17 Day Diet Tutorial

A lot of people have been asking me about the '17 Day Diet' so I thought I would share a little bit of what I've learned.  The first thing I have to say is I've been on diets before I think that people will try anything if they here that someone has had success with it, but the thing that people have to understand is just because I lost 7lbs in the first week doesn't mean everyone will.  I have over 100 lbs to lose so I expect to lose more right away but once you get closer to your goal weight it will take a lot more time to lose a few pounds, that's just how it works.  It shouldn't discourage you though, in the book it explains all of this for you.  The only major thing I can say is get the book and read about it and see if it's something that you could do and have enough willpower to stick with it... for me I enjoy the challenge of watching what I eat, and it helps that they give you a list of exactly what you can eat and the way in which you should eat it, also they give lots of examples of what a day could look like as far as what to eat.  I have lost a total of 9lbs since I started this lifestyle change and I am on day 16, for me I am really happy, I'm excited that I could kick off my weight lose in such a great way that encourages me to keep going because you can see actually results on the scale pretty much everyday, you don't have to wait 4 weeks or 6 weeks.

Another big thing as most of you know I do enjoy my drinks!!! :)  In the book they recommend that you don't drink on the first 2 cycles because since you only eating mostly protein it can be hard on your liver... but I have still been drinking while on the first cycle, I usually pick something low in calories such as vodka tonic or else Select 55, something along those lines.... I did have way to much to drink last friday night so I was afraid my liver was going to fail LOL so I did eat carbs on Saturday to try and regulate the amount of alcohol that I had drank, but other than that I think it's okay if you just have a few drinks a week... in the book he says it's okay to have a drink a night after the second cycle.

One big thing I want everyone to understand! I'm not an expert, I still eat some things that I feel are okay that aren't listed on the sheet and I am not perfect either, I'm just trying to get my mind into the habit of picking the better food options instead of the high in fat and carb foods I would normally pick up.


Also, if you google 17 day diet recipes, it will give you a list of different things you can make on each cycle! Very helpful in order to have different flavors with the same foods your given. 

Sunday Funday! :)

It's happening in front of my eyes!

This is from Florida last year! :0

I was thinking of this post because I'm first of all getting super excited for Florida since we leave in like 2 weeks! :) and also because I'm really learning a lot about what I've been eating in the past and what I'm eating now.  I am actually going to enjoy my time in Florida and not have to worry about food and what I will eat next! :D

The reason I'm super excited for Florida (not just the fact I have a week off work to relax, but....) because I will still be on the 'strict' part of my lifestyle change as I mentioned in a previous post, so that means I will really be testing my limits as to my own willpower.  As if I haven't been tested already, food is becoming something in my life that is there for me to survive not for enjoyment.  I know I've talked about how much I love food in the past and don't get me wrong I still enjoy food, but because I have to pass up all the things I really enjoyed eating it's brought me to different light.  As I walk past the pizza at the gas station I just *sigh* because I know it's not good for me and that it's not something I am 'allowed' to eat at this point.
So long story short, I'm super excited to actually focus on all the good things happening in my life right now instead of what I am eating for what I can eat (cause really I can't eat like anything!).
The thing that I'm enjoying the most is that each day if I want to step on the scale I can because I know that it will either be at the same weight or I will have lost.  At this point I'm losing about 2lbs a day, minus the weekend I think I was just bloated so I didn't lose but I stayed at the same weight all weekend.  I am down a total of 7lbs since starting this new lifestyle and I am down almost 20lbs total since I decided I needed to change.  "Never underestimate your power to change yourself."

I'm learning so much willpower from this and it's super exciting to be able to say NO to certain foods, at first I was a little upset when my boyfriend would come home with pizza or when he picks up 'junk food' from the store and I have to just sit and watch him eat it, but it doesn't bother me as much anymore, maybe because I'm seeing results in what I'm accomplishing by giving up that stuff or because I just don't have an appetite for that stuff as much.  At this point I want to be healthy and look good SO bad that I'm willing to suffer in order to get there, I don't really see it as suffering anymore though, I'm embracing that this has to be a lifestyle change because if I just go back to the way I used to be then I will be back at that weight I dreaded seeing on the scale.

On another note I have found a recipe for pizza that I can actually eat! :)

Cauliflower Crust Pizza
4 cups of riced cauliflower
2 or 3 egg whites
handfull of mozerella cheese
garlic powder
basil
parsley

cook the cauliflower on the stove for about 7-8 min, then mix all the ingredients together oil up a pizza pan, spread the mix on the pan until it's the crust thickness you prefer, then cook at 400* for about 10-15 min and then flip over and cook for another 5-10 min. or until looks crispy, 
then I take it out and put on my toppings usually sauce, turkey sausage, red pepper flakes, and mozerella cheese, then bake again until the cheese melts completely.  

This is actually really good! I love pizza and I'm not really big on changing the way I eat my pizza but this is actually comparable to regular crust pizza, often times I use just a whole wheat tortilla shell as the crust and put the toppings on that and bake it, but on this cycle of my lifestyle change I can't have tortillas so I improvised.

One major thing I am figuring out since starting the '17 Day Diet' is that you have to find recipes because you are very limited on the food choices you get so you have to get creative in order to be successful, I tried eating the same things because that's all I could think of to do with the food choices I was given but they offer so many recipes in order to mix up the way you eat your protein or vegetables.  Now I'm actually embracing this and really giving it my all! 
 

"Dieting"

Just a fun picture to share when we did the Teal Wheels bike ride!

So I guess it's time that I tell you all what I've been doing with my time, since we all know that weight watchers was not working for me.  (I'm not saying it's bad or anything, because it works well for a lot of people, it just isn't right for me)  Here's the scoop so I was on weight watchers for almost 7 weeks, so about two months and I'm gonna be honest with you I lost a total of 6 lbs in those 7 weeks, some might say YAY at least you lost, but for me it's like a slap in the face.... I have over a hundred points to lose and damn is it hard, but I have changed everything that I eat, literally, and still all I have to show for that is 6lbs.... well I'm struggle is coming to an end because I have found something else that I'm really enjoying!

I hate the word 'diet' as I've mentioned in posts before, but this after telling you the name will say whatever that is lame and it's temporary because it has the word diet in it, but I have read the facts and this came from a doctor and all of it makes sense and brings you to understand and live a healthier lifestyle.  So here it is, it's called the 17 Day Diet.  (told you, you would think it was a joke)

Let me give you a few of the general facts about this lifestyle (I'm gonna call it a lifestyle so that we can all relate).  First of it consists of four 17 day cycles, in the first cycle which I am on, you eat basically lean proteins, vegetables, select few fruits, and dairy products.  So for the first 17 days they give you a list of all the foods that will help boast your metabolism in order to keep it burning all that extra fat that my body has been storing.  This cycle is actually really awesome cause it's reminded me what willpower is (I haven't had much willpower in the last year).  I will just tell you that I have been on this today will be day 4 and I have lost over 5lbs already, and I've broke a weight barrier that I've been trying to accomplish for the last 2 months! YAY!
The BF is not to excited about this lifestyle I'm taking on because it means he doesn't get to eat very much, cause obviously I only buy things will protein and veggies basically! Don't get me wrong though he is just as happy as I am to see the numbers on the scale move so rapidly.

According to the doctor who wrote this book about this new lifestyle, it isn't considered bad to lose 10-20lbs in the first cycle, people always think it's really bad to lose really fast but for me it's perfect because if I don't see results fast enough I get burned out and think my efforts are for nothing!

So there you have it, that is what I've been doing lately, I have been planning my meals in order to not be starved when I get home or when I need a snack I plan ahead! :) It's actually nice to feel organized when it comes to what I eat, I haven't felt hungry much, even though I don't eat a whole lot, but I'm starting to not revolve around food or what I'm going to eat next, it doesn't constantly consume my life, so I feel like I can actually enjoy life without worrying about food! (seems silly but you've seen in my previous posts that food pretty much ran my life--not anymore!I'm taking a stand!)

Color Run Exclusive

This was the beginning! :)

Rocking out with our Color on!

We had a lot of fun doing this "run"! We walked most of the way because there was just so many people around, you could run if you really wanted to but most people walked!

I am a little bummed that we didn't get very many darker colors! I thought they would have more color stations then they did. Most of our color came from the color packets they give you to use, "at the end."  All in all we had a pretty good time! :D

 

Here I am....

If any of you noticed I didn't make a post last week! I can explain to you that I was extremely frustrated with my weigh in and so I just decided to ignore everything, and also I didn't really stick to weight watchers much this week after seeing that I had gained a little.  Well, here is the really kicker, I stepped on the scale this morning(not my weigh day) and I hadn't even moved from the weight of last week which is crazy because I ate everything I enjoy eating and I didn't really even stick with my weight watchers. 

So here is what I"m so confused about and maybe someone can explain this to me.  The weeks that I eat all the stuff I like to eat such as pizza or whatever it might be I seem to loose weight but when I eat the things i'm "supposed" to eat I seem to gain weight, that just doesn't make sense to me.  Also, last week I had like 50 activity points because the BF and I walked almost every night after dinner, well this week we did no exercise because we have been super busy, and I didn't even gain.... someone please give me piece of mind, and don't give me any BS about well you were gaining muscle, cause I think that is a load of crap!

I"m just so frustrated that I have just been doing what I enjoy instead of being SO caught up in what I can and can't eat. It's almost been relaxing!  I'm not the kind of person that enjoys recording everything I put into my mouth, I wanna be able to eat what I want and not have to worry about it not being within my points or omg that is so bad for you! At this point I'm just remembering my portions and I am still recording but it seems I go over a bit and still I haven't gained in a week of going over some of my daily points. 

There you have it, my confession and the reason you didn't see a post last week!