What is a 3 Day Diet?

3 day diet is a low-calorie diet promising quick weight loss up to 10 pounds within three days. There are different types of 3 day diets found online, but whether they are the official version is unknown. The diet had its beginning back in the 1980s claiming to cleanse, reduce the levels of cholesterol, and improve an individual's energy levels. As the name suggests, the diet has to be followed strictly for three days to see obvious results. If the results are not up to the mark, one needs to follow a normal diet for three to four days before starting the 3 day diet all over again.

The diet plan uses the ordinary foods available and no expensive recipes or ingredients are included. However, the plan is very strict with respect to portion size of the food, and the type of food included in the diet. According to followers of the diet, the diet plan helps to boost the metabolic rate, which leads to burning fat that is present in the body. Unfortunately, this remains in theory and the diet lacks evidence for how it helps to improve the metabolic rate in an individual.

In this diet, the person restricts his or her calorie intake to around 800 to 1,000 calories per day. According to a popular 3 day diet plan, the breakfast consists of coffee, a grape fruit, and one piece of toast with a small spread of peanut butter. Lunch is a half a cup of tuna, a cup of coffee, and another piece of toast. Dinner includes three ounces of meat, vegetables, one fruit (particularly an apple), and a cup of vanilla ice cream. In the next two days the menu is hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese, hot dogs, bananas, and saltine crackers eaten in different combinations so that the calorie intake still remains within the cap mentioned.

As the calorie intake is significantly lower than the required amount for an adult, weight loss is probable. Experts feel that the loss of weight is temporary and may revert when one resumes normal diet. Moreover, the diet plan does not help to follow a healthy diet and may not be helpful in resolving the issue of being overweight. Further, exercise is not a part of the plan at all; therefore, the diet may not be helpful in encouraging healthy eating habits, which are significant in controlling body weight.