If you need to lose weight rapidly for a special occasion or want to kickstart your weight loss journey, we have got a 3-day diet plan for you. Following this very low-calorie diet for three days every two weeks is the best strategy to reduce weight. You don’t have to fast or starve yourself during this diet. You will get to eat healthy meals while reducing the number of calories you consume. On non-diet days, you will work out to tone your body. But keep in mind that this diet plan should not be followed for longer periods to avoid health problems. This article explores what the 3-day diet plan is, how it works, foods you should consume and avoid, important food substitutes, an exercise plan for non-diet days, and more. We will also touch upon the potential side effects to be wary of. So, let us get started!
In This Article
How the 3-Day Diet Plan Works
Image: Shutterstock
The 3-day diet works by restricting the calorie consumption to less than 1200 per day for three days a week. You will go back to normal diet for the rest of the four days of the week without exceeding a limit of consuming 500 calories extra. For example, if you have 1000 calories on the diet days, you will not consume more than 1500 calories per day on non-diet days. This varied calorie intake will prevent your body’s metabolism from plateauing and help you burn the calories and lose weight quickly. Always follow the 3-day diet plan for two weeks and then take a break for one week before resuming this diet plan. Let’s find out what you should eat for three days of your very low-calorie diet plan.
The 3-Day Diet Plan
Image: Shutterstock
Day 1 ( 1200 calories)
| Meals | What To Eat |
| Early Morning (7:45 – 8:30 a.m) | 1 cup fenugreek seeds soaked water |
| Breakfast (9:15-9:45 a.m) | Options:
|
| Lunch (12:00 – 12:30 p.m) | Options:
|
| Evening Snack (4:00 p.m) | Options:
|
| Dinner (7:00 – 7:30 p.m) | Options:
|
Why This Works
Fenugreek soaked water helps to boost your metabolism (1). Oats are a good source of fiber (2). This can help prevent fat absorption and mobilize fat. Eggs are an excellent source of protein , and multigrain bread is high in fiber content (3) (4). Fresh fruit juice is rich in fiber, and fruit sugar will keep your hunger pangs at bay for longer (5 ). Have a delicious but light lunch rich in protein, fiber, and complex carbs. Choose grilled fish or a sandwich to satiate your taste buds. Have a substantial portion of complex carbs and fiber in the form of fruits or crunchy vegetables for a healthy evening snack. Spice up your dinner by having garlic bread (multigrain) and chicken stew, which is rich in protein and other nutrients. If you do not want to have chicken, opt for turkey, also a rich source of protein (6). Have cucumber, tomato, and onion to balance your high-protein meal with complex carbs and dietary fiber.
Substitutes
Fenugreek seeds – Fennel seeds
Oatmeal – Quinoa
Scrambled eggs – Boiled eggs
Multigrain bread – wheat or gluten-free bread
Fresh fruit juice – 1/2 cup fruit
Grilled fish – Baked or smoked fish
Asparagus – Spinach
Tomato – Finely diced cucumber
Tuna sandwich – Chicken sandwich
Vegetable sandwich – mushroom sandwich
Fruits – 1 cup fresh fruit juice
Baby carrots – 1 cup large cubes of cucumber
Garlic bread – Wheat flatbread
Chicken stew – Grilled chicken with glaze
Smoked turkey – Smoked salmon or crab
Pita bread – multigrain bread or flatbread
Cucumber – Carrot
Tomato – Red bell pepper
Onion – Chive
How You Will Feel By The End Of Day 1
Day 1 would be tough. You will feel hungry and crave junk food. But what you will gain by not munching on junk is greater and more important to you right now. Control your hunger pangs by drinking water or green tea.
Day 2 (1000 calories)
| Meals | What To Eat |
| Early Morning (7:45 – 8:30 a.m) | 1 glass warm water with the juice of half a lime |
| Breakfast (9:15-9:45 a.m) | Options:
Quinoa + 1 cup green tea Egg frittata + 1 cup green tea |
| Lunch (12:00 – 12:30 p.m) | Options:
|
| Evening Snack (4:00 p.m) | 1 cup black coffee |
| Dinner (7:00 – 7:30 p.m) | Options:
|
Why This Works
Lime juice flushes out toxins (7). Quinoa or egg frittata with a cup of green tea will help keep you full and suppress your appetite. Have a nutritious and delicious lunch with sauteed veggies and mushroom or grilled chicken and veggies. Yogurt will ensure better digestion, which, in turn, will lead to better metabolism (8). Anecdotal evidence suggests that coffee is a great appetite suppressant. It also improves alertness and concentration. Have a delicious dinner loaded with protein sources such as chicken or boiled chickpeas. Half a cup of vanilla ice cream will appease your taste buds.
Substitutes
Lime – Lemon or apple cider vinegar
Quinoa – Oats
Egg frittata – Spanish omelet or boiled eggs
Green tea – Oolong tea or black coffee
Green beans – Asparagus
Peas – Endive
Carrot – Yellow bell pepper
Mushroom – Baby corn
Fat-free yogurt – 1 cup fresh ginger, fennel seed, and lime juice
Chicken breast – Salmon / mushroom
Broccoli – Cauliflower
Spinach – Celery
Carrots – Tomato
Buttermilk – 1 cup watermelon juice
Black coffee – green tea or oolong tea
Chicken / Vegetable soup – Lentil / mushroom soup
Boiled chickpea salad – Bengal gram salad or chicken salad
Vanilla ice cream – Frozen yogurt
How You Will Feel By The End Of Day 2
By the end of day 2, you will be surprised to find out that you survived two days without munching on junk food! This will keep your spirits high, and you will be ready for day 3 more than ever.
Day 3 (800 calories)
| Meals | What To Eat |
| Early Morning (7:45 – 8:30 a.m) | 1 cup water with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar |
| Breakfast (9:15-9:45 a.m) | Options:
|
| Lunch (12:00 – 12:30 p.m) | Options:
|
| Evening Snack (4:00 p.m) | 1 cup green tea |
| Dinner (7:00 – 7:30 p.m) | Options:
|
Why This Works
Apple cider vinegar helps in weight loss (9). Have a large protein-rich breakfast to feed your brain and muscles so that you can stay active. If you want to have salad for lunch, opt for a low-fat dressing. Grilled tuna will keep your taste buds alive and provide your body with an extra dose of protein. Green tea is best for losing weight and suppressing appetite. Make your boring dinner interesting by adding Mexican or Asian touch while keeping it nutritious and simple. This will help you stay nourished throughout the day while maintaining the calorie count.
Substitutes
Apple cider vinegar – Lemon juice
Boiled egg whites – Egg white omelet
Muskmelon – Watermelon
Pomegranate – Cherries
Semolina – Quinoa
Milk – Soy milk
Chicken salad – Tuna or veggie salad
Yogurt – Sour cream
Olive oil – Flax seed oil
Tuna – Basa
Collard greens – Spinach
Cherry tomato – Summer squash
Green tea – Oolong tea or black coffee
Chicken – Mushroom or chickpeas
Bell pepper – Squash
Chicken or mushroom soup – Grilled veggies or vegetable soup
How You Will Feel By The End Of Day 3
By the end of day 3, you would have lost a lot of water weight. This means you would look slimmer and feel less bloated. Your body would be ready to mobilize the fat, and that is exactly what exercising would help to achieve. So, though you have lost water weight, to actually lose fat you have to exercise on the non-diet days. Here is an exercise plan for Days 4 – 7.
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Exercise Plan For Non-Diet Days (Day 4 – Day 7)
Warm-up (10 min)
- Move your head side to side 10 times.
- Move your head up and down as if you are nodding, 10 times.
- Neck rotations (clockwise and anti-clockwise) – 1 set of 10 reps
- Shoulder rotations (clockwise and anti-clockwise) – 1 set of 10 reps
- Full arm rotation (clockwise and anti-clockwise) – 1 set of 10 reps
- Wrist rotation (clockwise and anti-clockwise) – 1 set of 10 reps
- Waist rotation (clockwise and anti-clockwise) – 1 set of 10 reps
- Ankle rotation (clockwise and anti-clockwise) – 1 set of 10 reps
- Standing side crunches (left and right)- 1 set of 10 reps
- Touch toes – 1 set of 5 reps
| Days | Time | What You Should Do |
| Day 4 | 15 min | Spot jogging + Side lunges + Jumping jacks + Forward lunges + Scissor kicks + Push-ups + Stretch |
| Day 5 | 25 min | Brisk walking / intermittent jogging + Forward jumping lunges + Squat + Bicep curls + Tricep dips + Forward plank + Side plank + Crunches + Meditation |
| Day 6 | 40 min | Rope jumping + Forward lunges with weight + Push-ups + Crunches + Mountain climbers + Burpees + Horizontal outward kicks + scissor kicks + Stretch |
| Day 7 | 50 min | Intermittent walking and jogging + Surya Namaskar+ Meditation |
Make sure not to workout rigorously from Day 1 – Day 3 (diet days) as you will be on a very low-calorie diet and your body may not have the required energy. However, you may do light stretching exercises on your diet days.
How You Will Feel By The End Of Day 7
You will be both surprised and thrilled with your progress. The first 3 days of the diet will help you lose water weight and the last 4 days of the week will help you mobilize the fat. This will help you to lose weight quicker and more effectively. You will look slimmer and working out regularly will help you stay active and focused. It will also improve memory and reflex, and remove all negative thoughts from your mind.
Should You Repeat The 3-Day Diet?
Yes, you can go on the 3-day diet again in the second week. The second week may not feel challenging enough, but you should stick to the diet plan to get optimum results.
Should You Continue The 3-Day Diet Beyond The Second Week?
No. This diet plan may work well for you, but it is advisable not to continue with this diet beyond the second week. You can be on a low-calorie diet and exercise to keep your body from gaining the weight back. You can follow the 3-day diet plan after taking a week’s break. You should also talk to your dietician or doctor before deciding to be on this diet indefinitely.
Now, it is not easy to consume less and suppress your appetite. We have some tricks on how to suppress appetite and here is what we recommend you to do when you are on the 3-day diet plan.
How Can You Reduce Your Appetite?
Feeling starved is a phenomenon that is a part of almost every diet due to the restrictions placed on certain foods. Thus, decreasing the appetite makes the diet relatively easier to follow. A limited portion of food is consumed during the 3-day diet, and so these tips can be followed to decrease the appetite and trigger weight loss.
- Drinking water: Drinking water throughout the day will quench your hunger to a great extent. Besides, research has proved that water consumption before a meal accelerates the rate at which calories are burnt (10). Moreover, drinking lime/lemon water is particularly helpful in losing weight. At least 8 glasses of fluids every day are recommended for better results.
- Getting enough sleep: Those who do not get enough sleep tend to feel more hungry and thus have a greater appetite. This is because the body hormones go in a direction that leads to weight gain. Hence, the importance of sleep cannot be undermined.
- Drink Green Tea: Green tea helps to suppress appetite and the best time to consume it is 30 minutes before a meal. Since green tea has zero calories, you can consume it in between meals. But make sure not to drink more than 3 cups of green tea per day.
The 3-day diet also has the following benefits:
3-Day Diet Benefits
- It is effective when it comes to rapid weight loss (about 10 pounds in 3 days).
- It is cheap as the foods like coffee, tuna, and vegetables are affordable.
- It is simple and easy to follow as ingredients are easily available, and the meals are simple and can be quickly prepared.
- Weight loss leads to several cardiovascular benefits such as reduced blood pressure and a decrease in bad LDL cholesterol.
- No side effects, whatsoever, are associated with this diet. However, those who have health issues should consult their physician before following it.
So, the bottom line is the 3-day diet plan appears like an ideal way to lose weight. But it also helps to know the drawbacks before starting it.
3-Day Diet Drawbacks
- The 3-day diet is considered a fad diet. Though it is effective for weight loss, much of it is lean muscle mass or water weight is quickly regained once you start eating normally.
- This diet can cause electrolyte imbalance which disrupts the normal heart rhythm leading to massive loss of water weight and muscle cramping. This upsets the balance of certain minerals in the body like potassium which may interfere with the function of your heart with fatal consequences.
- Though weight loss leads to cardiovascular benefits, gaining and losing weight on a continuous basis can stress the heart.
- Following this diet on a regular basis can cause nutrient deficiencies, long-term weight gain, a weakened immune system, and heart problems. It is low in iron and calcium. The deficiency of iron can cause anemia, and a lack of calcium can weaken the bones.
- This diet is potentially dangerous for those with diabetes.
- You have to compromise your taste buds as there are no exotic ingredients, frozen meals or powdered shakes. Moreover, it eliminates snacks from the menu altogether.
- This diet is not suitable for children and teens because a growing child requires adequate calories and nutrition for development and this diet is lacking in both. Moreover, it can cause potential eating disorders.
So, the 3-day diet plan is not for those looking for a long-term weight loss diet plan. But you can follow the 3-day diet plan to lose weight quickly and effectively for a special occasion. Follow the diet chart and workout plan, and you can see results in the first week. Begin today and get ready to wow everyone! Take care.
The 3-day diet plan is an effective way to lose water weight quickly. It involves doing certain exercises on the remaining four days of the week to burn fat. It should not be followed for more than two weeks in a row, and a gap of one week after every two weeks is recommended. Following this diet is quite easy as it comprises easy-to-find and cheap foods like green tea, fenugreek water, lime juice, and bread. But, it is considered a fad diet, and you may gain weight easily during the non-diet weeks. So, the fluctuations in weight can stress out your heart. Hence, this diet should only be followed for a short period of time. Children, teenagers, and those with diabetes must avoid it.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much weight can you lose on the 3 day diet?
When done correctly, and based on your personal BMI and level of activity, you may lose upto 10 pounds over 3 days following this crash diet.
Is the 3 day diet healthy?
The 3 day diet is okay to quickly lose some water weight for any upcoming occassion. However, it is a fad diet and not a healthy way of weight loss in the long run.
Sources
Articles on StyleCraze are backed by verified information from peer-reviewed and academic research papers, reputed organizations, research institutions, and medical associations to ensure accuracy and relevance. Read our editorial policy to learn more.
- Fenugreek a multipurpose crop: Potentialities and improvements
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC4894452/#b0415 - Whole grain oats more than just a fiber: Role of unique phytochemicals
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28067025/ - Eggs
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/eggs/ - Health Benefits of Dietary Whole Grains: An Umbrella Review of Meta-analyses
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5310957/ - Intake of 100% Fruit Juice Is Associated with Improved Diet Quality of Adults: NHANES 2013–2016 Analysis
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC6836193/ - Vegetable Protein Sources Alternative to Soya in Growing Turkey Diets
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236586667_Vegetable_Protein_Sources_Alternative_to_Soya_in_Growing_Turkey_Diets - HEALTH AND MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF LEMON (CITRUS LIMONUM)
https://narinar.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/blogs_posts-8-ijahm.pdf - Potential Health Benefits of Combining Yogurt and Fruits Based on Their Probiotic and Prebiotic Properties12
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC5227968/ - Beneficial effects of Apple Cider Vinegar on weight management Visceral Adiposity Index and lipid profile in overweight or obese subjects receiving restricted calorie diet: A randomized clinical trial
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324141912_Beneficial_effects_of_Apple_Cider_Vinegar_on_weight_management_Visceral_Adiposity_Index_and_lipid_profile_in_overweight_or_obese_subjects_receiving_restricted_calorie_diet_A_randomized_clinical_trial - Water consumption increases weight loss during a hypocaloric diet intervention in middle-aged and older adults
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19661958/
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Charushila Biswas
Charushila is an ISSA certified Fitness Nutritionist and a Physical Exercise Therapist. Over a span of 5 years, she has… more
Dr. Geeta Dharmatti
(MSc, PhD )Dr. Geeta Dharmatti is the Director and Founder of Geeta Nutriheal Consultancy (Nutrition Services Consultancy) and an Executive Member of… more
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