4 days off. Everyone processes calories differently - we all have different metabolisms. Some people can try to take the "slow road" and attempt to lose weight gradually, AKA the "healthy" way, and they never lose! This diet is not recommended as a daily eating plan. It's intermittent. I see no problem with it as long as the other four days you eat healthy body fueling foods. There is lots of proof that the weekly total of calories is in many ways MORE important than the daily totals. You can build a deficit by cutting back on some days, and actually get to eat much more enjoyably on the others. In fact, there is an option here on MFP that you can use to see your weekly calorie totals.

More importantly, why people get so offended about what other people are doing is beyond me. I rarely respond or post on these message boards because everyone seems to be a "know-it-all". Truthfully, the only thing that any of you knows is how what you are doing WORKS FOR YOU. Opinions and recommendations are one thing as are cautionary warnings. But for those of you to actually get OFFENDED that she has tried this and it worked for her, you need more help than just your diets.

And I am in the medical field, and have done extensive studying in nutrition. No, my diet is not the healthiest, and it's not because I don't know better. It's because poor habits were formed in youth that are hard to reverse. We all have those problems. And the reason for that is because what is BELIEVED to be healthy changes as the years do. When we were young, our parents thought they were feeding us well. The topic of nutrition is touchy, but it makes sense to me that maybe there is not only ONE right way. And that probably what we think of as "right" right now, may be proven "wrong" in the future. Keep an open mind people, and try to judge less. After all, we are all on here for the same reasons.

?? I think you are misunderstanding. No one here refuted IF - It is not intermittent fasting which she was suggesting.

OP has made it clear she intended to do this (VERY NONSUSTAINABLE) extremely low calorie weight loss regime, that is meant for those in extreme life threatening conditions, for TEN times the alotted time in hopes of losing 30 lbs - after which she (dreams) will maintain with her more reasonable 1200-1300 calorie a day intake.

Others chimed in to warn her of the ineffectiveness and futility of her plan for long term health and weight maintanence.

From what I could tell, she had made up her mind and was looking for support to starve her body for a month-it was a fair question for people to chime up with 'why ask if its unhealthy, if you intended to do so regardless of feedback that it was?'. *shrugs* More power to her if her plan worked but I am guessing she will have failed or just added more food issues to her metaphorical baggage. Hope she is okay.

Some of us just need to learn the hard way.

cwolfman13

That sounds completely and utterly unhealthy. 1,200 calories NET is questionable...this idea OP is completely absurd.

AliciaBeth78

Sounds super awesome... anything you can do to lose weight quickly will DEFINITELY work in the long run!

3dogsrunning

People, it's not supposed to be sustainable! There is lots of evidence recently that intermittent fasting is actually very healthy, and not harmful. The key point is INTERMITTENT. This diet is 3 days on, 4 days off. Everyone processes calories differently - we all have different metabolisms. Some people can try to take the "slow road" and attempt to lose weight gradually, AKA the "healthy" way, and they never lose! This diet is not recommended as a daily eating plan. It's intermittent. I see no problem with it as long as the other four days you eat healthy body fueling foods. There is lots of proof that the weekly total of calories is in many ways MORE important than the daily totals. You can build a deficit by cutting back on some days, and actually get to eat much more enjoyably on the others. In fact, there is an option here on MFP that you can use to see your weekly calorie totals.

More importantly, why people get so offended about what other people are doing is beyond me. I rarely respond or post on these message boards because everyone seems to be a "know-it-all". Truthfully, the only thing that any of you knows is how what you are doing WORKS FOR YOU. Opinions and recommendations are one thing as are cautionary warnings. But for those of you to actually get OFFENDED that she has tried this and it worked for her, you need more help than just your diets.

And I am in the medical field, and have done extensive studying in nutrition. No, my diet is not the healthiest, and it's not because I don't know better. It's because poor habits were formed in youth that are hard to reverse. We all have those problems. And the reason for that is because what is BELIEVED to be healthy changes as the years do. When we were young, our parents thought they were feeding us well. The topic of nutrition is touchy, but it makes sense to me that maybe there is not only ONE right way. And that probably what we think of as "right" right now, may be proven "wrong" in the future. Keep an open mind people, and try to judge less. After all, we are all on here for the same reasons.

What?

She isn't asking about IF, she is asking about a BS "diet" that is posted under a number of misleading names to try to add credibility to it - military diet, cardia diet, AHA diet, etc - NONE of these actually use or endorse the diet. It is not used by cardiac patients to lose weight, nor does the military use it.

No one here is offended, not one person. I don't even think the OP got offended. Nor did I see OP saying it worked for her.

She asked if it was unhealthy. People answered her.


As for the "know it all" comments, why ask on a message board if you don't want information from others? ISn't that kind of the point, to get information from those who may have it. No one claims to know all, but I have done a fair bit of research on this "diet".

albertabeefy

I work at a hospital and one of the diets I found is called the Three Day Cardiac Diet~it is recommended for patients who need heart surgery but are too overweight and high risk to go under anesthesia. It is pretty much an 800 calorie a day diet for 3 days and its really strict with diuretic type of food then the next 4 days you can eat what you'd like as long as you don't go overboard and proportion good with all food groups included no soda--only diet.

FYI there is no cardiology department anywhere that actually "claims" this diet as their own, nor that even endorses it. It's often been attributed to The Cleveland Clinic or the Birmingham Hospital, but neither purports to either have created or even recommended it.

Reviewing the diet, it's unlikely it has the diuretic properties it claims, there's simply too much sodium in items such as peanut butter (when commercially prepared), cheddar cheese, saltine crackers, etc. to be diuretic in nature. Without considerable addition of external diuretics (2 cups of coffee/tea a day isn't that high in diuretic effect) it's neither ketogenic nor diuretic in nature.

I'd be extremely surprised if anyone lost much FAT on this diet in 3 days. You'll lose water simply because your glycogen stores (both intra-muscular and liver glycogen) will be depleted (due to reduced dietary caloric intake of carbohydrate), thus reducing overall water volume in your body. That's the vast-majority of your 7 lbs weight loss - water.

I would also suggest for a couple reasons that your energy levels will be quite low (that weak feeling you mention):

1. Simply from the calorie restriction (even if you cycle 3/4 days on/off) likely being under your BMR;

2. It's low enough in overall carbohydrate (simply from reduced calories) to be considered by many "low carb" but it's not low-enough in carbohydrate to be ketogenic - meaning you're lowering your carbohydrate and reducing glycogen stores without actually becoming fat/keto-adapted - therefore reducing energy levels and overall energy availability.

It's not so low that it should impair cognitive function (depending on the individual) as the brain only needs 100g of glucose/day in the non-keto-adapted individual ... but that will depend on the individual

A better diet plan for someone who needs to reduce 56 lbs and is otherwise reasonably healthy is one that reduces refined/processed carbohydrate (cut out flour/sugar as much as possible, the "dry toast" in the diet is one example), gets the majority of calories (regardless of macronutrient type) from real/whole foods (not processed foods) and is lower than their overall TDEE but higher than their BMR.

Try to find a diet and exercise program you can live with forever that's healthy for you - NOT one that you go on short-term and then go off, otherwise the weight is almost always going to come back.

albertabeefy

You work in the medical field, yet would follow this sort of plan to lose weight?
That is somewhat disturbing, actually.

As is the fact I am responding to an old, resurrected topic.

FYI most medical practitioners get very little training in nutrition. My medical should taught barely 20 hours. And some of what is taught is actually not clinically supported by scientific evidence - such as the lipid hypothesis.

relledge

Everyone on here is bashing a diet that isn't kept for more than 3 days. It isn't healthy to only eat 800 calories I am not going to say that it is. The best way to sustainable weight loss is a life style change. If you are only doing 800 calories for three days it should be fine to "shock your body". I would then go to 1200 calories because if you jump up to 1400 or 1500 to fast you may see negative results. I will say that generally the diets in which you lose the weight the fastest are diets that you gain back the weight and then some because they are FAD diets and not lifestyle changes. If you truly have tried the 1200 calories with exercise and are not seeing any weight loss then something isn't being done right. Either the food you are eating is too high in carbs, fat...etc or you are not being honest in what you log. Once you start working out you really should make sure your NET intake of calories is greater than 1000. I can say I have problems with this when I burn 1000 calories in one workout it makes it challenging. The problem is if you are feeling hungry it will cause you to end up on a binge. We all want to be successful in our weight loss attempts. Hang in there give 1200 calories another shot working out 3 days a week. I suggest the elliptical for 30-40 minutes. It burns way more calories than the treadmill and is a little bit more interesting. Also, open up your diary for your friends to see. It will keep you motivated and also allow others to give you suggestions on what you are doing wrong. Hang in there you can do this!

fitOsaurus_Rex_we_changed

like she said guys...shes looking to jump start her plan, not stick to this long term. i know many a people who use "FAD" diets to jump start weight loss and get their motivation going to lose weight. if you wana do it then do it! if you get hungry or dizzy use your judgment and eat. sometimes we act like we forget that cavemen didnt eat 3 square meals or 6 small ones, they grazed and ate when food was available. healthy mindset, healthy life good luck!

3dogsrunning

They also didn't eat hot dogs, ice cream and saltines either. And she was planning to restrict her calories on her off days as well.

For the record this thread was posted over a year ago.