The two things that really put me in a bad mood are lack of sleep and hunger. I did not expect to be fully satisfied when looking at the 3-day diet plan, but I did not anticipate how fiercely my body and mood would protest to it.
People in the military who have to lose a significant amount of weight in a short amount of time often use the 3-day diet. The diet became public in the 1980's and it is designed for various body types. It is based on a chemical breakdown and must be followed exactly in order for the foods to interact correctly and the dieter can lose up to 10 pounds by the end of the three-day period.
The plan has become a popular pin on Pinterest with many women posting their results and pictures of their hearty dinners of five carrot sticks and two hot dogs. The trick is to follow the diet plan exactly for three days, return to a normal diet without overeating for four days and then follow the plan for another three days. Strenuous exercise is not recommended to be done while on this diet plan.
By the middle of the first day, I knew I was in for a long three days. I can have a slice of toast and half a grapefruit for breakfast? Lunch is half of a cup of plain tuna and five crackers? This diet was clearly for the birds-like literally for birds, not people. Dinner was much more satisfying with three ounces of any lean meat and green beans.
I was not as bothered on day two because I realized that the meal options were really not that bad. An egg and toast for breakfast and then some cheddar cheese for lunch sounded great. After a long day of class and an exam, however, I was sitting at home thinking of nothing other than how hungry I was.
I felt lethargic and sad all day. Perhaps it was the underlying stress of my personal life or maybe it was just that I was hungry. Either way, that grilled cheese sandwich I made at 10 p.m. tasted fantastic and I will never try the 3-day diet ever again. I did lose three pounds, but I would rather be fat and happy than starved and sad.
Sample diet plan: 870 calorie
Breakfast:
• Black coffee or tea
• 1/2 grapefruit
• 1 slice of toast with 1 tbsp. of peanut butter
Lunch:
• Black coffee or tea
• 1 slice of toast
• 1/2 cup of tuna
Dinner:
• 3 oz. any lean meat
• 1 cup green beans
• 1 cup carrots
• 1 cup vanilla ice cream
• 1 medium apple, black coffee, or tea
