The Cleveland Clinic three-day diet is a very lowcalorie
diet (VLCD) or quick weight loss program
intended to be followed, as the name indicates, for
three days. There are certain foods (e.g., specific vegetables,
hot dogs, vanilla ice cream, and saltine crackers)
that the dieter must eat on specific days during the
three-day period, although some versions of the diet
allow substitutions. Most Internet versions of this diet
promise a 10 lb (4.5 kg) weight loss over the first three
days, or 40 lb (18 kg) if the diet is followed for a month.
The Cleveland Clinic diet plan is primarily available
on the Internet.
A number of other three-day diets share similar
concepts as the Cleveland Clinic version, some of
which are derived from other healthcare institutions
or the military:
Cardiac diet
Birmingham Hospital cardiac unit diet
American Heart Association (AHA) diet
Three-day Army diet
Three-day Navy diet
Hot dog diet (or hot dog and ice cream diet)
Kaiser three-day diet
Dr. Perricone’s three-day diet
Dr. Christopher’s three-day cleansing program
Bubba’s three-day diet
Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) diet
Most versions of the Cleveland Clinic diet begin
with the claim that the dieter will lose weight by means
of a chemical breakdown. In fact, weight loss on this
diet results from simple calorie restriction; the diet
allows between 600 and 1,100 calories per day.
Basic three-day diet plan
Day One:
Breakfast: Black coffee, water, or tea; half of a grapefruit
or pink grapefruit juice; and one slice of toast
with 1 or 2 tbl of peanut butter
Lunch: Black coffee, water, or tea; 1/2 cup of waterpacked
tuna; and one slice of dry toast
Dinner: Black coffee, water, or tea; 3 oz lean meat; 1
cup green beans; 1 cup beets; 1 cup vanilla ice cream;
and one small apple
Day Two:
Breakfast: Black coffee, water, or tea; one egg, any
style; one banana (some versions say 1/2 banana);
and one slice of dry toast
Lunch: Black coffee, water, or tea; 1 cup of cottage
cheese; and five saltine crackers
Dinner: Black coffee, water, or tea; two hot dogs; 1/2
cup carrots; 1 cup broccoli (or cabbage); one banana
(some versions say 1/2 banana); and 1/2 cup vanilla
ice cream
Day Three:
Breakfast: Black coffee, water, or tea; five saltine
crackers; one egg (or one slice cheddar cheese); and
one 4-oz glass of apple juice
Lunch: Black coffee, water, or tea; one hard-boiled
egg; one small apple; and one slice of dry toast
Dinner: Black coffee, water, or tea; 1 cup tuna, chicken,
or turkey; 1 cup cauliflower or green beans; 1 cup beets;
1 cup cantaloupe or one small apple; and 1/2 cup vanilla
ice cream
Instructions
Some Internet versions of the Cleveland Clinic
diet include tips and instructions for the dieter:
-Do not alter amounts or make substitutions on the
diet menu.
-Drink at least four glasses of water or diet soda each
day.
-Salt and pepper may be used but no other seasonings.
-No snacks allowed.
-Use this diet for three consecutive days each week.
-After three days of dieting, resume eating as usual
but avoid binging.
-After four days of normal eating, repeat the threeday
diet.
-Cheating on the diet will make it ineffective.
-Strictly follow the rules of the diet.
Variations of the three-day diet
Some versions of the Cleveland Clinic diet allow
herbs, lemon juice, vinegar, soy sauce, mustard, catsup,
and Worcestershire sauce to add spice or flavor foods.
Versions of this diet that allow food substitutions
do so on the basis that it is a calorie based diet. As long
as food substitutions have equivalent calorie amounts,
the diet will remain effective. Other versions provide
specific lists of permitted substitutions:
-An orange instead of grapefruit
-Tuna instead of cottage cheese and vice versa
-Frozen yogurt instead of ice cream
-Cauliflower instead of broccoli and vice versa
-Green beans instead of broccoli or cauliflower
-Beets instead of carrots
-A slice of toast instead of five crackers or vice versa
The Cleveland Clinic diet development is attributed
to the Cleveland Clinic located in Cleveland,
Ohio. However, there is no official record of the
diet’s use in the facility. In fact, the origins of the diet
have become somewhat of an urban legend.
Many
variations of the diet and stories of its development
can be found posted by anonymous sources on Web
sites and blogs. It is possible that the diet became
associated with the Cleveland Clinic because the clinic
does publish specialized cookbooks and nutrition
guides for persons with kidney disorders or diabetes.
There are no books or privately published versions
of the Cleveland Clinic diet in print, which
makes it difficult to date this diet let alone trace it
back to its original source. Although some accounts
maintain that the Cleveland Clinic diet first began to
circulate around 1985, the Oregon Health and Science
University’s disclaimer about this diet states that an
early form of it called the University of Oregon Medical
School diet has been passed around the Pacific
Northwest since 1975.
The Cleveland Clinic diet has
been attributed to the cardiology departments of various
hospitals and medical centers. Supposedly these
facilities have overweight patients scheduled for heart
surgery use the diet to help them lose weight before the
operation.
