“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.
This diet really works, at least it did for me. I've been reading some reviews where people say it's too strict etc etc. Well yeah it is. Dieting and weight loss will never be easy. All diet books probably work, the thing is to stick with it and not cheat (too often) ;). I've lost 53 pounds so far since I started 10 weeks ago and I've change the way I eat and what I eat. Give it a try.
Let me preface my review by saying, I've NEVER dieted in my life. I'm 28, 5'3", 129lbs, and this is the heaviest I've ever been. While some of my friends will tell me that my spreading hips and little tuck of tummy fat are normal for a woman my age, I'm tired of hearing it.
I was a ballet dancer for over 15 years, and while many people think that this may have given me a skewed outlook on my body, I can assure you that it hasn't. I'm annoyed to wake up and not see muscle tone in the mirror. I could care less about the curves I (finally!) grew into in my 20's, so long as the fat's appropriately proportioned to the good! places.
I'm not a fan of diets. I'm active; a full time worker and a half time nightime student. I run around like crazy, am an avid weekend equestrian, and can't stand how slowly the tourists move on Manhattan streets at rush hour. I also LOVE food, and cooking. There's nothing more relaxing for me than dreaming up a pasta dish from scratch, and sitting down to enjoy it with friends and family.
My problem is three-fold:
1. If it tastes good, portion control is thrown out the window. (I'm not talking about fast food. I'm talking about home cooked, carb-loaded, amazing dishes that usually require Paula Deen amounts of butter, salt, fats, etc.)
2. I live a VERY high stress life. Often, I forget to eat completely, possibly for two to three days. By the time I come up for air and remember that food exists beyond protein bars and a bag of chips, I've now scarfed down a "starvation" meal that may include 3-4K of calories rich in fats and complex sugars.
3. I keep telling my best friend that I must be an Italian girl by some mistake of breeding. I have yet to meet a pasta dish I'll walk away from, and my love of all things carb-related is legendary. Jackie and I often say that if we're stuck on a desert island, all we'll need for survival is a huge loaf of italian bread, some olive oil, and cheese to eat with it.
I picked up this book based on the recommendation from several co-workers who are now in the 2nd and 3rd cycles. One of them has lost 6 lbs after cycles 1 and 2, and the other has lost close to 15. I'll post an update after I finish each cycle to see how it goes. I'm not a dieter, but I do need to eat healthier, so I'm going to take a chance on this one.
Cycle One, Day One
Breakfast - Egg White Omlette with Spinach, Tomatoes, Onions, Broccoli, Feta Cheese and Turkey Bacon
2 cups of Lipton Green tea (superfruit selection – with blueberry and acai)
Lunch – this was tricky. My boyfriend stopped smoking, so he HAD to celebrate one week smoke free at the Olive Garden. Luckily, they have a grilled chicken with vegetables order, and I filled up on the endless salad beforehand. I shoved the breadsticks down by his end of the table, so as not to be tempted.
Dinner – Sauteed chicken tenders with olive oil, toasted garlic, onion, roasted red pepper, sundried tomatoes, fresh parsley, and green beans, with a dash of hot red pepper flakes.
I’m almost through day one, and I’m not going to lie. I’m thinking about fettuccini alfredo like a dehydrated sailor dreams of water. I’ll let you know when I’m through Day 2.
Day 1 - 129 lbs
Cross posted to my Live Journal, with daily updates for my diet outlook at alteripseamicus.livejournal.com
Day Two, Cycle One –
I woke up this morning salivating about Chinese breakfast – stir-fried egg noodles with vegetables and egg, topped with sriaracha hot sauce (extra for me, please) and steamed chicken buns (bao.) There’s this great Chinese place in Manhattan on 48th st that serves breakfast, along with a host of other dishes that make it shine. I’m craving carbs like an alcoholic craves vodka. According to the women in my office, (and Dr. Moreno’s book) this probably means that I’m addicted to sugar. Honestly, this might be harder than I thought it would be.
Last night I had one cheat moment. Right before bed, I found myself reaching into the fridge and pouring myself 4 oz of chocolate almond milk. I was halfway through it before I could summon up the inclination to feel guilty.
Today isn’t horrible, per se, but it definitely could have been better. I feel less bloated, but that could also be my jeans, a favorite, well-broken in pair from the GAP that I was also wearing yesterday.
Breakfast – a 6 oz cup of Dannon Fruit on the Bottom Strawberry yogurt, 1 Granny Smith Apple, and 2 mugs of green tea.
Lunch – Baked Filet of Sole stuffed with crab meat and shrimp from Café Manhattan on 45th, with a side of steamed broccoli and carrots, and a side serving of edamame. More tea, this time an unsweetened peach white tea.
Dinner – Steamed Chinese Chicken and Broccoli with brown sauce on the side, dunked into egg drop soup with sriracha.
***Final results: I lost 6 lbs in one week, before my boyfriend and I had a discussion about discontinuing this diet due to dangerously low blood sugar levels. ***
The review for this book will be fluid. So stay tuned, my friends, stay tuned:
Day Nineteen:
Well, it was inevitable.
Time to chat about the PMS chapter.
Although I'm no doctor, I really believe much of what we call "PMS" is part of the game and there isn't much anyone can do to prevent it. I have yet to find a plan which keeps me from bloating or cramping for three to five days.
That being said, many symptoms reduce when I exercise regularly and eat right. In fact, I will tell you this month my period has been shorter, lighter, and I cramped for maybe a day and the rest was pretty unintense.
(I know you guys really wanted to hear that, right?)
And, no, I'm not reporting any weight loss this week. Typically, I gain a whopping five or seven pounds during "that time of the month". I weighed myself after day one and saw a gain of five pounds, so I decided not to weigh myself again until next week when it all disappears and things are back to "normal".
Of course within a week it's gone again.
So here's to next week. I'm staying relatively on track. I'll tell ya more about cycle two then. . .
Day Twelve: After eleven days, I can tell you this:
1. I lost 9.6 pounds last week and about three pounds this week, and I've been sitting in the same place for five days or so. I'm assuming my body is catching up. But I don't like it.
2. I'm telling myself that probably most of that ten pounds was water. So the fact that I haven't gained five, is a miracle unto itself.
3. Since I'm impatient, the typical lose two or three pounds a week for me is really a better approach. But again, I'm sticking to the plan, at least through cycle three. And I'm looking forward to sweet potato "fries" next week.
4. I want to eat bread something awful. This isn't typical for me. But I haven't had bread in quite awhile . . .
5. Not to be gross, but I'm constipated. Need to eat more green veggies.
Anyway, I'm ten or twelve pounds lighter than I was two weeks ago. So I'm trying to be happy. My pants are looser. I just wish this didn't take so long . . .
Day Six: After six days of this diet, I can tell you the following:
1. You will be hungry. Not horribly hungry, just you will be for a variety of reasons. For me part of this is psychological. There is a level of fullness that we accept as fat Americans as being appropriate, which, well, isn't. I'm not dying. And even after six days I've discovered that part lessening-- although I'm kinda craving bread right now-- or maybe the 100 calorie pack of almonds I so often eat in the afternoons.
2. It's a little awkward. Not horribly awkward. Just a little because of the serious dependence upon lean protein. For instance I found myself defrosting chicken for a snack. That, my friends, is bizarre to me.
3. If you don't like green tea, chicken/ lean turkey, or veggies, this diet is not your friend. Actually, I don't know what diet you should do. Good luck with that one.
4. I am not quite halfway through cycle one (accelerate). As of now, I am determined to go through at least all three cycles (there is a fourth-- maintenance-- I'm not saying I'm skipping it, but if I'm not happy by the end of cycle three, I'm not selling my soul to the plan, ya know?) as a personal experiment for myself. Stay tuned, my friends, stay tuned.
FYI: Minus the griping, I am 9.4 pounds lighter after five full days. Probably this is why I'm hungry. :)
Right now I'm recommending this one. We shall see how I feel later . . .
Dr. Moreno has designed a diet for all occasions and all people. He has addressed every contingency such as culture, holidays, family, age, gender and health. He wants to persuade the reader to have a healthier lifestyle, to choose healthier food options and to exercise to increase metabolism and weight loss, encouraging the beneficial effects to overall health. He offers the dieter advice on minerals and supplements required by the body for optimal health. He emphasizes the use of lean protein, low sugar fruits, healthy vegetables and whole grains. Skipping meals is not an option; eating every three hours is the regimen. There are three meals and two snacks a day, in addition to 64 ounces of water which does not include coffee, tea or sugar free drinks. He strongly advises the dieter to drink green tea which burns fat, and he even allows coffee which he says speeds up the metabolism. He strongly recommends whey powder, probiotics, green tea powder, and sufficient fiber in the diet. If desired, he even has an optional transitional day fast consisting of liquids he suggests and even offers recipes for his smoothies. He attempts to give the dieter the confidence to succeed. His diet is based on the number 17. There are 17 minute exercises tips, 17 ways to burn calories, 17 ways to condition the body and 17 day diet cycles labeled accelerate, activate, achieve and arrive. With each cycle, additional foods are added and additional skills are learned, such as portion control and exercise methods. Dr. Moreno gives advice on how to avoid stress and stresses exercise as a benefit to health, weight loss and well being. He offers advice on how to reduce the troublesome spots of your body that weight loss often does not address. He offers advice on supplements to aid weight loss and spot reduction. He treats the whole body and mind in this book and encourages weight loss with his upbeat, yet realistic, attitude about a subject that is often an uphill battle for many who need to drop some pounds. When one patient lost her walking partner and slipped back into an unhealthy state, he became her walking partner. He is an active partner in the effort of his patients to lose weight. At the end of the book there are questions from real people about specific issues they have to deal with and he responds. Some questions will be exactly what the reader needs to know. Menus are offered for people in different cultures, with different health needs and with different likes and dislikes. There are suggestions for dining out so failure is never an option. He advises on dealing with family and holidays so they don’t sabotage your efforts. At the end of the first three cycles, the final cycle allows weekend cheating, in moderation. That seems like a wonderful reward and an inspiration to keep the healthy lifestyle, long term. If the dieter can manage this diet, it appears to be oriented toward success. It encourages good habits, self control and healthy food choices. Sugar and fat are eliminated, healthy carbohydrates are added. In the end, he attempts to teach the dieter how to maintain the desired weight by maintaining the diet for life with occasional days when cheating is allowed. The diet book went a bit over the top for me when it was suggested that marriage prospects and finances would also improve with this 17 day diet. There are many diets out there that are similar, but this is designed for quick weight loss and long term maintenance.
Okay, I really just scanned this book because, lets be honest, who is going to sit down and read every inch of a diet book? I'm counting it towards my weekly reading anyway though.
I heard about this book via my day-time television browsing on The Doctors and Doctor Phil. The concept was intriguing (going through a 17 day cycle to help keep you motivated through the dieting process). I didn't want to invest the money to buy the book so I waited for it to come into the library and then onto my hold list. And I read it while I ate lunch today.
The concepts in the book are not revolutionary but Dr. Moreno's approach is simple and straightforward, which I think is the real novel idea for this particular approach. The main idea is that people can stick to any plan if they only have to focus on it for a relatively short period of time. There are four cycles in this diet and each cycle is 17 days in length (except for the last which is the way to maintain or "Arrive"). Cycle 1 involves lots of lean protein and veggies, very small amounts of fruits and probiotics. Cycle 2 widens the scope a little more. Cycle 3 introduces some natural starches and such. Cycle 4 is finding a happy way to continue doing this general eating as a maintenance level. The great thing about all these different cycles is that there are not a lot of strict rules, counting calories, or using strange fake fat things (though he does mention some). It is really about getting back to whole foods, just with a particular focus on certain categories for short periods of time.
I haven't tried the diet so I cannot speak to its effectiveness at this point. The proof is in the pudding of course. I think I'll try it for at least the first cycle. *Moreno notes that if you don't want to loose a ton of weight you may just do the first cycle and then move on to the fourth. Or if you want to lose a lot, you can go through the first three cycles and then start back at the beginning to get another round of the super charged weight dropping.*
The whole time I read this book, I couldn't help but think about how hungry I was. Reading about food for 2-3 hours makes it really hard to not want to eat something for sure!
I wanted to read this book start to finish so that I would get something out of it. I always check out "diet books" from the Library expecting them to 'change my life'... and they don't. But I figured that I could take the time to read one cover to cover and see if I got any new insights out of the book than I knew before.
I felt like all of his advice was advice that I had already heard before: from doctors, work-out programs, personal trainers, etc. It was just more expounded upon as to why it works and why it is healthy for you. I like how the author makes dieting and exercise seem so simple. I really like how he motivates and breaks it up into something do-able. But I still felt like it wasn't anything "new," anything that I hadn't already heard before.
The one section that I did like of this book was the PMS section, it gave such wonderful food suggestions for taking away PMS symptoms. I haven't yet, but will, copy down highlights so that when I experience any of the PMS symptoms, I know which foods to eat (and not to eat) which will help bloating/headaches/mood swings/etc. go away. I really did enjoy that section of the book.
Other than that one section, I don't think that I'll pick this book up again. But I would recommend the book to anyone who is looking to make lifestyle changes and start loosing serious weight. Anyone who doesn't already eat 4-5 servings of veggies a day & someone who rarely does any type of physical exercise.
I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads give away! Thank you!
After reading this book, I have to say the information is not revolutionary but it is written in an easy to read format.
This diet is split into 4 cycles. The first focuses mostly on protein and veggies. The second phase adds in lean meats, natural starches, and starchy vegetables. Phase 3 adds in breads, pastas, more fruits, and more snack options. The fourth phase talks about maintaining healthy eating for life and talks about portions.
For me the first phase would be the hardest because it is a total detox of sugars and starches. However I do like the idea that each phase only lasts 17 days. It seems more doable when there is a set time limit for each. And I like that the phases change things up by adding new foods. Another think I like is that there is no calorie counting. Dr. Moreno gives a specific list of what foods you can eat and how much, so that takes the guess work out of it. Each phase also includes suggested meal plans so you know what to eat.
Here's how I feel about it. The diet is strict and limiting, especially during the first 17 days. But it makes sense. Cut out the starches and sugars and then slowly add things back in, in moderation. I think it's something I am willing to try. It's only 17 days!
I can imagine that you can lose weight on this diet - in spite of all the hype and how you can do anything for 17 days, blah, blah, blah - this is a VERY restrictive diet. I do like the concept of the final phase of the diet where you eat according to plan all week and then Fri - Sun you get a meal of your choosing. I have done the South Beach diet and was looking for another type of kick start and some new recipes. There are barely any recipes in the book - it was very disappointing! Following the basics of the South Beach diet seems much easier and less restrictive to me - I'll stick with what I know works.
1/20: i’m on day 5 of this diet and it’s working, i’m down 3 pounds but not going to lie, it’s very restrictive and i’m always hungry. Last night my stomach hunger pains were so bad that I broke the diet for a piece of bread and butter lol i am going to continue with the diet but will not be as restrictive.
I am quite pleased with this diet. I tried Atkins once and lost 20 pounds in a fairly short period of time. But then, like many others, I started gaining it back (Atkins is a horrid diet if one enjoys food). I went to the Shangra-La diet and halted the weight gain, but I was much disillusioned with Atkins (I can't tell you how many people I saw loose a lot of weight--and then gain it back). The unrelenting attack on carbs makes Atkins unattractive to me.
The odd thing? This diet is a cousin of Atkins (high protein and reduction in carbs), but with common sense added. One can use whole grain pasta, for example. Atkins pasta was about as tasty as cardboard, but whole grain pasta is fine. Whole grains as acceptable makes this much more palatable.
I have found that apples and berries and yogurt is tasty enough to be rewarding as a part of the overall diet. The creator of this diet allows for an evolution, with a bit more flexibility in the second phase (as needed) compared to the first phase. That is where I am now, and I find the diet not overly restrictive. My will power is much stronger when I am enjoying the diet!
Anyhow, worth thinking about if one wants to lose some weight and have an enjoyable diet in the process.
Just wanted to put a note on that I am enjoying being on this diet plan. I went through the first 17 days and lost inches off my back and chest, which has made it possible for me to wear some button up blouses that have not been out of my closet for a while. :) My pants are baggy and fall down on my waist. This is an easy to follow plan for me because of my love for protein and veggies. It is also great to have the fresh fruit twice a day. I am now into Phase 2 of the plan and enjoying it as well. I may never hit the point where I am moving this book to the "read" shelf, because I like some of the recipes and certainly plan to stay on this plan until I reach a healthier weight and smaller size. I'm a slow learner. The author says that you should walk every day, and of course I thought tending my garden was hard enough work sometimes to be considered exercise, but it isn't, so now I'm walking. I found a nice walking area that I feel comfortable walking in by myself. Hooray!
This book works and its effective. The writing style is very easy to understand and the doctor who wrote it has a good sense of humor. He doesn't make what he is telling you boring or repiticious. I have done it before with good results. I started a serious exercise program again now that a serious leg and ankle injury seems to be healed (it is, I just can tolerate the stress on it again after 3 months off) and started this diet again. First day- 3lbs gone. Not too shabby. It promises 10-15lbs in the first 17 days. Last time I did it I lost 12.5lbs in 17 days. I am hoping for 15 this go round on phase one. I would also like to note that the book only recommends about 20 minutes of exercise on phase 1 (accelerate) and I am doing at least an hour (6 days a week). I find I have better results with more exercise. Seriously obese people who are not used to exercise would be better off listening to the advice to take the exercise slow because I still think the results would work out.
This diet was tough for me to stick to. I think I got caught up in the hype and was so excited to lose a large amount of weight in the first phase. It didn't work well for me. I made it through the first 6 days, and saw minimal change on the scale, which was beyond frustrating. Giving up carbs completely is HARD, so I needed to see progress for my efforts! After that, I decided to allow a few carbs, and then the number on the scale actually moved. I do like some of the changes it inspired, like 8 glasses of water a day, lots of veggies, etc. I plan to continue with that not only for the weight loss, but my blood sugar numbers are the lowest they've been in 2 years.
This is pretty basic information. Nothing new and life changing. I thought the weight chart was a little insane. I'm 5'3 and 116 pounds, small frame. I would look sickly if I weighed under 100 pounds.
I will use this book as a go to if I get more than a few pounds more then my weight limit.
My mom heard about this through her friends and she's been dying to try this diet. We seen several people go through this diet and great results have occurred from it. I think that I may go on it with my mom (but tailor it to my life). I'll see how it goes.
Personal, pot să rezum Dieta de 17 zile în două cuvinte: rezultate rapide. În funcție de greutatea corporală pe care o ai la început și de metabolism, așteaptă-te să pierzi până la 5-6 kg în primele 17 zile. Desigur, cu cât ești mai departe de greutatea ideală, cu atât vei slăbi mai mult la început. Hai să nu ne păcălim singuri: când începi o dietă, vrei să vezi rezultatele imediat, atât ca aspect, cât și ca stare generală. Aceasta pentru că societatea noastră este orientată către imediat; vrem tot felul de lucruri și le vrem pe loc. Același lucru este valabil și pentru scăderea în greutate. Devenim nerăbdători când kilogramele nu se topesc suficient de rapid. Pare mult mai ușor să renunțăm decât să continuăm. Această dietă este concepută pentru a da rezultate rapide, nu pentru că te înfometează până ajungi la proporțiile normale, ci pentru că echilibrul, atent planificat, dintre alimente și exercițiile fizice reglează metabolismul organismului pentru a arde grăsimile, zi și noapte. La fel de important: partea de scădere în greutate a acestei diete este limitată la cicluri de numai 17 zile, astfel încât să nu fim demoralizați de perspectiva unor luni nesfârșite de dietă. Și nici nu suntem în pericol de a intra în zona de platou, ca în cazul altor diete. Dieta de 17 zile menține organismul și metabolismul în situația de a ghici. Eu numesc această stare „confuzia organismului”. Cu fiecare ciclu de 17 zile, se schimbă totalul caloriilor și alimentelor consumate. Asigurând variațiile acestor parametri, îți împiedici organismul să se adapteze. Este mai puțin probabil să ți se blocheze cântarul la o anumită greutate. Și un avantaj suplimentar: nu te plictisești deloc. Și este plăcut să vezi cum se topesc kilogramele. Prin urmare, confuzia este bună! La finalul celor 17 zile se trece la un al doilea ciclu de 17 zile, apoi la un al treilea și în cele din urmă vei intra în ciclul de stabilizare a greutății corporale din cadrul dietei, în care poți să mănânci o varietate mai mare de alimente, inclusiv alimentele tale preferate, în limite rezonabile. (Nu vreau să te împrietenești din nou la cataramă cu genul de bufet suedez, unde mănânci cât vrei.) Știu deja la ce te gândești: este sigur să scap de kilograme pe nesimțite, dar în siguranță? Dacă procedezi cum trebuie, fără să sacrifici nutriția corectă, răspunsul este da.
The first 17 days of this diet is a little rough, basically just chicken/turkey/fish & vegetables, but I found after awhile, I lost cravings for specific foods. If I was hungry, I was just hungry, not ravenous for pizza, chocolate, etc. There are 4 stages: Accelerate (first 17 days), Activate (next 17 days where you can add beef, pork, etc. every other day), Achieve (next 17 days where you can add some breads & starches), then Arrive where you can choose from all 3 cycles and take breaks on the weekends. I'm trying to stay with a combination of Activate and Achieve as I find leaving out bread helps control my appetite. I did try several of the recipes in the back of the book and would have to give a shout out to the Chicken-Vegetable soup. It really was delicious. Overall, I think this diet is simple and achievable, and the first 17 days you will definitely drop weight quickly.
This sounds like a good plan. It's eating just natural and basic food. It's a way to keep track every day and I'm sure you will lose weight. It's not a fad diet, or anything extreme. It's just limiting your food intake for each meal with nothing much in between. There is a workbook that allows you to document each meal.
I went to a nutritionist and I loved what he said. Eat fruits, vegetables, and grains with some seeds and nuts MOST of the time. Then eat the things you want on special occasions. He made it simple.
This book seems to be very useful, and the presented method makes much sense. I think it is possible to meet the described expectations. I would like to try it.
A könyv nagyon hasznosnak, és a bemutatott módszer eléggé logikusnak tűnik. Azt gondolom, hogy meg lehet felelni a leírt elvárásoknak. Én ki szeretném próbálni.
I read this a number of years ago also. I checked it out again to get some additional information from it, namely foods on each phase.
I liked the book, and most of all, the results. I was very successful in losing weight and changing my body from storing fat and calories to burning it. I recommend trying it. Warning: the first phase is REALLY tough, but totally worth the effort.
I don’t want to give a review. Please stop asking and interrupting me. I rated this once many months ago, now I just want to be left al https://www.facebook.com/JBarnCountry... one.
A very information intensive book. Dr. Moreno not only explains the how but he makes it a prerogative to explain the why as well. This is the first book I have ever read on dieting but I found it to be packed with information and explanation. Very reader friendly.