{"id":5621,"date":"2011-08-23T18:03:49","date_gmt":"2011-08-24T02:03:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/foodiddy.com\/?p=5621"},"modified":"2011-08-23T18:03:49","modified_gmt":"2011-08-24T02:03:49","slug":"17-day-diet-check-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/foodiddy.com\/?p=5621","title":{"rendered":"17 Day Diet Check-in…"},"content":{"rendered":"

I promise I haven’t abandoned my blog. Remember back when I announced that I was going to give the 17 Day Diet a try back on my Ginger Elizabeth Cupcake Day<\/a> post? Well… I went through with it and have been pretty much eating like this…<\/p>\n

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Green tea with every meal – remember how I thought it tasted like lawn clippings? Well… after 23 days and 69 glasses\/cups of it – I can actually say, I love it! I look forward to my daily green tea.\u00a0 My least favorite part of the diet would have to be the hot lemon water in the morning.<\/p>\n

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I also have been enjoying my two probiotics a day in the form of Yakult shots. I sometimes drink them straight, other times I pour them over fruit in the morning. I have also been eating Dannon Light & Fit Carb and Sugar Control yogurt a few times a week. I prefer the Yakult over that. I SURE MISS my Chobani, but I just can’t do the plain without a bunch of fun mix-ins and the flavored is too high in sugar.<\/p>\n

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I’ve been eating veggies like it’s my job – giant artichokes have been a favorite. I usually dip my chokes in mayo and lemon… mayo isn’t on the condiment list for the 17 Day Diet, so I whipped up a fat free sour cream, fresh herb (mostly dill) and spices… dipping sauce. Fabulous!<\/p>\n

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Lean ground turkey taco salads – minus chips, guac and all of the other sinful goodies… the cheese is Fat Free Jalapeno Jack\u00a0 and the dressing is a salsa and FF sour cream mix. I’ve not tired of taco salads this entire time.<\/p>\n

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I made turkey\/portobello burgers and used the leftovers in a Greek inspired salad. FF Feta, tomatoes, roasted red peppers and spring mix with a balsamic, herb and olive oil dressing.<\/p>\n

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Sliced pears and more green tea.<\/p>\n

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Grilled lemon chicken salads with cucumbers, artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, lemon zest and a Walden Farms FF\/Sugar free dressing. I pretty much have been making my own dressing using olive oil, balsamic and herbs and spices – think LOTS of garlic… but I was craving a creamy dressing and Walden Farms was all I could find. It’s o.k., probably wouldn’t rush out to buy another bottle anytime soon. I would rather figure out a way to make my own. Maybe adding some agave to make the FF Sour Cream sweeter.<\/p>\n

I’ve also been eating a lot of eggs and I’ve had tilapia and salmon a couple of times.<\/p>\n

I completed Cycle 1 with absolutely amazing results. Jaw dropping… I followed the plan exactly how it was designed. I never substituted, never said WTF?, didn’t question daily 17 minute workouts… I just did the plan as it was designed. I lost 15.2 lbs. in 17 days.\u00a0 That is NOT a typo… it’s crazy town USA. I am now almost a week into cycle 2 and the weight is still coming off. Not as fast, but at a pretty steady rate. I’ve introduced 2 servings of carbs into my daily diet (every other day) and I now have a bigger list of proteins to choose from. So far so good.<\/p>\n

I am still shocked that this diet is working so well. I have only felt hungry a couple of times. I have lost all of my carb cravings. I’m definitely not overdoing it with exercise – only 17 minutes of cardio a day. I feel better than I’ve felt in a really long time. I don’t have afternoon crashes. I don’t wander into the kitchen searching through the pantry and fridge for snacks. I just check things off my list and go about my day. Food has not been my main focus for the past 23 days and counting and I like it. Hence… my lack of blog posts. I promise, I am still going to make yummy foods to eat. As I finish up cycle 2 and move into cycle 3 – my options continue to increase and I plan to take full advantage of creating some healthy recipes.<\/p>\n

I thought for sure I would miss cheese the most. I was the girl that had 10 blocks of cheese in her cheese drawer. The girl that turned to mac-n-cheese at the first sign of stress or anxiety. Nope, I am managing fine.<\/p>\n

I just recently went through a very emotional time. My Aunt passed away last Friday and if any time was going to be a time where I turned to comfort eating, it would have been then and now. After losing my first husband, I pretty much can’t handle death. Grieving is already a continuous process for me and adding more just sends me into a tailspin.\u00a0 This time… I chose to continue to take care of myself and my body. I want to be the healthiest version of me that I can be. Putting healthy vegetables, lean meats, healthy carbs, low fat and low sugar foods into my body is working.<\/p>\n

I have maneuvered family lunches in pubs and dinner with friends. I have carried my lunch bag to work and the mall to make sure I stayed on track. This has been a true commitment and I’m proud of myself for continuing to see it through.<\/p>\n

Some may think it’s a gimmick and that’s o.k. Other’s prefer to do their own thing and that’s perfectly fine too. Some like WW, South Beach, the Zone, The Biggest Loser Challenge, the Paleo Diet… it doesn’t matter what you grab onto – it just matters that you believe in yourself and that you and your health are important enough to find something that works for you. Don’t ever give up!<\/p>\n

I have always felt that I’ve been a fairly healthy eater. Sure, I indulged like most to celebrate or I have been known to comfort eat,\u00a0 but I have always thought I had a pretty good understanding of nutrition. What I didn’t understand was that some people just don’t process carbs correctly. Raises hand… It absolutely amazes me that I can now eat a meal and not feel hungry immediately after. I used to eat something and 5 seconds later I was thinking about what I was going to snack on next. I constantly shifted from sweet to savory and salty snacks were favorites of mine. Think pretzels, pita chips and hummus, etc.<\/p>\n

I’m not claiming to be an expert. I am still learning a lot about my body and how it reacts to certain foods. It’s been 23 days and I’m still excited. I’m excited to be wearing 2 sizes smaller. I’m excited to be in mediums and larges instead of XL’s… I’m excited to see what each new days brings… and for that, I am grateful.<\/p>\n

I promise this isn’t going to turn back into my weight loss blog… but I wanted to share what’s been going on and why I haven’t been posting recipes that included a pound of cheese or a bunch of pasta. Not to say that you will never see those things on Foodiddy, I guarantee you will.<\/p>\n

So that’s what’s up in my world… how about yours?
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I promise I haven’t abandoned my blog. Remember back when I announced that I was going to give the 17 Day Diet a try back on my Ginger Elizabeth Cupcake Day post? Well… I went through with it and have been pretty much eating like this… Green tea with every meal – remember how I … <\/p>\n

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