What is the Military Diet? (Yes, it’s as tough as it sounds…)

Military diet

by Aimee Jakes |
Updated on

Could you tackle three tough days a week to see quick weight loss results?

The Military Diet's promises are as tempting as chocolate gooey fudge (though unfortunately they're not on the meal plan, sob).

You can lose up to a whopping ten pounds a week, you have more pounds in your purse and the diet is only really regimented for three days of the week.

Here are all your burning questions answered surrounding the Three Day Military Diet.

What it the Military Diet?

Sorry to confirm, but this diet is as strict as it sounds.

The diet came from the successful weight-loss plan given to US army to help whip them into shape. It may be worth printing this page out and sticking it on your fridge if your holiday is looming and you have a stubborn few pounds to shed before you have to dig out your bikini.

Check out these AMAZING celeb body transformations

Gallery

CLOSER Celebrity weight transformations - slider

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Spencer Matthews, 2011

Spencer Matthews was known as a typical playboy when he first shot to fame on Made in Chelsea. He actually toldCloser Online lots of juicy behind the scenes secrets about the reality show.

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Spencer Matthews, 2019

Fast forward several years and he dropped a tonne of weight and it's reportedly down to his strict diet and ditching the booze.

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Stevi Ritchie, 2014

Stevi Ritchie shot to fame on The X Factor back in 2014 and after getting engaged to his wife Chloe Jasmine Whichello, they both went on Celebrity Big Brother.

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Stevi Ritchie, 2019

Stevi shocked fans when he revealed he lost a whopping 20kg - just over 3 stone - in just eight weeks. He also opened up about how emotional his transformation has been.

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Scarlett Moffatt, 2015

Gogglebox favourite Scarlett Moffatt was well-loved for her bubbly personality, but had issues with her weight.

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Scarlett Moffatt, 2016

A year later, Scarlett underwent a huge weight loss - dropping from a size 18 to an 8. Read all about it here.

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Kelly Brook, 2010

Model and presenter Kelly Brook has always had perfect hour glass curves, but she shrunk to a size 8 in 2010 when she became the face of Ultimo and appeared in American Playboy magazine.

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Kelly Brook, 2018

Approaching her 40s as a happy and healthy size 12, Kelly has spoken about how she's just not bothered about staying a size 8 anymore. But she recently shared how putting weight on her famous big boobs might be causing a bit of a health issue.

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Paddy McGuinness 2011

We've always had a soft spot for Take Me Out presenter Paddy McGuinness. But recently...

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Paddy McGuinness, 2019

He has been hitting the gym HARD and boy do the results look good!.

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Tina Malone, 2014

Shameless star and Celebrity Big Brother big mouth Tina Malone was a size 26 when she left the BB house in 2014.

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Tina Malone, 2017

But what a difference a gastric band makes. Tina lost a whopping 12.5 stone after an operation to reduce the volume of her stomach.

Gary Barlow13 of 74
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Gary Barlow, 1996

The Take That frontman shared this photo in February 2018 to remind himself how far he's come in his weight loss journey. Gary went up to around 16st after Take That split in 1996.

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Gary Barlow, 2017

These days, Gary eats healthily and takes part in yoga every week. He now weighs less than 12st.

Josie Gibson15 of 74
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Josie Gibson, 2010

When Josie won Big Brother in 2010, she was a size 20 dress size and reportedly weighed 16st 17lb.

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Josie Gibson, 2012

Josie famously went through a huge weight loss transformation in 2012, dropping to a size 8 and reportedly weighing 10st 2lb.

Mariah Carey17 of 74
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Mariah Carey, 2017

Mariah Carey stepped out in August 2017 with her boyfriend Brian Tanaka in New York.

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Mariah Carey, 2017

Just three months later in October, she looked dramatically different - and was reported to have undergone liposuction.

Lisa Riley19 of 74
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Lisa Riley, 2012

Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley was known for her size 28 frame, but fans were pleasantly surprised by her sprightliness whilst on Strictly Come Dancing in 2012.

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Lisa Riley, 2018

Lisa went under a huge lifestyle overhaul, losing a whopping 12 stone and dropping from a size 28 to a 12 before having her excess skin removed in 2017.

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Dawn French, 2005

Everyone's favourite comedienne Dawn French previously weighed around 19st.

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Dawn French, 2018

But in 2016, Dawn lost an incredible seven and a half stone - here's how she did it.

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Katie Hopkins, 2014

Controversial Katie Hopkins was a regular runner who gained a whopping 3st 5lb in just three months and weighed 12st. But Katie has always said there are 'no excuses' for people being overweight - so what happened?!

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Katie Hopkins, 2015

It turned out Katie's rapid weight gain was for a documentary to prove how easy it is for her to lose weight - which she did in just a few months. But we can't help but think it was all a bit of a, errr, pointless exercise?

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Tom Kerridge, 2013

TV chef Tom Kerridge weighed a dangerous 30st which he says was due to a lifestyle of late night drinking and overeating.

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Tom Kerridge, 2016

After a complete lifestyle overhaul, Tom shredded a staggering 12st - which is basically the same weight as another grown adult. Impressive work, Tom!

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Brooke Vincent, 2017

Corrie actress Brooke Vincent was already a petite size 10 but she wanted to give up smoking and get fit for Dancing on Ice.

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Brooke Vincent, 2017

And she did it! Brooke lost a dress size and showed off her seriously toned tum on Instagram. She also managed to kick her smoking habit. Yay!

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Holly Willoughby, 2015

Morning TV star Holly Willoughby has always had enviable curves and was a size 12 up until recently.

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Holly Willoughby, 2017

She looked noticeably slimmer in 2017 when Loose Women star Nadia Sawalha commented on it accidentally on live TV. Holly's secret to staying in shape is said to be a healthy lifestyle of pilates, kickboxing and a high vegetable diet.

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Lauren Goodger, 2017

Former TOWIE star Lauren Goodger has always battled with her yo-yo weight.

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Lauren Goodger, 2018

Following a tough 21 day juice cleanse at a retreat earlier this year, Lauren lost 1.4st.

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Khloe Kardashian, 2012

khloe owns the kind of curves that can only belong to a Kardashian! She is the tallest sister in the fam at 5ft 9in and she reportedly weighed just over 11st in 2012.

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CREDIT: Instagram/ Khloe Kardashian

Khloe Kardashian, 2017

Fast forward five years and Khloe shredded 30 pounds through a strict exercise regime and diet. She has spoken about how her split from Lamar Odom triggered her decision to hit the gym.

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Jennifer Hudson, 2007

Singing sensation and The Voice judge Jennifer Hudson was a size 16 when she first came to our attention as the American Idol winner in 2007.

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Jennifer Hudson, 2018

As her career grew her body shrunk after joining Weight Watchers and taking control of her diet. Jennifer dropped five dress sizes and today is a size 6.

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Christina Aguilera, 2012

In 2012 Xtina's womanly curves weighed 10 stone 7lb on her 5ft 1 frame and she wore a size 16.

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Christina Aguilera, 2016

The pop megastar dropped two stones by 2016 thanks to cutting out bad foods and being very strict with booze. But we're glad to see she's still rocking those curves!

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Cheryl, 2015

Nation's sweetheart Cheryl Tweedy has always been super slim but she sparked concerns with her fragile frame during X Factor filming in 2015.

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Cheryl, 2018

Cheryl quickly lost the pregnancy weight after giving birth to baby Bear in 2017. She was looking slim but strong at the Brit Awards 2018.

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Melissa McCarthy, 2014

The hilarious Melissa McCarthy weighed just under 19st in 2014 after her brilliant performance in Bridesmaids.

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Melissa McCarthy, 2017

5ft 2 Melissa lost an amazing 75 pounds through a very strict diet and exercise regime. She looks happier (and even more amazing!) than ever.

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Rebel Wilson, 2010

Actress Rebel Wilson defied the typical Hollywood body when she starred in Bridesmaids with fellow actress Melinda McCarthey.

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Rebel Wilson, 2017

In 2016 Rebel looked great after losing eight pounds at a fitness retreat in Malibu. By 2017 she'd lost an incredible 33 pounds!

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Jonah Hill, 2007

Jonah Hill has always been the 'cuddly' character in films like Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and 21 Jump Street.

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Jonah Hill, 2018

What a difference a year makes! He said he lost the weight and toned up by cutting out beer, seeking a nutritionist and getting tips from 21 Jump Street co-star Channing Tatum.

Chris Pratt before47 of 74
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Chris Pratt, 2010

Chris Pratt has always been a total cutie...

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Chris Pratt, 2018

But he transformed into an absolute hunk after losing 60 pounds and training for Guardians of the Galaxy.

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Holly Hagan, 2011

Geordie Shore star Holly Hagan admitted to having a poor diet of junk food and booze when she weighed 13 stone and wore a size 16 in 2011.

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Holly Hagan, 2018

Holly said she wasn't happy with her fluctuating weight and took a lifestyle overhaul to drop to a size 8. She also spent £6000 on a boob job.

Sam Smith before51 of 74
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Sam Smith, 2015

The whole world fell in love with Sam Smith after releasing his debut album, but Sam has since said that he will always be self conscious of being in the public eye because he loves food so much.

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Sam Smith, 2017

Sam hired a nutritional therapist in 2015 and reportedly lost a stone in just two weeks. He then continued a healthy lifestyle by transforming his relationship with food - he's shredded 3.5 stone in total!

Charlotte Crosby before53 of 74
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Charlotte Crosby, 2013

The Geordie Shore star's weight has always fluctuated but she went from a size 10 to a size 16 a year after being crowned the winner of Celebrity Big Brother.

Charlotte Crosby after54 of 74
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Charlotte Crosby 2018

She dropped to a size 6 before releasing her workout DVD in 2015. Recently, she spoke about how her breakup with Stephen Bear helps her keep a 'revenge' body.

Vicky Pattison before55 of 74
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Vicky Pattison, 2015

After seeing unflattering bikini photos of herself at the beach, Geordie Shore's Vicky took dramatic steps and shrunk from a size 16 to a size 6 in five months.

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Vicky Pattison, 2018

The I'm A Celeb jungle queen is now a healthy size 10 and lives a balanced lifestyle, working hard on her fitness regime to be happier and healthier than ever.

Natalie Cassidy before57 of 74
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Natalie Cassidy, 2005

Eastenders' Nat Cassidy grew up before our eyes and her weight was always changing. At one point, Natalie said she had size 6 - 16 clothes in her wardrobe. She even lost two stone in the three months after having her daughter.

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Natalie Cassidy, 2018

Now a mum of two, Natalie looks a happy and healthy size after giving birth to her second daughter.

Frankie Essex before59 of 74
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Frankie Essex, 2015

Frankie Essex is a another TOWIE star who has sometimes struggled to maintain a healthy weight.

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Frankie Essex, 2018

The Essex girl has recently used a personal trainer and bootcamp workouts to shred a stone in just a couple of months. We think she looks fab!

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Joe McElderry, 2013

X-Factor winner Joe McElderry won the nation's hearts with his cute smile and amazing voice in 2009.

oe McElderry after62 of 74
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Joe McElderry, 2018

He has transformed into a total gym BUFF while preparing for a West End role. He told Loose Women: 'I never promote anything apart from being healthy and fit. That is my message, doesn't matter what shape or size you are'

Ricky Wilson before63 of 74
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Ricky Wilson, 2005

Living the rock and roll lifestyle took its toll on Ricky Wilson's weight, skin and general health. I predict a diet...

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Ricky Wilson, 2016

And we were right! We had to take a double look when he turned up to judge The Voice looking noticeably slimmer and healthier in 2014!

Tom Fletcher before65 of 74
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Tom Fletcher, 2005

Tom has spoken about how he had a problematic relationship with food and depression because he felt like 'the fat one' in McFly. (Even though he was DEFINITELY our fave!)

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Tom Fletcher, 2018

But Tom is healthier than ever and even posts work outs that he does with his son Buzz - possibly the cutest gym buddy ever?!

Rob Kardashian, before67 of 74
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Rob Kardashian, 2016

Rob gained over 100lb while struggling with diabetes, depression and anxiety.

Rob Kardashian, after68 of 74
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Rob Kardashian, 2018

But Rob's recent Instagram posts like this suggest that he's lost the weight. He also posted a throwback to when he was bigger, along with the caption: 'I don't look like this anymore ud83dude02 #thetransformationiscoming #staytuned #nosurgery #putinwork'

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Jazmine Franks, 2017

Hollyoaks actress Jazmine Franks has always had a petite frame.

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Jazmine Franks, 2018

But the star now looks seriously lean after dedicating herself to a new fitness routine and healthier lifestyle.

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Laura Barton, 2014

The Emmerdale actress confessed to being addicted to sugary drinks and drinking a whopping FOUR litres per day.

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Laura Barton, 2018

After exercise and cutting out sugary drinks, Laura lost three stone within three years.

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Emma Chawner, 2007

During Emma's first audition she told the judges she "couldn't do anymore" singing and after they told her she couldn't sing, her parents went on to confront them all. The dramz.

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Emma Chawner, 2019

Fast forward 12 years since her first audition and Emma revealed after swapping junk food for a healthy lifestyle she dropped 12 stone in just two years.

How many calories are allowed on the Military Diet?

You are encouraged to stick to a 1,000 calorie limit on three days of the week and then upping your calories to 1,500 on the remaining days. A lot less than the 1,800 calories needed by women to maintain their usual weight.

The diet champions low carb high protein foods. Caffeine is also allowed - so you can still get your post-gym coffee.

Military diet coffee
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Does the Military diet work?

This is a type of intermittent fasting (like the 5:2 diet) and is proven to help boost your metabolism and encourage fat burning.

The diet is low calorie, meaning you will, in theory, lose weight. You need to burn 3500 calories to burn one pound of fat, so days of eating only 1000 calories should mean you are creating a deficit. Pretty easy, huh?

Which foods are allowed on The Military diet?

The foods included in the diet - such as caffeine, high protein and calcium rich foods and vegetables - are low calorie, metabolism boosters.

The foods which are encouraged on this diet contain caffeine, high in protein, low in calorie and metabolism-increasing properties including:

  • Bread

  • Eggs

  • Cheese

  • Vegetables

  • Grapefruit

  • Peanut butter

  • Soft cheese

  • Lean meat

Boiled eggs military diet
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What drinks are allowed on the Military Diet plan?

You are encouraged to drink lots of water to keep hunger pangs at bay and to stay hydrated. Black coffee is also encouraged and caffeine can rev up your metabolism, encouraging weight loss. If you can't stand your caffeine fix without some sweetness you can opt for low calorie stevia.

What are the benefits of the Military Diet?

  • It's great for those on a budget

  • Little cooking time

  • It's for only three days a week

  • Results are quick

How long should I do the Military Diet for?

The Military Diet is technically only for three days so as long as you take a four day break from the plan, you can recreate the diet as often as you want. Just make sure you only do the Military Diet for three days before taking a four day break.

WATCH...The Military Diet shopping list

Read more:

Tom Kerridge’s AMAZING weight loss transformation and how he did it

Forget the 5:2 diet, it’s all about the 16:8 diet now

Kim Kardashian's nutritionist FINALLY reveals her 3 diet secrets

The Military diet plan - recipe ideas

Day 1

Breakfast: Coffee, 1 slice of whole wheat toast, peanut butter, half a grapefruit

Lunch: Half a cup of tuna, coffee/ tea, slice of toast

Dinner: 200 calories/ 3oz of meat (chicken/ fish/ beef), one cup of green beans, 1/2 banana, 1 apple, 1 cup of vanilla ice cream

Day 2

Breakfast: One egg, 1 slice of toast, half a banana

Lunch 1 egg, 1 cup of cottage cheese, 5 saltine crackers

Dinner 2 hot dogs (without a bun), 1 cup of broccoli, 1/2 cup of carrots followed by 1/2 banana and 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream

Military diet brocolli
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Day 3

Breakfast: 1 apple, 5 saltine crackers, 1 slice of cheddar

Lunch: 1 egg and 1 piece of toast

Dinner: 1 cup of tuna, 1/2 banana, 1 cup of vanilla ice cream

The Military Diet substitutes

Beans: Any green vegetable, tofu, tomatoes

Hot dog: turkey dogs, soy dogs, bratwurst, soy dog (250-300 calories)

Egg substitute: One chicken wing, 2 slices of bacon

Grapefruit: 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water (Grapefruit and baking soda create an alkaline- as opposed to an acidic- environment improving the body’s PH balance, which is better for fat burning)

Peanut butter: Almond, pumpkin or soy butter, hummus bean dip

Bread: One tortilla or two rice cakes

Coffee: Green tea

Tuna: Cottage cheese, tofu, chicken

I'm vegetarian, how can I make the Military Diet work for me?

Substitute tuna and hotdogs for a high protein low calorie alternative such as tofu, cottage cheese, lentils or Portobello mushrooms.

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