Three day diet trap
In 1985 the famed three day diet first came on the scene. It boasted creation of a “specific metabolic reaction” to cause quick weight loss and the system to be cleansed. This reaction has never been proven or even attempted to be explained. The diet is to be followed for only 3 days, with an off period of about 5 days in between diet times. All the versions of this diet share in common detailed steps that must be followed and foods that must be eaten in order for the diet to work.
What better way to blame the dieter when it doesn’t work than “you botched the formula.”
First day breakfast includes coffee (no sugar), one half a grapefruit, and a piece of toast with 1 Tbsp peanut butter. For lunch, you are to eat a can of tuna, a piece of toast, and black coffee. Dinner consists of 3 ounces of chicken or lean meat, a cup of green beans, one cup of carrots, one apple, and one cup of regular vanilla ice cream. The other two days are about the same but with some substitutions such as hot dogs instead of lean meat. The diet sellers claim that weight loss of 10 pounds is achievable over the 3 days that the diet lasts.
Hogwash is the answer. The question is what is a specific reaction to that claim? As stated the metabolic reaction has never been explained much less proven. Any weight loss would be mostly water loss due to a lack of carbs which help the body retain water. That could lead to dehydration.
Because of binge eating after such starvation and because most of the weight lost is from water, the weight will quickly return after the three days.
Furthermore, such water loss could result in some serious medical emergencies. But hey, then you’d lose some real weight in the hospital.
If something sounds too good to be true it is. The 3 day diet sounds too good to be true.