What is the 17 Day Diet?

The 17 Day Diet is a weight-loss plan (and book) which claims an average weight loss of 12 pounds in the first 17 days. This diet does not allow processed foods and requires no special supplements. Instead, it relies on four alliterative phrases: activate, accelerate, achieve, and arrive.

Step one (achieve) asks you to reduce your daily calories to a paltry 1,200. Unlike in many programs, these caloric limits do not adjust to accommodate age, gender, or beginning body weight.

Dr. Mike Moreno published the 17-Day Diet in 2010. You can buy his ‘ground-breaking’ book through retailers like Amazon or Barnes and Nobles. The diet focuses on limiting processed foods and carbohydrates while increasing protein consumption. We like that this plan is easy-to-follow and generally well-received. But, this diet also has a dark side.

WHAT DO CUSTOMERS THINK OF THE 17-DAY DIET?

Digging a little bit revealed a set of very dichotomous customer reviews:

• ”I used it in 2007 and lost 40lbs, then got off track again. So I’m back on it.”
• Healthy food made simple! It’s only 17 days which makes it easy to do!”
• “Basic diet book that is based on high protein, low carb diet. Good advice, however, dairy is strongly stressed in this diet and I am sensitive to dairy.”

ADVANTAGES OF THE 17-DAY DIET

• Users who stuck to the diet reported large amounts of weight loss. Therefore, if used properly, this diet is effective.
• This diet relies on wholesome foods and proven science to drive great results.
• You can pick-up a brand new copy of the book for $15 on Amazon.com.
• The book is easy-to-read and even easier to follow.

DISADVANTAGES OF THE 17-DAY DIET

This weight-loss program has two main disadvantages (and a myriad of minor ones):

• The 1,200 calories per day limit may be too strict for many dieters. Our Research Editor stated, “Many dieters have complained that the 1,200 calories per day aspect of the 17 Day Diet is too restrictive. It leaves them feeling hungry, irritated and dissatisfied.” WebMD found that low-calorie diets, such as this one, can result in nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, and constipation.
• The diet is far too strict for most dieters. One reviewer said that this diet had, “
• “Way too many restrictions and special requirements. No morning coffee with creamer, hot green tea several times a day, hot lemon water in the morning, only two pieces of fruit, but not after 2. I didn’t last even a week.”

They are hardly alone in this. If a diet is impossible to stick to over the long-term, it’s unlikely to produce meaningful results.

• Diet relies heavily on dairy. This can make it hard to follow for vegans or lactose-intolerant individuals.

The Bottom Line – Does 17 Day Diet Work?

Now comes the question you’ve been waiting for: does the 17-day Diet work?

First, we believe that this weight-loss program is well-suited for women and men of all body types. However, we have reservations about the diet plan’s strict calorie and food restrictions. Furthermore, customer reviews seem to be relatively mixed. If you believe you can adhere to this diet’s strict requirements, however, it might be worth picking up the book.

Otherwise, we suggest you find a less-restrictive, more comprehensive weight-loss plan.