Here we consider some of the plusses and common 17 Day Diet criticisms.

Plusses

Fans of the 17 day diet like the plan as it is interesting and varied, plus being broken down into four short segments makes it appear achievable and motivating. The first cycle may be the hardest but the rapid weight loss in such a short space seems worth the effort. The diet itself is also well-balanced combining plenty of different food sources. Expect to enjoy fruits, vegetables and lean meats including some healthy carbohydrates as the plan cycles through each phase. This has the additional benefit of a cleansing effect as you take your body through a constantly changing plan encompassing a spectrum of food.

Another key benefit of the plan is the way in which it promotes a long term healthy eating strategy as calories are gradually introduced. Clever tricks include replacing mayonnaise with mustard to ensure that weight stays off over time. This diet plan is great for those who commonly eat highly processed foods, it changes them for options such as egg whites and fish accompanied by a healthy portion of vegetables.

Criticisms

Critics of the 17 day diet plan are not happy about the lack of scientific evidence supporting the plan with little proof currently available with regards to the effect of calorie cycling on the metabolism. Dieticians and nutritional experts also express a concern with regards to the first cycle stating that it may backfire due to your body going into starvation mode through lack of calories which can in turn actually slow down your metabolism. Some also believe that the plan is offering nothing new and that the best diet principle is the one that has been around for decades, which is to simply cut calories and increase your exercise.