A lot of people have asked for more information regarding the 17 Day Diet. I have yet to find it all laid out online anywhere, so I figured I'd copy down some of the basics straight from the book. If you're interested, I do recommend buying the book, because it has a lot of great information and recipes. I'm really just relaying the basic concepts, so if you'd like to learn more, check out the book. You can get it at Amazon or Barnes & Noble, both for $14 and ebook editions are available. This is a hardcover book that retails for $25, so these are great prices! It should be available anywhere books are sold. I've seen it at Target, the grocery store, etc.
Just a few points I want to stress before jumping into it:
1. I'm obviously NOT a doctor or nutrition expert. The 17 Day Diet was created by a medical professional. Any information I post regarding the plan is basically stated verbatim in the book. I did not come up with any of this information on my own, I simply took the important pieces from the book to share with you all. The only thing I added was a section for vegetarians, because he does not really address it in the book. However, he does have videos on his website that state that vegetarians should have no problem following this plan. I basically just put a little blurb about protein sources at the end of Cycle 1.
2. Although it has worked well for me thus far (12 pounds since July 1st), people are obviously going to have different results depending on varying body types. Dr. Mike claims that some people can lose up to 12 pounds in the first 17 days. I lost about 6 or 7, so it all depends on your body type. If you don't reach 12 pounds in the first cycle, DO NOT get discouraged and give up. Just keep working at it. Rome wasn't built in a day, folks.
3. I am in no way affiliated with the 17 Day Diet, so if you think I'm doing this to pimp out my blog and get something in return, you are sadly mistaken. It wouldn't matter if I had 2 or 2,000 followers. I am simply spreading the word because it has worked for me and I've enjoyed it so far.
4. Don't shy away because the word "diet" is in the title. This is really more of a lifestyle change and a way to learn about how various foods affect the body. This isn't one of those crazy fad diets where you restrict yourself, lose a ton of weight, and gain it all back (and then some) the minute you eat regularly again. Instead, this plan is made up of four different cycles, each designed to introduce more foods and keep the metabolism going.
I think that's about it. So let's get started. I'm going to introduce each cycle in its own post. I will upload each separately in a PDF file, and then put all four together at the end.
(Change xx to tt! Changing the link avoids spam & malware. Yucky stuff!)
1. Follow this cycle for 17 days. If within this cycle you arrive at your goal weight, move onto cycle 4 (arrive). If you have more to lose, continue onto cycle 2 (activate).
2. Your diet will consist of lean proteins, vegetables, low-sugar fruits, probiotics and good fats. Starchy foods (such as potatoes, rice, legumes, corn, oatmeal) are NOT permitted during this cycle.
3. You may eat up to two eggs a day. However, if you have a cholesterol problem, consume no more than four yolks weekly. Egg whites, on the other hand, can be eaten without restriction.
4. Enjoy as many cleansing vegetables as you like. Always choose fresh fruits & vegetables if it is an option. Frozen and canned foods are fine in moderation, but must only contain the fruit or veggie with no added sugars.
5. Do not eat fruit after 2pm, because it is a carb (this is where your daily carbs will come from). The later in the day you eat carbs, the harder it is for the body to burn them off because you expend less energy in the evenings. Those carbs may in turn be stored as fat, which we do not want! Carbs eaten early in the day supply the body with enough fuel to energize the body for the rest of the day. This will improve your waistline!
6. Avoid all alcohol and sugar (the only source of natural sugars will come from your fruit & yogurt) in order to help your body eliminate toxins, improve digestion and burn fat.
7. Try to drink green tea as much as possible. It acts as a natural diuretic and offers compounds that help burn fat and speed the metabolism.
8. About probiotics: research indicates that they boost the immune system and promote gut-cleansing bacteria. Probiotic foods are also thought to help the body burn fat. If you don’t like yogurt, try the sugar-free fruit-flavored yogurt or cultured milk. Also, you can still get the friendly bacteria you need. Most health food stores also sell capsules containing probiotics.
9. Eat slowly and only until full. Do NOT overload your stomach.
10. Drink AT LEAST 8 ounces of water daily, starting with a cup of hot water with lemon every morning. This, like green tea, speeds the metabolism and gets it ready for the day.
11. Exercise at least 17 minutes daily.
The PDF file contains this information again, along with a list of allowed foods, what a typical day might look like, three sample menus, and information about protein for vegetarians. Again, I stress that if you are interested in starting this diet, buy a copy of the book. Although I've highlighted the main points, there's a lot of great information in the book.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to leave a comment or shoot me an email. at sassierthanthou@gmail.com. I'm no expert by any means, but I've been pretty successful thus far, so hopefully I can answer any questions you might have.
Good luck! :)
I think I'll have to go pick this up!
ReplyDeleteDo the carbs come back at some point? I'm sure you've answered this but I can't remember. Overall, it's not a bad "diet" as it reinforces whole foods and lots of fruits/vegs.
ReplyDeleteIn the second cycle (so in 17 days), it introduces whole grains, potatoes, oatmeal, legumes, etc. It basically alternates with cycle 1. So on an even day, you'll introduce those carbs, and on odd days you'll go back to cycle one. Cycle three introduces whole wheat pasta & bread. You treat it like the fruits in cycle one in that you eat them before 2pm, due to the fact that we're often more active earlier in the day than we are later.
ReplyDeleteI could have gone onto cycle three, but after birthdays, guests and the wedding I went to, I wanted to get back on track so I went back to cycle 1. I like that there's always the option to switch things up a bit if you're stuck or if you've reached your goal.