The diet is high in protein and low in fat, carbohydrate, and calories. It also includes specific food combinations to try to boost metabolism and burn fat. Despite its name, this diet does not relate to how people in the military eat.
A website providing information about the military diet suggests that people could lose up to 10 pounds (lb) in 1 week and as many as 30 lbs in 1 month if they continue to follow the diet.
In this article, we take a look at whether this diet works, its potential problems and benefits, and what to eat to follow the plan.
Is the military diet effective?
The military diet is high in protein and low in fat.
A review article in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition examines very-low-calorie diets (VLCDs) and suggests that they can be effective in helping people lose weight in the short term.
A VLCD allows a maximum of 800 calories per day. People with obesity may need to adopt a VLCD to achieve rapid weight loss before bariatric surgery.
Low-calorie diets are those that allow fewer than 1,000 calories per day.
It is impossible to predict how much weight an individual will lose on a restrictive 1-week diet as everyone is different.
However, people often experience rapid weight gain after stopping one of these short-term diets unless they have put a plan in place to maintain the weight loss.
Meal plan and shopping list
Below is a 3-day meal plan that features on a website supporting the military diet. There is also a comprehensive shopping list for people looking to follow this diet.
People can drink water throughout the day, as well as 1–2 cups of black coffee or tea.
Day 1
Breakfast
- half a grapefruit
- one slice of toast
- 2 tablespoons (tbsp) of peanut butter, ideally a salt-free and sugar-free brand
- 1 cup of caffeinated coffee or tea
Lunch
- half a cup of tuna
- one slice of toast
- 1 cup of caffeinated coffee or tea
Dinner
- 3 ounces of any meat
- 1 cup of green beans
- half a banana
- one small apple
- 1 cup of vanilla ice cream
Day 2
Breakfast
- one egg
- one slice of toast
- half a banana
Lunch
- one hard-boiled egg
- 1 cup of cottage cheese
- five saltine crackers
Dinner
- two hot dogs without the buns
- 1 cup of broccoli
- half a cup of carrots
- half a banana
- half a cup of vanilla ice cream
Day 3
Breakfast
- five saltine crackers
- one slice of cheddar cheese
- one small apple
Lunch
- one hard-boiled egg
- one slice of toast
Dinner
- 1 cup of tuna
- half a banana
- 1 cup of vanilla ice cream
Vegetarian meal plan
A vegetarian and vegan meal plan is also available:
Day 1
Breakfast
- half a grapefruit
- one slice of toast
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 cup of caffeinated coffee or tea
Lunch
- half an avocado
- 2 tbsp hummus
- one slice of whole-wheat toast
- 1 cup of caffeinated coffee or tea
Dinner
- tofu (up to 300 calories)
- 1 cup of green beans
- half a banana
- one small apple
- 1 cup of vanilla ice cream (vegans can use dairy-free ice cream)
Day 2
Breakfast
- half a cup of baked beans
- one slice of whole-wheat toast
- half a banana
Lunch
- 1 cup of unsweetened soy, hemp, or almond milk
- half an avocado
- 2 tbsp hummus
- five saltine crackers
Dinner
- two veggie hot dogs without the buns
- 1 cup of broccoli
- half a cup of carrots
- half a banana
- half a cup of vanilla ice cream (can be dairy-free)
Day 3
Breakfast
- one slice of cheddar cheese (for vegans, about 15–20 almonds)
- five saltine crackers or half a cup of couscous or quinoa
- one small apple
Lunch
- half an avocado
- 1 tbsp hummus
- one slice of whole-wheat bread
Dinner
- half a cup of canned chickpeas
- half a banana
- 1 cup of vanilla ice cream (or dairy-free ice cream)
Shopping list
The military diet shopping list should include peanut butter and whole-wheat bread.
The following list contains the items of food that people will need to buy for the first 3 days of a week on the military diet:
- caffeinated coffee or tea
- one grapefruit
- two bananas
- two apples
- whole-wheat bread
- peanut butter
- eggs
- three cans of tuna
- hot dogs
- a small piece of meat
- green beans (fresh, frozen, or canned)
- small head of broccoli
- carrots
- saltine crackers
- cottage cheese
- a small amount of cheddar cheese
- vanilla ice cream
Disadvantages
Following a 3-day military diet plan can cause several potential problems.
Some of the issues below relate specifically to the suggested meal plans.
Limited nutrient intake
The poor variety on the diet days means that people will struggle to eat enough fiber, vitamins, and minerals. These nutrients are essential for good health, energy production, detoxification, and efficient metabolism.
High in added salt, sugar, and saturated fat
Between the saltine crackers, peanut butter, bread, hot dogs, and cheese, the diet is quite high in processed foods that contain salt.
People should check nutrition labels to make sure that they are not eating more sodium than the recommended 2,300 milligrams a day limit. Where possible, it is best to buy food brands that are low in sodium or contain no added salt.
The hot dogs that the diet recommends eating consist of processed meat. They contain high levels of saturated fat and sodium.
Each day’s meal plan also includes vanilla ice cream, which can be high in added sugar. People could substitute the ice cream for 300 calories of healthful fruit, vegetables, or whole grains, which the plan currently lacks.
A diet that emphasizes high-calorie, dense foods may not feel very satisfying because portion sizes must remain small to keep meals within the daily calorie budget. This approach may not be sustainable.
Calories too low to exercise?
Some people may find exercise challenging on diet days.
Eating fewer than 1,400 calories on diet days may make it challenging to do exercise, especially any high-intensity activities.
Eating enough calories on the 4 days off will allow people to exercise more easily. However, proponents of the diet recommend sticking to fewer than 1,500 calories on these days too.
One small study looking at alternate day calorie restriction (ADCR), also called intermittent fasting, found that combining ADCR with exercise led to greater weight changes than either dieting or exercise alone.
Following a VLCD can prevent people from exercising at all.
Confusing science
The military diet suggests that people who dislike or cannot eat grapefruit swap it for a glass of water with baking soda in it to continue to promote an alkaline environment.
It is true that foods can change pH from acid to alkaline. However, this primarily affects the acidity or alkalinity of a person’s urine. The pH of foods in the diet does not affect a person’s blood or metabolism enough to significantly influence weight gain or loss, although it may affect other aspects of health.
All fruit produces alkaline byproducts in the body. As a result, swapping one fruit with another fruit should be fine.
The high-protein aspect of the diet will make urine more acidic. As a result, it is not suitable for someone experiencing kidney problems or gout.
Advantages
In the short term, the military diet could be beneficial for weight loss.
It is easy to follow because it includes limited foods with simple measurements and cooking methods.
The recommended meal plan for the 4 days off allows for a wide variety of vegetables and fruits, and it also includes whole grains, legumes, and different meal choices.
The plan provides the calorie targets for each food and suggests substitutions for people with food intolerances and other dietary considerations.
The diet focuses on protein, which increases the feeling of fullness, maintains muscle mass, and provides energy for day-to-day activities. It is important to maintain muscle tissue as it contributes directly to a person’s metabolism.
A small 2018 study looked at the effects of following a diet with calorie restrictions on alternate days. The researchers compared the results of the diet with those of exercise in obese and overweight people.
In the participants who were both following the diet and exercising, body weight, waist circumference, and body fat percentage all decreased.
A 2016 review compared a VLCD with an alternate-day-fasting (ADF) diet. The researchers found that ADF was more effective for fat loss and preserving fat-free mass, including muscle.
Due to the military diet’s recommended daily calorie intake of 1,000 to 1,400 calories on the first 3 days, it is not possible to classify it as either a VLCD or an ADF program. Research on VLCD and ADF regimens only looks at diets providing fewer than 800 calories per day.
Although calorie intake on the military diet is too high to count as fasting, the approach of eating normally on the 4 days off mimics the practice of intermittent fasting. Therefore, people may achieve better long-term results by following this diet rather than a low-calorie diet.
Further research is necessary to confirm any specific benefits of the military diet.
Conclusion
The military diet involves restricting calorie consumption on 3 days and then eating a regular diet for the next 4 days. To optimize their weight loss, people may wish to try reducing calories on the 4 rest days too.
Following the military diet may be effective and harmless in the short term, but long-term adherence has associated risks. These include regaining the lost weight afterward, especially if people are reducing their calorie intake on all days of the week.
The diet is very limited in choice and includes some foods that are high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar. It also promotes eating unhealthful processed meats and underemphasizes vegetable consumption.
Adopting healthful eating habits every day is a more sustainable approach to losing weight and maintaining weight loss.
Q:
What is the safest way to lose weight quickly?
A:
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to weight loss. However, overconsuming carbohydrates in the form of sugar is one of the main culprits of weight gain, particularly if a person’s exercise regimen does not match their carbohydrate intake. One cup of sugar provides 774 calories. A person could eat 12 cups of grapes for the same calories, and these have a lot more nutrients and provide more satiety.
To lose weight safely, remove all added sugars from your diet. Scan the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer and remove or avoid products containing any form of added sugar on the ingredient list. These products will include sodas, sweet beverages, cereals, most yogurts, baked goods, and more.
Although it may significantly narrow down a person’s food choices, removing added sugar (and most packaged and processed items in the process) will lower their calorie intake and give them a better understanding of what constitutes real, nourishing food.
Natalie Butler, RD, LD Answers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice.