PITTSBURGH -- The 3 Day Diet is known by many names. It’s sometimes called the Ice Cream Diet or the Cleveland Clinic Diet.

A local couple decided to try the diet to see if it really works.

Janice Walnoha wanted to lose about 25 pounds.

She had tried other diets, and was willing to try the 3 Day Diet.

The diet claims you can lose up to 40 pounds in four weeks.

Walnoha began following a strict 1,000-calorie-a-day menu for just three days. That was followed by four days of "normal" eating. Then three days on, four off. She followed it for a month.

Her husband Ed decided to also give the diet a try.

He said, “I did it primarily to support my wife, not that I couldn't stand to lose a few pounds.”

According to the plan you should drink at least four glasses of water a day.

The three meals included measured amounts of fruits, vegetables, lean meat and low fat ice cream every night.

After two weeks the coupled weighed in for a progress report.

Janice had lost three pounds, but admitted to a little cheating.

Ed had lost 14 pounds.

Both said hunger wasn't an issue, nor was binging on their days off the diet.

There was no counting calories or points. Didn't they have to strictly count 1,000 calories?

It may sound like a dream diet, but not everyone believes it works.

Madelyn Fernstrom, director of the UPMC Weight Management center, says this is not the way to do it. “The fundamental problem with this plan is it says to eat healthy for the other four days. That’s really hard to do when you've been really deprived for three days.”

After four weeks on the diet the Walnoha’s weighed in again.

Janice was still only down about three pounds and Ed lost a total of 16 pounds.

Both said they will continue the diet for a little longer.