The three-day diet is one of many fad diets that promises fast weight loss in a short amount of time. Like many fad diets, there is little to no scientific evidence to suggest it is a successful solution to maintaining a healthy weight. Basically, followers must adhere to a strict daily meal plan that heavily regulates calorie intake during the three-day period. After the dieting period, followers return to normal eating habits for four or five days and then resume the three-day diet.
The Meal Plan
Dieters are instructed to drink four glasses of water or diet soda per day and may have one cup of water, coffee or tea with each meal.
For the first day, breakfast consists of 1 banana and 1 slice of toast topped with a tablespoon of peanut butter. Lunch is 1/2 can of tuna and 1 slice of toast. For dinner, 2 beef franks or hot dogs, 1/2 cup of carrots, 1 banana, 1 cup of broccoli or cabbage and 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.
On the second day, breakfast calls for 1 egg, half of a grapefruit or a glass of juice, and 1 slice of toast. For lunch, 1 hard-boiled egg and 1 slice toast. Dinner consists of 3 ounces of any lean meat, 1 cup of green beans, 1 cup of carrots, 1 cup of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt and 1 apple.
On the last day, breakfast requires 5 regular saltine crackers, 1 ounce or a slice of cheddar cheese and 1 apple. For lunch, dieters will eat 1 cup of cottage cheese or tuna and 5 saltine crackers. The last dinner calls for 1 cup of tuna, 1 cup of carrots, 1 cup of cauliflower, 1 cup of melon and 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.
Pros and Cons
Advocates of the diet claim that followers can lose as many as 10 pounds by the end of the third day and around 40 pounds per month. Additionally, followers should gain an increase in energy, healthier skin, an enhanced sex drive and reduced allergies. However, many are skeptical of the three-day diet.
The three-day diet is often referred to as a yo-yo diet, one in which followers may shed some pounds during the diet period but will likely gain the weight back shortly after returning to normal eating habits. Many believe that weight loss associated with this diet is due to the lack of carbohydrates it offers. Carbohydrates cause the body to store water, and when the body lacks sufficient carbohydrates it tends to lose this water weight. When dieters return to normal eating habits, the water weight will quickly return.
Alternatives
Another suspicion is that the diet does not call for any exercise. Exercise is considered a fundamental part of maintaining a healthy weight, as is maintaining balanced habits, neither of which are relied on in the three-day diet. While the three-day diet may cause a quick short-term weight loss, it will not likely be a successful method in long-term weight loss. As always, a better long-term alternative to fad dieting is getting plenty of exercise, maintaining balanced and nutritional eating habits, and observing little bit of self discipline.
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