I can drink pop like it's my job. I've been known to 2-3 large pops from a fast food establishment and another 2-3 20 oz bottles in the same day. That's a lot of sugar and a lot of calories, even if some of that was diet pop. I've given up pop in the past as part of the 17 Day Diet, but it always manages to sneak back into my life. As I started thinking about my goal of being Fit by 40, I knew pop was one of the first things that needed to go. I officially drank my last pop on September 8, 2017. I'm sure I'll get to the point where I can have the occasional Coke, but for now I need to make a clean break and not tempt myself.
In
the two weeks since my last Coke I have dropped about 2.5 lbs. This has fluctuated a
little (down as much as 4 lbs), mainly because I didn't change anything
else about my eating and might have enjoyed a few large natural lemonades from
Wendy's. And maybe a Frosty or two. The first several days were hell as my body
adjusted to not having its daily caffeine intake. The migraines were pretty
crippling. I really started to turn the corner on day 5 and since then I
haven't really missed the caffeine. I don't feel more tired during the day than I did before.
In fact I probably sleep a little better and pretty much pass out by 9:30, even
when I'm trying to work on homework. I have had some cravings for a Coke just
because I actually like the flavor. The strange thing is that I have had a
couple of dreams where I realized I was in the middle of drinking a Coke or had
just finished a Coke and I didn't even know that I had started drinking it.
Weird.
Showing posts with label 17DD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 17DD. Show all posts
September 26, 2017
Fit by 40
I turned 39 at the beginning of September. Not a milestone by itself, but it is the last stop before a big milestone. I got to thinking during the days after my birthday that I was tired of being fat and tired. I decided something needed to be done, but I've tried making big changes in the past to only end up back where I am. We were pretty successful with the 17 Day Diet back in 2012 when I lost about 30 pounds, but that weight all came back and it brought some friends. We've tried to do the 17 Day Diet a couple of times since then and we just couldn't make it work a second time. I was up to my heaviest weight and largest pants size on my birthday. I hate outgrowing clothes, but I hit the point that I really couldn't wear most of the pants in my closet and a lot of my shirts were getting tight. I had to go up a size for my polos and my dress shirts were starting to tug at the buttons on my belly. I knew something needed to change.
I decided that if I'm going to lose weight and get in shape (and stay that way), I needed to make more gradual changes rather than trying to lose the weight quickly. I found the Runs for Cookies blog a while ago and one of her strongest recommendations is to start by making small changes that add up to a big change in the end. I also don't want to give up all the good food options :). My plan is to make a series of healthy changes during the year leading up to my 40th birthday. I've read that new habits take about 40 days to really stick. I don't want to wait that long in between changes, so I'm going to introduce a new change every two weeks. Some of the changes will be giving up a bad habit. Others will be incorporating a new healthy habit. The first changes focus on food because a healthy weight starts in the kitchen. So far I have ideas for 9 of the 26 changes. I might decide that I need to devote more time to make sure some of the changes become permanent before moving on to the next one on the list.
Here are the ideas I have so far. I would certainly welcome suggestions for other healthy habits.
I decided that if I'm going to lose weight and get in shape (and stay that way), I needed to make more gradual changes rather than trying to lose the weight quickly. I found the Runs for Cookies blog a while ago and one of her strongest recommendations is to start by making small changes that add up to a big change in the end. I also don't want to give up all the good food options :). My plan is to make a series of healthy changes during the year leading up to my 40th birthday. I've read that new habits take about 40 days to really stick. I don't want to wait that long in between changes, so I'm going to introduce a new change every two weeks. Some of the changes will be giving up a bad habit. Others will be incorporating a new healthy habit. The first changes focus on food because a healthy weight starts in the kitchen. So far I have ideas for 9 of the 26 changes. I might decide that I need to devote more time to make sure some of the changes become permanent before moving on to the next one on the list.
Here are the ideas I have so far. I would certainly welcome suggestions for other healthy habits.
- Give up pop
- Fix breakfast
- Pack lunch
- Stop eating out
- Eat at least 2 fruits a day
- Exercise 30 minutes 3x a week
- Exercise 30 minutes 5x a week
- 10,000 steps a day
- Bodyweight exercises 2x a week
- Weight: 228 lbs
- Pant size: 38 in waist
- Shirt size: XL (16.5/17 in neck)
January 8, 2013
Menu Sample - One Week
The most common New Year's Resolution is to lose weight. That was one of my 2012 resolutions. It was the only one that I completed. If you have been reading trough the blog, you know by now that Kevin and I are fans of the 17 Day Diet. We have lost a combined total of around 65 lbs. A lot of my friends are hitting the healthy eating bandwagon early this year and many have asked for tips/ recipes/ advice. I believe the biggest obstacle for any diet is putting meals together, especially if cooking isn't your thing and you have little time. So, to help my girlfriends out a bit (we're all in this together), I have put together the menu that Kevin and I are currently doing for this week, for we too, are also on a diet to get rid of holiday weight and get ready for our vacation.
Hope this helps!
Week 1 - Cleanse Menu
Sunday
Dinner: Chicken Kabobs w/ Green Peppers and Onions
(grill outside or use a George Foreman. Season chicken with spices.)
Monday
Breakfast: 2 eggs, scrambled w/ chopped green pepper and onions, sprinkle Low Fat cheese on top
Snack: Low Fat yogurt (probiotic)
Mixed Berries
Lunch: Leftover Chicken Kabobs w/ Veggies
Snack: Red Grapes (2pm or earlier)
Dinner: Taco Salad
(lettuce, homemade salsa, light amount of LF cheese, ground turkey w/ taco low
sodium taco seasoning packet)
Dessert: Vanilla Greek yogurt (probiotic)
Tuesday
B: Greek yogurt
Mixed Berries
S: Pear
L: Leftover Taco Salad
S: Carrots w/ Lite Ranch
D: Chicken Stir Fry (NO rice)
(cook chicken in low sodium soy sauce. Add brocoli, carrots, peppers and onions)
Dessert: Vanilla Greek yogurt
Wednesday
B: 2 eggs
S: Low Fat yogurt
Red grapes
L: Leftover Chicken Stir Fry
S: Broccoli w/ Lite Ranch
D: Chili (recipe here but NO BREAD!)
Dessert: Vanilla Greek yogurt
Thursday
B: Low Fat yogurt
Apple
S: Carrots
L: Leftover Chili
S: Pear (2pm or earlier)
D: Lemon Garlic Chicken w/ Green Beans (find recipe here, NO POTATOES)
Dessert: Vanilla Greek yogurt
Friday
B: 2 eggs, scrambled w/ chopped green peppers and onions, sprinkle w/ LF cheese
S: Yogurt
Mixed Berries
L: Leftover Lemon Garlic Chicken and Green Beans
S: Carrots w Lite Ranch
D: Baked Tilapia w/ Peppers
Steamed broccoli
Dessert: Vanilla Greek yogurt
We start every morning, very first thing, with hot lemon water. We also take a Green Tea suppliment with every meal. You need two servings of probiotics a day, that's why yogurt is there twice everyday. There are other foods that are probiotic, I just don't like them. :)
On the weekends, except Sunday dinner (because of Monday leftovers), we usually graze on veggies, fruit and protein like canned tuna or chicken on salads. We run around a lot so meals have to be quick. You can mix up the tuna with mustard instead of mayo and it's very good. Kevin also makes a really tasty Dijon salad dressing which I'll share later. And steaming some veggies in the microwave only takes a couple minutes. We eat a lot of fish on the weekend because it doesn't make good leftovers.
This is all for Cycle 1 of the 17 Day Diet. It is the hardest cycle but is also the most effective. Other cycle menus have a lot more variety.
Check back here again. I'll post another round of Cycle 1 next week to keep you guys going.
Good luck!
Cheers!
Hope this helps!
Week 1 - Cleanse Menu
Sunday
Dinner: Chicken Kabobs w/ Green Peppers and Onions
(grill outside or use a George Foreman. Season chicken with spices.)
Monday
Breakfast: 2 eggs, scrambled w/ chopped green pepper and onions, sprinkle Low Fat cheese on top
Snack: Low Fat yogurt (probiotic)
Mixed Berries
Lunch: Leftover Chicken Kabobs w/ Veggies
Snack: Red Grapes (2pm or earlier)
Dinner: Taco Salad
(lettuce, homemade salsa, light amount of LF cheese, ground turkey w/ taco low
sodium taco seasoning packet)
Dessert: Vanilla Greek yogurt (probiotic)
Tuesday
B: Greek yogurt
Mixed Berries
S: Pear
L: Leftover Taco Salad
S: Carrots w/ Lite Ranch
D: Chicken Stir Fry (NO rice)
(cook chicken in low sodium soy sauce. Add brocoli, carrots, peppers and onions)
Dessert: Vanilla Greek yogurt
Wednesday
B: 2 eggs
S: Low Fat yogurt
Red grapes
L: Leftover Chicken Stir Fry
S: Broccoli w/ Lite Ranch
D: Chili (recipe here but NO BREAD!)
Dessert: Vanilla Greek yogurt
 |
| Cycle 1 Chili |
Thursday
B: Low Fat yogurt
Apple
S: Carrots
L: Leftover Chili
S: Pear (2pm or earlier)
D: Lemon Garlic Chicken w/ Green Beans (find recipe here, NO POTATOES)
Dessert: Vanilla Greek yogurt
 |
| Lemon Garlic Chicken |
Friday
B: 2 eggs, scrambled w/ chopped green peppers and onions, sprinkle w/ LF cheese
S: Yogurt
Mixed Berries
L: Leftover Lemon Garlic Chicken and Green Beans
S: Carrots w Lite Ranch
D: Baked Tilapia w/ Peppers
Steamed broccoli
Dessert: Vanilla Greek yogurt
We start every morning, very first thing, with hot lemon water. We also take a Green Tea suppliment with every meal. You need two servings of probiotics a day, that's why yogurt is there twice everyday. There are other foods that are probiotic, I just don't like them. :)
On the weekends, except Sunday dinner (because of Monday leftovers), we usually graze on veggies, fruit and protein like canned tuna or chicken on salads. We run around a lot so meals have to be quick. You can mix up the tuna with mustard instead of mayo and it's very good. Kevin also makes a really tasty Dijon salad dressing which I'll share later. And steaming some veggies in the microwave only takes a couple minutes. We eat a lot of fish on the weekend because it doesn't make good leftovers.
This is all for Cycle 1 of the 17 Day Diet. It is the hardest cycle but is also the most effective. Other cycle menus have a lot more variety.
Check back here again. I'll post another round of Cycle 1 next week to keep you guys going.
Good luck!
Cheers!
October 22, 2012
17DD Cycle 1 Chili
Kevin and I have recently lost a combined total of 50 lbs by doing the 17 Day Diet. I have never been successful dieting before but for some reason, this diet worked for both of us. I HIGHLY recommend it.
Not only did the diet help us lose weight (and keep it off), but it also taught us how to cook our own delicious meals. We no longer crave eating out (unless it is cuisine that we can't make ourselves) and we are proud to have people over for dinner.
Here is a recipe that we learned early in the diet, from the 17DD board on The Doctors website, that we'll keep making for years. A nice healthy chili. Who doesn't love chili on those cold winter nights? (I can't find this recipe on the boards any more so I'm typing it out for you here).
Cheers!
17DD Turkey Chili
1 lb ground turkey
3 cloves garlic, diced (we use 5)
1 onion, diced
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp each of cumin, chili powder, white pepper (or black. Whatever you have.)
Brown turkey with onions over medium heat in deep skillet. Add garlic. Sir in seasonings and mix thoroughly. Add can of tomatoes. Cook over med-low heat for 20 minutes. Serve with cheese sprinkled on top.
We like ours with good, old-fashioned Jiffy corn bread.
Not only did the diet help us lose weight (and keep it off), but it also taught us how to cook our own delicious meals. We no longer crave eating out (unless it is cuisine that we can't make ourselves) and we are proud to have people over for dinner.
Here is a recipe that we learned early in the diet, from the 17DD board on The Doctors website, that we'll keep making for years. A nice healthy chili. Who doesn't love chili on those cold winter nights? (I can't find this recipe on the boards any more so I'm typing it out for you here).
Cheers!
17DD Turkey Chili
1 lb ground turkey
3 cloves garlic, diced (we use 5)
1 onion, diced
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp each of cumin, chili powder, white pepper (or black. Whatever you have.)
Brown turkey with onions over medium heat in deep skillet. Add garlic. Sir in seasonings and mix thoroughly. Add can of tomatoes. Cook over med-low heat for 20 minutes. Serve with cheese sprinkled on top.
We like ours with good, old-fashioned Jiffy corn bread.
 |
| Kevin loves Jiffy with his chili! |
Stats:
Servings: 4
Time: 40 minutes
Cost: Chili >$5, bread $1
Leftovers: Yes
Cheers!
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