Taking it off with the 17 Day Diet
Test subject: “The 17 Day Diet,” the best-selling diet book by San Diego-based physician Dr. Mike Moreno.
The big picture: A staple on The New York Times best-seller list since its release earlier this year, “The 17 Day Diet” promises to blast belly fat and produce “fast results that last.” Could the local doctor’s plan help me reverse the dietary damage inflicted by my recent summer-vacation indulgences? I started the diet on Aug. 30, the day “The 17 Day Diet Workbook” hit bookstores. Here’s how it went.
Welcome to my (diet) nightmare: The rude awakening came early with the shocking discovery that the 17 Day Diet does not last 17 days. In fact, it is a series of three 17-day diets, each a tad more lenient than the last. That 51-day (!) program is followed by the “Arrive Cycle,” in which dieters follow one of the previous three cycles during the week and treat themselves to their favorite foods over the weekend.
Apparently, that final cycle is supposed to last for the rest of your skinny life, and even Dr. Mike’s assurance that Arrive dieters should “feel free to enjoy one cup of vegetable juice as a snack” did not make me feel good about this new math.
So I took my cue from the first chapter of Moreno’s first book. It’s called “Just Give Me 17 Days,” and that’s what I did.
Broccoli and yogurt and eggs, oh dear: What could I eat in those first 17 days? Unlimited lean proteins. Unlimited non-starchy vegetables. Two fruits a day; two servings of digestively friendly probiotic foods (yogurt, miso, sauerkraut); multiple cups of green tea and one to two tablespoons of olive or flaxseed oil. Dieters are also expected to exercise at least 17 minutes every day.
What couldn’t I eat? Rice, pasta, grains, beans, squash, nuts, bananas, potatoes, most dairy products and anything resembling a dessert. Also, no milk in my beloved morning coffee and no alcohol at all. And no vegetable juice. Not even as a snack.
The good, the bad and the kefir: As a past practitioner of the Zone Diet and Weight Watchers’ “core” program, I was familiar with the whole high-protein/low-carb routine, but I had forgotten how boring it can be.
From Aug. 30 to September 15, breakfast was yogurt and fruit or scrambled egg-whites and fruit. Lunch was a salad with protein and dinner was protein with a vegetable. Also fruit after lunch, yogurt in the late afternoon and the surprisingly tasty kefir (liquid yogurt) before bed. And insane sugar cravings every single day.
My biggest problem with the 17 Day Diet was the lack of wiggle room. Unlike Weight Watchers, where virtuous meals can earn you snacks, desserts and the occasional alcoholic beverage, Dr. Mike is pretty much all business all the time. Sadly, I was not.
Chew confessions: Yes, I cheated. To the tune of two Corona Lites, one glass of wine, one brownie, one sliver of Bundt cake, and approximately 10 cups of coffee with 1 percent milk. And on the night of the blackout when I was afraid to open the refrigerator, one handful of almonds and a bowl of cereal with no milk. They were delicious.
The verdict: At 5 feet, 4 inches tall and 129.8 pounds, I didn’t need to lose much weight to begin with. Factor in my already decent-enough eating and exercise habits, and I was not an ideal candidate for rapid weight loss. And I did not lose weight rapidly.
I lost 4.6 pounds in 17 days, which is less than I’d hoped for but probably as much as I deserved. So while the promise of legumes and grains in Cycle 2 is not enough to make me stick with the 17 Day Diet, I can button my jeans without fear of untimely bursting, and I have Dr. Mike to thank for that. I will raise a branch of broccoli in his honor, but there is no way I’m eating it.
