The 17 Day Diet, created by Dr. Mike Moreno, promises rapid weight loss and healthier eating habits through a unique approach of cycling through different food combinations and calorie intakes every 17 days. The diet's core principle lies in "body confusion," which aims to prevent the metabolism from adapting and plateauing. The "Breakthrough Edition" of the diet includes new recipes, contour foods, an optional fast day, supplements, and a targeted workout.
The Core Principles of the 17 Day Diet
Dr. Moreno emphasizes that excess weight often signals nutritional and metabolic imbalances, not solely a lack of exercise or overeating. The diet focuses on optimizing digestion and metabolism by prioritizing foods that promote fat burning and are gentle on the digestive system.
The Four Cycles of the 17 Day Diet
The 17 Day Diet is structured around four distinct cycles, each lasting 17 days except for the final "Arrive" cycle, which is designed for long-term maintenance. These cycles progressively introduce new foods and strategies to promote weight loss and establish healthy eating habits.
Cycle 1: Accelerate
The "Accelerate" cycle aims to kickstart weight loss by improving digestive health, reducing sugar intake, and increasing protein consumption. This cycle focuses on eliminating sugar from the blood to boost fat-burning and discourage fat storage.
During this phase, individuals can consume unlimited protein and non-starchy vegetables from a specific list of "Accelerate" foods. It is recommended to purchase skinless poultry or remove the skin, avoid alcohol and sugar, consume two probiotic foods daily, eat slowly, and drink plenty of water. Exercising for at least 17 minutes per day is also encouraged.
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
Cycle 2: Activate
The "Activate" cycle aims to reset the metabolism by alternating between lower- and higher-calorie days. This cycle incorporates a strategy of increasing and decreasing caloric consumption to stimulate fat burning and prevent plateaus.
On lower-calorie days, the diet follows the guidelines of the "Accelerate" cycle. On higher-calorie days, two servings of naturally higher-starch carbohydrates, such as legumes, grains, tubers, and root vegetables, can be added. Carbohydrate options should be consumed with breakfast and lunch.
Cycle 3: Achieve
The "Achieve" cycle focuses on developing good eating habits and achieving steady, manageable weight loss. This cycle reintroduces additional foods and moves individuals closer to their goal weight.
Alternate-day fasting is no longer required, and the diet is similar to the "Activate" days of the second cycle. A wider variety of carbohydrate sources, such as breads, pastas, high-fiber cereals, and virtually any fresh fruit or vegetable, are allowed. One optional glass of alcohol per day can also be consumed during this cycle.
Cycle 4: Arrive
The "Arrive" cycle is designed for long-term weight management. This cycle allows individuals to choose any meal plan from the previous three cycles and follow it from Monday breakfast to Friday lunch. From Friday dinner through Sunday dinner, favorite foods can be enjoyed in moderation.
Read also: Walnut Keto Guide
Additional Components of the Breakthrough Edition
The "Breakthrough Edition" includes several new components designed to enhance weight loss results:
- More recipes and food options: This provides greater variety and flexibility in meal planning.
- Contour foods: These foods are specifically chosen to target fat loss in specific areas of the body.
- Optional fast day: This can be incorporated between cycles to further boost fat burning.
- Supplements: A range of supplements are recommended to support the diet.
- 17-minute workout: This workout targets fat loss in specific areas.
Foods Recommended on the 17 Day Diet
The 17 Day Diet encourages the consumption of whole, unprocessed foods. The specific foods allowed vary depending on the cycle.
Accelerate Cycle Foods
- Fish: Salmon, catfish, tilapia, flounder, sole, canned light tuna in water.
- Poultry: Chicken and turkey breast, lean ground turkey, eggs, egg whites (limited to twice per week).
- Non-starchy vegetables: Cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, okra, onions, carrots, bell peppers, cucumber, celery, eggplant, garlic, green beans, leeks, mushrooms.
- Low-sugar fruits: Apples, oranges, berries, peaches, grapefruit, pears, plums, prunes, prickly pear cactus, red grapes (limited to two servings per day).
- Probiotic foods: Sugar-free, fruit-flavored, plain and low-fat yogurt, Yakult, kefir, low-fat acidophilus milk, tempeh, reduced-salt miso, kimchi (limited to two servings per day).
- Oils: Olive and flaxseed oil.
- Condiments: Salsa, light soy sauce, fat-free sour cream, Truvia, sugar-free jams, vegetable cooking spray, vinegar, fat-free salad dressings, salt, pepper, mustard, all herbs and spices, low-carb ketchup and marinara sauce.
Activate Cycle Foods
In addition to the Accelerate options, the Activate cycle allows:
- Shellfish: Crabs, clams, oysters, mussels, scallops, shrimp.
- Beef (lean cuts): Flank, top sirloin, top round, eye of the round, round tip, top loin, lean ground beef.
- Pork (lean cuts): Sirloin chops, boneless loin roast and top or center loin chops.
- Lamb (lean cuts): Shanks and sirloin roast.
- Veal (lean cuts): Cutlet.
- Grains: Amaranth, barley (pearled), quinoa, bulgur, couscous, brown rice, cream of wheat, grits, basmati rice, millet oat bran, old-fashioned oatmeal (limited to activate days).
- Legumes: Black beans, black-eyed peas, butter beans, garbanzo beans, great northern beans, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, navy beans, peas, pinto beans, soybeans, split peas (limited to activate days).
- Starchy vegetables: Breadfruit, potato, sweet potato, corn, taro, winter squash, yam (limited to activate days).
One serving of grains and legumes is 1/2 cup cooked.
Achieve Cycle Foods
During the Achieve cycle, individuals can choose any foods from the previous two cycles, plus:
Read also: Weight Loss with Low-FODMAP
- Meats: Cornish hen, quail pheasant, Canadian bacon and reduced-fat turkey bacon, sausage or lunch meat.
- Breads: Cracked-wheat, fiber-enriched, gluten-free, multi-grain, oat-bran, sugar-free, pumpernickel or rye bread, pita pocket, whole-wheat tortilla, whole-grain bagel.
- High-fiber cereals: All-Bran, All-Bran Extra, All-Bran Buds, Fiber One, gluten-free cold cereals, low-sugar granola.
- Pasta and noodles: Whole-wheat pasta, gluten-free pasta, vegetable-based pasta, high-fiber pasta, udon noodles.
- Vegetables: Virtually any vegetable.
- Fruits: Virtually any fresh fruit.
- Low-calorie cheeses: Brie, Camembert, Fontina, low-fat cheddar, Edam, feta, goat, Limburger, part-skim mozzarella, low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat ricotta cheese.
- Milks: Low-fat milk, sugar-free rice milk, almond milk, soy milk.
- Oils: Canola and walnut oil.
- Condiments: Light mayonnaise, mayonnaise, reduced-fat salad dressings.
- Other fat options: Raw nuts or seeds, avocado, reduced-calorie margarines, trans-fat-free margarine.
- Optional snacks: Frozen fruit bar, Fudgesicle (100-calorie bar), granola bar (reduced-sugar and -fat), light microwave popcorn, Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich, sugar-free pudding cup.
- Alcohol (1 drink per day): 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, 1.5 ounces of hard liquor.
Arrive Cycle Foods
The Arrive cycle allows all of the food options mentioned above, with the option of eating three of your favorite meals from Friday dinner to Sunday dinner. One to two alcoholic drinks are also allowed on weekends. Individuals can also swap main meals for broth-based soups and substitute one fruit serving for a 3/4 cup of unsweetened fruit juice or 1 cup of vegetable juice.
Potential Benefits of the 17 Day Diet
In addition to weight loss, the 17 Day Diet offers several potential benefits:
- Vegetarian- and vegan-friendly: The diet has plenty of options that allow it to be followed by vegetarians and vegans.
- Gluten-free-friendly: It can be made gluten-free.
- Caters to many cuisines: It has options for Mediterranean, Hispanic, Indian, Asian and many other cuisines, making it region-friendly.
- High in fiber: It advocates eating plenty of high-fiber foods.
- Has tips on surviving difficult situations: The program provides helpful tips on eating out, surviving holidays and family situations.
Criticisms and Drawbacks of the 17 Day Diet
Despite its potential benefits, the 17 Day Diet also has some drawbacks:
- Weak evidence: Many claims associated with this diet are not supported by sufficient evidence.
- Cost of supplements: The recommended supplements can be expensive.
- Easy to fall off track: During the last cycle, it can be easy to overeat or binge on weekends, negating achieved weight loss.
Does the 17 Day Diet Work?
The 17 Day Diet can lead to weight loss due to its emphasis on calorie restriction and whole foods. However, the claim that it is more effective than other calorie-restricted diets lacks sufficient evidence.
Some experts are skeptical of metabolism-revving claims, while research on probiotics as a weight-loss aid is ongoing.
Sample Menu
Here is a one-day sample menu for each cycle of the 17 Day Diet:
Accelerate Cycle
- Breakfast: 6 ounces of plain, low-fat yogurt, 1 cup of berries, and 1 cup of green tea.
- Lunch: Grilled chicken breast with tossed salad drizzled with 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
- Dinner: Grilled or baked chicken with steamed vegetables and 1 cup of green tea.
- Snacks: 1 fruit of your choice and 1 serving of a probiotic food of your choice.
Activate Cycle
- Breakfast: 1/2 cup of cooked oatmeal, 4 scrambled egg whites, 1 peach, and 1 cup of green tea.
- Lunch: Shrimp salad drizzled with 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 1 medium baked sweet potato, and 1 cup of green tea.
- Dinner: Pork sirloin chops (broiled or grilled), steamed veggies, and 1 cup of green tea.
- Snacks: 1 cup of blueberries and 1 cup of kefir.
Achieve Cycle
- Breakfast: 1 slice of whole-wheat toast, 1 boiled egg, 1 cup of berries, and 1 cup of green tea.
- Lunch: Tuna sandwich, 1 pear, and 1 cup of green tea.
- Dinner: Sesame fish, steamed vegetables of your choice, and 1 cup of green tea.
- Snacks: 1 frozen fruit bar and 6 ounces of yogurt.
Arrive Cycle (Friday)
- Breakfast: 2 poached eggs, 1 pear, and 1 cup of green tea.
- Lunch: Baked turkey breast, a fresh garden salad drizzled with 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil, 6 ounces of yogurt, and 1 cup of green tea.
- Dinner: Dinner out with friends; for example, vegetable lasagna, tossed salad with blue cheese dressing, two 5-ounce glasses of red wine, and 1 serving of tiramisu.
- Snacks: 1 apple and 1 cup of acidophilus milk or 6 ounces of yogurt.