The 3-Day Military Diet: Lose 10 lbs. in 7 Days (Workout Inc.)


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The 3 day (or 7 day) military diet is an excellent way to lose up to 10 pounds in 7 days.

If you stick to a 3 day military diet plan with my recommended shopping list, adhere to a military workout, and use these substitutions below in place of classic diet techniques, then you will be on your way to burning fat and getting in shape in a small amount of time.

I used to personal train near Fort Riley military base in Kansas.

Even though the base was about 20 minutes from the fitness club I worked at, I still saw an abundance of military personnel who were interested in eating right and working out.

They were some of the most fun, hardest working clientele I ever had to train, and it kept me on my toes to give them optimal workouts, and optimal meal plans.

Their relentless effort, and relentless attitude towards keeping their bodies and their mind in tip top shape was eye opening and made me thankful they were on our team.

I have never trained a group of people so determined to achieve the goals they had set out to do.

One of the things I learned along the way was that there was a 3-day military diet plan tailored specifically for military personnel.

As I trained more and more members of the military, I pulled a few of the ideas from the plan and intermingled some of their ideas with what I was teaching them on a day-to-day basis.

So, let’s proceed and learn a little bit of what the military diet and workout plan entails.

What is the military diet plan?

The military diet is a specially designed eating protocol which was designed with weight loss in mind.

The diet requires individuals to consume low amounts of calories for 3 days of the week, before returning to a more sustainable and normal way of eating for the remaining 4 days.

The diet is high in protein, low in fat and calories, and moderate in carbohydrates.

Over the course of the 3 days of low caloric intakes, followers of the military diet menu will consume 1,400 cals, 1,200 cals, and 1,100 cals respectively.

So, how does the military diet work?

The 3-day military diet is split into 2 phases over the course of 7 days.

Because of this, some may argue that it is the 7-day military diet.

Either way, if followed correctly, it works extremely well.

For the first 3 consecutive days of the diet, you must follow a military diet menu, which means that you’ll need to obtain a military diet shopping list tailored to meet the nutritional demands of a 1.400, 1,200, and 1,100 calorie per day diet.

Creating a caloric deficit will be the thing that promotes the weight loss.

As an additional note, snacking is NOT permitted on these 3 days.

A Shopping List of acceptable foods for the 3 day military diet include:

  • Apples
  • Bananas
  • Whole-wheat bread
  • Carrots
  • Broccoli
  • Green Beans
  • Cottage Cheese
  • Peanut Butter
  • Coffee
  • Eggs
  • Grapefruit
  • Lean Meats
  • Saltine crackers
  • Tea
  • Tuna
  • Vanilla ice cream

For the next 4 days, you are not permitted to just eat what you like.

For the diet to work, you will need to eat a healthy diet, monitoring your caloric intake as you go.

At the end of the day, if your caloric intake is lower than your bodily needs, you will lose weight.

How much weight can you expect to lose with the 3 or 7 day military diet?

This all depends on you, the person following the 3 or 7 day military diet in the first place.

People that are only slightly overweight, will obviously lose less weight than people that are severely overweight.

If followed correctly, it is possible to drop between 8 and 10 pounds per week on the military diet, especially in the initial stages of the diet plan.

The longer you follow the diet, the slower your weight loss will become, but one thing that is for certain is that, as long as you do indeed remain in a caloric deficit, especially during the low calorie days, you will burn fat.

What are the benefits of the military diet?

1. Weight Loss

2. Craving Reductions Over Time

3. Increase Metabolism

4. Lower Type-2 Diabetes Risk

5. Boost Your Immune System

6. Stimulate Brain Function

7. Heart Protection

8. Reduce Cancer Risk

9. Faster Recovery

10. Heal More Quickly

Is the military diet safe?

The military diet is safe for healthy individuals.

Saying that, you should always check with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program.

The military diet shouldn’t be done for extended periods of time and is unlikely to have lasting weight loss effects.

The 3-Day Military Diet Meal Plan

Here is a sample military diet plan. Anything can be substituted for something of equal caloric intake if you have certain dietary restrictions, just try to pick healthy options.

Day 1 – 1,400 calories

Breakfast:

  • Toast with peanut butter
  • Half a grapefruit
  • A cup of coffee or tea

Lunch:

  • 3 – Medium sized carrots
  • 1 Apple
  • 1 Can of tuna
  • Coffee or tea

Dinner:

  • A 3-oz steak
  • 1 cup of green beans
  • 2 Hard-boiled eggs
Day 2 – 1,200 calories

Breakfast:

  • One hard-boiled egg
  • A banana.
  • Coffee or tea

Lunch:

  • A cup of cottage cheese
  • 5 Saltines
  • Coffee or tea

Dinner:

  • Salmon
  • 1 Cup of broccoli
  • Half a banana
  • 1/2 Cup of vanilla ice cream
Day 3 – 1,100 calories

Breakfast:

  • 5 saltine crackers
  • A grapefruit
  • Coffee or tea

Lunch:

  • 1 apple
  • 1 Hard-boiled egg
  • Coffee or tea

Dinner:

  • A small porkchop
  • 1 Cup broccoli
  • 1/2 Cup of vanilla ice cream

Military Workout Plan – 1 Week

What’s a good military diet without a good military workout to go with it?

Give this 7-day military workout a try.

This military workout will be great for members of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard.

Modify the exercises, reps and sets as needed, based on your experience level.

Don’t forget to warmup each day, drink lots of water and listen to your body if  you need to slow down or take a break.

Day 1

  • Push-ups: Max in 20 seconds – 2 sets
  • Sit-ups: Max in 20 seconds – 2 sets
  • Pull-ups: Max in 20 seconds – 2 sets
  • Weight Vest/Weight Sack Squats: Max in 20 seconds – 2 sets
  • Single Leg Deadlifts: Max reps in 20 seconds – 2 sets/leg
  • Run: 2 miles

Day 2

  • Swim 20 laps

Day 3

  • Yoga/Flexibility Session: 1 Hour

Day 4

  • Push-ups: 3 sets of max reps in 30 seconds
  • Plank Punches: 3 sets of max reps in 30 seconds
  • Rope climb/Rope Pull: 3 sets of max reps in 30 seconds
  • Weight Vest/Weight Sack Lunge Walk: 3 sets Max reps in 30 seconds
  • Hamstring Curls: 3 sets of max reps in 30 seconds
  • Run: 3 miles

Day 5

  • Swim 30 laps

Day 6

  • Yoga/Flexibility Session: 1 Hour

Day 7

  • Push-ups: 4 sets of max reps in 40 seconds
  • Cross Crunches: 4 sets of max reps in 40 seconds
  • Lat Pulldowns: 4 sets of max reps in 40 seconds
  • Sumo Squats: 4 sets max reps in 40 seconds
  • Glute Raises: 4 sets of max reps in 40 seconds
  • Run: 4 miles

A good book to grab with a lot of recipes is Effective 3 Day-Diet Guide by Eric Garvin. It includes 57 3-day recipes for the Military Diet, Blast Fat Detox Plan, Sirtfood, Super food Liver Detox, and Paleo diet plans.



Summary: The 3-Day Military Diet: Lose 10 lbs. in 7 Days (Workout Inc.)

The 3-day military diet is great diet for any individual looking for a quick way to lose some weight in a short amount of time. Pair that with a military workout and your destined to shed the fat quickly. In general, eating healthy and exercising consistently over time will give you the greatest benefits for your body. Follow my 1 week plan and easily shed those 8 to 10 pounds. Use it to propel you to better eating and exercising habits.

What diets have you tried? Did they work for you? Let me know in the comments!

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