The 17 Day Diet is a four stage program aimed at rapid weight loss through a combination of low carb, high lean protein, probiotics and (like every diet) calorie restriction - like many diets this last part is not explicit in the directions but a consequence of the program.
The first three stages (Accelerate, Activate and Achieve) run for 17 days each, while the fourth stage (Arrive) is ongoing maintenance. The underlying premise is that altering intake (in terms of both caloric value and composition) causes 'body confusion,' preventing a slowing in metabolism that might otherwise occur. Why seventeen days? No idea - it must be magic.
Stage 1 is the most restrictive. Though a sample 17 day menu's provided, the formula is the same for every day: a glass of hot water with the juice of half a lemon and three cups of green tea (to speed metabolism), three servings of lean animal protein in the form of poultry, fish and eggs (though tofu can be substituted), one large salad with olive or linseed oil and vinegar, one large serving of steamed vegetables, two servings of fruit and two servings of probiotic (Yakult, yoghurt, kefir, tempeh). With the exception of Yakult (a small bottle) and salad dressing (one tablespoon of oil, two of balsamic vinegar) there's no restriction on serving sizes; the variety of allowable foods, though extensive, is limited to "low sugar" produce, and eggs are only allowed daily, in the form of two whole eggs, one whole and two whites, or four egg whites. The program also allows unlimited amounts of salsa and other low-calorie condiments.So day 1 is:
Breakfast
2 scrambled egg whites
1/2 grapefruit of other fresh fruit
1 cup of green tea
Lunch
Large green salad topped with tuna and dressing
1 cup of green tea
Dinner
Plenty of grilled chicken with liberal amounts of any vegetable on the list, raw or steamed
1 cup of green tea
Snacks
175g sugar-free natural yoghurt or other probiotic serving mixed with 1 - 2 tablespoons sugar-free jam
1 serving of fruit from the list
Moreno's clearly not particularly interested in food as cuisine - the suggested snacks devolve by day 6 to "2nd serving of fruit, 2nd serving of probiotic." There are twenty-two recipes included, ranging from the 17 ingredient (coincidence?) "Dr Mike's Power Cookie" to the blending of kefir, fruit and yoghurt into a "Yoghurt Fruitshake" and I see online that US participants in some places have the option of meal delivery. I found it particularly annoying that the recipes, which are included as an appendix, aren't in any particular order - time of day, occurrence in the program, or alphabetical, making it harder than it needs to be to see what exactly the "Taco Salad" comprises.
The 'Activate' stage starts on day 18 and introduces alternate day additions - a wider range of proteins (shellfish and lean cuts of red meat), limited quantities of low GI (though he doesn't say that) grains, pulses and starchy vegetables.
A sample menu at random:
Breakfast
25g porridge oats, cooked (I assume in water but Moreno doesn't specify)
4 egg whites, scrambled
1 peach, sliced
1 cup of green tea
Lunch
Prawn salad: cooked prawns, 30g of chopped onion, generous bed of lettuce leaves, 1 tomato (large) and 1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 baked sweet potato, medium
1 cup of green tea
Dinner
Pork chops, grilled
Steamed veggies
1 cup of green tea
Snacks
150g blueberries with 175g sugar-free fruit-flavoured yoghurt
175g sugar free fruit-flavoured yoghurt or 240ml kefir
Stage 3 ('Achieve') kicks in at day 35 and adds an optional glass of wine per day; a slightly expanded protein range (fat-free turkey bacon, some game); a slice of multi- or wholegrain bread, cereal and pasta; and wider ranges of fruit, vegetables, dairy, snacks and fats (including nuts and avocado).
A sample day:
Breakfast
225g sugar free fruit-flavoured yoghurt
45g Muesli or organic granola
1 piece of fresh fruit (i.e., 1 peach, 1/4 cantaloupe, 1/2 grapefruit or 1 orange)
1 cup of green tea
Lunch
Tomato stuffed with crab salad: mix lump crab meat with 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons chopped celery and serve on a generous bed of lettuce
Medium jacket potato with 1 tablespoon of fat-free sour cream or 100g brown or Basmati rice
1 medium eating apple
1 cup of green tea
Dinner
Roast beef, silverside
Courgette, sauteed with 1 tablespoon olive oil and Italian spices
1 cup of green tea
Snacks
2nd probiotic, dairy or dairy substitute serving
1 frozen fruit bar
"Courgette"? Yes, though bought in Australia this is the British version of The 17 Day Diet, so all the weights are given in both metric and Imperial, and "lorries" are used to explain biochemical processes. There are also references to tilapia, which are cultivated in the UK and US but categorised as noxious invaders in Australia.
The final stage ('Arrive') is a modified program aimed at long-term adherence - for five days a week follow any of the menus from stages one to three, with a more liberal (but not wholly abandoned) approach from Friday night over the weekend. Still, Moreno cautions, avoid binging and maintain moderation, just loosen things a little. He also recommends exercise throughout the program, once again magically - 17 minutes of gentle daily exercise during the first phase, doubling that up for the second stage, and maybe increasing the intensity for the duration.
There are several things I really like about The 17 Day Diet, at least in theory. There's acknowledgment that menstruation derails programs, and a corresponding modification for that week (including brazil nuts for selenium and a little dark chocolate if craved); there are cultural adaptations for a number of culinary tastes, with corresponding differences in emphasis on flavours and produce; and I believe this is the first program I've seen that specifically addresses the problem of shift work, particularly when carbohydrate intake is prohibited after a set time (in this case 2PM).
For the most part Moreno gives an explanation for his restrictions and requirements, citing studies about rapid weight loss, diet-linked conditions (like heart disease), and the impetus for the program appears to be strongly tied to his clinical practice as a physician.
This is also the first diet book I've seen that mentions any of the benefits of being fat, from improved bone density to better heart disease and diabetes statistics for women with fatter thighs. The whole book, however, is strongly weighted to women readers - in the section discussing health benefits of his program Moreno references slipping in to a little black dress, which leaves out any non-girly women and all but the cross-dressing men, and his description of research into improved sex with weight loss focuses only on extremely obese women who have a poor body image.
There were several thing I didn't like about The 17 Day Diet. I'm not a huge fan of programs that eliminate whole categories of food, but at least the 17 Day Diet reintroduces them after a comparatively short time.
I am extremely dubious about the power of hot water and lemon juice to detox, increase metabolic rate, aid digestion or in fact do much more than create ritual and ensure adequate vitamin C intake, but this element is common in many diets.
There's also the warning to consume fruit or carbohydrates after two o'clock, when they'll magically turn from energy to fat, although carb-rich vegetables are included in dinner. There are other unexplained magical elements, like 17 day cycles and 17 minutes of exercise, but I think the bullshit factor's lower than most programs. I'm starting it today, so check our other blog for how it works out in practice. - Alex
From the back of the book -
In 2002, Sally Symonds was a professional success but a personal failure. Weighing in at 106.5kg and wearing size 24, Sally devised her own easy but highly effective way to lose weight that saw her drop a staggering 45kg in 33 weeks. Unlike many others, Sally not only kept the weight off, she lost even more.
This book follows the step-by-step approach she adopted to transform herself from a food-loving, exercise-loathing workaholic to the happy, healthy and (mostly!) wholesome person she is today.
Refreshingly honest, Sally’s mixture of creative yet practical strategies show you fun and worry-free ways to efficient and effective weight loss.
This book is what everyone needs to follow in Sally’s footsteps.
I’ve been feeling a little unmotivated of late (somewhat of an understatement there), so when I saw this book in my local library I borrowed it hoping to find inspiration. After all, it’s subtitled The inspirational story of how one woman halved her weight and doubled her life.
Unlike many weight loss stories this one isn’t pimping any particular program. In fact, one of the things that attracted me to the book was the author’s statement that, to paraphrase, she hadn’t included a lot of food and exercise information because most serial dieters already know that stuff. I also shared her frustration at the lack of stories from people who are confident and successful in other aspects of their lives but simply couldn’t lose weight. In short I thought I’d finally found a story I could relate to.
That is until page two where she admits to having a 250g chocolate block a day habit. And there she lost me. If anyone goes from eating that much chocolate a day to none at all of course they’ll lose weight, even if they do nothing else at all. That is not to say that she didn’t overhaul her entire lifestyle, because according to her book she did.
Still this wasn’t going to be the book I had hoped for. You know, one for those of us that have a mostly healthy diet and exercise regularly and still struggle to lose or maintain weight.
Much of what she says we’ve all heard before (and on a personal note I’ve done in the past or currently do). So unless you’re taking your first steps there’s nothing new here.
I can’t say that I didn’t get anything from this book but it was more of a refresher course than anything else. Like so many mothers I don’t have the luxury of being able to put myself first but it seems, from this and other stories, that the only way to succeed with weight loss is to make it your top priority.
It’s an attitude (and attendant behaviour) I have to consider very seriously before I apply it.-Lynn
As everyone knows, the Western world is apparently in the midst of an obesity epidemic that threatens to make this generation of children the first to live shorter lives than their parents. While I have significant issues with this whole concept, and with the increasing correlation of thinness with healthiness and fatness as horrific, with too little attention paid to fitness as a goal in itself rather than a means to weight loss, there is no question that most people have no concept of what constitutes a portion of pretty much anything. I, for example, know that I eat well but entirely too much, and I'm sure I'm not aloneIn Portion Perfection: a visual weight control plan, nutritionist Clark aims to change all that. To no little extent a marketing vehicle for her products (a plate and bowl, heavily featured in this glossily photographed book, that are marked with regions for salad/vegies, carbohydrates and protein), there is a lot here that's valuable for the would be dieter, or anyone whose knowledge of portions is shaky.Clark opens with a discussion of how manufacturers have shifted our perception of what a serving is, comparing the sizes of take away coffee, chocolate bars, flavoured milk and chips now to their counterparts twenty years ago; in most cases the calories have doubled, and for coffee the increase is over 5 times as much. A meal should be 300-500 calories, and a snack 100-200, but all these examples contain far more calories than a snack, and some of them hit up against the far end of a meal size, a frightening thought for any of us who've washed a meal down with 600ml of soft drink (245 calories) or chocolate milk (440). Clarke discusses how this change came about, pointing out that spending more money on food you don't need, regardless of a reduction in the per gram cost, is no saving for your wallet or waist. She also points out that the manufacturer's serving size may widely differ from that of the average consumer, so that a 200g pot of chocolate dessert, though the same size as a serving of yoghurt, contains five servings, even if it can be polished off in a couple of minutes.I very much liked the meal suggestions that follow - Clark distinguishes between everyday and occasional foods, providing portions for each that stay within the caloric bounds of healthy eating. Each meal has three calorie options - for breakfast that's 300, 400 and 500 calories, while lunch and dinner have 350, 450 and 550 versions. Clearly and lavishly illustrated, there are photos of foods under each category, all around the same calorie equivalency. The everyday snacks, for example, are all roughly 100 calories, and categorised as fruit (6 small apricots, 1.5 cups of strawberries), dairy (variously sized individual tubs of yoghurt, one Paddle Pop, 200ml skim milk with a heaped teaspoon of Milo), nuts and seeds6 macadamias, 2 tablespoons of pepitas) etc. The occasional options have the same average calorie content but are higher in fat and GI. The size of a serving of apple pie (no cream or icecream) is distressingly small, as is the discovery that a 350 calorie lunch is 4 chicken nuggets and 8 hot chips!And that's the worth of this book - when you can easily see that, for your calories you can have a small sausage roll or 1.5 cups of starchy vegetable soup with a piece of bread and butter, or a generous plate of pasta, ham and salad there's no comparison. And knowing that a single Lindor ball or two chupa chups take the same bite out of a daily allowance as the more filling options of three oatmeal biscuits, a tub of diet chocolate mousse, or a small apple and a small pear means I'm far less likely to mindlessly scoff the former. the plate and bowl may well help, and I think I'll borrow Portion Perfection from the library every few months to refresh myself, but for now just reading the book has been a great help as I gear up for healthier eating. - Alex
Subtitled Drop the Weight, Change Your Life, this is US Biggest Loser trainer Michaels’ take on weight loss and exercise. She takes the reader through a three-part process aimed at long-term weight loss. The first section, Self, looks at the psychological aspects of pre-preparation – how to set realistic goals, looking at why there’s a problem in the first place, how to set yourself up for success (removing temptation from the kitchen, for example), and an introduction to behaviour modification.
The second section, Science, explores different aspects of nutrition – the differences between various kinds of carbohydrates and why some are better than others, an overview of Glycemic Index and discussion of Glycemic Load Index, the difference between good and bat fats, translation of food labels, and hints on eating in and eating out.
The third section, Sweat, covers exercise – how muscles work and which is which, what kind of exercise to do, what intensity to work at and for how long, a series of exercises (complete with photos), and a workout schedule. Michaels believes that the best workout focuses on one group of muscles at a time, in a variety of ranges, with a two day break before concentrating on that area again. Her schedule begins with the front muscles – chest, shoulders, triceps and quads and the abdominal muscles – followed the next day by the dorsal and side muscles – back, biceps, hamstrings, glutes and oblique abdominals. The third day is a rest day, followed by front work, back work, a general cardio routine on the sixth day and a final day of rest before beginning again. There’s a lot of variety in her routine, and many of the pictured exercises have variations for beginners and/or advanced exercisers. The schedule runs for twelve weeks, increasing in intensity and duration over that time.
One of the things I found most interesting in Winning by Losing is the idea that there are three different metabolic types, depending on how quickly nutrients are broken down, and that your type influences what kind of nutritional balance you should have. Fast oxidisers, who have a rapid breakdown of carbs and consequently have rapid release of insulin, should eat more fat and protein, to slow carbohydrate release; slow oxidisers should do the opposite to avoid delaying glucose release and therefore energy to exercise; while balanced oxidisers should have a fairly even mix of fat, protein and carbohydrate.
How do you know what kind of oxidiser you are? Take the 48-item questionnaire, which covers topics as varied as your response to different foods before sleeping, how red meat makes you feel, and your response to insect bites. If nothing else, this exercise made me think a lot more, and in a different way, about food – I’d never previously considered whether I concentrate better after eating fruit and grains or red meat and fatty food, or whether certain foods made me feel depressed.
I’m apparently a balanced oxidiser – I should have a 40/30/30 mix of carbohydrates, protein and fat, and only have high purine foods like anchovies or organ meats in conjunction with low purine foods like tuna and low fat yoghurt. However, some of these answers were not quickly apparent, and I put Winning by Losing to one side for a couple of weeks while working out how I responded to different foods, somewhat losing the impetus to follow through in the process. There is a quicker way to find out what type you are – take 50mg of niacin (a B-group vitamin, so it won’t hurt you) on an empty stomach. If you flush immediately you’re likely a quick oxidiser, if not at all then slow, and somewhere in the middle means you’re balanced. Alternatively, take 1g of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) an hour for eight consecutive hours – balanced oxidisers feel less acidic, rapid oxidisers feel more acidic or get gut symptoms like gas or nausea, and slow oxidisers feel nothing.
I quite liked Michaels’ approach to calorie intake. In addition to basal metabolic rate she provides calculation to work out your active metabolic rate, which is a more refined and individualised picture of how many calories you need over a week to maintain your current weight – each pound (approximately 400g) of fat takes 3,500 calories expended to lose, so working out how much food depends on overall weight loss goals, and Michaels doesn’t prescribe a specific intake. She does, however, have two strong suggestions – never let daily calorie intake dip below 1,200 calories for women or 1,500 calories for men, or you risk tipping your body into survival mode, meaning it will hold on to stored energy and decrease metabolic rate. The second caveat is that you should vary your calorie intake every day, to avoid your body adjusting to your new program and slowing metabolism that way. Michaels recommends working out your weekly requirement (say 9,800 calories) then creating a daily diet that swings between a relative high and a low at or above the safe minimum. The example she gives is a weekly intake of 9,800 calories, divided into days of 1,200/1,500/1,200/1,600/ 1,200/1,400/1,700.
This all sounds like quite a bit of work, and I think I might skip that portion of the program. I also think I need to have a little more stamina, endurance, and upper body strength, along with smaller breasts and a more supportive sports bra, before doing her routine. I'm looking at something of a body makeover in the next few months, which is why there's been an uncharacteristic increase in the exercise books of late, and I may come back to Winning by Losing when I'm ready to make a commitment. Right now I suspect that if I started Michaels' program it'd be just another thing I failed - Alex
