The 17 Day Diet

No thanks. I'm planning to live longer than 17 days.

I loosely follow it. I love it. I exercise too much for it so I have to modify it or I starve. go with the original book, not any of the "updated" ones. Don't start the diet without having access tot he book. The first cycle sucks and is great all at the same time. Tomorrow is my last day of cycle 2. I've lost 10 pounds on it, but i only had about 20 left over all to lose.

If you want to follow this plan, you have to cook every meal. And you have to be very diligent about what foods you select at the stores. As I said.. the first cycle sucks. It's hard because it cut out a lot of the "go-to" foods. BUT you get them back as you progress through the plan.

You can add me if you want as long as you realize I am not a model example. You are only supposed to exercise for 17 minutes a day in cycles 1 and 2.. but I do an hour or more most days.. and I do ridiculous workouts and really push it. So I can't follow it exactly.

You'll have a headache the 1st few days if you eat sugar and a lot of carbs now. I was lucky, that i didn't, but I didn't eat that stuff much. That would happen if you cut sugar out on your own too. It starts out low carb, low sugar, high fiber and high protein.

Also, if you have a weird relationship with food, this plan helps overcome that. It helped me a lot in that area. There's a ton of yummy recipes too!!

There is no calorie limit on this plan until cycle 3 or 4. It doesn't worry about portion sizes or anything. This is crazy but my friend and I all struggled to eat enough. We all track our intake and we were all coming in super low on calories and were stuffed. It's crazy. The high fiber high protein foods really fill you up. I recommend tracking though, just to check yourself and to make sure you're eating enough to be healthy. Do not eat only the suggested daily meal plan provided in the book. They are not enough food. You may use them as a guide, but add to them or you will be starving.

Example: you are not supposed toe at avocado or peanut only peanut butter (none of the kinds with other ingredients) until cycle 3 (only 34 days no worries!) but i eat it now because I can't cook with oil. - In cycle 2 you are supposed to alternate carb heavy versus carb light days. Today I did a carb heavy day, even though I was supposed to to a carb light one because I ran a 5K. I also ate a banana because I needed the energy after the run.. that's a cycle 3 food. I also never cut out protein bars or shakes, because i lift heavy most days.. but if you get the body fortress brand it's a compliant protein powder.

Also.. if you decide to follow this plan, you will spend a lot of time in the produce department and reading the ingredient lists on canned tomatoes, beans and other stuff. (you'll be looking for sugar free salt free ones!) And yogurt. get plain only (with the exception of 1 brand) with 2g or less of sugars and flavor it yourself at home. (does not necessarily mean light yogurt, fat free yogurt or regular, you have to read the label) Chobain fat free and regular works. carbmasters regular any flavor works. I have a list of them.

Crash diets teach us very little except how to deprive ourselves and see food as 'the enemy'.

Normally I'd agree with you.. but this one works and this one teaches you how to eat properly. It's more of a healthy eating plan or pathway then a diet. yes it restricts your food choices for the first 3 cycles (17 days each), yes it tells you to eat certain food before certain times, yes it give you a serving number not to exceed of starches and fruits each day. When you get to cycle 4, or maintenance, you eat anything you want. The plan even mentions eating desserts and sugar and other "unhealthy" foods. But it advocate and teaches moderation and control. Sort of like a cheat day for people who aren't following a plan or diet.

Ask yourself this.. Would you be more interested in a 16 day or 17 day "diet".. Or a forever change?

No thanks. I'm planning to live longer than 17 days.

LOL :laugh:

OP, I've never heard of the 17 day diet. I guess I'll have to Google it before I can criticize it. (Or talk positively about it. But most diets that are for a set amount of days tend to be very low calorie and bad for you. So I'm already assuming I'll probably have negative things to say. )

Edited after Googling: Maybe I'm just getting desperate, but it doesn't seem all that bad! Is there any way I could see this plan without having to pay for a book? Haha I know that makes me sound cheap, but I'm a college student and therefore I have no money. =P

...Im on day 7. I've lost 7.5 lbs!

1 pound = 3,500 calories

3,500 x 7.5 = 26,250 calories

Do you really believe you had a 26,250 calorie deficit in the last 7 days?

Odds are most, if not all, of that 7.5lbs was water weight... you probably would have lost just as much if you ate at maintenance, didn't over do it on sodium, and kept really well hydrated, i.e. 8+ glasses of water a day.

I had neighbors who did the 17 day diet. They were so proud and from day 1 told everyone how great it was. That was over a year ago and I believe they have now gained it all back.

17 day diet = a gimmick that can make it harder to make real changes that guarantee real long term results.

All you need is a reasonable calorie deficit and to ensure you get the required nutrients. This is so much easier than the 17 day diet plus I get to eat pizza, bacon, mcdonalds, ice cream, and whatever else I want and never go hungry.

...Im on day 7. I've lost 7.5 lbs!

1 pound = 3,500 calories

3,500 x 7.5 = 26,250 calories

Do you really believe you had a 26,250 calorie deficit in the last 7 days?

Odds are most, if not all, of that 7.5lbs was water weight... you probably would have lost just as much if you ate at maintenance, didn't over do it on sodium, and kept really well hydrated, i.e. 8+ glasses of water a day.

I had neighbors who did the 17 day diet. They were so proud and from day 1 told everyone how great it was. That was over a year ago and I believe they have now gained it all back.

17 day diet = a gimmick that can make it harder to make real changes that guarantee real long term results.

All you need is a reasonable calorie deficit and to ensure you get the required nutrients. This is so much easier than the 17 day diet plus I get to eat pizza, bacon, mcdonalds, ice cream, and whatever else I want and never go hungry.

And the first 7.5 pounds you lost? Were they not water weight?? Doubtful.

Glad for you, that you can eat pizza and ice cream and bacon and whatever else you want! If you ate all those foods you listed at the end there, everyday all day for every meal you'd lose 0, actually you'd probably gain. The sodium alone would cause you to retain water. Glad you can eat it in moderation. And just because you *can* eat something, doesn't mean you should. (btw, I can eat a lot of what you listed too, (c4!!) if choose to, even on the diet.. I just choose not to)

Some of us need guidelines to follow. Some of us need a point A to start at. Some of us need something more specific then "eat less" or "eat in deceit". Not saying that doesn't work. It does. I lost a ton doing just that. But then I stopped losing for a long long time. I tried eating more, eating less, changing exercise, changing my diet.. this worked. nothing else. and as I add more foods back in, so I can get back to "eat whatever I want, at defect and in moderation" and still lose and keep it off.

Your friends/neighbors who did it and gained it all back, simply went back to their old eating habits. They didn't embrace the book or what it teaches. Sounds like they just followed the food plan for the 3 cycles of 17 days, lost some weight and then dove back into the cookies and ice cream. Not what the book teaches. And exactly what would happen to anyone if they stopped being mindful of what they ate and just ate. Healthy eating and living is a forever change, that's what the book teaches and is what you are advocating.

I don't think you know much about this plan. The first 2 cycles are rough. The third is better and the 4 is pretty much eating the way you are advocating to eat. Only this book gives us a pathway to learn to eat that way and to learn to make better choices. It says.. start here, then step here, then step here and so on. It's goal is to teach you proper nutrition for life, and yes you lose a lot of weight in the first few weeks. Everyone i know who really follows the plan, loses a lot initially and then it balances out to normal weight loss numbers. And those who actually embrace what it teaches, keep ti off.

ETA: If you're following this plan and you're hungry, you're not doing it right. I am so full i struggle to eat enough most of the time. The days I am hungry are days I "fall off the wagon" so to speak. And yes, i know it's fake hunger because sugar is a huge trigger for me, but i have the worst time eating to satisfaction when I make bad choices.

...Im on day 7. I've lost 7.5 lbs!

1 pound = 3,500 calories

3,500 x 7.5 = 26,250 calories

Do you really believe you had a 26,250 calorie deficit in the last 7 days?

Odds are most, if not all, of that 7.5lbs was water weight... you probably would have lost just as much if you ate at maintenance, didn't over do it on sodium, and kept really well hydrated, i.e. 8+ glasses of water a day.

I had neighbors who did the 17 day diet. They were so proud and from day 1 told everyone how great it was. That was over a year ago and I believe they have now gained it all back.

17 day diet = a gimmick that can make it harder to make real changes that guarantee real long term results.

All you need is a reasonable calorie deficit and to ensure you get the required nutrients. This is so much easier than the 17 day diet plus I get to eat pizza, bacon, mcdonalds, ice cream, and whatever else I want and never go hungry.

And the first 7.5 pounds you lost? Were they not water weight?? Doubtful.

Glad for you, that you can eat pizza and ice cream and bacon and whatever else you want! If you ate all those foods you listed at the end there, everyday all day for every meal you'd lose 0, actually you'd probably gain. The sodium alone would cause you to retain water. Glad you can eat it in moderation. And just because you *can* eat something, doesn't mean you should. (btw, I can eat a lot of what you listed too, (c4!!) if choose to, even on the diet.. I just choose not to)

Nope, calories in vs calories out for weight loss.

If a person eats pizza, ice cream, bacon, etc....and stays in a deficit. They'll lose weight.

I didn't try the diet, mostly cause the foods didn't sound very appetizing. I loved the 17 day workout though and that helped me lose some weight.

My sister and grandma tried the diet part and said that after 3 days they were beyond starving! My sister was begging my grandma to cook her some actual food.

I didn't try the diet, mostly cause the foods didn't sound very appetizing. I loved the 17 day workout though and that helped me lose some weight.

My sister and grandma tried the diet part and said that after 3 days they were beyond starving! My sister was begging my grandma to cook her some actual food.

You have to eat A LOT of the foods in cycle one or you will be starving. The first 3-5 days are the hardest. You are adjusting to eating differently then you are used to eating. It's very clean and very low calorie foods. So you have to eat a lot. My plates overflow with food. I have to use the bigger plates, instead of the smaller one I usually eat off of. It gets better after the 1st week. Once your body stops craving sugar and carbs, it normalizes and that stuff goes away. Once you start realizing that you need to eat *more* and do so, you are full all the time. You cant' follow the suggested meal plan in the book, it's too low calorie. but stir fry, salads, Spanish eggs, snickerdoodle pudding, Baked or pan seared fish!!!! YUM!! Vegetable soup! Chicken salad! Protein cake!! Tuna melts!! Egg roll ups!! There are so many options! The first 3-5 days suck, but after that it gets much much better!

I make my own ice cream if I want it. :~)

and pudding..
and pizza

and i'm glad it fills you. Pizza tastes good, but it makes my tummy hurt and i'm always hungry not long after. Although when I go visit where i grew up. I always get 1 slice at the boardwalk. There is just some things you have to put yourself through. :~p

Different strokes for different folks.

Also, you can have bacon on this plan. Just not in the beginning.

One thing that appealed to me about this diet was it's focus on helping cutting sugars/carbs and getting your digestive track working properly. I've known people, myself included, who have used this plan to help with their digestive health. Unfortunately for myself, it's yogurt heavy and I am lactose intolerant so it made things worse for me. And with such restrictions in the beginning, I couldn't do it.

But I know a lot of people who have been successful with it. I lost weight and yes I gained it back. I don't blame this eating plan, I blame the fact I went back to eating horribly and not working out. I know there are lots of gimmicks, and I'm sure a lot of people on here have tried them all, but this never really hit me as a gimmick. It's more of a "how I should eat plan"....it is restrictive, but some people function better with restrictions and some don't. If it's working for you and you are learning from it and forming good eating habits then good luck to you!

2 positive things about this program 1. I'm not hungry 2. I dont have any sugar or junk food cravings.

I only hae about 20 or 25 pounds to lose when I started and I've lost 13 so far.. just starting C3D1 today. I fell off the wagon a few days and I don't follow it strictly because of my exercise. So i'm sure you'll do great! Yes I love that it pretty much annihilates the junk food/sugar cravings and i'm never hungry either.. well this second I am.. but I just woke up. It's breakfast time. lol