Variations of the Military Diet
The 3 Day Military Diet can be a drain on some. It can be impossible for others. We think the diet works great but there are others that simply can’t do what the diet wants them to do. Of course, there are others that simply don’t want to follow the diet.
If you aren’t going to go full-on with the military diet plan then we at least recommend you try some substitutions. If that isn’t possible then we suggest doing what you can on the diet and trying to stick to low calorie meals for the rest. There are thousands of recipes for low sugar and low calorie meals.
We're not big proponent of counting calories. We've tried it and failed. Others have tried it and failed. Counting calories makes you think about food all the time. And you normally gravitate towards what you think about. Weight Watchers and plugging your meals into your phone all day long isn't a long-term healthy eating solution.
Thin people don’t count calories. They eat intuitively and normally choose what they feel are healthy foods. They certainly don’t starve themselves. Many times when people are on diets they are hungry. This of course leads to the first law of diets.
- Restricting will Always lead to Binging
Our favorite diet is obviously the 3 day military diet. But when not on a diet we feel it is best to eat intuitively. If you are obsessed about every bit of food that crosses your lips you’ll be thinking about food 24/7. When we say eating intuitively we mean making peace with food. Food is there, you are hungry and you will eat. Guild isn’t helpful. Do what you can to eat low calorie or nutritious foods and get shamming yourself. Our favorite way of intuitively eating is to be mindful of what we eat and focus on low calorie meals when possible. And there is no suchlenty of vegetables.
Foods aren’t created equal. That is another reason calorie counting doesn’t work. A calorie doesn’t necessarily equal a calorie. Do you think you are better of if you eat 300 calories of Twinkies or a 300 calorie salad? And our favorite way of intuitively eating is to eat low calorie meals with plenty of vegetables.
Our Favorite Meats Used in Low Calorie Cooking
Proteins make you feel full
So How is this a Variation of the 3 Day Military Diet?
We would love it if you could stay on the 3 day military diet until you reached your weight loss goal. The three day diet isn't bad for most. It is filling and keeps your energy up. After the 3 days are up eating healthy for the 4 days off is essential. We have a link at the end of the article for some ideal recipes. But if none of this diet regimen doesn't work then try eating low calorie foods.
The world is your oyster with low calorie cooking. You have your choice of thousands of recipes. You don't have to go hungry on your 4 days off with the military diet. You shouldn't go hungry ever. It's never a long term solution. You also shouldn't go overboard and binge eat. But you don't want to deprive yourself of too much. Remember that diet fatigue is one of the main reasons that diets fail.
Healthy eating nowadays is associated with low sugar meals and an abundance of vegetables. Some research has shown that even low carbohydrate meals are healthier than other dietary methods. And with a simple protein and some delicious vegetables for most meals it is easy to eat healthy.
If A Diet Feels Like Constant Work Then it Isn’t a Long Term Solution
Many people feel tired and lethargic throughout the day because of their diets. If you can't function on a diet then it's not really a diet. It is torture. Luckily we know of healthy solutions. Recently there has been a rise in the popularity of low starch and more vegetables in our everyday diets and even more fats instead of carbohydrates. This type of eating is basically textbook for most healthy-eating diets. There are very few that will disagree with this type of eating for overall better health. It is also easy and delicious to eat this way day after day.
The ease of eating low calorie meals keeps our waistlines in check and keeps our energy high (after a few days to adjust). I suppose it isn't much of a Military Diet variation as a different way of life. It may not be as effective as the 3 day military diet but it is something that you can do for extended periods of time.
Other Favorite Ingredients Used in Low Carb Cooking
There is no such thing as too many vegetables. On your 4 days off feel free to eat unlimited vegetables. Legumes are also fantastic.
Seth Kolloen has some great ideas of military diet meals that could be used. At the very least they would be great for the 4 days off that we aren’t on the diet. Because the last thing we want to do on our 4 days off would be to binge and put back on the weight that we worked so hard to get off.
I wasn't eating the right kinds of calories. I didn't know about healthy carbs such as brown rice and lentils. Now I eat small meals throughout the day: oatmeal with cinnamon to start, fruit and yogurt as a snack, and vegetables or with chicken or tuna, and a healthy carb, like a yam, for lunch.
The first thing I did was give up sweet tea because I drank so much. I'd start drinking at lunchtime and wouldn't set it down until I went to bed. When you calculate how much empty calories and how much sugar I was consuming, it was staggering. So I haven't had a glass of sweet tea in three years.