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You are here: Home / Uncategorized / The NTUC 3-Day Diet Program

The NTUC 3-Day Diet Program

November 23, 2015 40 Comments

NTUC is National Trades Union Congress, a labour union that has a bunch of services under its wing in Singapore. A couple of years back, NTUC Fairprice, the Supermarket chain, introduced the NTUC 3-day diet program. It was a detox-cum-weight-loss aimed diet that listed out the exact food you can have during a period of 3 days.

Since this was a trend a few years back, I hadn’t heard of it until a Singaporean colleague told me about it at lunch one day. She forwarded me the list of stuff we can eat and three things caught my attention, making me want to try it – peanut butter, vanilla ice cream and average weight loss of 2kg in 3 days.
I am sharing the list here in case any of you want to try it.
Disclaimer: Diet police and people who feel this is unhealthy/shouldn’t be shared/is polluting minds of healthy people, may choose not to read the rest of the post. Its each person’s personal choice whether they want to try it or not. I am not for or against this, just sharing something I came across and tried myself.
Here’s the shopping list, stuff you’ll need to buy the day before you start.
1 grapefruit
2 bananas
2 small apples
long beans
200 gms beetroot
100 gms broccoli
50 gms carrot
100 gms cauliflower
3 chicken sausages
200 gms tuna
100 gms cottage cheese
10 Ritz biscuits
300 gms vanilla ice cream
Cheddar cheese slices
1/4 honeydew
The total list cost me about 28 SGD. These items are very easily available in Singapore and I am hoping its not an issue in India. The diet is not very substitution-friendly so you may see varying results if you do too much swapping. Note that cottage cheese here doesn’t mean paneer but if you can make your own paneer from low fat milk, then that should work too.
Here’s the meal schedule.
Day 1-BREAKFAST
Black tea/coffee
1 grapefruit
1 slice toast
2 tsps peanut butter
Day1-LUNCH
Black tea/coffee
4 oz (100g) tuna
1 slice toast

Day1-DINNER
1 chicken sausage
1 cup (50g) long beans
4 oz (100g) beetroot
4 oz (100g) ice-cream
1 small apple
Day2-BREAKFAST
Black tea/coffee
1 egg boiled/poached

1 slice toast
Half a banana
Day2-LUNCH
Black tea/coffee
4 oz (100g) cottage cheese
5 Ritz biscuits
Day2-DINNER
2 chicken sausages
4 oz (100g) broccoli
2 oz (50g) carrots
Half a banana
4 oz (100g) ice-cream
Day3-BREAKFAST
Black tea/coffee
1 egg hard boiled
1 slice toast

Day3-LUNCH
Black tea/coffee
1 slice cheddar cheese
5 Ritz biscuits
1 small apple
Day3-DINNER
4 oz (100g) tuna
4 oz (100g) beetroot
4 oz (100g) cauliflower
1/4 honeydew
4 oz (100g) ice-cream

Important Notes:
Do not vary or substitute any of the above foods. Salt and pepper to be used and not other seasoning. Where no quantity is given, there are no restrictions other than common sense. Toast is to be dry – no butter or margarine. Tuna, string beans and beetroot can be frozen. Ice-cream is to be vanilla flavour only.
This diet is to be used for 3 days at a time. In the three days you will lose 2 kg* (avg weight). After 3 days of dieting you can eat normally. Remember, not to overdo it. You can try this program up to twice a month.
My Notes:
Any kind of diet is a torture for me, simply because I hate restrictions in food. I like to eat what I please, when I please and I trust myself to practise some restraint and not go overboard on most days. I tried this because it was just 3 days and I had immense curiosity to see if I would lose the promised 2kg. I actually lost 2.5 kg in three days and gained back the .5kg in the next 3 days. The 2kg weight loss stuck even though I have returned to my normal food habits now.
The long gap between lunch and dinner is hard. I did this Monday – Wednesday since being at work makes it easier for me to control food and forget hunger to a large extend. Some prefer weekends so its up to you.
The smell of canned tuna was obnoxious, so I simply skipped it without substituting with anything else.
There are no vegetarian alternatives to the diet and I may not be the best person to come up with one. If you have any thoughts on that, please do share in the comments section.

Will I do this again? I am not sure. As of now, the answer is no. I can’t take that level of hunger. I get cranky. Its not hard, its just hard for me 🙂

If you try it, I’d love to hear from you.
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By nags Filed Under: Uncategorized

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Comments

  1. Anonymous

    June 20, 2012 at 8:52 pm

    I first heard of this 3-day diet plan more than 20 years ago when I worked in SDU (Social Development Unit). A member shared this with us and it was published in our quarterly SDU magazine called 'Link'. They used lbs instead of grams. I did not know how to convert into grams so did not try.
    I tried this diet plan abt 15 years ago when I put on alot of weight after married. I managed to lose few kgs aft 2-3 tries in 2 months time. I tried again aft I gave birth as I gained weight tremendously from 48kg to 65kg. Again, managed to reduce to 58kg aft few tries in few months.
    Now I need to start this 3-day diet plan again… :p

    Reply
  2. Anonymous

    February 22, 2012 at 4:26 pm

    Health gimmicks… Pls go study ppl…

    Reply
  3. Anonymous

    November 8, 2011 at 6:08 am

    I am trying this now and on Day 1 lunch – gotta say that eating tuna out of a can on its own, does not appeal to me and so I squeezed half a lime over it and added freshly cracked black pepper and a handful of chopped parsley and spring onion. I understand not straying too far from the original diet but I can't see how this modification will add calories. In fact, it makes me enjoy what I'm eating even more which is key so I don't feel like giving up on the diet.

    Reply
  4. Nags

    November 8, 2011 at 7:54 am

    I had almost forgotten about this 3-day diet 🙂 Let me know how it goes.

    Reply
  5. Anonymous

    December 30, 2010 at 7:26 am

    i have tried this program during the time when it was intro by NTUC, and it works for me too. i have lost 2kg then. did not put on the 2kg when im back to normal diet.
    but the hunger really make me cranky.
    and same here im put off by the tuna so have skipped taking it.
    don't like the beetroot too…luckily there's the ice-cream to reward me after dinner everyday.

    Reply
  6. Anonymous

    November 30, 2010 at 1:57 am

    Hi, I am curious to know on the 3rd day a quarter honey dew means from a slice or out of the whole honey dew? Instead of Chicken sausage on the 1st day, can we swap for Chicken ham instead?

    Thanks

    Reply
  7. Anonymous

    August 16, 2010 at 3:40 am

    I have tried this diet plan about 10 years ago, and it works. I still do it ocassionally now, especially after festive season when I over weight, or I want to control my weight to get a better BMI reading.

    What one thing you did not mention is that one needs to drink plenty of water to suppress the hunger pank and also help to detox.

    Reply
  8. chakhlere

    April 1, 2010 at 1:19 pm

    Hey thats an interesting diet. I think i will try it. I have done GM diet before. I often do detox programs.
    Thanks for sharing it!!

    Reply
  9. AM

    April 1, 2010 at 1:19 pm

    Tx……list sounds cool but I guess I am like u when it comes to food..hehhe….I will keep u posted when I try this…

    Reply
  10. Sharmila

    April 1, 2010 at 1:19 pm

    Thanks for the prompt reply Nags. Will do. 🙂

    Reply
  11. Viv

    April 1, 2010 at 1:19 pm

    Okie, tried this few years before, really can cut down 2kgs after 3 days ! going to try it again before CNY with hubby 😛
    Yeap, going to feel the hunger again !!
    But, looking forward to lose 2 kg !!

    Reply
  12. Sprouted Kitchen / Sara

    April 1, 2010 at 1:19 pm

    ha, yes, I named them pucks because they are so dense. With no sugar, butter or flour, I couldn't justify calling them a cookie! NEat post, I want to try this!

    Reply
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  15. Viv

    January 25, 2010 at 9:35 am

    Okie, tried this few years before, really can cut down 2kgs after 3 days ! going to try it again before CNY with hubby 😛
    Yeap, going to feel the hunger again !!
    But, looking forward to lose 2 kg !!

    Reply
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  17. Nags

    January 14, 2010 at 5:41 am

    KP I do agree with you more or less. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  18. KP

    September 21, 2009 at 3:18 pm

    Hi, just surfed by when looking up 'ntuc diets'. Its not surprising that the 'long gap' between each meal is extremely difficult to endure for such a diet, simply because the constituents are almost exclusively (and highly restricted amount of)carbohydrates.

    The basic idea of such a diet is a high carb, low calorie approach, which in this case is an extremely low calorie one – which one may experience a 2kg weight loss in 3 days, but to sustain it over 3 months, or even adopting it as 'lifestyle' is almost impossible – as suggested by the author.

    Good luck with exploration. This diet is destined for failure over the long term as it does not address all the fundamental food and digestion problems, and if anything else, its merely an epitome of dysfunction in a modern society's approach to health.

    Reply
  19. Sakshi

    July 27, 2009 at 5:11 pm

    me too fainted coz now I know why I never get fat…I eat all of this in huge quantities!!

    Reply
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  21. Mahimaa's kitchen

    July 25, 2009 at 2:27 pm

    wish this program had vegetarian meals. i would love to lose 2 kg in 3 days.

    Reply
  22. prasukitchen.blogspot.com

    July 25, 2009 at 4:13 am

    Intresting Post Nags

    Reply
  23. Varsha Vipins

    July 25, 2009 at 2:56 am

    That sounds interesting Nags..good that u found it successful..!:)

    Reply
  24. My comfort food network

    July 25, 2009 at 2:49 am

    Hmm! I hate dieting. I think self control is the best thing but also the hardest. I can't stand sausages, will have to think of something else to substitute. But loosing 2.5 kgs in 3 days is not bad at all. Hopefully I won't pig out after I loose it/if I loose it! 😉

    Reply
  25. Kalyani

    July 25, 2009 at 2:11 am

    sound great nags … but no way to me…………

    Reply
  26. veggie belly

    July 24, 2009 at 10:39 pm

    2 kilos in 3 days is really good (especially since you havent gained it back)! i suppose one could use tofu and whey protein powder instead of the meat dishes..

    Reply
  27. Nags

    July 25, 2009 at 1:41 am

    Sara – I found the name pucks so cute 😀

    Veggie Belly – thank you so much for the tip. If anyone tries it, do let me know 🙂

    Reply
  28. Pavithra

    July 24, 2009 at 5:12 pm

    mmmmmmm list sounds cool.. missing NTUC after leaving singapore..

    Reply
  29. Sprouted Kitchen / Sara

    July 24, 2009 at 4:22 pm

    ha, yes, I named them pucks because they are so dense. With no sugar, butter or flour, I couldn't justify calling them a cookie! NEat post, I want to try this!

    Reply
  30. Parita

    July 24, 2009 at 4:06 pm

    No way for me!

    Reply
  31. Rajitha

    July 24, 2009 at 1:50 pm

    hey nags! i was able to log in afterall!!….yeah..diets suck 🙁

    Reply
  32. SJ

    July 24, 2009 at 12:55 pm

    refer HB!

    Reply
  33. Sharmila

    July 24, 2009 at 10:28 am

    Thanks for the prompt reply Nags. Will do. 🙂

    Reply
  34. My Experiments with Cooking

    July 24, 2009 at 10:07 am

    *faint*

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  35. Pravs

    July 24, 2009 at 8:29 am

    nice diet ..but i will go cranky too.

    Reply
  36. AM

    July 24, 2009 at 8:25 am

    Tx……list sounds cool but I guess I am like u when it comes to food..hehhe….I will keep u posted when I try this…

    Reply
  37. Sharmila

    July 24, 2009 at 5:11 am

    This diet sounds good … and doable. More so coz I almost always have ice cream after dinner. 🙂 Just one question … can I substitute tuna with any other fish ( grilled and not deep fried)?

    Reply
  38. chakhlere

    July 24, 2009 at 4:15 am

    Hey thats an interesting diet. I think i will try it. I have done GM diet before. I often do detox programs.
    Thanks for sharing it!!

    Reply
  39. RAKS KITCHEN

    July 24, 2009 at 6:08 am

    Sure going to benefit many,sadly I am a vegetarian and also I too get cranky like u when I am hungry 😛

    Reply
  40. Nags

    July 24, 2009 at 5:12 am

    Sharmila – when I checked with the colleague, she said substitutes will vary results. You can surely try and please do share your experience 🙂

    Reply

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I am Nags, the face behind Edible Garden, a food and recipes website for the busy (and sometimes lazy!) cook since 2007. My recipes are meant to be quick yet healthy and delicious - Nothing fancy, nothing too difficult. Follow Me On Instagram for real-time food and life updates.

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