Madeleine Hull
The 17-Day Diet is a weight-loss plan created by Dr. Mike Moreno, a San Diego family medicine doctor. The diet is divided into four 17-day cycles: Accelerate, Activate, Achieve, and Arrive. Each cycle introduces new strategies and food options, with the first three cycles focusing on weight loss and the final cycle meant to be followed for life. The key to this diet is changing calorie intake and food combinations every 17 days, which is claimed to boost metabolism and prevent boredom. The diet emphasizes lean protein, antioxidant-rich produce, probiotics, and healthy fats while eliminating sugar, processed foods, and fried foods. While the 17-Day Diet may lead to initial weight loss, there is limited evidence supporting its long-term effectiveness and some questionable claims.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Creator | Dr. Mike Moreno |
| Number of Cycles | 4 |
| Cycle Names | Accelerate, Activate, Achieve, Arrive |
| Cycle Duration | 17 days each for the first 3 cycles; the Arrive cycle is meant to be followed for life |
| Cycle Description | The cycles introduce new strategies and food options, progressively increasing calorie intake |
| Calorie Counting | Not required |
| Food Combinations | Change every 17 days |
| Diet Composition | Lean protein, antioxidant-rich produce, probiotics, good fats, low-salt foods, low-fat foods, whole foods |
| Diet Restrictions | No sugar, processed foods, salty foods, fried foods, starchy vegetables, high-sugar fruits, alcohol |
| Exercise | Required: 17 minutes of weightlifting and cardio 6 days a week |
| Cost | None beyond groceries |
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The four cycles
The 17 Day Diet is a weight-loss plan designed to produce results in a short amount of time. As the name suggests, it involves cycles that last for 17 days each, and there are four cycles in total. Each cycle has distinct goals and focuses on different aspects of health and nutrition.
Cycle 1: Accelerate
The first cycle is all about boosting metabolism and kicking starting weight loss. It involves eating lean proteins, healthy fats, low-carb vegetables, and fruits with low sugar content. You'll be avoiding sugar, starches, and processed foods during this cycle. Sample meals might include omelets made with spinach and feta cheese for breakfast, a salad with grilled chicken and avocado for lunch, and steamed broccoli with wild salmon for dinner.
Cycle 2: Activate
In this cycle, you'll reintroduce some healthy carbohydrates, such as whole grains, starchy vegetables, and fresh fruits. The goal is to continue burning fat while learning portion control and maintaining blood sugar levels. You might enjoy steel-cut oatmeal with cinnamon and berries for breakfast, a whole wheat pita stuffed with falafel and veggies for lunch, and grilled shrimp skewers with brown rice and roasted veggies for dinner.
Cycle 3: Achieve
During this cycle, you'll continue to build on your healthy eating habits and further refine your portion sizes. You're encouraged to eat from a wider range of food groups, including natural starches and sugars, but still in moderation. Sample meals could include scrambled eggs with whole wheat toast and fruit for breakfast, a turkey and hummus wrap with veggies for lunch, and grilled steak with quinoa and steamed veggies for dinner.
Cycle 4: Arrive
The final cycle is about long-term maintenance and finding a balance that works for you. You can eat a wider variety of foods in this cycle, including treats in moderation, and focus on sustaining your ideal weight. It's about making permanent lifestyle changes and understanding how different foods affect your body. This cycle is more relaxed, but you're encouraged to repeat any of the previous cycles if you feel you've strayed too far from your goals.
Each cycle provides guidelines, meal plans, and exercise suggestions to help you achieve your goals. The 17 Day Diet emphasizes the importance of not just losing weight, but also learning sustainable, healthy habits for the long term.
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Food and drink restrictions
The 17-Day Diet is a weight-loss plan created by Dr. Mike Moreno, a San Diego family medicine doctor. The diet is divided into four 17-day cycles: Accelerate, Activate, Achieve, and Arrive. The first three cycles last 17 days each, while the final cycle, Arrive, is intended to be followed for life.
The key to this diet is changing your food combinations and calorie intake every 17 days. Dr. Moreno believes that changing your diet in this way prevents boredom and keeps your metabolism in a state of “confusion” to speed up weight loss and avoid plateaus. The diet relies on lean protein, antioxidant-rich produce, probiotics, and good fats. It bans sugar, processed foods, salty foods, and fried foods.
The 17-Day Diet is a restrictive diet, particularly in its first cycle, Accelerate. During this phase, dieters eliminate sugar, grains, fruit, and most dairy foods. Starchy vegetables and high-sugar fruits are also minimized. Alcohol and cheats are off the table entirely.
In the second cycle, Activate, dieters alternate between lower- and higher-calorie days. On lower-calorie days, you eat as you would during the Accelerate cycle. On higher-calorie days, you can add two servings of naturally higher-starch carbs, such as legumes, grains, tubers, and root vegetables.
In the third cycle, Achieve, alternate-day fasting is no longer required, and dieters are allowed to eat a wider variety of carb sources, including breads, pastas, high-fiber cereals, and virtually any fresh fruit or vegetable. However, it is still not permissible to eat carbs after 2 pm during this cycle, and alcohol is advised against if you want to maximize weight loss.
By the end of the diet, in the Arrive cycle, some restrictions are eased. For example, dieters can have the occasional drink, 100-calorie snack, or cheat meal. However, it is important to note that fruit should only be eaten before 2 pm, according to Dr. Moreno.
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Exercise
During the first cycle, exercise is kept to a minimum, with a recommendation of 17 minutes of low-impact exercise per day. This can be increased to twice per day, according to the original 17-day diet book. This is to compensate for the low-calorie intake during this cycle.
In the second cycle, the diet alternates between lower and higher-calorie days, and the recommended exercise remains the same as the first cycle.
In the third cycle, starches are introduced, and weight loss may slow down. However, body composition changes are likely to be noticeable. The recommended exercise increases to 45-60 minutes of aerobic activity per day.
The fourth and final cycle is designed to be followed for life. During this cycle, you can choose any meal plan from the three previous stages, followed by a weekend of enjoying your favourite foods in moderation. It is recommended to get in at least an hour of intense exercise on the weekend, as you will be consuming more calories.
The 17-day diet is an effective way to lose weight quickly, but it may be challenging to maintain long-term weight loss. It is important to consult a healthcare professional before starting any new diet or exercise plan.
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Weight loss
The 17-Day Diet is a weight-loss plan developed by Dr. Mike Moreno, a San Diego family medicine doctor. The diet is based on the idea of changing your calorie count and food combinations every 17 days to keep your metabolism guessing and in a fat-burning state. The diet is divided into four cycles: Accelerate, Activate, Achieve, and Arrive, each lasting 17 days except for the final cycle, which is meant to be followed for life.
The first cycle, Accelerate, is the most restrictive, eliminating sugar, grains, fruit, and most dairy foods. The second cycle, Activate, alternates between lower- and higher-calorie days. On lower-calorie days, you eat as you would during the Accelerate cycle, while on higher-calorie days, you can add two servings of naturally higher-starch carbs such as legumes, grains, and root vegetables. The third cycle, Achieve, focuses on establishing healthy eating habits with steady weight loss. Alternate-day fasting is no longer required, and you can eat a wider variety of carb sources, including breads, pastas, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Alcohol is also allowed, but it is recommended to pass on it for more weight loss. The final cycle, Arrive, introduces new strategies and food options to help maintain weight loss and healthy habits.
The diet emphasises lean protein, antioxidant-rich produce, probiotics, and good fats, while banning sugar, processed foods, salty foods, and fried foods. It also recommends only eating fruit before 2 pm. In addition to the diet, exercise is required, with a suggested 17-minute weightlifting and cardio workout to be done 6 days a week, gradually increasing to 40-60 minutes of aerobic activity on most days.
The 17-Day Diet has helped thousands of people lose weight, with some users reporting weight loss of up to 32 pounds. The diet is simple and inexpensive, with many compatible recipes available. However, it may be challenging to stick to the diet long-term, especially when eating out or socialising. Additionally, some people may find it difficult to find the time needed to shop for and prepare the meals.
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Pros and cons
Pros
The 17-Day Diet promises quick weight loss of 10 to 15 pounds, with proponents touting its fast results, especially during the first 17 days. The diet is anchored in whole foods, regular exercise, and other good habits that can help achieve lasting weight loss and weight maintenance. It emphasises lean protein, fresh vegetables, and cutting back on refined carbohydrates and added sugars, which could help people develop healthy eating habits. The diet also does not require expensive special foods or monthly expenses.
Cons
Many claims associated with this diet are not supported by quality studies. For example, it is unlikely that changing your food combinations and calorie intake every 17 days will keep your metabolism in a state of "confusion" and speed up weight loss. While the fourth phase of the diet is meant to be lifelong, many people may find it difficult to stick with it long-term. The first cycle of the plan also eliminates certain food groups such as whole grains and fruits, which means it does not follow the USDA's dietary guidelines. The diet also lacks dietary fiber during the first cycle, which is necessary for maintaining digestive health, reducing inflammation, and preventing colon cancer.
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Frequently asked questions
The 17-day diet is a weight loss plan created by Dr. Mike Moreno, a San Diego family medicine doctor. The diet is divided into four 17-day cycles: Accelerate, Activate, Achieve, and Arrive. Each cycle introduces new strategies and food options, with the first cycle being the most restrictive.
The 17-day diet is based on whole foods and eliminates refined carbohydrates, sugar, processed foods, salty foods, and fried foods. It emphasises lean protein, fresh vegetables, low-fat dairy, and healthy fats like olive and flaxseed oils. Fruit intake is limited to before 2 pm, and alcohol is off-limits, except for one optional glass per day during the third cycle.
The 17-day diet may lead to weight loss, especially during the first cycle. However, it may be challenging to follow due to its restrictive nature and frequent changes in food combinations and calorie intake. There is also limited scientific evidence supporting the diet's claims of boosting metabolism and preventing weight loss plateaus.
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