A Book Review of Sorts: The 17 Day Diet by Dr. Mike Moreno

Title: The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor’s Plan Designed for Rapid Results
Author: Dr. Mike Moreno
Publisher: Free Press
Publication Date: March 25, 2011
Harcover: 256 pages
ISBN: 9978-0615419176
Genre: Diet, Weightloss

From the Publisher:

If you need to shed pounds fast and in a safe, effective, and lasting way, this is the book for you! Unlike many diet programs that starve you down to size, Dr. Mike Moreno’s 17 Day Diet relies on proven methods to help you take weight off and keep it off for good—whether you’ve got 10 pounds to lose or 100. His revolutionary program adjusts your body metabolically so that you burn fat day in and day out. The program is structured around four 17 day cycles:
Accelerate—the rapid weight loss portion that helps flush sugar and fat storage from your system

Activate—the metabolic restart portion with alternating low and high calorie days to help shed body fat

Achieve—this phase is about learning to control portions and introducing new fitness routines

Arrive—a combination of the first three cycles to keep good habits up for good. On weekends, enjoy your favorite foods!

Each cycle changes your calorie count and the food that you’re eating. The variation that Dr. Mike calls ‘body confusion’ keeps your metabolism guessing; this means that you can expect big changes in the first 17 days alone!

This is not a diet that relies on a tiny list of approved foods, grueling exercise routines, or unrealistic calorie counts that leave you hungry and unfulfilled. Moderation and proper portions are key factors in the 17 Day Diet—the trick is to figure out the foods and routines that work best with your real lifestyle. That’s why the book is filled with tips for how to avoid the usual food pitfalls like holidays, eating out, or even just a tempting candy jar. Along with a comprehensive explanation of how each segment works, every phase comes with an extensive list of foods, recipes, and sample meal plans to help make grocery shopping a breeze. Because of the diversity that you are allowed from the very beginning of the program, there is a way to make this diet work with almost any food allergies you might have or what cuisine you’re used to eating.

The 17 Day Diet is a simple plan that gets big, long-lasting results if you stick with it and let Dr. Mike help you along the way. Whether this is your first attempt at dieting or your fiftieth, you must believe that you can do this. What matters now is focusing on your goals, identifying what you need to get there.

My Review:

The 17 Day Diet by Dr. Mike Moreno is merely another diet book in a sea of “how to” books. When asked to review this book for the tour, I was supposed to share with readers my results. I have none to share, as this book did not follow what my trainer or I deemed appropriate for me. The publisher’s summery above does explain the diet itself fairly well. Every 17 days the diet changes, to prevent it from becoming a habit. The maintenance was the least objectionable of the cycles, yet I followed none. In the first round of the 17 days the dieter is advised to not consume any carbohydrates after 2pm, it is no wonder the dieter is also asked to only exercise via walking 17 minutes per day during that first 17 day period. Carbohydrates are not evil, yet one of fastest way to shed water weight is to restrict carbohydrates, and Dr. Moreno is quick to point out that water weight really is fat and the dieter should not discount water weight, which I disagree with to a degree. Yes, losing water weight will make the scale go down and may help the dieter stick with a programme, yet carbohydrates are essential for the body, especially if one does exercise more than 17 minutes a day. I could continue on with the many discrepancies my trainer and I found, but it really would serve no purpose. Those who are looking for yet another fast way to weight loss may enjoy this method, those looking for health, move more, eat less, and choose foods wisely.

About the Author:

Dr. Michael Rafael Moreno, better known as “Dr. Mike,” is a graduate of the University of California at Irvine and Hahnemann Medical School (now Drexel University). Following his residency at Kaiser Permanente in Fontana, California, Dr. Mike moved to San Diego, where he now practices family medicine and sits on the board of the San Diego Chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians. In 2008, Dr. Mike launched “Walk with Your Doc,” which he participates in every Tuesday and Thursday morning before his workday begins. The program began when Dr. Mike offered to walk with a patient to motivate her to exercise and has since grown into a thriving community Dr. Mike takes pride in being viewed not only as a doctor, but also as a friend and confidant.

I received a complimentary copy of The 17 Day Diet by Dr. Mike Moreno from Free Press. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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