3-Day Diet alternative: A healthier way to drop the 'Isaac 8' | NOLA.com

It?s been dubbed the Isaac 8. Like the Freshman 15 or the Katrina Kilo, it?s the rapid weight gain that?s often associated with being out of our element, away from normal routines, and surrounded by different types of food and drink than we?re accustomed to. And add to that a great deal of stress.

Gauging by the still-ransacked grocery aisles of chips, cookies, and soft drinks, it?s clear that we have a tendency to turn to sweet and salty snacks ? along with sugary drinks and alcohol ? to calm our nerves and soothe our anxieties.

And as you?ve likely noticed, fueling your body with junk leaves you feeling like junk.

So now that things are getting back to normal, it?s time to focus on regaining control of our health. And the good news is that it won?t take weeks, or even days, to feel the impact ? the benefits of a healthier diet can be felt almost immediately.

Start with the basics

Get back into your usual schedule of eating, ideally not going more than four to five hours without a small meal or snack.

Get rid of the white and sugary foods and drinks.

Include a source of protein with meals and snacks to help keep you fuller, longer, and to maintain calorie-burning muscle.

Limit starchy carbs at dinner, keeping the emphasis on lean meat, fish, or poultry with loads of veggies.

And, of course, incorporate physical activity on most ? if not all ? days.

As a registered dietitian, I typically recommend a rate of weight loss of one to two pounds weekly. Although this translates to a loss of up to eight pounds per month, it can seem excruciatingly slow for those who are desperate to shed extra pounds ? especially the Isaac 8.

I?ve learned from years of experience that people looking to drop extra pounds ASAP can easily be seduced by the allure of a quick-fix diet.

One quick fix that?s continued to resurface for decades is the 3-Day Diet, promising a loss of up to 10 pounds in three days. It?s been referred to as the Mayo Clinic Diet, the Cleveland Clinic Diet, and the Ochsner Diet (although none of these organizations has actually promoted or endorsed it), and also recently as the 3-Day Military Diet (allegedly used by military personnel when they need to get in shape, fast) and the 3-Day Cardiac Diet (rumored to have been developed by the Birmingham Hospital in Alabama for patients who need to lose weight before heart surgery ? which isn?t true, by the way).

The 3-Day Diet has essentially remained unchanged over the years, with each of the variations requiring nearly identical recommendations of specific foods and portion sizes, with instructions to cycle the three-day diet with four days of normal eating.

The problem with this recurring crash diet is that black coffee and vanilla ice cream are the common themes throughout all three days, along with other ?goodies? like hot dogs and saltine crackers. The result is a diet that can pack in close to a day?s limit of sodium and saturated fat, with a daily average of more than 70 grams of sugar ? more than you?d get in two cans of Coca-Cola. Hardly what you?d call a heart-smart diet.

So even though I?ve never been a proponent of fad diets such as the 3-Day Diet, and I much prefer the solid, behavioral-change-driven nutritional approach for sustained weight loss, I also recognize that people are looking for a fast way to drop the Isaac 8. So here?s my better-for-you alternative to the 3-Day Diet.

It has about 80 percent less sugar, 60 percent less animal-based saturated fat, and 38 percent less sodium than the original 3-Day Diet, making it more heart-friendly; plus, it has the added bonus of 33 percent more protein. This is by no means a diet intended as a long-term way of eating ? it?s merely a healthier version of the long-standing fad diet.

And although the results are merely self-reported and not peer-reviewed published research, people who have used this variation of the 3-Day Diet to shed pounds quickly have lost five to eight pounds over the course of the three days, and regain just a pound or two when they resume their balanced, nutritious diet.

Throughout all 3 days:

Only use salt-free, sugar-free seasonings. My favorite line is Paul Prudhomme?s No Salt/No Sugar Magic Seasoning Blends.

Only use zero-calorie sweeteners. My preference is a natural plant-based sweetener like Swerve Sweetener or Truvia. Unlimited low/no-calorie drinks (e.g. water, sparkling water, Crystal Light, Sprite Zero, Coke Zero, black coffee, unsweetened tea, etc)

Optional daily mid-morning snack (approximately 100 calories each): EAS AdvantEDGE Carb Control Ready-to-Drink protein drink, Chobani Greek Yogurt (Plain, zero fat; can add a no-calorie sweetener if desired), or two to three ounces of lean meat.

Optional nighttime snack, any night: half-cup berries (any type) with 2 tbsp whipped cream

Day 1

Breakfast: One La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious High Fiber/Low Carb 50-calorie tortilla (or any 50-80 calorie whole grain tortilla), topped with a quarter-cup shredded 2 percent cheese, melted, plus 10 strawberries

Lunch: One link of chicken sausage dipped into yellow mustard or Dijon mustard, with six Triscuit Thin Crisps (triangles, not squares; any flavor); plus a half cup cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, or red or yellow pepper sliced into strips

Snack: A half-cup low-fat cottage cheese with a quarter cup blueberries (with optional no-calorie sweetener)

Dinner: Meat sauce of three to four ounces extra-lean ground beef in red sauce with less than 55 calories and 270 mg sodium per serving (my favorite: Sal & Judy?s Heart Smart pasta sauce); serve over one cup spaghetti squash (See recipe below)

Day 2

Breakfast: One egg with one slice of Nature?s Own 100% Whole Wheat 50-calorie bread (can add spray butter if desired)

Lunch: Tuna or chicken salad (made with four ounces of tuna/chicken with Dijonnaise), over mixed greens. Can add extra vegetables to salad (e.g. broccoli, asparagus spears, mushrooms, onions, etc).

Snack: Caprese salad of one tomato, sliced, with an ounce (two very thin slices) mozzarella. Top with fresh basil (shredded or chopped), and balsamic vinegar (not vinaigrette) and/or olive oil spritzer (approximately $10 at kitchen and home stores)

Dinner: Three to four ounces of filet, flank steak, or whitefish (e.g. tilapia/speckled trout); a cup of roasted broccoli (steam first roasted in broiler with low-salt seasoning blend & olive oil spritzer (not poured oil)

Day 3

Breakfast: Omelet made with one whole egg and three egg whites, filled with vegetables (e.g wilted spinach, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms).

Lunch: Hamburger steak made from a homemade three-ounce patty of 90 percent lean ground beef and no-salt seasoning; a cup of cauliflower mashed ?potatoes? (See recipe below.)

Snack: hobani Greek Yogurt ? Plain, 0% fat. Can sweeten with no-cal sweetener if desired.

Dinner: Three to four ounces of skinless chicken breast or grilled fish (baked or grilled); asparagus or green beans (fresh or frozen, not canned; at least one cup), steamed then roasted with no-salt seasoning and squeeze of lemon.

Pasta Swap: Spaghetti Squash

By Chef Marc Gilberti of Ochsner Health System

Ingredients:

One 3-pound spaghetti squash

Cut squash in half lengthwise, discarding seeds. Place squash halves, cut sides down, in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish; add water to dish to a depth of ?-inch. Bake at 350; for 45 minutes or until squash is tender when pierced with a fork. Remove squash from dish, and cool. Scrape inside of squash with a fork to remove spaghetti-like strands. Season as desired.

Nutrition Facts per cup:

45 calories

0.4 grams total fat

0 grams saturated fat

10 grams carbohydrate

2 grams fiber

1 gram protein

Potato swap: Whipped Cauliflower

By Chef Marc Gilberti of Ochsner Health System

Ingredients:

4 cups cauliflower (fresh or frozen)

1 Tbsp. sour cream

1 Tbsp. half & half

1 Tbsp. butter

Seasonings as desired

Steam or microwave cauliflower until soft. Drain and press out any excess water. Add sour cream, butter half & half, and seasonings to taste. Blend in a food processor or blender until smooth, with consistency similar to mashed potatoes. Garnish with seasonings as desired. Serves 4.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 45

2.5 grams total fat

1 gram saturated fat

7 grams carbohydrate

4 grams fiber

2 grams protein

Source: http://www.nola.com/health/index.ssf/2012/09/3-day_diet_alternative_a_healt.html

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