Birmingham 3-Day Diet

My wife stumbled upon a diet recently. I had serious doubts that any 3-day diet would make any kind of an impact and may even prove unhealthy. I guess I was wrong.

According to the old copy we received, this diet was developed, or at least used, by a cardiac unit in Birmingham for patients who need to lose large amounts of weight heading into a surgery. The claim is that you can lose up to 40 lbs in a month. After doing it I suppose that it’s possible, although I wouldn’t recommend trying it without the oversight of professionals.

The goal is to diet for 3 days, then spend a few days eating responsibly, then back another 3 days, etc. Sherri has gone through it three times in three weeks and I’ve done it twice in two weeks. Sherri has lost 12 lbs and 2 pant sizes. I’ve lost 14 lbs and a belt notch. It hasn’t been hard at all.

There are some substitutions allowed. I didn’t know that when I first saw it, which was the first thing that turned me off. Keep that in mind as you read it and I’ll tell you about the possible changes in a minute. So, here it is:

DAY ONE
Breakfast:
1 cup black coffee or tea
1/2 grapefruit or juice (8 oz)
1 slice toast
1 tbs. peanut butter

Lunch:
1/2 cup tuna
1 slice toast
coffee or tea

Dinner:
3 oz. any type meat
1 cup string beans
1 cup beets or carrots
1 small apple
1 cup vanilla ice cream

DAY TWO
Breakfast:
1 cup black coffee or tea
1 egg
1 slice toast
1/2 banana

Lunch:
1 cup cottage cheese or tuna
5 saltine crackers

Dinner:
2 wieners (franks)
1 cup broccoli or cabbage
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 banana
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

DAY THREE
Breakfast:
1 cup black coffee or tea
5 saltine crackers
1 slice cheddar cheese
1 small apple

Lunch:
1 hard boiled egg
1 slice toast
1 cup black coffee or tea

Dinner:
1 cup tuna
1 cup beets or carrots
1 cup cauliflower or greens
1 cup cantaloupe
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

The paper says, “This diet works on a chemical breakdown and is proven to work. Do not vary or substitute any of the foods. Salt and pepper may be used but no other seasoning. This diet is to be used 3 days at a time. In 3 days you will lose 10 lbs. After 3 days dieting you can eat your usual food, but do not overeat. After 4 days of normal eating, start back on the 3-day diet.”

I did some substituting within the diet. For instance, on lunch for day 2, I would do a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and a 1/2 cup of tuna instead of one cup of either one. I don’t handle fruit well (it’s a texture thing), so whenever apple or bananas were called for, I would drink grapefruit juice. On some days, I would substitute 5 crackers for a slice of toast (we have no toaster at work). We also found some tuna packages that came flavored... 1/2 cup of sweet and spicy tuna or lemon pepper tuna. They’re new. Even though seasoning is off limits, I did it anyway. I still lost 14 lbs.

As I’ve told others, anyone can do 3 days. Try it once and see if you like it. If so, try it again the next week. I did it Tues-Thu so I could have my weekends free for normal food... in moderation, of course. Good luck!