Lose up to 4.5 kilograms in a week? Sounds like a dream diet. There are online testimonials “ complete with “before” and “after” full-body pictures “ that claim the Military Diet really does work, and it’s trending.
But look deeper, and it’s obvious this isn’t as easy as it sounds. The Military Diet is an intermittent-fasting regime, it consists of three days of a calorie-controlled programme and four days off each week. On dieting days, there’s a strict list of approved foods for the three main meals “ no snacks are allowed. Even the rest or “off-diet” days, it’s not easy. One is advised to exercise and keep intake to just 1,500 calories. With all that, there will be weight loss.
But the diet is hard to sustain and worse, unhealthy.
Like every diet, the key to success with the Military Diet is discipline. “The main reason why people lose weight on this diet is because of calorie restriction,” says Singapore-based nutritionist Jaclyn Reutens adding that the plan expects dieters to limit calories to 1,100 to 1,400 a day, which is far lower than the typical caloric intake of the average person. So while the Military Diet might want you to think it’s easy, it’s actually a really hardcore diet. If you’re starving yourself, of course you’re going to lose weight.
Worse, much of the weight loss actually comes from the loss of muscle, says Karen Lee Weiss, a nutrition and health coach. “This diet forces the body into ‘starvation mode’ as it is taking in so little food. The problem here is that the mind knows that this is just a short-term diet, but the body doesn’t distinguish between a diet and a famine. Our bodies are amazing and will do everything they can to keep us alive, including conserving energy during this ‘famine’,” says Lee Weiss.
Nutrition-wise, the Military Diet doesn’t encourage good eating habits. If you go on this diet, your body will miss out on all the vital nutrients it needs for optimal functioning. A healthy diet consists of a well-balanced mix of protein, fats and carbohydrates and focuses on high quality and minimally processed foods.”
