The 3 Day Diet Plan Review, Foods, Effectiveness

Written by Marianne Wait

Reviewed by Christine Mikstas, RD, LD on April 21, 2023

In this Article

• The Promise
• What You Can Eat and What You Can’t
• Level of Effort: Low
• Does It Allow for Dietary Restrictions or Preferences?
• What Else You Should Know
• What Dr. Melinda Ratini Says:

These days, when even instant cereal isn’t fast enough, we want weight loss now, not later. And who could argue with dropping the weight of a large laptop in just one long weekend? The 3 Day Diet promises exactly that.

If you’ve been struggling to budge the scale and you’re tempted to try it, here are the details you need to know.

The diet, aimed at people wanting to lose a lot of weight, claims you’ll drop up to 10 pounds if you follow it for three days.

The menu consists of three breakfasts, lunches, and “dinners” — if you consider a cup of tuna fish or two hot dogs, plus fruit and vegetable sides, dinner.

A website that markets the diet claims it’s “chemically and enzyme balanced,” though this statement isn’t explained or supported.

One thing is clear: You won’t be eating much. On Day 1, you get around 1,000 calories. Days 2 and 3 aren’t much different.

For three days, you’ll eat extremely basic meals made with foods you may already have in your kitchen.

For example, breakfast on Day 1 is black coffee or water, half a grapefruit, and a slice of toast with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Lunch is half a cup of tuna, another slice of toast, and another cup of black coffee (or tea or water).

If you’re looking for variety or foodie thrills, you won’t find them here.

Lunch on Day 2, for instance, is nothing but a cup of cottage cheese, one hard boiled egg, and some saltine crackers. Sauces, dressings, and even spices are off the list. If you have a sweet tooth, though, you’ll be happy to find vanilla ice cream on the menu each day.

The biggest effort you’ll make on the diet may be stopping yourself from reaching for more food.

Limitations: The menu is what it is, with no room for varied palates or eating preferences, though some websites say you can swap tuna for cottage cheese and vice versa.

Cooking and shopping: This diet is about as low-effort as it gets, short of having meals delivered to your door. Just about the only cooking involved is steaming the vegetables, unless you choose to eat them raw (either is an option).

Packaged foods or meals? No.

In-person meetings? No.

Exercise: It’s frowned on because, as one website puts it, “you will not be feeling very energetic” while you’re on this diet.

Vegetarians and vegans: This menu is not for vegetarians or vegans. It’s not low-salt, low-carb, or low-fat, either — just low-calorie.

Gluten-free: This diet includes toast and crackers, which traditionally include gluten in the wheat. You could buy gluten-free versions if you chose to, but going gluten-free is not a feature of this diet.

This diet was most likely not developed by nutrition experts. One website that offers the diet includes this warning: “Neither the staff nor management of 3 Day Diets are experienced, licensed, or knowledgeable to judge or recommend the validity or safety of this diet. We do not necessarily endorse this diet and recommend that before trying this or any other diet to consult a physician or licensed medical practitioner. Use at your own risk.”

When judging any diet, including this one, keep in mind two key pieces of advice from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: First, if a diet sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Second, if you can’t see yourself following the diet for the rest of your life, it’s not for you.

Costs: None beyond your shopping.

Support: None. This is a diet you do on your own.

Does It Work?

You will likely lose weight on any diet if you eat less than 910 calories a day. But losing 10 pounds in 3 days is both unlikely and unhealthy. To lose just 1 pound of body fat, you need to reduce your daily calories by about 500 a day for a whole week. That’s giving up 3,500 calories over the course of 7 days. To lose 10 pounds in 3 days would mean decreasing your calorie intake by 35,000 calories in just 3 days! The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends a slow and steady weight loss of no more than 1/2 to 1 pound a week. Otherwise you are losing muscle and water, as well as weakening your bones. You also are much more likely to gain it all back.

Is It Good for Certain Conditions?

The 3 Day Diet is low calorie, but it certainly is not low-fat, low-salt, or low cholesterol, so it is not a healthy option for most people with certain medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and high cholesterol. If you are overweight, weight loss is key to managing these conditions. But it should be a healthy and sustainable weight loss that includes healthy nutrition and exercise.

The Final Word

The 3 Day Diet is a very low-calorie diet that uses simple foods that are low cost and easy to find and prepare. A short-term weight loss is likely. But that is where the good news ends.

During the 3 days of the diet, balanced nutrition is lacking. Some of the foods that are recommended are high in salt and fat and would not be appropriate for people with certain medical problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol. You may not be getting enough vitamins, minerals, and fiber while you are on the diet. If you are taking medicine for your diabetes and want to try the 3-day diet, it’s important to talk with your doctor first about how to adjust your medicine.

Physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and helps prevent and treat heart disease and diabetes. But the 3 Day Diet does not address this at all. Nor does it teach you how to make changes in your diet that will allow for a lifetime of healthy eating.

Finally, such a restrictive diet takes the enjoyment out of eating. During the 3 days a week that you are following the plan, eating out or with others could be very tough. Also, boring diets are very hard to maintain. The temptation to overeat on the other 4 days of the week when you are not dieting will likely be high.

Remember, when it comes to weight loss, slow and steady really does win the race.

© 2023 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved. View privacy policy and trust info

The 3 Day Diet Plan Review, Foods, Effectiveness

Written by Marianne Wait

Reviewed by Christine Mikstas, RD, LD on April 21, 2023

In this Article

• The Promise
• What You Can Eat and What You Can’t
• Level of Effort: Low
• Does It Allow for Dietary Restrictions or Preferences?
• What Else You Should Know
• What Dr. Melinda Ratini Says:

These days, when even instant cereal isn’t fast enough, we want weight loss now, not later. And who could argue with dropping the weight of a large laptop in just one long weekend? The 3 Day Diet promises exactly that.

If you’ve been struggling to budge the scale and you’re tempted to try it, here are the details you need to know.

The diet, aimed at people wanting to lose a lot of weight, claims you’ll drop up to 10 pounds if you follow it for three days.

The menu consists of three breakfasts, lunches, and “dinners” — if you consider a cup of tuna fish or two hot dogs, plus fruit and vegetable sides, dinner.

A website that markets the diet claims it’s “chemically and enzyme balanced,” though this statement isn’t explained or supported.

One thing is clear: You won’t be eating much. On Day 1, you get around 1,000 calories. Days 2 and 3 aren’t much different.

For three days, you’ll eat extremely basic meals made with foods you may already have in your kitchen.

For example, breakfast on Day 1 is black coffee or water, half a grapefruit, and a slice of toast with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Lunch is half a cup of tuna, another slice of toast, and another cup of black coffee (or tea or water).

If you’re looking for variety or foodie thrills, you won’t find them here.

Lunch on Day 2, for instance, is nothing but a cup of cottage cheese, one hard boiled egg, and some saltine crackers. Sauces, dressings, and even spices are off the list. If you have a sweet tooth, though, you’ll be happy to find vanilla ice cream on the menu each day.

The biggest effort you’ll make on the diet may be stopping yourself from reaching for more food.

Limitations: The menu is what it is, with no room for varied palates or eating preferences, though some websites say you can swap tuna for cottage cheese and vice versa.

Cooking and shopping: This diet is about as low-effort as it gets, short of having meals delivered to your door. Just about the only cooking involved is steaming the vegetables, unless you choose to eat them raw (either is an option).

Packaged foods or meals? No.

In-person meetings? No.

Exercise: It’s frowned on because, as one website puts it, “you will not be feeling very energetic” while you’re on this diet.

Vegetarians and vegans: This menu is not for vegetarians or vegans. It’s not low-salt, low-carb, or low-fat, either — just low-calorie.

Gluten-free: This diet includes toast and crackers, which traditionally include gluten in the wheat. You could buy gluten-free versions if you chose to, but going gluten-free is not a feature of this diet.

This diet was most likely not developed by nutrition experts. One website that offers the diet includes this warning: “Neither the staff nor management of 3 Day Diets are experienced, licensed, or knowledgeable to judge or recommend the validity or safety of this diet. We do not necessarily endorse this diet and recommend that before trying this or any other diet to consult a physician or licensed medical practitioner. Use at your own risk.”

When judging any diet, including this one, keep in mind two key pieces of advice from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: First, if a diet sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Second, if you can’t see yourself following the diet for the rest of your life, it’s not for you.

Costs: None beyond your shopping.

Support: None. This is a diet you do on your own.

Does It Work?

You will likely lose weight on any diet if you eat less than 910 calories a day. But losing 10 pounds in 3 days is both unlikely and unhealthy. To lose just 1 pound of body fat, you need to reduce your daily calories by about 500 a day for a whole week. That’s giving up 3,500 calories over the course of 7 days. To lose 10 pounds in 3 days would mean decreasing your calorie intake by 35,000 calories in just 3 days! The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends a slow and steady weight loss of no more than 1/2 to 1 pound a week. Otherwise you are losing muscle and water, as well as weakening your bones. You also are much more likely to gain it all back.

Is It Good for Certain Conditions?

The 3 Day Diet is low calorie, but it certainly is not low-fat, low-salt, or low cholesterol, so it is not a healthy option for most people with certain medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and high cholesterol. If you are overweight, weight loss is key to managing these conditions. But it should be a healthy and sustainable weight loss that includes healthy nutrition and exercise.

The Final Word

The 3 Day Diet is a very low-calorie diet that uses simple foods that are low cost and easy to find and prepare. A short-term weight loss is likely. But that is where the good news ends.

During the 3 days of the diet, balanced nutrition is lacking. Some of the foods that are recommended are high in salt and fat and would not be appropriate for people with certain medical problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol. You may not be getting enough vitamins, minerals, and fiber while you are on the diet. If you are taking medicine for your diabetes and want to try the 3-day diet, it’s important to talk with your doctor first about how to adjust your medicine.

Physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and helps prevent and treat heart disease and diabetes. But the 3 Day Diet does not address this at all. Nor does it teach you how to make changes in your diet that will allow for a lifetime of healthy eating.

Finally, such a restrictive diet takes the enjoyment out of eating. During the 3 days a week that you are following the plan, eating out or with others could be very tough. Also, boring diets are very hard to maintain. The temptation to overeat on the other 4 days of the week when you are not dieting will likely be high.

Remember, when it comes to weight loss, slow and steady really does win the race.

© 2023 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved. View privacy policy and trust info

Express diet for weight loss in 3 days

A slender figure is the dream of almost every woman. Sometimes, in order to achieve a cherished goal, we are ready for the most extreme measures, especially if an important event is coming soon, such as a wedding, a reunion of graduates or a vacation. Of course, losing weight by two sizes in a few days will not work, but it is quite possible to lose up to five kilograms, and an express diet for three days will help you. If you follow the recommendations and due patience, you can quickly adjust your figure without any negative consequences for the body, but first we will find out if express diets are suitable for everyone.

When is it not recommended to switch to the express diet?

Any express diets for weight loss are somehow associated with a sharp restriction of the diet on the verge of starvation, so they are not suitable for everyone. Nutritionists do not recommend using this method of weight loss in the following cases:

• for chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• kidney pathologies;
• immediately after a viral or bacterial infection;
• in the postoperative period;
• during pregnancy, lactation;
• with hormonal disorders;
• during a period of strong emotional stress;
• with high physical exertion

In addition, we draw your attention to the fact that prolonged fasting negatively affects metabolic processes, leads to loss of muscle mass, but low-calorie express diets, on the contrary, help cleanse the body of toxins and thus can increase life expectancy ¹ .

The main thing is not to harm. Basic principles of express diet

Any food with severe restrictions (even if it is designed for only a few days) is stressful for the body. In order not to harm your health, it is important to adhere to the basic principles of the express diet:

• Food should be varied. When choosing a quick way to lose weight, it is better to stay on a diet that consists of different products. Mono-diets can harm the body, so if you choose this option, it is recommended to additionally take supplements with vitamins, minerals, and vital amino acids.

• It is necessary to exclude sugar, products containing starch, flour products from the diet. It is advisable not to salt or reduce salt intake to a minimum. As you know, salt retains water in the body, slows down metabolic processes, so if you salt foods, you are unlikely to be able to quickly lose weight.

Note! We recommend reducing salt and sugar intake not only during the express diet, but also on other days. Studies have shown that a gradual reduction in the consumption of these products significantly reduces the risk of developing diabetes and hypertension ² . In addition, reducing the amount of carbohydrates in the daily diet is the prevention of the development of metabolic syndrome (metabolic disorders associated with obesity) ³ .

• Meals should be simple, easily digestible. When compiling a diet, take into account the fact that simple (one- or two-component) dishes are absorbed much better, so they are not deposited in the form of extra pounds. Remember the rules for separate meals. For an express diet, they are more suitable than ever.

• On days of restriction, it is recommended to increase the amount of fluid. You need to drink clean water, but it is better to exclude coffee and tea altogether or reduce it to one or two cups a day. Lemonades, energy drinks and other sweet carbonated drinks are prohibited. At least you need to drink 1. 5 – 2 liters of water per day (30 ml per kilogram of body weight). It is better to drink water between snacks (an hour after or an hour before a meal).

• Physical activity will help improve the result. This is not about strength training until the seventh sweat, but about small loads: running, swimming, yoga. Physical activity will help speed up the metabolism, remove toxins and toxins, so that you will not only lose a few extra pounds, but also cleanse the body. By the way, scientific research confirms that a combination of diet and exercise is the best prevention of type II diabetes mellitus ⁴ .

Stick to these simple principles of express diet, then the efforts made will not be in vain, and the result will fully meet your expectations.

TOP 3 popular express diets for 3 days

Most of the popular ways to lose weight are based on the rejection of solid foods, replacing the usual dishes with juices, smoothies, broths, sour-milk products. Among the most popular express diets are the following:

• Diet on freshly squeezed juices – built on the complete rejection of solid foods, replacing them with freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juices in the amount of two liters per day. You can choose any juice you like: from tomatoes, carrots, pumpkins, apples, oranges, other vegetables and fruits. If you do not like mono juices, the diet does not prohibit combining foods, for example, carrots with apples, pumpkin with apples, tomatoes with cucumbers. Those who like interesting tastes can add herbs or spices to the juice.

• Fractional nutrition is a popular way to lose weight among models and show business stars. You can create a menu for three days yourself or use ready-made options. For example, an express diet may look like this: breakfast – 1 egg, apple, banana, 200 grams of yogurt, lunch – 200 grams of boiled potatoes, 100 grams of low-fat cottage cheese, dinner – 50 grams of boiled chicken fillet, which, if desired, can be supplemented with hard pasta wheat varieties.

• A mono-diet is one of the simplest weight loss options, built on the use of only one type of product. A popular example of mononutrition is the kefir diet, in which it is enough to drink 2 liters of fat-free kefir per day, dividing it into 5-6 doses. This approach will allow you to lose extra pounds, as well as normalize the intestinal microflora. However, as we noted above, when switching to a mono-diet, it is recommended to additionally take supplements with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.

How to get off the diet?

The correct exit from the diet will help you consolidate the result and prevent the return of excess weight. In order not to harm the body, new foods should be added to the diet gradually, in small quantities, especially if you were on a mono-diet.

After finishing the diet, avoid breakdowns, do not pounce on heavy high-calorie meals, give preference to light, coarse foods, such as lean broths, lean meats, fish, seafood, salads, fresh fruits and vegetables. Steam, boil, stew or bake dishes in the oven. Between breakfast, lunch and dinner, drink water, freshly squeezed juices, herbal teas.

How to help the body cope with stress?

Strict dietary restrictions are stressful for the body, therefore, during the diet and during the period of withdrawal from it, it is necessary to take additional vitamins, macro- and microelements. In the assortment of the company “Evalar” you will find many dietary supplements and complexes for weight loss, which contain useful substances necessary for the body, can help remove excess fluid, speed up the process of getting rid of extra pounds.

Express diet is a great way to lose weight, but if you care not only about appearance, but also health, stick to proper nutrition on other days. It has been scientifically proven that a low-calorie diet rich in fruits and vegetables, foods containing omega-3 fatty acids, as well as regular intake of macro and micronutrient supplements can help reduce anxiety, improve overall well-being and mood ⁵ .

When choosing dietary supplements and a three-day diet option, we recommend that you consult with a nutritionist or your doctor.

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1 Effects of Calorie Restriction on Health Span and Insulin Resistance: Classic Calorie Restriction Diet vs. Ketosis-Inducing Diet. Napoleon A., Fernandez L., Miranda K., Marum A.P. Nutrients. 2021 Apr 15;13(4):1302. doi: 10.3390/nu13041302 . PMID: 33920973; PMCID: PMC8071299.
2 Two dangerous twins : salt and sugar Gupta L , Khandelwal D , Datta D , Kalra C . , Lal P . R ., Gupta I . Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2018 Jul-Aug;22(4):542-551. doi: 10.4103/ijem.IJEM_117_18 . PMID: 30148105; PMCID: PMC6085961.
3 Quantity and quality dietary fat changes metabolism final 9 0004 products glycation products in patients with metabolic syndrome / Dietary fat quantity and quality modifies advanced glycation end products metabolism in patients with metabolic syndrome. Lopez – Moreno X ., Quintana – Navarro G . M ., Camargo A ., Jimenez – Lucena R ., Delgado – Leaf 90 004 X ., Marin C, Tinajones F . J ., Stryker G . E ., Rosh X . M ., Perez – Martinez P ., Lopez – Miranda X ., Hubero – Serrano E . M . Mol Nutr Food Res. 2017 Aug;61(8). doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201601029 . Epub 2017 Mar 30. PMID: 28233454.
4 Diet and exercise exercise in prevention 90 004 diabetes / Diet and exercise in the prevention of diabetes. Walker To . Z ., O ’Di K ., Gomez M ., Girgis C . , Colajuri R . J Hum Nutr Diet. 2010 Aug;23(4):344-52. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-277X.2010.01061.x . Epub 2010 Mar 23. PMID: 20337844.
5 Diet and An xiety: A Scoping Review. Okoyne M, LaChance L, Naidoo W, Remi D, Shekdar T, Sayar N, Cardoso V, Ravana T, Chan Y, Cooley K. Nutrients. 2021 Dec 10;13(12):4418. doi: 10.3390/nu13124418 . PMID: 34959972; PMCID: PMC8706568.

Diet for 3 days: a quick way to lose weight by 2-3 kg. How to lose weight in 3 days without compromising health

The 3-day diet is a short-term and relatively rigid diet that is a way to lose a few pounds in a minimum amount of time. How much depends on the initial weight. As a rule, the fatter a person is, the more kg goes away.

Most often, short and quick diets are resorted to in cases where it is urgent to get prettier and build up for some event, such as a wedding or vacation. A strict diet differs from more serious and long-term weight loss systems, and even more so from a permanent balanced diet, in that it creates an acute deficiency of a number of nutrients, due to which a certain failure occurs in the metabolic process. It is worth remembering that rapid weight loss due to a rigid (albeit short) diet is always a serious blow to health. And this means that for people with any chronic diseases a diet for 3 days (being just strict, tough and extremely unbalanced) is definitely contraindicated.

So how can you lose weight in 3 days? By and large, a 3-day diet can be made up by combining any three unloading days that are carried out in mono mode (one day – one product). For example: the first day is on apples, the second day is on lean chicken meat, the third day is on fresh cucumbers. In total, such an unloading trio can be reflected in the loss of 2-5 kg.

However, if at the end of such a three-day weight loss you abruptly return to your previous diet, the “yo-yo” effect (when the lost kilograms and centimeters come back) will overtake you just as quickly – in a matter of days. You should go out gradually and wisely: as long as possible after the end of the diet for 3 days, you should maintain a “fasting regimen” – do not eat sweet and fatty foods, avoid fried foods and convenience foods, have dinner 3 hours before bedtime.

If you don’t like the idea of ​​eating one food all day, you can use another menu. For example:

Day 1

• Breakfast: tea or coffee without sugar, half a grapefruit (be sure to eat the whole segments, including hard partitions) and 1 whole grain toast with a slice of cheese.

• Lunch: 1 toast with canned tuna in its own juice, tea or no sugar.

• Dinner: 100g boiled chicken, a cup of boiled beans, grated raw carrots, 1 tbsp. sour cream no more than 10% fat (all without salt).

Day 2

• Breakfast: tea or coffee without sugar, 1 whole grain toast, 1 boiled egg and half a grapefruit.

• Lunch: 1 cup cottage cheese, up to 4% fat, cucumber, tomato and leafy greens salad dressed with 1 tsp. olive oil (but without salt).

• Dinner: 200g boiled beef without salt, 100g boiled broccoli, half a cup of grated fresh carrots, half a grapefruit.

Day 3

• Breakfast: tea or coffee without sugar, 2 whole-grain toasts, a piece of cheese about 50 g, an hour later – one green apple.

• Lunch: tea or coffee without sugar, 2 boiled eggs, 100 g boiled chicken breast.

• Dinner: half a glass of grated raw carrots, 100 g boiled lean fish, an hour later – grapefruit.

Plus, every day you need to drink at least 1.5-2 liters of pure water without gas. Moreover, the first glass should be drunk warm and 20 minutes before breakfast.

Quite a common question – why drink such an extreme amount of water during a diet? The answer is simple: as you know from the lessons of chemistry and biology, any metabolic processes in the body occur in the aquatic environment, and if there is enough water in the human body, then the metabolism accelerates: food is well absorbed, fats are not deposited, toxins and unused food breakdown products are completely removed .