Healthy diet plan for fast weight loss is a guideline that an individual should follow in eating food, both quantity and quality, to lose excess fat. Healthy diet plan for fast weight loss might seem difficult to develop at first. But when you look at the different diet plan available, they really aren’t easier than each other.

Want to Lose Weight Fast? These Science-Backed Tips Can Help You Lose Weight Sustainably

Weight loss is not the answer to every health problem, but if your doctor recommends it, there are tips to help you lose weight safely. A steady weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week is recommended for the most effective long-term weight management.

That said, many eating plans designed to help you lose weight leave you feeling hungry or unsatisfied, or they cut out major food groups and are not sustainable. These are major reasons why you might find it hard to stick to a healthier eating plan.

Everyone has unique needs and different eating styles and tips may work better for you than someone else.

You may find you are able to lose weight by following a low carb diet or a diet that has a focus on whole foods, but there are some general principles that apply when you’re trying to lose weight.

Here are some science-backed tips to help you lose weight that include healthy eating, choosing carbs carefully, and that aim to:

• reduce your appetite and hunger levels while keeping you satisfied
• produce consistent weight loss over time
• help improve your metabolic health at the same time

If you want to lose weight quickly, some of these tips may help, but quick weight loss is rarely sustainable. Focusing on long-term health and habits that you can stick with over time will help improve your health and are more likely to result in lasting weight loss.

How to Lose Weight in 3 Simple Steps

1. Cut back on refined carbs

One way to help lose weight quickly is to cut back on sugars and starches, or carbohydrates. This could be with a low carb eating plan or by reducing refined carbs and replacing them with whole grains.

When you do that, your hunger levels go down, and you generally end up eating fewer calories.

With a low carb eating plan, you’ll utilize burning stored fat for energy instead of carbs.

If you choose to eat more complex carbs like whole grains along with a calorie deficit, you’ll benefit from higher fiber and digest them more slowly. This makes them more filling to keep you satisfied.

A 2020 study confirmed that a very low carbohydrate diet was beneficial for losing weight in older populations.

Research also suggests that a low carb diet may reduce appetite, which can lead to naturally eating fewer calories without thinking about it or feeling hungry.

Note that the long-term effects of a low carb diet are still being researched. It can also be difficult to adhere to a low carb diet, which may lead to yo-yo dieting and less success in maintaining a healthy weight.

There are potential downsides to a low carb diet that may lead you to a different method. Reduced calorie diets can also lead to weight loss and be easier to maintain for longer periods of time.

If you opt for a diet focusing instead on whole grains over refined carbs, a 2019 study correlated high whole grain intake with lower body mass index (BMI).

To determine the best way for you to lose weight, consult your doctor for recommendations.

SUMMARY

Reducing refined carbohydrates may help curb your appetite, lower your insulin levels, and help you lose weight.

But the long-term effects of a low carb diet are not yet known. A reduced calorie diet could be more sustainable.

2. Eat protein, fat, and vegetables

Aim to include a variety of foods at each meal. To balance your plate and help you lose weight your meals should include:

• a protein source
• fat source
• vegetables
• a small portion of complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains

To see how you can assemble your meals, check out:

• this low carb meal plan
• this lower calorie meal plan
• these lists of 101 healthy low carb recipes and low calorie foods

Protein

Eating a recommended amount of protein is essential to help preserve your health and muscle mass while losing weight.

Evidence suggests that eating adequate protein may improve cardiometabolic risk factors, appetite, and body weight.

Generally, an average male needs about 56-91 grams per day, and the average female needs 46-75 grams per day, but many factors influence protein needs. Here are guidelines to help you figure out how much protein to eat without eating too much:

• 0.8g/kg of body weight
• 1-1.2g/kg of body weight for people 65 and older
• 1.4-2g/kg of body weight for athletes

Diets with adequate protein may also help you reduce cravings and snacking by helping you feel full and satisfied.

Healthy protein sources include:

• meat: beef, chicken, pork, and lamb
• fish and seafood: salmon, trout, sardines, and shrimp
• eggs
• plant-based proteins: beans, legumes, quinoa, tempeh, and tofu

Vegetables

Don’t be afraid to load your plate with leafy green vegetables. They’re packed with nutrients, and you can eat very large amounts without greatly increasing calories and carbs.

All vegetables are nutrient-rich and healthy foods to add to your diet, but some vegetables, like potatoes, sweet potatoes, winter squash, and corn, are higher in carbs.

These vegetables are considered complex carbs because they contain fiber, but you may want to be mindful of serving size when adding these vegetables to your plate.

Vegetables to include more of:

• broccoli
• cauliflower
• spinach
• tomatoes
• kale
• Brussels sprouts
• cabbage
• Swiss chard
• lettuce
• cucumber
• peppers

Healthy fats

Don’t be afraid of eating fats.

Your body still requires healthy fats no matter what eating plan you choose. Olive oil and avocado oil are great choices for including in your eating plan. Nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados are delicious and healthy additions, as well.

Other fats such as butter and coconut oil should be used only in moderation due to their higher saturated fat content.

SUMMARY

Try to assemble each meal with a protein source, healthy fat source, complex carb, and vegetables.

Leafy green vegetables are a great way to bulk up a meal with low calories and lots of nutrients.

3. Move your body

Exercise, while not required to lose weight, can help you lose weight more quickly. Lifting weights has particularly good benefits.

By lifting weights, you’ll burn calories and help prevent your metabolism from slowing down, which is a common side effect of losing weight.

Try strength training three to four times a week. If you’re new to lifting weights, a trainer may be able to help you get started. Make sure your doctor is also aware of any new exercise plans.

If lifting weights is not an option for you, doing some cardio workouts such as walking, jogging, running, cycling, or swimming is very beneficial for weight loss and general health.

Both cardio and weightlifting may help with weight loss and offer lots of other health benefits.

SUMMARY

Resistance training, such as weightlifting, is a great option for losing weight. If that’s not possible, cardio workouts are also effective.

Choose what’s sustainable for you.

What about calories and portion control?

If you opt for a low carb eating plan, it’s not necessary to count calories as long as you keep your carb intake low and eat mostly protein, fat, and low carb vegetables.

If you find yourself not losing weight, you may want to keep track of your calories to see if that’s a contributing factor.

If you’re sticking to a calorie deficit to lose weight, you can use a free online calculator like this one to estimate your calorie needs.

You can also download free, easy-to-use calorie counters from websites and app stores. Here’s a list of 5 calorie counters to try.

Note that eating too few calories can be dangerous and less effective for losing weight. Aim to reduce your calories by a sustainable and healthy amount based on your doctor’s recommendation.

Healthy Meal Plan For Weight Loss

DAY 1

Breakfast

• Oatmeal with Fresh or Frozen (No Sugar Added) FruitBy switching from a bowl of cold, dried cereal to one of hot whole-grain cereal and fruit, you’d take in approximately 100 fewer calories each day. That one simple change to your daily diet could help you drop about 10 pounds in one year. Plus, hot cereal has more “staying power.” It tends to fill you up better – and longer – than dried cereal.
• Tea or CoffeeIf desired, add a little nonfat milk or soymilk and a packet of sugar substitute (a good choice is Splenda).

Mid-Morning Snack (enjoy only if hungry)

• Veggie-Salsa Tortilla1 steamed 6-inch corn tortilla with fresh or grilled vegetables (such as onions, green bell peppers, and tomatoes) and no-added-salt salsa.Warm the tortilla between slightly moistened paper towels in the microwave for about 1 minute, then top with veggies and salsa; fold
• 1 Navel Orange or 2 Tangerines

Lunch

• 2 Cups Mixed Greens with 1 Cup of Other Veggies, Chopped, Dressed with Aged Balsamic VinegarFor your salads, break out of the lettuce-and-tomato box. All kinds of veggies – and fruit – can go into your salad. Try diced sweet potatoes, yellow squash, red bell peppers, cucumbers, red cabbage, red onions, and more.And always keep in mind that no oil, even so-called “good” ones, should be considered a weight-loss food. Coating your salad with oil can tally up as many calories as a scoop of premium ice cream.
• Hearty Italian-Style White Bean SoupMake your own. It’s easy! From one 14-ounce can of no-salt-added cannelini beans, spoon out 2 tablespoons of beans. Puree the rest. In a medium nonstick pot, sauté 5 cloves of chopped garlic until translucent. Add 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth and 1 head of escarole, chopped, or a package of frozen chopped spinach. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Add pureed beans, red pepper flakes and black pepper, to taste, and cook 1 minute longer. Garnish with the beans you spooned out plus, if you desire, a little chopped red bell pepper. Refrigerate or freeze what you don’t eat for easy soup prep for a future lunch or dinner.

Mid-Afternoon Snack (enjoy only if hungry)

• 6 Ounces of Nonfat Plain or No-Sugar-Added Yogurt with Your Choice of Berries Swirled ThroughoutEspecially popular among our guests at the Pritikin Longevity Center are Greek-style yogurts such as Oikos and Fage. So rich and creamy tasting! If you need a little sweetness to cut the tart flavor, simply add diced banana, or stir in 1 packet of Splenda
• 1 Apple

Dinner

• Salad A gigantic Farmer’s Market-style salad with a variety of fresh seasonal produce and fresh herbs, such as fresh baby arugula and radicchio, and red wine vinegar sassed up with a little horseradish. Enjoy visiting your local Farmer’s Market every week and asking the vendors, “What’s new and tasty this week? What would make great ingredients for my salad?”
• Salmon with Sweet Chili Sauce (3½ to 4 ounces ) when dining out and ordering fish, request that your fish not be salted or basted in calorie-dense ingredients like olive oil and butter. Healthier cooking options include steaming, broiling, or grilling.
• Baked Potato with 2 Tablespoons Fat-Free Sour Cream and a Sprinkling of Chives or Scallions Contrary to popular belief, potatoes are a great food for helping you lose weight. It’s what we put on top of our potatoes – butter, cheese, and bacon bits – that turn them into waistline-busting foods.

Dessert (only if hungry)

• Mixed Berries

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DAY 2

Breakfast

• Egg White OmeletEgg white omelet stuffed with 1 cup of assorted grilled vegetables, such as onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and broccoli, and a dollop of nonfat ricotta cheese.
• Hash BrownsIn a nonstick skillet misted with a little cooking oil spray, stir fry until brown diced baked potatoes with sliced onions, sliced green bell pepper, freshly ground black pepper, and paprika.
• Bowl of Blueberries, Fresh or Frozen (No Sugar Added)
• Tea or Hot Cocoa, if desiredYes! Cocoa can be part of a healthy meal plan for weight loss! For cocoa: Mix nonfat milk or soymilk, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, and 1 packet of sugar substitute, such as Splenda (if desired).

Mid-Morning Snack (enjoy only if hungry)

• Big Handful of GrapesLike vegetables, fruits are fabulous weight-loss foods because they’re “big” foods, that is, foods that are bulked up by lots of fiber and water. With “big” foods, you’ll be eating a lot of food (which will satisfy your hunger) but not a lot of calories.Here’s a great example: For the same number of calories that are in a handful of peanuts (about two ounces), you can eat 2½ pounds of strawberries (about five of those green boxes that strawberries come in.) Eating “big” foods like strawberries, salads, and other fruits and vegetables can prevent hunger from taking over and taking you places you don’t want to go

Lunch

• SaladBig salad of baby greens with Pritikin-Style Thousand Island Dressing, which has less than one-quarter the calories and sodium of regular Thousand Island Dressing. What a gift for your heart and waistline! To make dressing, combine thoroughly the following: ¾ cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt, ½ cup fat-free sour cream, ¾ cup unsweetened, low-sodium ketchup (good brand is Westbrae), ½ teaspoon oregano, and ½ teaspoon granulated garlic.
• Turkey SandwichSandwich of fresh roasted turkey breast (3½ to 4 ounces) with 2 slices of low-sodium, whole-grain bread with assorted veggies, like baby greens and sliced tomatoes. Smear the bread with 1 tablespoon of low-sodium stone-ground mustard.Did you know that bread and rolls are the No. 1 source of salt in the American diet, accounting for more than twice as much sodium as salty junk food like potato chips? That’s why it’s so important to look for low-sodium varieties of bread (a good brand is Food for Life).

Mid-Afternoon Snack (enjoy only if hungry)

• Pear
• Popcorn – air-popped or fat-free microwaveDid you know that it takes 2 quarts of air-popped popcorn to equal the calories in just 20 potato chips? Be sure to eat a piece of fruit with the popcorn to help improve its satiety value!

Dinner

• Veggie Burger on a Whole-Wheat Bun with Roasted Red Bell PeppersKeep stocked in your refrigerator or freezer a box of veggie burgers (look for low-sodium varieties). Veggie burgers are a much better choice for your waistline and heart than ground meat. Veggie patties have only about half the calories of regular red meat patties, and zero heart-hurting saturated fat. Plus, they’re so easy to cook – just one or two minutes in the microwave. While toasting your whole-wheat bun, take from your pantry a jar of roasted red bell peppers and top your veggie patty with a couple of luscious slices. Smear your bun with a little low-sodium Dijon mustard.
• Steamed Fresh Vegetables1 or more cups (it’s hard to go overboard on fresh veggies!) of steamed fresh vegetables, such as asparagus, broccoli, and/or cauliflower, with lemon juice and sautéed garlic.

Dessert (only if hungry)

• Fresh Berries1 cup fresh strawberries, plain or drizzled with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or Marsala wine

DAY 3

Breakfast

• Hot Whole-Grain Cereal with BlueberriesHot whole-grain cereal, such as oatmeal, cracked wheat, barley or polenta, made with 1 cup nonfat milk or soymilk and 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries.There are many great choices of whole-grain hot cereals; just make sure you buy one with no added sugar or salt.
• Tea or CoffeeIf desired, add a little nonfat milk or soymilk and 1 packet of sugar substitute (a good choice is Splenda).

Midmorning Snack (enjoy only if hungry)

• 1 Cup Diced Watermelon or Other Seasonal Fresh Fruit
• 1 Snack Bag of Baby Carrots

Lunch

• Vegetarian ChiliLook for fat-free low-sodium varieties, or make your own.
• 1 Ear of CornDid you know that four ears of corn has the same number of calories as one medium serving of French fries? (The corn tastes better, too.)

Mid-Afternoon Snack (enjoy only if hungry)

• Cottage Cheese and Fruit½ cup 1% no-salt-added cottage cheese with ½ cup to 1 cup fresh diced fruit, or use pop-top canned fruits packed in juice or water, no sugar added.

Dinner

• Spinach SaladA big salad of baby spinach and other fresh veggies, such as sliced carrots and tomatoes, topped with your favorite canned no-salt-added beans. Toss salad with about ½ teaspoon of wasabi (to taste) and 3 to 4 tablespoons of rice vinegar.Look for no-salt-added varieties of canned beans since rinsing the beans through a colander removes only 30% of the added sodium.
• Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes
• Brown RiceGive your brown rice a nice savory spin by adding freshly minced garlic. At the last minute, add in fresh herbs like thyme and Italian parsley and just about any vegetable you have on hand, like chopped cucumbers, celery, onions, and tomatoes.

Dessert (only if hungry)

• Frozen Yogurt¾ cup frozen strawberry nonfat sugar-free yogurt topped with sliced fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries

DAY 4

Breakfast

• 1 Cup Fresh Fruit
• 1 Cup Nonfat Plain or Nonfat, No-Sugar-Added Yogurt
• ½ Whole-Grain Bagel, Toasted. Top with Fat-Free Cream Cheese or Nonfat Ricotta Cheese and Fresh Sliced Strawberries
• Tea or CoffeeIf desired, add a little nonfat milk or soymilk and 1 packet of sugar substitute (a good choice is Splenda).

Mid-Morning Snack (only if hungry)

• 1 to 2 Cups of Veggie-Rich, Bean-Rich Low-Sodium Soup, such as…Red Bean and Leftover Veggie SoupWhile there are probably plenty of pre-made bean and veggie soup options that just need a few minutes to heat through on the stovetop, making your own soup is really easy—and a great idea for your health. Homemade soups are much lower in sodium – about 100 milligrams or less per 2-cup serving. By contrast, 2 cups of many canned soups contain a blood-pressure-busting 1,200 milligrams or more, a worrisome amount considering that health experts recommend consuming no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium for the entire day. This is also a great way to use up all those leftover vegetables in your crisper—pretty much anything works in this soup.Directions:
  Put into a soup pot 1 can of no-salt-added red beans (drained), 4 cups low-sodium vegetable juice like Knudsen’s Very Veggie Low-Sodium Juice, 2 to 3 teaspoons oregano or Italian-style seasoning, and 2 cups of any veggies you already have sitting in the refrigerator bin, such as carrots, celery, and onions. Rough-chop the vegetables into bite-size pieces and bring to a boil, simmering until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. If desired, top with a tablespoon of fat-free sour cream.

Lunch

• Tuna SandwichPut together a sandwich of tuna (canned – preferably low-sodium, light, and packed in water) with 1 tablespoon nonfat mayo or nonfat plain yogurt, chopped celery, and onions, topped with baby spinach or peppery arugula, on 100% whole-wheat bread (low-sodium)
• Carrot and Pineapple Salad.

Mid-Afternoon Snack (only if hungry)

• Sweet PotatoEnjoy the rich flavor of sweet potatoes? While home on Sundays, cook up a batch. Wrap each one in foil and bake for about an hour at 425 degrees F, or until their luscious, sweet juices start to ooze out into the foil. At work the following week, just pop one in the microwave for a quick warm-up. They’re loaded with taste, so they don’t need any extra toppings. If you want a little zest, swirl in a teaspoon or two of no-salt-added Dijon mustard or a quarter cup of plain nonfat Greek yogurt.

Dinner

• Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing. A big salad with a variety of lettuces, plus tomatoes, cucumber, and any other veggies you have in the fridge, including varieties you’ve never thought of adding to salads but actually taste delicious, like sliced fennel. Honey Mustard Salad Dressing.
• Curried Quinoa and TofuAh, quinoa. This healthy, rich-tasting whole grain/seed has so many nutritional riches that it puts refined grains like white rice to shame. Tofu is the perfect sidekick because it’s both waistline-friendly (per bite, tofu tends to have about one-third the calories of meat and poultry) and heart-friendly (tofu has no artery-damaging saturated fat or cholesterol).Directions: Rinse 1 cup of quinoa in cold water. In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa with 1 tablespoon curry powder and 1 teaspoon turmeric. Add 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until the water is absorbed—about 15 minutes. Stir in 1 cup shredded carrots and 1 cup cubed firm tofu. Makes about 4 one-cup servings. Refrigerate remaining servings for an easy, healthy snack or meal later in the week.

Dessert (only if hungry)

• Berry MousseBlend together until smooth and creamy your favorite fresh berries, silken tofu, Splenda (if needed), and a little vanilla extract.

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DAY 5

Breakfast

• Orange-Vanilla OatmealThink oatmeal is boring? You haven’t tried Chef Anthony’s Orange-Vanilla Oatmeal, always a favorite among guests at Pritikin. It’s a great meal for losing weight, and starting your day.
• Tea or CoffeeIf desired, add a little nonfat milk or soymilk and 1 packet of sugar substitute (a good choice is Splenda).

Mid-Morning Snack (only if hungry)

• Carrots and HummusOpen up a big bag of baby carrots and dip them into your freshly made no-oil-added, no-salt-added hummus. Simply whip up in your food processor a can of no-salt-added chickpeas/garbanzo beans, fresh tomatoes, lemon juice, garlic, a jalapeno pepper (if you like your hummus hot and spicy), and fresh herbs like cilantro and dill. Add a little water, if necessary, until the desired consistency is achieved.

Lunch

• Tomato Cream Soup
• Butter Beans With Lemon and Scallions Butter beans are as delicious as they sound: big, meaty and filling, with a mild flavor that works well with bright, assertive flavors like lemon and scallions.1 can no-salt-added butter beans
  ½ cup chopped scallions (also known as green onions)
  Juice from half a lemon
  Red chili pepper flakes, to taste
  2 to 3 cups chopped fresh Romaine lettuce and/or baby arugulaIn a medium mixing bowl, combine butter beans, scallions, lemon juice, and pepper flakes. Spoon over lettuce greens.

Mid-Afternoon Snack (enjoy only if hungry)

• 1 to 2 Cups of Fresh FruitTake advantage of grocery store salad bars and pick up containers of pre-cut fresh fruit like melon.

Dinner

• Easy Tangy SalmonSear, skin side up, a 4-ounce cut of salmon in a hot nonstick skillet and cook until well browned on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn and cook till slightly translucent in center, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer salmon to serving dish. To skillet add ¼ teaspoon grated orange peel, 3 ounces orange juice, and ½ cup white wine. Boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves. Spoon sauce over salmon.
• Soba Noodles With Spicy CucumbersCooking up soba (the Japanese word for buckwheat) noodles instead of white-flour noodles is a great way to cut calories. A cup of soba has just 113 calories; a cup of white pasta, about 200. Plus, soba noodles are full of fiber, protein, and B vitamins.Combine in large bowl:
  2 large cucumbers, peeled, seeds removed, and sliced
  ½ tablespoon paprika
  Pinch cayenne pepper
  Pinch black peppercorns, freshly ground
  ½ cup fresh lemon juice
  Let cucumber mixture sit for a few minutes while you cook 8 ounces of soba noodles according to package directions. After cooking and draining sobas, toss in bowl with cucumber mixture and gently blend.
• 1 to 2 Cups Sautéed SpinachPour a 6-ounce bag of pre-washed baby spinach in a hot wok sizzling with a small amount of water or white wine, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and minced garlic. Stir spinach till wilted.

Dessert (only if hungry)

• Fruit Smoothie :Smoothie made in blender with 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, ¾ cup crushed ice, ½ banana, and fresh or frozen berries.

The military diet meal plan

Here’s a brief review of what a week on this diet looks like.

The 3-day meal plan

The 3-day meal plan on the military diet consists of a limited selection of foods — 16 total, to be precise — that is meant to be divided between breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Examples of breakfast foods include:

• toast or saltine crackers
• peanut butter
• grapefruit, apples, or bananas
• hard-boiled eggs or cheddar cheese

Examples of lunch options include:

• toast or saltine crackers
• canned tuna, hard-boiled eggs, or cottage cheese

Examples of dinner options include:

• any type of meat, hot dogs without a bun, or canned tuna
• green beans, carrots, or broccoli
• apples or bananas
• vanilla-flavored ice cream

As you can see, there isn’t much variety during the first 3 days of the diet.

Also, the recommended amounts of these 16 foods slowly decrease day by day. Your total calorie intake starts at about 1,400 calories on the first day and falls to roughly 1,100 calories on the last one.

Regarding the permitted drinks, the diet promotes water or herbal teas. However, the menu allows caffeinated coffee or tea twice per day — but advises you to avoid creamers and sweeteners.

Can you really lose 10 pounds in a week?

The military diet became popular because proponents claim that it can help you lose 10 pounds in just a week. However, everybody is different, so the diet won’t have the same effect on everyone.

Plus, most of the weight loss you experience will be due to the loss of water. That’s because severe calorie restrictions lead to a decline in the body’s glycogen stores — your body’s energy reserve.

When you eat sufficient calories, fluid accumulates easily because 3 grams of water are stored for every gram of stored glycogen. Consequently, when your glycogen stores are depleted, the related stored water is lost as well.

Thus, this shift in water balance is what leads to a weight reduction. You may just as easily regain any lost weight once you return to your usual eating pattern and your glycogen stores get replenished again.

If you intend to lose weight, remember that weight management consists of two stages: achieving weight loss and maintaining it.

Best practices advise aiming for a maximum weight loss rate of 1–2 pounds (0.5–1 kg) weekly to ensure fat loss rather than the loss of fluid or muscle mass .

Research describes a suitable diet as safe, healthy, nutritionally adequate, and sustainable in the long term. You can attain that by reducing your intake of added sugars and highly processed foods while increasing your intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain products .

SUMMARY

While you may lose 10 pounds (4.5 kg) in a week on the military diet, not everyone will. Plus, most of this would be water weight rather than fat, which you’ll regain when you start eating as you normally do.