The Military Diet Claims It Can Help You Lose 10 Pounds in 3 Days. But is it safe?

People in the military are known for being in pretty good shape. So a diet named after them will probably help you look pretty great, right? Well, maybe! But the Military Diet that you might have heard about on social media has nothing to do with the armed forces. It's just a really strict eating plan that's supposed to help you drop pounds fast. Here's what you should know before giving it a try. What is the Military Diet? Basically, it's a very low-calorie eating plan that claims to help you lose 10 pounds in three days. There are no trendy foods or supplements involved. In fact, the Military Diet menu has kind of an old-fashioned feel to it: It's just tiny portions of low-calorie foods that your Grandma might have eaten when she wanted to slim down. Think: grapefruit, dry tuna on toast, saltine crackers, and hard-boiled eggs. Yum? Can the Military Diet spark weight loss? Yes, but probably not in the way that it claims. It's doubtful you'd lose weight for the long-term. In reality, the Military Diet is just a form of mild starvation where you limit yourself to around 1,000 calories a day. It's no big surprise that most people who try the Military Diet end up dropping pounds. What works with this diet and any other diet - is calorie restriction, not specific foods. Extreme calorie restriction forces your body to use glycogen-stored carbs that your muscles and brain rely on for fuel-as energy. Glycogen holds onto water, so when glycogen is utilized, it releases the water attached to it. As a result, you end up losing water weight. Warning: Do not try the Military Diet Any diet that's designed to help you lose 10 pounds over the course of a long weekend isn't exactly a great idea. Healthy weight loss is 1/2 to 2 pounds per week. If you lose more than that, it's likely water weight (instead of fat), which will come back when a person resumes their usual eating habits.