Dr. Moreno has designed a diet for all occasions and all people. He has addressed every contingency such as culture, holidays, family, age, gender and health. He wants to persuade the reader to have a healthier lifestyle, to choose healthier food options and to exercise to increase metabolism and weight loss, encouraging the beneficial effects to overall health. He offers the dieter advice on minerals and supplements required by the body for optimal health. He emphasizes the use of lean protein, low sugar fruits, healthy vegetables and whole grains. Skipping meals is not an option; eating every three hours is the regimen. There are three meals and two snacks a day, in addition to 64 ounces of water which does not include coffee, tea or sugar free drinks. He strongly advises the dieter to drink green tea which burns fat, and he even allows coffee which he says speeds up the metabolism. He strongly recommends whey powder, probiotics, green tea powder, and sufficient fiber in the diet. If desired, he even has an optional transitional day fast consisting of liquids he suggests and even offers recipes for his smoothies. He attempts to give the dieter the confidence to succeed.
His diet is based on the number 17. There are 17 minute exercises tips, 17 ways to burn calories, 17 ways to condition the body and 17 day diet cycles labeled accelerate, activate, achieve and arrive. With each cycle, additional foods are added and additional skills are learned, such as portion control and exercise methods.
Dr. Moreno gives advice on how to avoid stress and stresses exercise as a benefit to health, weight loss and well being. He offers advice on how to reduce the troublesome spots of your body that weight loss often does not address. He offers advice on supplements to aid weight loss and spot reduction. He treats the whole body and mind in this book and encourages weight loss with his upbeat, yet realistic, attitude about a subject that is often an uphill battle for many who need to drop some pounds. When one patient lost her walking partner and slipped back into an unhealthy state, he became her walking partner. He is an active partner in the effort of his patients to lose weight.
At the end of the book there are questions from real people about specific issues they have to deal with and he responds. Some questions will be exactly what the reader needs to know.
Menus are offered for people in different cultures, with different health needs and with different likes and dislikes. There are suggestions for dining out so failure is never an option. He advises on dealing with family and holidays so they don’t sabotage your efforts.
At the end of the first three cycles, the final cycle allows weekend cheating, in moderation. That seems like a wonderful reward and an inspiration to keep the healthy lifestyle, long term. If the dieter can manage this diet, it appears to be oriented toward success. It encourages good habits, self control and healthy food choices. Sugar and fat are eliminated, healthy carbohydrates are added. In the end, he attempts to teach the dieter how to maintain the desired weight by maintaining the diet for life with occasional days when cheating is allowed.
The diet book went a bit over the top for me when it was suggested that marriage prospects and finances would also improve with this 17 day diet. There are many diets out there that are similar, but this is designed for quick weight loss and long term maintenance.