17-Day Diet: How to Lose Weight

With the 17-day diet we should be able to lose weight in a healthy way and without starving. We explain how the method works and what it can bring.

What is the 17-day diet?

The 17-day diet is a dietary concept of the Californian doctor Dr. Michael Moreno, which is intended to help people to eat healthy food in the long term. The method manages without overly complicated rules and aims primarily at reducing carbohydrates, fat and sugar. Contrary to what the name might at first suggest, however, the diet is not only 17 days long – instead it consists of four phases, each lasting 17 days. In the first two phases in particular, the pounds are supposed to just fall off.

The 17-day diet consists of these four phases

Since each of the four phases of the 17-day diet also lasts 17 days, a total of 68 days should be planned for the implementation of the nutritional concept. In general, the diet focuses mainly on fresh and unprocessed food, and no convenience products are used. In addition, Dr. Moreno recommends listening more to one’s own feelings of hunger and satiety again. Basically, the body knows what it needs and when – if you can interpret the signals correctly and eat accordingly, you don’t have to count calories.

Of course, the following applies: If you eat the same way after the diet as before, you risk gaining the successfully lost kilos again. In general, however, the diet according to Moreno introduces us well to healthy eating and the last phase explicitly aims at maintaining the new healthy habits. Here we will now explain the individual phases of the diet:

Phase 1 – Heat-up

In the first phase of the concept, according to Dr. Moreno, one should be able to lose up to 450 grams daily (!). However, the first phase is also the most difficult – especially bread and pasta lovers might have problems with the diet. The following foods are allowed:

• Vegetables, especially low-starch varieties such as aubergines, green salad, tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, roots and spinach
• Lean meat, e.g. turkey or chicken
• Eggs
• Fish
• Fruit, preferably low-sugar varieties such as pears, apples, berries and oranges
• Probiotic food, e.g. kefir, cottage cheese and yoghurt
• Healthy fats, e.g. olive or nut oil

In this phase, the following applies: in the morning, always drink a glass of hot lemon water on an empty stomach; in general, at least two litres of water should be drunk daily. Until 2 p.m. only low-sugar fruits are on the menu, after that you can also eat eggs, fish and meat. You should also eat probiotic food twice a day. According to Moreno, those who stick to the plan should improve their digestion and permanently lower their blood sugar levels. At the same time the fat burning is stimulated and prevents new fat deposits from accumulating.

Phase 2 – Activation

In phase 2, the metabolism is reprogrammed from scratch by changing the diet from phase one and two daily. By constantly changing the stimulus with different foods and different calorie amounts, no routines are set up – this should keep the metabolism going. The following foods are allowed in this part of the diet (in addition to those from phase one)

• Healthy, starchy side dishes such as bulgur, couscous, quinoa, rice and pulses
• Seafood, e.g. mussels, crabs and oysters
• Vegetables containing starch such as potatoes, pumpkin, corn or sweet potatoes

Phase 3 – Balancing

In this phase of the diet, previously banned foods such as bread, alcohol or desserts are allowed again in moderation. Otherwise, the daily change of food from the first two phases will be maintained. The following foods may now be consumed again in small quantities:

• Bread and pasta (preferably wholemeal!)
• Desserts
• Alcohol
• Cheese

The wholemeal varieties of bread and pasta in particular prevent the blood sugar level from rising too high, which could otherwise lead to ravenous appetite.

Phase 4 – Arrival

In the fourth phase, the main aim is to maintain the newly learned eating habits so that the yo-yo effect does not strike in the end. The following applies: Monday to Friday, the diet from the first three phases remains the same; from Friday lunchtime onwards, you can treat yourself to a little more of what you feel like. But here too, don’t overdo it – you should continue to take care not to eat too many carbohydrates, fats and too much sugar. The arrival phase is somewhat reminiscent of interval fasting and should help you to maintain your new dream weight permanently.

A question of movement

As with probably all weight loss concepts, regular exercise is also recommended for the 17-day diet parallel to the change of diet. Interesting in this case: During the first two phases, the body is already stressed enough with the change of diet, so only light exercise such as yoga is recommended here at first. From phase 3 on, however, it’s time to work out: at best, a 45-minute workout should be on the schedule every day. If you can’t manage that, it’s best to incorporate additional exercise into your daily routine, for example by cycling to work.

How much will I lose on the 17-day diet?

In general, the doctor points out that the 17-day diet is mainly about finding and maintaining the personal feel-good weight. Especially in phase 1, however, he assumes an average weight loss of four to five kilos – and the further away from normal weight at the start of the diet, the more you can lose weight. For slimmer people, however, a total weight loss of two kilos can be remarkable, and people who are clearly overweight can lose up to ten kilos through the diet.

The 17-day diet: Our conclusion

Basically, the diet certainly helps to switch to a healthy diet in four phases. Overall, the concept pays attention to a good distribution between complex carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats, so that one is supplied with all important nutrients during the diet. In addition, unhealthy foods such as sweets are only completely removed from the diet in the first two phases and can then be eaten in moderation. If you would like to change your diet step by step, you can try this method without hesitation. The only catch: a certain amount of discipline is also required for the 17-day diet. Especially those who love bread, noodles and the like must be able to pull themselves together in phase one and two day after day to keep to the plan.

You want more help losing weight? Here we reveal our best slimming tips on how to lose weight without hunger.