Created by Michael Moreno , MD, the 17 day diet promises weight loss between 10 pounds to 100 pounds based on the dieter’s choice between its different cycles. Find out more about the 17 day diet, from its basics to a sample meal plan.
The 17 Day Diet Cycles
Consisting of 4 cycles, each lasting 17 days, the diet promotes a healthy lifestyle, both through the right foods to lose weight and its recommended exercise regimen.
Accelerate, cycle 1 in the 17 day diet, restricts calorie intake to about 1,200 daily and can help you lose up to 15 pounds. In the second cycle, Activate, the dieter zig-zags between the cycle one and a more higher-calorie plan, burning fat at about 5-6 pounds weekly.
Cycle 3 is called Achieve and it’s designed to transition to a healthier diet that can be sustained in the long run. You usually lose only 2-3 pounds per week in this part of the 17 day diet. The last cycle, Arrive, helps you maintain your ideal weight.
In the first two cycles, dieters are supposed to exercise at least 17 minutes every day, while in the later cycles you can go up to an hour, five days a week.
The 17 Day Diet Meal Plan
Strict, but efficient, the first cycle in the diet allows for unlimited lean protein and nonstarchy vegetables, along with 2 low-sugar fruits, 2 probiotics (low-fat yogurt), 1-2 servings of friendly fats (olive oil), green tea and 64 ounces of water.
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After cycle 1 keeps the dieter on the minimum daily recommended calorie intake, cycle 2 adds carbs, for up to 1,5000 calories a day. Adding healthy carbs, the dieter is supposed to alternate between lower-calorie days and higher-calorie days, to keep the metabolism guessing and stimulate fat burning.
In cycle 3, the additions to the 17 day diet include 100-calorie snacks and one serving of alcohol, while cycle 4 entails meals from the previous three cycles during weekdays, with splurging on the weekends.
The 17 Day Diet: Pros and Cons
So far, the theory that you can trick your metabolism by eating a varied diet to burn fat faster hasn’t been proven by substantial evidence, but the 17 day diet promotes a healthy lifestyle and includes the basic principles of any good diet.
Regular exercise, along with limiting fattening foods, is a key to maintaining your weight in the long run, but the 17 day diet won’t work for anyone and the initial weight loss is mainly water weight, that may or may not return once carbs are introduced back into the diet.
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