The words "miracle" and "diet" go together like unicorns and fairies, and are just about as realistic. The 3-day miracle diet is not a new fad, and it isn't much different from the old grapefruit diet. It's not an official plan, backed by a nutritionist or even a celebrity; it's just a word-of-mouth eating plan that is very low calorie. The idea behind the diet is that the unique combination of foods -- which includes ice cream and hot dogs -- somehow causes the miracle weight loss. The only miracle is that people still believe it works.
Identification
The origins of the 3-day miracle diet are unclear. Unlike other popular diets like The Zone or Atkins, there is no person or organization associated with it. The program is passed from person to person, on paper or over the Internet. The basic plan is to have black coffee or tea with all meals and a rotating menu of one or two small pieces of fruit, a protein like tuna, peanut butter or hot dogs, a starch like bread or crackers, and one to two vegetables. On some days you are also supposed to eat 1/2 to 1 cup of vanilla ice cream.
Misconceptions
The idea that certain combinations of food miraculously burn fat has no basis in science. A 2006 study published in The Journal of Medicinal Foods suggests that an enzyme in grapefruit helps regulate blood glucose levels and increases satiety when taken before a meal, but the result was obtained no matter what the meal consisted of. It's far simpler, healthier -- and more satisfying -- to eat half a grapefruit before each meal on a varied diet than to limit yourself to a rigid and nonsensical menu.
Expert Insight
While no combination of food can burn fat faster, there is truth in the idea that certain food combinations are beneficial. The Kansas State University "Foods & Nutrition Digest" points out that drinking orange juice with breakfast cereal is a good idea because the vitamin C in the juice increases your body's ability to absorb the iron in the cereal. However, there is no scientific basis for believing that any combination of vanilla ice cream and beets, or hot dogs and bananas -- as suggested on the 3-day diet menu -- will burn fat or offer you any result other than interesting breath.
Benefits
There are very few benefits to a diet of this kind. Setting unrealistic goals -- like the 40 lbs. in one month promised by the 3-day miracle diet -- can set you up for failure. Adhering to a rigid and very plain diet is also likely to make you feel deprived, and that can lead to binges. Low-calorie diets don't generally provide enough fuel to keep your energy levels up, so you may feel too tired to exercise, or even to stay on the plan. The 3-day miracle diet does not allow diet sodas, alcohol, fast food, or mass-produced cakes, cookies or chips, so you will be consuming less empty calories and that is a definite plus. But, you can cut those things out of your diet and still lose weight with a much more nutritious and varied menu.
Conclusion
Losing weight doesn't require miracles. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a loss of one to two pounds per week is healthy. The 3-day miracle diet claims that you can lose 40 lbs. in one month, which is fast enough to risk not only gallstones, as fat is released too fast to be processed, but sagging skin. Since losing as little as 10 percent to 15 percent of your total body weight is enough to lower your blood pressure and decrease your risk of heart attack and stroke, there's no reason to rush all of those extra pounds off at once.
References
- University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Services: Fad Diets
- PubMed.gov: The Effects of Grapefruit on Weight and Insulin Resistance: Relationship to the Metabolic Syndrome
- University of Florida: Weight Loss & Healthy Living
- Centers for Disease Control: Losing Weight
- Kansas State University: The Myth of Combining Foods Properly
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