Dr. Mike Moreno’s recent release of his updated version of The 17 Day Diet is timely since many of us include weight loss on our list of New Years’ Resolutions. It’s difficult to write a review of a book about weight loss unless you have actually tried the diet, which I did in 2012. My review is primarily based on my experience in following the diet described in the 2011 version of the book, but I also include feedback on the content and organization of the book itself. Of course, every person’s body chemistry is different and what works for one person may not be beneficial to another, but perhaps my feedback may be useful to you in deciding whether to look further into this diet.
Published December 31, 2013
Purchase from Amazon: The 17 Day Diet Breakthrough Edition
The 17 Day Diet Breakthrough Edition by Mike Moreno
THE # 1 BESTSELLING DIET IS NOW SUPERCHARGED!
Since Dr. Mike Moreno first published The 17 Day Diet in 2010, millions of people have lost weight using his fast, safe, and extremely effective plan. Dr. Mike listens to his 17 Day Dieters as carefully as he listens to his own patients, and he is always on top of the cutting-edge research in the field of weight management. Using vital reader feedback and the latest science, he has enhanced The 17 Day Dietwith three new chapters; 50 new, delicious recipes; and the ability to customize your diet with an optional fasting day. The 17 Day Diet Breakthrough Edition makes everyone’s favorite diet the best and most up-to-date diet on the market.
Whether you need to lose 10 pounds or a hundred, Dr. Mike’s plan can help you achieve your weight loss goals quickly and permanently while always ensuring that you feel full, even as you enjoy a wide variety of the foods you love. In fact, that variation in the diet is the key to losing weight: it confuses and boosts your metabolism to help you burn fat rapidly during these four 17-day cycles:
ACCELERATE: The rapid weight loss cycle. You’ll flush sugar and fat from your system and introduce foods and nutrients into your diet that have been proven to trim belly fat, thigh fat, and other stubborn fat zones.
ACTIVATE: The metabolic boost cycle. You’ll alternate between low- and high-calorie days and watch the fat melt away.
ACHIEVE: The steady weight loss cycle. You’ll learn to control portions properly and start the exciting (and quick!) 17 Minute Spot Reduction Workout.
ARRIVE: The efficient control cycle. You’ll be firmly in the habit of healthy eating to support your goal. On weekends, you can even enjoy your favorite foods!
PLUS: A new, optional transitional day of liquid cleansing that kicks your fat burning into overdrive and a dietary supplement program to support your success.
The 17 Day Diet can work for you even if you have food allergies or PMS or are pregnant or constantly traveling. It can be adapted to a wide variety of cuisines, from Chinese to Tex Mex and everything in between. Brimming with helpful tips, interesting facts, and inspiring testimonials from fellow 17 Day Dieters, The 17 Day Diet Breakthrough Edition is the very last diet book you’ll ever need. (from Goodreads)
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17936284-the-17-day-diet-breakthrough-edition?from_search=true
*****
The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor’s Plan Designed for Rapid Results
Published January 2011
“We’ve all pledged, promised and bullied ourselves to eat better and exercise more, but so many times even the best intentions fall short. I incorporate healthy habits into my work and home life and you can too.” –Dr. Mike Moreno
If you need to shed pounds fast and in a safe, effective, and lasting way, this is the book for you! Unlike many diet programs that starve you down to size, Dr. Mike Moreno’s 17 Day Diet relies on proven methods to help you take weight off and keep it off for good—whether you’ve got 10 pounds to lose or 100. His revolutionary program adjusts your body metabolically so that you burn fat day in and day out.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10422976-the-17-day-diet?from_search=true
Amazon: The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor’s Plan Designed for Rapid Results
I’ve been fortunate in that I never had to worry too much about my weight until I moved to Texas. Yes, the food here is wonderful, and after four years, I literally began to show how much I liked to eat. I had gained four clothing sizes and found myself feeling tired and sluggish. Although I had tried several types of diets already, nothing I did kept the weight off long term, and honestly, I wasn’t feeling particularly motivated to restrict my food choices and intake, until one unforgettable comment was made to my husband while we were on vacation…”Is your wife pregnant?”
No! I was not. I was just one of those people whose fat seems to cling to their belly area first and then spread out from there. This was the point when I decided to do something about my weight. Nothing like a little anger to fuel the weight loss fire! When an acquaintance told me about her success with The 17 Day Diet, I looked into the diet, decided it was something I could do, and would give it the good ole’ college try, for 17 days, anyway. The diet is broken down into cycles and the “accelerate cycle” is the most restrictive but supposedly if you follow it for 17 days (including 17 minutes of exercise each day) you should lose a total of 17 pounds. In the first few chapters of the book, the author explains the science behind the diet and, while I’m not a medical expert, the information was easy to understand and follow.
The diet is similar to but not as restrictive as a low-carb diet. You have to eat 5 times per day: 3 meals & 2 snacks. Doing so is supposed to shake up your metabolism and help you burn fat faster. The diet consists primarily of lean proteins: fish, chicken, and turkey, and lots of vegetables (minus my favorite – potatoes). I also liked that I was still able to eat many of the fruits that I like and have yogurt. Unlike the last diet I had tried, I wasn’t starving at all, which was a nice change of pace. Moreno provides several recommended meals for a typical day that you can use as a guideline to get started. He also includes some recipes at the end of the book, but I wish more had been included to help provide a greater variety to the meal choices. Once I understood what I could eat and what was restricted, I just went online and looked at low-carb recipes that fit the requirements for the accelerate cycle of the diet.
When I started the diet, I did have to make some adjustments and break some habits that were hard for me. I was a Dt. Mountain Dew junkie,and I had to cut out all soft drinks and drink lots of water, instead. This was difficult for me because I don’t like water. However, I started adding Mio flavored liquid to the water, and over time I grew to like it and didn’t miss the sodas at all. In fact I often exceeded the minimum required intake of 64 0z per day. I also had to limit my coffee intake and adjust to drinking green tea with each meal. These were all minor inconveniences in my quest to get the weight off. I’m the type of person who needs to see results pretty soon in order to stay motivated. So what was the result at the end of the 17 day period? I lost 12 pounds (I strictly adhered to the diet, but I did not exercise for the minimum of 17 minutes every day as recommended.)
I stayed on the first two cycles of the diet for most of 2012 and lost a total of 51 lbs. I was actually back to my college weight – so the “ole’ college try worked for me, after all. I have Lulu, a “Dorkie” – (1/2 Yorkie & 1/2 Daschund) who weighs 7 lbs, so to compare, I lost the equivalent of 7 Lulus from my body:
For me, this was an excellent and healthy diet that forced me to give up processed food and change my eating habits altogether. At the bottom of this post, I’ve included some links to online articles that will offer pros and cons to this diet. One of the remarks made is that the diet is expensive. Yes, it certainly can be since fresh meats and vegetables can be expensive. However, during the accelerate cycle, I didn’t go out to eat at all, so I actually came out ahead by saving money.
The last two cycles of the diet helped me begin to integrate some of the higher carb foods I so love back into my diet and, overall, I was able to maintain my new weight. In 2013, I did fall back into some of my bad habits, and since then I’ve gained approximately ten pounds. Now, at the start of 2014, shedding these additional pounds is one of my resolutions, and I plan to check out Moreno’s new updated version, especially the additional recipes that have been added to help me rev up my motivation to get started.
I had great success with this diet, and I recommend the book primarily based on my personal experience with this weight loss program.
Source: Purchased book.
Rating
Dr. Mike Moreno is a graduate of the University of California at Irvine and Hahnemann Medical School. Following his residency at Kaiser Permanente in Fontana, California, Dr. Mike moved to San Diego, where he now practices family medicine and serves on the board of the San Diego Chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians. (From Simon & Schuster)
Website: http://www.drmikediet.com/
17 Day Diet Overview from U.S. News & World Report
The 17 Day Diet Book Review from Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (www.eatright.org)
17 Day Diet: Dr. Michael Moreno’s Plan for Weight Loss in Four Cycles Goes Viral from ABC News
The 17 Day Diet from Diets in Review.com
If you have had success in losing weight via a particular approach and would like to describe your experiences and/or recommend other books, please leave me a comment below. Just because I liked the diet, this doesn’t mean that it will appeal to others. I have one friend who refused to give up carbs and wouldn’t even consider this diet. So, please feel free to tell me what has and hasn’t worked for you.
Sun Mountain Reviews 