Three Day Diet
May 22nd, 2009
Day One
Breakfast
One piece of toast with one tablespoon of peanut butter
½ grapefruit or juice
Black coffee or tea (taken with one to two packets of Sweet & Low or Equal)
Lunch
One piece of toast
½ cup tuna
Black coffee or tea (taken with one to two packets of Sweet & Low or Equal)
Dinner
Three ounces of any lean meat or chicken
One cup of green beans
One cup of carrots
One apple
One cup of regular vanilla ice cream
Day Two
Breakfast
One piece of toast
One egg (any style)
½ banana
Black coffee or tea (taken with one to two packets of Sweet & Low or Equal)
Lunch
One cup of cottage cheese or tuna
Eight regular saltine crackers
Black coffee or tea (taken with one to two packets of Sweet & Low or Equal)
Dinner
Two beef franks or hot dogs
One cup of broccoli or cabbage
½ cup carrots
½ banana
½ cup regular vanilla ice cream
Day Three
Breakfast
Five regular saltine crackers
One ounce of cheddar cheese
One apple
Black coffee or tea (taken with one to two packets of Sweet & Low or Equal)
Lunch
One piece of toast
One hard-boiled egg
Black coffee or tea (taken with one to two packets of Sweet & Low or Equal)
Dinner
One cup of tuna
One cup of carrots
One cup of cauliflower
One cup of melon
½ cup regular vanilla ice cream
As indicated by its name, the diet runs for three days. Dieters are supposed to alternate these three days with four days of “normal” eating if they plan to do this regularly. The Three Day Diet is also known under other names such as the American Heart Association Diet, Kaiser Diet, Cleveland Clinic Diet, and the Birmingham Heart Hospital Diet. However, the Birmingham Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, and the American Heart Association all deny any association or endorsement of this diet.
People should also take note that the Three Day Diet has long been marked as a “fad diet”. Despite proliferation all over the Internet, one would notice that the diet has no backing from dietitians, doctors, nutritionists, and other health experts.
The Three Day Diet does have healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables but it also includes hot dogs, peanut butter and ice cream. Overall, the diet is low in calories, carbohydrates, and consumption of whole grains but high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium. It also does not cover proper intake of other nutrients. Since the diet is low on carbohydrates, weight loss is primarily on one’s water weight.
The plan of alternating the three days with four days of “normal” eating is also counter-productive. When the dieter goes back to consuming normal levels of carbohydrates, the water weight lost during the three days will be gained back. The diet is also monotonous that during the four days off, there is a tendency for the dieter to indulge in favorite unhealthy foods to satisfy a psychological need of “rewarding” oneself after three days of apparent starvation. Instead of going through the Three Day Diet, people are advised to consult a nutritionist or dietitian for a healthier alternative tailor fit to their lifestyle, body type and nutritional needs.