17 Day Diet vs Fat Loss 4 Idiots - Which Is the Best Fast
Weight Loss Plan For You?
 
Hi, I am Gail Thornton, (pictured on the left) 39, from the UK, a
long-term, and finally successful dieter. I am also an experienced fat loss diet reviewer, and after many
years of trying different weight loss plans I believe my knowledge of what works and what doesn't to be quite
extensive. This page is a summary of two popular diet plans, the 17 Day Diet vs Fat Loss 4 Idiots. The diets
have been reviewed by myself and my friend Gillian Wakeford (pictured on the right) who like myself has lost
around 30 lbs during her dieting "career."
First a little bit about the 17 Day Diet. It is written by a
doctor, Dr. Mike Monroe, who originally devised it in 2010 as a way to help his patients lose excess pounds
thay gained over the holidays. When he saw the success many of them were having with the plan, he changed it
slightly to be more suitable for all-year-round weight loss.
The Fat Loss for Idiots plan became an online
phenonomen after hitting our PC screens in 2004. The company does not reveal it's weight loss plan creator, or the
identity of the company CEO. My personal opinion is this is owned by somebody (or people) who have
good marketing knowledge who may have hired nutrition experts to devise a solid and fat weight loss program.
Hundreds of thousands of people have used the diet to date, and thousands of positive reviews of this
fast weight loss diet can be found online.
Dr. Mike Monroe, the creator of the 17 Day Diet
says his diet is a fast weight loss diet that
works because each stage of the diet requires that you change the number of calories you
eat..
This stops your body becoming accustomed to a specific amount of
calories. When this happens, weight loss slows down, as your body simply adjusts to use the number of
calories you feed it every day. This is why even very low calorie diets do not result in weight loss if you
follow them for a period of time.
The practice of
raising and lowering your daily calories in known as "calorie shifting" or among body builders, as "zig-zagging."
It is certainly not a new concept, and I am a bit surprised that the author of the 17 day diet book, Dr. Monroe,
recommends only changing your caloric intake every 17 days. Most experts such as Tom Venuto, author of the
bestselling "Burn the Fat, Build
the Muscle" advise upping calories every few days for maximum results.
Fat Loss for Idiots also uses calorie shifting
to trick the metabolism. Instead of changing your
metabolic rate through calorie shifting every 17 days, the Fat Loss for Idiots plan raises and lowers calories
every day or two to really get your metabolism fired up.
Both diets offer excellent results and many unbiased reviews can
be found online. You can read some of these reviews on my 17 Day Diet Review and Fat Loss 4
Idiots review pages.
First, Check Out the Table Below for a Full Comparison of these Fast
Weight Loss Diets -
17 Day Diet vs Fat Loss 4 Idiots
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17 Day
Diet
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Fat Loss 4
Idiots
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| Theory of the Diet and Time
Frame |
The 17 day diet works by calorie shifting. It
focuses on changing the number of calories you consume every 17 days.
The diet has 4 phases. Therefore, we think the
title of the diet should more appropriately be "51 Day Diet" as a description of the first three
phases. Phase 4 is a life-long maintenance stage, so you will never really completely come off this
diet.
Our Opinion:  
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The Fat Loss for Idiots plan also relies on
varying calorie intakes for weight loss. However, with this diet you change your calorie intake
every few days.
The diet is designed to be followed in 11 day
blocks. If you need to do more than one cycle, you must take 3 days off before starting
the second cycle. Dieters are advised to continue with the diet until they have lost the weight
they needed to. If you need to lose 20 lbs, you can expect to do three cycles. So you
would follow the diet for 11 days, take 3 days off, then go back on for another 11 days, followed
by 3 days off etc. The total time to lose 20 lbs seems to be around 30 to 40 days for most people,
but you will not be dieting every day.
Our Opinion:
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| Permitted Foods |
The 17 Day Diet is based on
eating high-protein, low-fat, low-calorie foods for the first two phases. By phase three, you can
add more starchy foods, and reduce protein. Portion control is also involved. Alcohol is
strictly forbidden during the first two phases, or 34 days.
Green tea must be consumed liberally everyday,
but no alternative is given if like me, you do not like green tea.
Our
Opinion:
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No food group is left out and
you will be eating carbs, protein foods and fats.
Fat Loss 4 Idiots allows for alcohol to be
drunk in moderation, although it does state abstinance is preferable.
No food or drink is mandatory, therefore you
don't find yourself trying to force something down that you do not like. However, you are told to
opt for drinks that have less that 10 calories per glass, which is basically just water, black
coffee, lemon water, diet sodas or herbal teas.
Our Opinion:
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| Food Availability |
The 17 Day Diet requires some foods that are
not commonly found in all stores. These are mainly probiotic foods, which must be eaten in large
amounts on the diet.
However,
you can eat yogurt in place of the other probiotic foods if they are not sold in your
area.
Our
Opinion:
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The great thing about the Fat Loss for Idiots
plan is you choose the foods you eat. Users login to the online meal plan generator, and select their favorite foods from a number of
lists. The meal plan generator then creates a daily meal plan consisting only of your favorite
foods - there are no specific meal plans to follow, and there is zero chance of you having to eat a
food you dislike.
If any of the foods on the list is hard to find
in your vicinity, you simply choose another one. This is not very likely, as the food choices are
very simple, common foods. In fact, if you like cooking gourmet
style meals, you may find the foods too
simple.
Our
Opinion:
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| Exercise |
The 17 Day Diet begins with recommending two
17-minute exercise sessions daily. This is do-able for most people, and gentle exercise like
walking for 17 minutes is permitted.
However, by phase 3, exercise becomes excessive
and you are supposed to do between "45 and 60 minutes of aerobic exercise most days of the week."
While I am not saying this isn't extremely beneficial for weight loss and health in general, many
people just aren't going to be able to do that for one reason or another.
Our
Opinion:
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During the first 11 days on the diet, when you
eat meals from the diet generator, Fat Loss 4 Idiots states you will lose weight regardless if you
decide to exercise or not.
The handbook that comes with the plan
recommends taking a 30 minute walk every day after you finish the 11 days of the diet to help
maintain your weight loss.
Our
Opinion:
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| Getting Started |
To understand the 17 Day Diet properly, you
must read the book. Finding random bits of information about the diet online isn't enough, as the book explains every phase and additional
rules in detail.
After you have read the book, you will probably
need a few more days to use up forbidden foods that you already purchased, and to acquire the foods
you will need. Therefore, realistically, if you have to order the book online, it will be at least
a week, and maybe nearer two weeks before you can get started.
Our Opinion:
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The Fat Loss 4 Idiots plan is entirely
online. You can access all information and the diet meal generator immediately after ordering. As
the foods can be purchased from any grocery store, and you probably already have some in your
fridge and kitchen cupboards, there is no reason you cannot start today.
Our
Opinion:
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| Additional Information |
The 17 Days Diet book has plenty of
additional infromation and tips. This is very useful for those
who might have unusual circumstances. For example author Dr. Monroe
advises how to adapt your diet when you are working shifts or if you are in a situation where
a partner seems to be trying to sabotage your efforts.
Our Opinion:
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Fat Loss 4 Idiots provides additional information on the best foods to eat when at a fast
food restaurant, what to avoid when grocery shopping, and the top foods to avoid.
Some of this is general common knowledge and
you have likely heard it before, but there is a very interesting section on calorie and food group
shifting that explains exactly how to do it when you are not using the diet
generator.
Our Opinion:
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| Summary |
Our
Verdict: The 17 day diet will most
certainly work for weight loss. However, we don't really feel it is a fast weight loss
diet, and to succeed with this plan you need to first check that you
have high levels of motivation and
determination.
You will have to plan ahead and find out
where you can get hold of the foods that are not commonly available in your
neighborhood. If you can do
this, and are prepared to spend time on food preparation, forgo treats and set an hour aside most days for exercise,
then this plan will most definitely work for you if you
work it.
Our Verdict:
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Fat Loss 4
Idiots is an ideal plan if you are doubting whether you can stick to a fairly strict diet for the
rest of your life. On Fat Loss 4 Idiots, your diet is never going to be longer that 9 days,
and as food preparation is minimal, lack of time will not cause you to come off this
diet.
This fast weight
loss diet is extremely flexible. There are no hard and fast rules concerning specific foods to eat.
As you yourself will chose the foods contained in your generated meal plan, you won't be
tempted to cheat, as they are foods you enjoy eating.
We feel Fat Loss 4 Idiots trumps the 17 Day
Diet, because although both diets work on the same premise, and both will result in weight loss,
the Fat Loss for Idiots strategy is just so much easier.
The foods are easier to find, they are easy to prepare, the diet is laid out in a fool-proof
manner, and it is extremely easy to get started.
Our Verdict:
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The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor's
Plan Designed for Rapid Results -
Get It Now 
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Click Here Now to Get Started on the
Fatloss 4 Idiots Fast Weight Loss Diet
or
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