Three Day Cardio Diet

Most people would love to be encouraged to eat hot dogs and ice cream while on a diet. A popular weight loss plan promises you can do just that--and lose up to 10 pounds in three days.

History

• The 3-Day Cardio Diet--versions of which are also known as the Cleveland Clinic 3-Day Diet, The American Heart Association Diet and the Birmingham Heart Hospital Diet, among others--has appeared in various forms on the Internet for many years. Although the one-page diet may be promoted under a variety of names, all the plans have essentially the same menu and rules.

The Plan

• Dieters are instructed to strictly follow the menu for three days, followed by four days of normal eating. The plan does not mention exercise.

Menu

• Hot dogs are featured in ths diet's menu.

  The three-day eating plan consists of foods including vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage; animal products including cheese, tuna and eggs; and highly processed, high-fat items such as hot dogs and ice cream. Some versions permit substitutions such as frozen yogurt for ice cream; others proclaim that no substitutions are allowed.

Promised Benefits

• The plan assures participants that they will lose 10 pounds in three days and up to 40 pounds in a month.

Warnings

• The University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, the American Heart Association and the Cleveland Clinic have disavowed any affiliation with this diet. According to UAB, it is a "potentially harmful fad diet" and is "high in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol--the main dietary culprits related to heart disease."