Lunch: 1/2 cup tuna, 1 piece dry toast, black
coffee or tea. Some versions call for tuna in water,
some call for artificial sweetener with the coffee or tea.
Dinner: 3 ounces lean meat, 1 cup green beans, 1
cup carrots, 1 apple, 1 cup vanilla ice cream. Some
versions specify a low fat ice cream, other do not.
Some versions call for 1 cup of beets instead of carrots.Day 2
Breakfast: 1 egg, 1 slice dry toast, 1/2 banana,
black coffee or tea. Some versions require artificial
sweetened in the coffee or tea. It is not generally speci-
fied how the dieter should prepare the egg. Some
versions call for a whole banana.
Lunch: 1 cup cottage cheese and six crackers.
Some versions allow dieters to choose between 1 cup
of cottage cheese and 1 cup of tuna. Some require six
crackers, some allow eight. Most versions call for Salt-
ine brand crackers.
Dinner: two hot dogs, 1 cup broccoli, 1/2 cup
carrots, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream. Some
versions specify beef franks. Some call for 1 cup of
cabbage instead of 1 cup of broccoli. Some versions
require low fat ice cream.Day 3
Breakfast: one apple, 1 ounce cheddar cheese, five
Saltine brand crackers, black tea or coffee. Some ver-
sions allow or require artificial sweetener.
Lunch: one hard-boiled egg, one slice dry toast.
Some versions allow black coffee or tea (with or with-
out artificial sweetener) with this meal, others do not.
Dinner: 1 cup tuna, 1 cup carrots, 1 cup cauli-
flower, 1 cup melon, and 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream.
Some versions call for 1/2 a cantaloupe instead of 1
cup of melon. Some versions require low fat ice cream.
There are other versions of the above three-day
diet, with some specifying even more alternatives for
the dieter, including an orange instead of grapefruit,
cottage cheese instead of tuna, and various vegetable
substitutions. Most versions tell dieters to use lemon,
salt and pepper, mustard, vinegar, herbs,soysauce,
ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and other seasonings
to add flavoring to food during the diet, but nothing
containing fat, such as butter. Most versions of the
diet are very specific in saying that dieters have to
follow the rules exactly to see the promised weight loss.Function
The three-day diet usually promises that dieters
will be able to lose 10 pounds in three days if the diet isfollowed exactly. Often the diet claims that this will
result because the combination of foods called for by
the diet causes some kind of increasedmetabolism
that will burn pounds of fat. It is never made clear
exactly what kind of reaction this is supposed to be, or
how it is supposed to work. Often the diet says the
dieter can repeat the diet after a few days of regular
eating. Some version of three-day diets allow for as
few as two days of normal eating, others require up to
four or five. The three-day diets are intended to pro-
vide a dieter with extreme weight loss in a very short
time and are not intended to change the dieters life-
style or overall eating habits. Usually the diets go so
far as to tell a dieter to eat whatever he or she was
eating before the diet once the diet is over. The diets
only caution is not to overeat. No exercise recommen-
dations are made with three-day diets. Weight loss is
supposed to come from increased metabolism and
lowered calorie intake alone.Benefits
There are many benefits to weight loss if it
achieved at a moderate pace through healthy eating
and exercise. Three-day diets, however, are not con-
sidered moderately paced and do not include exercise,
or a well-balanced diet. Although the diets claim that a
dieter can lose 10 pounds in three days, weight loss is
likely to come mainly from lost water weight. There
may be some psychological benefit to quick weight
loss, but this is likely to be undone if the weight is
gained back quickly after the diet is over.Precautions
Anyone thinking of beginning a new diet should
consult a physician or other medical professional.
Daily requirements of calories, fat, and nutrients can
differ significantly from person to person depending
on age, weight, sex, and other factors. Talking to a
doctor can help a dieter determine which diet is safe
for that dieter’s individual needs, and a doctor can
help a dieter choose a diet that fits in well with his or
her long-term weight loss goals. Pregnant orbreast-
feedingwomen should be especially cautious when
thinking of beginning a new diet because when a
baby is receiving nutrients from its mother, what the
mother eats can have a significant impact on the
growth and development of the baby.Risks
There are some risks associated with any diet, but
diets that severely limit calories or the variety of foods
that dieters may eat tend to be more risky than well-3-day diet