A personal experience with The 3-Day Diet

The 3-Day Diet is back or maybe it never left. The New England Fitness Examiner tested the 3-Day Diet with the promise of losing up to 10 pounds (note: up to) with a near starvation diet followed by regular food for four or five days and then resume the 3-Day Diet if one wishes. 

We all know, even with the scientifically proven Weight Watchers that the huge weight loss in the first few days is fluid. In any case if you need to fit into a dress size smaller quickly or you want to shed your Thanksgiving weight gain, this will do it and without exercise. This is not a healthy way to lose significant amounts of weight or follow for more than one or two cycles.

What I ate:

The 3-Day Diet is a very specific food plan that must be followed precisely. Portions must be eaten exactly as specified and dieters are warned not to overeat or skip any of the food.

The 3 Day Diet meal plan:

Day 1

Breakfast

Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal (I chose Splenda)

1/2 grapefruit or juice

1 piece of toast with 1 tablespoon peanut butter

Lunch

1/2 cup of tuna fish

1 piece of toast

Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal - ditto above.

Dinner

3 ounces of any lean meat or chicken

1 cup green beans

1 cup of carrots

1 apple

1 cup of regular vanilla ice cream

Day 2

Breakfast

Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal

1 egg

1/2 banana

1 piece toast

Lunch

1 cup cottage cheese or tuna

8 regular saltine crackers

Dinner

2 beef franks (I ate turkey franks)

1 cup broccoli or cabbage

1/2 cup carrots

1/2 banana

1/2 cup regular vanilla ice cream

Day 3

Breakfast

Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal (ditto)

5 regular saltine crackers

1 ounce cheddar cheese

1 apple

Lunch

Black coffee or tea, with 1-2 packets Sweet & Low or Equal (ditto)

1 boiled egg

1 piece of toast

Dinner

1 cup tuna fish

1 cup of carrots

1 cup cauliflower

1 cup melon

1/2 cup regular vanilla ice cream

Liquids were  4 cups of water or non-caloric drinks daily.

What happened?

The reason to go back to regular eating is to keep up the metabolism and not allow the body to go into starvation mode. The 3-Day Diet is said to give energy. This is hard to believe when eating fewer than 1,000 calories a day and I did not find myself more energetic. Three days is not a long time and most could stand this diet for three days but it is a fad and we know fad diets don't work. Exercising and losing 1 to 2 pounds a week is the only way to lose weight in a healthy manner and keep it off. I lost 7 pounds and have regained it.

You might be interested in:

 Ten best of the best diets

The Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Sassy water recipe and how to flatten your belly

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