Post updated April 14, 2026
Are You Ready to Lose Weight With The 17 Day Diet?
The 17 Day Diet is broken down into four cycles of 17 days each. Yes, that’s why it’s called the 17 Day Diet! 😉
The 17 Day Diet is perfect for those who want to lose weight while eating real food. It’s not about restriction, it’s more about a lifestyle. Many who are on the 17 Day Diet say it feels like less of a diet and more of a way of life.
Each cycle has a very specific purpose, and I’m going to take you through each one, including how to maximize your weight loss during each phase.
I’m also sharing all the important links to each cycle food list, samples of menus and meal plans, and yummy recipes!
Make sure you bookmark this post for easy reference!
At a Glance: What is The 17 Day Diet?
- Four cycles of 17 days each
- Focuses on lean protein, cleansing vegetables, probiotics
- No added sugars or refined carbs in Cycle 1
- Designed to prevent plateaus through metabolic confusion during Cycle 2
- Created by Dr. Mike Moreno
- Works alongside 17 minutes of daily low-impact exercise
Cycle 1 (Accelerate Cycle)
Cycle 1 of the 17 Day Diet is where most people experience their most rapid weight loss. It’s also known as the “detox cycle”, and for good reason.
During Cycle 1, you’ll remove added sugars, refined carbs, starchy vegetables, grains, and high-sugar fruits from your diet.
In their place, you’ll load up on unlimited lean proteins, cleansing vegetables, two low-sugar fruits before 2pm, two probiotics, and limited healthy fats.
You’ll stay on this cycle for no more than 17 days.
Key Facts:
- Duration: 17 days
- Goal: Detox, rapid initial weight loss
- What you eat: Lean proteins, cleansing vegetables, 2 low-sugar fruits, 2 probiotics, limited healthy fats
- What to avoid: Added sugars, refined carbs, starchy vegetables
- Exercise: 17 minutes low-impact daily
- Expected results: 7-11 lbs for many people (individual results vary)
What to Expect
Most expect to see rapid weight loss in the first 3 to 5 days. This most likely will be water weight, however, you may notice fat loss as well.
As you decrease your carbohydrates and increase water intake, you may notice more headaches and low energy as a result of your new diet. It’s important during the first few days to ensure you are not depleting electrolytes as well as making sure you’re consuming enough calories.
During Cycle 1, it’s important to remember that you’re allowed to enjoy as much approved lean proteins and cleansing vegetables. So while you are restricting some foods, others are there for you to enjoy in unlimited quantities so you should never feel hungry during this cycle.
Cycle 1 Resources
Cycle 2 (Activate Cycle)
Cycle 2 of the 17 Day Diet is where you’ll switch things up a bit to confuse your metabolism. Also known as the “body confusion cycle,” you’ll stay on this cycle no longer than 17 days.
The Cycle 2 portion of the plan is all about keeping your body from hitting a plateau through alternating high and low caloric days.
It’s in this cycle where you’ll start adding in other lean proteins, starchy vegetables, grains, and legumes from an expanded food list.
Key Facts:
- Duration: 17 days
- Goal: Prevent plateau, continue weight loss
- What you eat: Alternates between Cycle 1 days and expanded food days (adds lean proteins, starches before 2pm)
- Exercise: Continue 17 minutes low-impact daily
- Expected results: More inches lost than pounds! Take measurements before starting!
What to Expect
The alternating days of Cycle 2 can feel a little confusing at first, but most people find their groove quickly. Give yourself a day or two to get used to the rhythm.
Don’t be discouraged if the scale slows down compared to Cycle 1. This is completely normal. Take your measurements before starting Cycle 2 as most people are surprised to find they’re losing inches even when the scale isn’t moving as fast.
Some find the expanded food choices in Cycle 2 actually make it easier to stick to the diet. Others find the extra options tempting. Either way, remember that Cycle 1 days are always there to anchor you.
One Quick Tip:
It may be difficult to stay on track with all of the extra food choices in Cycle 2. Remember, you get to choose how you incorporate the diet into your weight loss journey.
If you feel like the temptation is too much, try alternating to your cycle 2 day after having two cycle 1 days. I explain how to customize the 17 Day Diet Cycle 2 portion of the plan to fit into your lifestyle.
Cycle 2 Resources
Cycle 3 (Achieve Cycle)
Cycle 3 of the 17 Day Diet is all about making better choices, keeping food portions in check, increasing exercise and maintaining healthy eating habits.
You’ll have the option to stay on this cycle as long as you need to in order to lose weight, or you can stay on Cycle 3 for 17 days before returning to a previous cycle to continue another round of the diet.
The 17 Day Diet Cycle 3 portion of the plan is about increasing your food choices, including breads, pastas and higher-sugar fruits by 2pm.
As you expand your starchy foods, you’ll also increase your exercise.
Key Facts:
- Duration: 17 days
- Goal: Body composition changes, build sustainable habits
- What you eat: Expanded options, starches allowed before 2pm (avoid after if still losing)
- Alcohol: Avoid if weight loss is the priority
- Tip: Use the Transitional Day Fast every 7 days during this cycle
- Expected results: Scale may slow but dress sizes often drop
What to Expect
Cycle 3 is often where people feel the most mentally challenged. The scale may slow down or even stall, which can feel discouraging after the momentum of Cycles 1 and 2.
This is completely normal and expected. What’s happening beneath the surface is a shift from weight loss to body composition changes. Your clothes may start fitting differently even when the number on the scale isn’t moving much.
Take measurements before starting Cycle 3 if you haven’t already. Many people are surprised to find they’ve dropped a dress or pant size even during a week when the scale barely budged.
Stay the course. Cycle 3 is less about the scale and more about building the habits that will carry you into Cycle 4 and beyond.
Still Have More Weight to Lose?
Once you’re finished with Cycle 3, you can proceed to Cycle 4 if you’ve reached your goal. However, if you still have weight to lose, consider going back to Cycle 1 for another full round of the 17 Day Diet.
Cycle 3 Resources
Cycle 4 (Arrive Cycle)
Cycle 4 is called the “Arrive” cycle, and the name says it all. You’ve reached your goal weight and now it’s time to make it last.
There’s no specific food list for Cycle 4. Instead, the focus shifts to a sustainable maintenance routine you can follow for life.
The structure is simple: five days of controlled eating following Cycle 3 standards, then a relaxed weekend from Friday dinner through Sunday dinner where you enjoy favorite foods in moderation.
During weekends, plan up to three meals you wouldn’t normally eat during the week, but keep it moderate. Resume your healthy eating patterns Monday morning.
Continue your daily habits throughout Cycle 4: hot lemon water, green tea at meals, and plenty of water. If the scale creeps up three to five pounds, simply return to your favorite cycle to get back on track.
For a complete breakdown of Cycle 4, make sure you visit my 17 Day Diet Cycle 4 overview page.
Key Facts:
- Goal: Maintain weight loss long term
- Flexibility: Weekends allow more food freedom
- Return to Cycle 1 if weight creeps back up
Transitional Day Fast
In 2014, Dr. Moreno introduced the Transitional Day Fast – aka “Smoothie Day”.
A Transitional Day Fast consists of three specially-formulated smoothies and the idea behind this day is to help you burn fat faster.
You can choose to use this day before and after each cycle, or if you had a few days of going off the diet, you can easily use this day to help get you back on track.
You can get more further information as well as smoothie recipes over on the Transitional Day Fast page.
FAQ Section: The 17 Day Diet (2026)
Absolutely. The 17 Day Diet has been helping people lose weight since Dr. Mike Moreno introduced it, and the core principles haven’t changed because they don’t need to. The diet is built around clean eating, lean proteins, and metabolic cycling, all of which are backed by solid nutritional science. What makes it stand out even today is the cycle structure, which prevents the plateaus that derail most diets. If anything, the 17 Day Diet is more relevant now as people look for structured, sustainable approaches to weight loss that don’t require counting every calorie.
Results vary from person to person, but many people report losing between 7 and 11 pounds during Cycle 1 alone. Some lose more, some lose less. It depends on your starting weight, how strictly you follow the plan, and your individual metabolism. Weight loss typically slows in Cycles 2 and 3, but body composition continues to change, meaning you may notice your clothes fitting differently even when the scale isn’t moving as quickly. The 17 Day Diet is designed for steady, sustainable loss across all four cycles, not just a quick Cycle 1 drop.
Both diets reduce carbohydrates and emphasize lean proteins, but they work differently. Keto is a high-fat diet that keeps your body in a state of ketosis by severely limiting carbs, typically under 20-50 grams per day. The 17 Day Diet is not a high-fat diet. It focuses on lean proteins, cleansing vegetables, probiotics, and limited healthy fats, and it gradually reintroduces certain carbohydrates in later cycles. The 17 Day Diet also uses a cycling structure to prevent metabolic plateaus, while Keto is designed to keep you in the same metabolic state continuously. If you’ve tried Keto and found it too restrictive long term, the 17 Day Diet offers a more flexible and varied approach.
Yes, with some planning. The diet is protein-forward, so vegetarians need to be intentional about getting enough protein from plant-based sources. Good options on Cycle 1 include eggs, tofu, low-fat cottage cheese, and plain Greek yogurt. Cycles 2 and 3 open up more options including legumes and other plant proteins. I have a full 17 Day Diet Vegetarian Meal Plan that takes the guesswork out of it. It’s one of the most visited pages on this blog for good reason.
First, don’t panic, and don’t give up. One off-plan meal or even one off-plan day is not going to derail your progress. The best thing to do after a cheat is to have a Transitional Day Fast, also called a smoothie day, to reset and get back on track. Then simply return to wherever you were in the cycle. The 17 Day Diet is designed to be sustainable, which means it’s flexible enough to handle real life. What matters most is getting back on track quickly rather than letting one slip turn into several days off plan.
You don’t have to, but you’ll get the best results if you do. Each cycle has a specific purpose: Cycle 1 detoxes and jumpstarts weight loss, Cycle 2 prevents plateaus, Cycle 3 builds sustainable habits, and Cycle 4 is about maintaining your results for the long term. Many people stop after Cycle 1 because they feel great and have seen good results, but skipping the later cycles means missing the metabolic cycling that makes the weight loss stick. If you only have a small amount of weight to lose, Cycle 1 and 2 may be enough, but Cycle 4 is worth understanding even if you don’t follow it strictly. Most people go through the first three cycles until they’ve reached their end goal weight. Once they do, they can maintain using Cycle 4 principles.
Yes (sort of), and many people do. However, how you do this is important. If you have a significant amount of weight to lose, it’s suggested that you go through each Cycle, and once you’re finished with Cycle 3, you may return back to Cycle 1 for another round of the 17 Day Diet. It’s worth noting that your body can adapt over time, so alternating cycles as the diet intends, rather than staying on Cycle 1 indefinitely, tends to produce better long-term results.
Recommended Resources
If you need a little extra help with meal planning, family-friendly low-carb recipes, journaling, or getting started right away, I have several paid and free options to help you along your journey.
17 Day Diet Meal Plans and Recipe Books
I offer several done-for-you meal plans and recipe books. Here is a small sample of what I offer to help you lose weight with the 17 Day Diet.
- Yummy! Cycle 1 Recipe Book
- Mooove Over Chicken Cycle 2/3 Recipe Book
- Set It & Forget It Slow Cooker Recipe Book (All Cycles)
- Simple N’ Lean 17 Meal Plan (51 days for Cycles 1-3)
👉 Visit the 17 Day Diet Blog Shop for More
Books, Journals and More on Amazon
I have a few journals and books I’ve published on Amazon that will help you get started right away. Here are a few of the books available:
- Simply Me Journal
- My Lil’ Food Journal for the 17 Day Diet
- Fast Track Your Weight Loss With the 17 Day Diet
Quick Start Guide for the 17 Day Diet
I recommend purchasing the 17 Day Diet Breakthrough Edition book written by Dr. Moreno (or if you want the shortened version written and summarized by me, check it out here).
However, while you wait for your book to arrive, grab my free quick start guide to get you going right away. This guide is 24 pages and gives you exactly what you need to get started tomorrow!
Click here to sign up for your free Quick Start Guide for the 17 Day Diet
Do you need more help with the 17 Day Diet?
If after going through this step-by-step overview, and you still are unsure about how the diet works, simply leave a comment below and I’m happy to help!
The 17 Day Diet is a great way to help you lose weight. If you think of it as more lifestyle than diet, you’ll have success with it! Good luck!
I’ve been loving the 17 Day Diet since 2011. I love sharing my favorite healthy recipes and meal plans to keep you motivated and on the right path to success!
When I’m not hanging out here, I enjoy quick trips to the Oregon Coast, designing my jewelry line, being a proud Swiftie, and tinkering with my personal Youtube Channel!
Are you new to the 17 Day Diet? Check out my latest book, Fast Track Your Weight Loss With The 17 Day Diet on Amazon! (aff link)
Hi Torey,
I’m interested in the Mooove Over Chicken recipe book you offer. I have a quick question regarding it. (Maybe silly question, because I’m assuming the moove over in the title is referring to beef) Does majority of the recipes call for beef?
I’m asking because 1) we raise beef cattle so we have plenty of fresh, grass feed beef in our fridge/freezer.
And 2) I’m not a fan of tofu. I just wanted to make sure is not filled with tofu recipes.
Thanks in advance for any insight on this book.
Hi Stacie! Thanks for reaching out! The Mooove Over Chicken recipe book was created for Cycles 2 and 3 so no chicken. However, there is a good amount of beef, pork and some seafood recipes for a little variety (no tofu or plant based recipes at all). I’d definitely say there are more beef recipes than the others for sure, so it would be a perfect way to use some of your beef! Let me know if you have any other questions!