Vacation Update

Well we're back!  Our first vacation in over 2 years is done and was a success.  We saw some beautiful parts of our country, visited with family we seldom get to see (two thumbs up for a great BBQ supper that night!), and met some lovely people at the various campgrounds we stayed at.

"Project" news:  I started out at 131 lbs (somehow those two mystery pounds had disappeared by the time we left...) and came back at 134 lbs -- not too shabby!  I wasn't overly cautious about what I was doing, so I was expecting a bigger gain than that.  I did opt for the healthier choices whenever possible and we did a lot of walking some days.  Because we camped, it was fairly easy to make sure I had my raw veggies or fruit/yogurt snacks and whole grains.  Unfortunately, there was a lot of "carbs after 2:00" naughtiness happening...that's what I found the most difficult to manage...

Confession time.  We did eat out occasionally, so I treated myself to some "bad" stuff over the past week:
-- fries @ A&W (just once -- side dish to the grilled chicken sandwich...)
-- hot dog and baked beans...
-- potato salad with mayo/mustard dressing (at a family BBQ -- side dish to a really yummy rib steak and edamame...)
-- mini ravioli (yeah, gotta love that Chef Boyardee...)
-- sunflower/oatmeal/raisin cookie, lemon/poppyseed danish, strawberry/rhubarb turnover (we were at a historical village with a bakery on site so you can hardly blame me...)
-- Chinese food dinner (almond chicken, fried rice, chow mein, veggies, green tea) -- suffered terribly all evening (in the TMI category of distress -- 'nuff said...) but no regrets -- it was amazing food...
-- Kraft Dinner (side dish to a BBQ hamburger...)
-- 1/2 bag of plain Ruffles (managed to resist the dill pickle dip...) & a bottle of ginger ale -- there was absolutely no excuse for this -- I just wanted it...
-- clubhouse sandwich (God, this was amazing...)
-- Hamburger Helper (the fridge was empty when we got home...)
-- 4 Smirnoff Ice (regular -- 3 were consumed in the same evening...)
-- red wine (lost count of how many glasses, but it was significantly more than the 5 oz daily that Dr. Mike recommends...)

Going forward?  I'm going to behave myself for the next two days, and then my vacation is over and the "project" will be back on.  I have to decide which direction to go in as I hadn't spent much time in Cycle 3 and have some backtracking to do and 9 pounds to drop to reach my goal.  I have three options that I'll be weighing before I get the groceries for the week:

1. Cycle 1 for 17 days, Cycle 2 for 17 days, back into Cycle 3
2. Cycle 1 for 17 days, back into Cycle 3
3. Continue where I left off in Cycle 3

 Tomorrow's post will have the decision!

Day 39 & 40 (Achieve Cycle Day 4 & 5)

Day 39

133 lbs...

Well, that's mildly disappointing.  This have never been about the "number", but I was hoping to keep losing in small increments -- there's only 6 lbs to go to reach my goal weight.  OK, fine -- 8 lbs.  I know Dr. Mike says that the weight loss slows down now, but I didn't expect to backtrack, even a little.  Three days of having carbs (and minimal carbs at that...) and I'm going in the wrong direction?  Maybe it was last night's beef.  Maybe "cow" is the problem and this is just bloating.  I'll have to see about that...

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- 6 oz vanilla yogurt with strawberries, green tea
Morning Snack -- Granny Smith apple
Lunch -- mushroom Cup of Soup (yeah, real healthy, that...)
Afternoon Snack -- Kashi granola bar
Dinner -- BBQ chicken breast , steamed baby carrots, small green salad with tomatoes and fat-free Italian dressing

At least there has been no change in the way my clothes are fitting -- actually, another pair of capris are too big.  I was running errands earlier today and caught sight of myself in a mirror at Sears -- I looked riduculous in my baggy pants...lol!  That shopping trip might be happening sooner than I expected...



Day 40

Still feeling great!

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- 2 scrambled eggs, 1 slice whole grain toast (no margarine), 1/2 grapefruit, green tea, probiotic supplement
Morning Snack -- 6 oz vanilla yogurt with red grapes, coffee
Lunch -- grape tomatoes, sliced cucumber, 1/2 turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with cranberry mustard, mayo, lettuce (since I had toast with breakfast, I was only allowed one more starch for the day, hence the 1/2 sandwich...)
Dinner -- pizza (yeah, I know...)

This will be my last post for a while -- heading out for vacation tomorrow.  I will be as careful as possible while we're away -- I've already proven to myself that I can eat out responsibly, so now I will be putting myself to the test.  I'll be back in 10 days, hopefully without too much damage done.  Thank you for following me this far -- hope you will be here when I get back!

Day 38 (Achieve Cycle Day 3)

Not a terribly interesting day today.  Still feeling the effects of the milk from yesterday's breakfast when I got up, but other than that, it was another feel-good day!  I dug out a beautiful skirt that I purchased a couple of years ago but never wore because it was always a bit too tight, and guess what?!  It's a little on the big side now!  Hee, hee -- going to have to take it in a bit.  I wore it anyway, but it kept twisting around throughout the day -- by the time I got home from work it was completely backward...lol!

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- 2 poached eggs, 1 peach, green tea, probiotic supplement
Morning Snack -- 6 oz vanilla yogurt, red grapes
Lunch -- grape tomatoes, sliced cucumber, turkey sandwich (Dempster's Ancient Grains bread -- yum, yum) with mayo, cranberry mustard (yes, cranberry mustard -- most excellent), lettuce
Afternoon snack -- chocolate cupcake (couldn't help myself -- it was homemade and all -- and apparently chocolate is a stress-buster, so I figured I could use some of that tonight...)
Dinner -- steamed carrots, London broil

I came across this article today that talks about certain foods (nuts, chocolate, red wine) that can help fight stress and improve your mood.  There is some very interesting information about other foods (green tea and oatmeal are mood-boosters -- who knew??), some yummy-sounding recipes and a "stress-busting" meal plan at the end.  Follow the link to see for yourself (it's posted under Interesting Articles as well...):
http://www.parents.com/recipes/familyrecipes/quickandeasy/foods-that-fight-stress-and-boost-your-mood/

Hard to believe it, but tomorrow is another weigh-in.  I'm not expecting any huge reduction as I've been slack on the exercise again, but we'll see.  Another pound would be nice...

Day 37 (Achieve Cycle Day 2)

Another great day!  I love the variety in the food lists now; it's nice to have options other than salad and veggies, though I have to say, I've developed a new respect for greens -- they're tasty and versatile, but they get pretty boring when you see so much of them every day for a month.  I didn't mind having one for dinner today because I had "fun" food for lunch (really that was a salad, too -- it was just packaged in an interesting way...)

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- 1 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch, strawberries, 1 cup 1% milk, green tea, probiotic supplement
Morning Snack -- Granny Smith apple
Lunch -- whole wheat pita stuffed with lettuce, tomato, shredded cheddar cheese (not a lot because it wasn't low-fat), low-fat Italian dressing, 100 g Silhouette 0+ strawberry yogurt
Dinner -- Dr. Mike's amazing taco salad, green tea

The milk on the cereal, while wonderful and tasty, caused me some distress later in the day.  Dairy and I have a love/hate relationship as it is, and after having none for over a month, well, there's a lot of "hate" going on now...

The daughter baked chocolate cupcakes today -- homemade frosting, too.  I've managed to resist them so far -- made it past the 9:30 munchies hour with no cravings whatsoever.  Let's hope that continues...

Day 36 ( Achieve Cycle Day 1)

131 lbs!

Let's recap.  I started this project tipping the scale at 147 lbs.  Cycle 1 promises a loss of 10 to 12 pounds at the end of 17 days (I lost 10...) and Cycle 2 promises a further 5 to 6 pound reduction (that's another 6 gone for me...).  Going into Cycle 3 a solid 16 pounds lighter!  Yeah, baby!!

This is where one is faced with a decision.  If you've reached your goal of losing 10 to 15 pounds, you can head straight into Cycle 4 and call it done.  I could be happy with the 16 pound loss, but my original goal was 22, so I'm going to keep going -- after all, it's just 17 more days...

At this stage, Dr. Mike provides a handy little progress check:

• I have lost a pleasing number of pounds -- yup!
  
• My clothes fit better -- double yup!
  
• I have dropped a dress size -- haven't checked this yet...
  
• I have more energy -- definitely!
  
• People have noticed my weight loss and complimented me -- yes, more than once!!!
  
• I feel more motivated to treat my body with respect -- I suppose so -- haven't really thought about that...
  
• I feel less hungry -- most days, as long as I pay attention...
  
• I am sleeping better -- absolutely!!
  
• My skin looks better -- not sure about this one...
  
• My elimination has improved -- it's definitely more efficient -- 'nuff said...
  
• My stomach is flatter -- maybe a bit...
  
• I feel lighter -- strangely, yes...
  
• I have fewer cravings -- yes -- can walk right past those Doritos without a second glance, but the butter tarts -- that's still a tough one...
  
• My mood is better -- and my family is very grateful!!
  

Cycle 3 is about establishing healthy eating habits and every food group is here, though the emphasis is still on non-starchy veggies and lean protiens.  Portion control comes into play now because there are way more food options to choose from, so meals will be more interesting and there will be the temptation to overdo it.   Remember the Hunger/Fullness Meter and drink ALL of the water every day and you'll be fine.

The speed of the weight loss is supposed to slow down now, but Dr. Mike lists a few "tricks" you can use to speed it up (or maintain the current level, I suppose...):

1. Ramp up your aerobic exercise -- aim for 45 to 60 min/weekday -- this could be a problem for me as I was barely managing the 17 minutes...
2. Continue not to eat carbs after 2:00 pm -- you can have carbs with dinner, but sticking to the 2 PM rule will keep the fat burning...
3. Pass on the alcohol -- you can have one drink* daily as moderate alcohol consumption has been shown to have a positive effect on cholesterol and may lower the risk of heart attack -- just remember that it is a "negative water" and you'll have to drink more real water to compensate...

 * 5 oz. wine/12 oz. beer/1.5 oz. hard liquor

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- 2 scrambled eggs, 1/2 grapefruit, green tea, probiotic supplement
Morning Snack -- 100 g peach yogurt, coffee
Lunch -- tuna sandwich on whole wheat bread (3 oz tuna mixed with celery, onion and 1 Tbsp mayo), grape tomatoes
Dinner -- BBQ chicken breast, steamed broccoli, green salad with shredded carrot and low-fat Italian dressing

Can I just say how much I enjoyed that silly sandwich?  Oh, my, it was tasty!  I am looking forward to having some form of bread from now on (going to try Dempster's Ancient Grains bread as well as their whole wheat pita), but I will still be observing the 2 PM rule whenever possible (though I might treat myself to some late day carbs when we're on vacation...)

Just one more word on the alcohol question (because I'm super excited to get into that lovely bottle my boss gave me...).  Dr. Mike says, and I quote, "If you have to drink alcohol on your diet, drink red wine."  He talks about some scientific evidence that shows a compound in red wine is a fat-burner/fat-reducer -- and who am I to argue with science???

Day 35 (Activate Cycle Day 17)

Well, here I am!  The end of the second 17 day cycle -- hard to believe, but I made it and I'm so excited to be starting Cycle 3 tomorrow!  I will see toast and cheese again and be able to eat relatively normally while we're on our week-long camping vacation.  We're all really looking forward to leaving at the end of the week -- getting away will be awesome!  I love that I'll have my own little kitchen to work with, which will make sticking to my plan easier than if we were eating in restaurants the whole time...

As predicted, some of my muscles are protesting the workout they got yesterday, though it's not as bad as I thought it would be.  I guess that "minimal" exercise I've been doing has been helping.  What hurts right now is my knee -- where I whacked it on the step of the ladder -- twice.  We'll see what the rest of my body has to say to me tomorrow...

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- Cream of Wheat, 1 peach, coffee, probiotic supplement
Morning Snack -- 100 g Silhouette 0+ raspberry yogurt, red grapes, coffee
Lunch -- green salad with red pepper, celery, cucumber, tuna, balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing, green tea
Dinner --small pork chop, steamed carrots, sliced tomato with salt & pepper

The Cream of Wheat, while I absolutely LOVE it, doesn't last nearly as long as the oatmeal does -- should have paired it with a protein, because I was hungry less than an hour after eating breakfast.  Then lunch was delayed because I was so wrapped up in the redecorating project that I lost track of time -- got a little light-headed, so I decided it might be a good idea to eat something.  Way to go, dummy...

Another weigh-in tomorrow morning and then the start of Cycle 3!  I already have breakfast planned.  So excited!!

Day 34 (Activate Cycle Day 16)

Yup -- 34 days on a diet!  I NEVER in a million years thought I would EVER stick to a diet for over a month -- because I'd never had to -- or wanted to.  If nothing else, I have proven to myself that I can sustain a "project" like this (that is, do something for myself) and not feel guilty about it.  That's a great feeling.  Pair that with being more alert during the day, sleeping better at night, having more patience and fitting my clothes better -- well, I'd say we have a success on our hands!

Of course, it helps that this diet delivers results quickly.  I have looked at other plans over the years, and they seemed so hard to follow and then maintain afterward.  I remember looking at Eat Right for Your Type years ago -- and then promptly writing it off because, as a Type A blood type, it looked like I was never going to see carbs or beef ever again and was doomed to having to become a vegetarian (at least that's how I read that chapter...) -- not bloody happening.  I guess I wasn't ready...

The 17 Day Diet makes it so easy to change your habits without making you feel guilty if you have a bad day -- it's OK to give in to that 9:30 PM carb craving or have that glass of wine once in a while, just get back on track the next day.  And drink ALL of the water, every day!!  Two things that I have loved about this plan:  1) it works, for the most part, with the foods you would usually eat and, 2) the fact that it's broken into those small cycles, and you are able to add foods back into your life every 17 days until you're back to eating "normally" again.  I say "normally" because I know that my eating habits have changed and though I'll be back to having more of my old favourites very soon, I'll be keeping some of my newfound favourites in my meal repertoire as well (can you say vanilla yogurt and Kashi cereal?!).  I haven't managed to establish the love affair with veggies that Dr. Mike talks about, but I have a new respect for them now, and will most likely continue to use certain ones as snack foods (grape tomatoes, cucumber, baby carrots) and I'll be more likely to order a meal sized salad at a restaurant instead of that huge slab of beef...

OK -- random rambling thoughts done for now.  There's nothing too earth-shattering in the changes department to report today.  My exercise came from something like 400 trips up and down a ladder and 100 or so up and down the stairs.  Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but redecorating a bedroom provides lots of activity that I wouldn't normally get in a day.  Moving furniture, carrying buckets of water up and down the stairs/ladder, climbing/descending said ladders and stairs umpteen times, sanding/washing walls -- it all worked lots of muscles that I know I've forgotten about.  They'll be talking to me about it in the morning, I'm sure...

During one of my numerous ladder trips, I realized that my shorts were falling down.  This isn't huge news, but when I realized that I needed to tighten up the drawstring in the waistband, I giggled out loud.  I haven't had to do that with these shorts in years!  Good feeling!!

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- 2 scrambled eggs, 1/2 grapefruit, coffee, probiotic supplement
Lunch -- Dr. Mike's fabulous taco salad
Dinner -- Friday night's leftover pepperoni/mushroom pizza (yup -- I cheated, sort of -- but I figured, I'm going to be washing walls until 10:00 PM, so those carbs weren't going to have a chance to turn into fat...)

One more quick note -- as this was Day 34, I should be starting the next cycle in the morning, but I had that one bad weekend back in Cycle 1, so I'm off by a day.  Cycle 3 will start on Monday, which is so exciting for me.  When I get groceries tomorrow, I will be buying some bread and little Babybels -- I'm planning a sandwich for lunch and those cute little cheese rounds with my morning snack!

Day 32 & 33 (Activate Cycle Day 14 & 15)

Day 32

132 lbs!  I have arrived at weighpoint of sorts.  I didn't mention this as a goal, but this is the weight I was going into pregnancy #2.  My ultimate goal is around 125 lb, the weight I was going into pregnancy #1.  Totally doable...

Todays menu:
Breakfast -- 2 scrambled eggs, 1/2 grapefruit, green tea, probiotic supplement
Morning Snack -- 6 oz vanilla yogurt, red grapes, coffee
Lunch -- Dr. Mike's amazing taco salad with salsa topping
Dinner -- bowl of raw baby carrots, grape tomatoes, cucumber (too hot to eat...)
Evening Snack -- 4 Anna's orange flavoured cookies -- yes, I gave in to the 9:30 carb craving (Traci hangs her head in shame...)



Day 33

I took a chance on my cute denim dress today -- very form fitting, so I wasn't sure I could pull it off yet, but today was the last day I could trot it out for work, so I thought I'd give it a shot.  Success!!  It looked great on, felt great to be in and I got loads of compliments on it!  What a boost for me!

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- 1 cup Kashi "Go Lean Crunch" mixed into 6 oz vanilla yogurt, coffee
Morning Snack -- Del Monte peaches (small fruit cup) packed in water, more coffee...
Lunch -- BBQ chicken breast, 100 g marinated vegetable salad (broccoli, cauliflower, green pepper, grape tomatoes -- not sure what it was marinated in, but there was definitely garlic involved...)
Dinner -- leftover BBQ steak, steamed baby carrots, green tea

What I find interesting is how the first 17 day cycle seemed to take forever, and this one is almost over -- 2 more days and I'm on to Cycle 3.  I've peeked ahead at the food list.  Hello, bread and mayo!!  Can you say "sandwich" for lunch?

I have no musings on exercise for today -- got some extra walking in yesterday and today. Now I'm heading into a weekend of painting in the daughter's room -- I'm going to regret that on Monday morning...

Day 31 (Activate Cycle Day 13)

What did I learn today?  Kashi's "Go Lean Crunch" is freaking amazing!  Why didn't someone tell me this before?  It's yummy, filling, and fantastic mixed with yogurt.  I just might have found a new favourite for breakfast...

Went digging in the closet today and found a belt that will suffice for the next little while.  It's one that the hubby used to wear, though looking at the size of it, I really don't know how -- it's just the right size for me.  Ah, well -- it's going to be a useful addition to my wardrobe!

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- 6 oz. strawberry yougurt, 1 cup Kashi "Go Lean Crunch" (mixed in), green tea
Morning Snack -- Granny Smith apple, coffee
Lunch -- chicken breast & mushrooms (stir fried), leftover green beans (from last night's can), grape tomatoes, baby carrots
Dinner -- green salad with cucumber, red pepper, onion, celery, tuna, balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing

That cup of the cereal counted for both of my carb servings today, and I thought that was pretty cheap, until I realized that I wasn't really hungry at snack time.  So my morning snack was actually eaten at noon and lunch was at 2:00 -- and then I didn't really want dinner.  Methinks Kashi is a good thing.  I wonder how it will taste mixed with vanilla yogurt?

Here's something interesting that I noticed today -- I start to crave carbs around 9:30 in the evening.  Really badly.  And there's no cookies left...

Day 30 (Activate Cycle Day 12)

Nothing too exciting to report today -- just another day of good eating and moderate exercise!  Started the day with crunches and squats (getting easier all the time...) and, while the walk in the park didn't happen, I did get to do some power walking in the 20 free minutes I had before I started work.  That's right, my walking was done in the parking lot between the grocery store, Wal-Mart and Tim's...I sure know how to make exercise glamorous...

Ah, well, it felt good anyway...

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- 2 poached eggs, 1/2 grapefruit, green tea
Morning Snack -- 6 oz vanilla yogurt, red grapes, coffee
Lunch -- Dr. Mike's turkey chili (no beans -- not a carb day), green salad with mushrooms, red pepper, grape tomatoes, cucumber, balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing, probiotic supplement
Dinner -- Traci's own creation -- chicken breast stir fried with mushrooms and about 2 Tbsp of salsa (that's all that was left in the jar...), green beans (from a can...), water

No ill effects to report from last night's steak.  However, I drank too much coffee again today.  I'm going to learn one of these days...

Day 29 (Activate Cycle Day 11)

133 lbs!  Let me do the math -- that's 14 pounds gone in 28 days!  Woot!!!!

"Project Shrinkage" was mildy successful -- my favourite capris are actually snugger in the thighs than I would like and two of the other pairs are just right!  I'm thankful that this worked because, remember, the plan is to buy a new fall wardrobe, not replace the summer one...

The weekends have been tricky for me.  I find myself wrapped up in the project of the day, losing track of time and not eating properly.  And I also want to snack, craving cereal bars, pie, chips.  This is slowing my progress a bit, I'm sure.  I've said it before -- good thing I work full time...

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- 4 scrambled egg whites, 1/2 cup oatmeal, peach, coffee
Morning Snack -- 6 oz vanilla yogurt with red grapes, coffee
Lunch -- (Campbell's Healthy Request) Herbed Chicken and Brown Rice soup, baby carrots/celery/grape tomatoes with lite Ranch dip, coffee
Dinner -- BBQ'd round steak, steamed carrots, green salad with balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing

The Campbell's soup was necessary because I didn't get around to making Dr. Mike's chicken soup on the weekend like I planned -- and it wasn't nearly as tasty or as filling.  Lesson learned there...

I was so happy that today was a carb day -- enjoyed that oatmeal as always.  I really missed having my carb day on Saturday.  OK, yes, I did eat pizza on Friday and 2 cookies yesterday, but what I really missed was having the potato or the rice with my lunch -- oh, yeah, I didn't eat lunch.  Never mind...

The steak for dinner was amazing as well -- time will tell if it's going to affect me or not.  Should be interesting given last week's adventure with the hamburger.  Let's just say that some symptoms are arising...TMI, I know...

I'm resolving right now to be more diligent about the exercise as I've been REALLY slack in that department this past week or so.  I need to get on top of that -- our summer getaway is coming up and I need to be more careful and a lot more faithful to the plan or some of this weight will be coming back.  I don't want to have to backtrack when we get home.  Anyway, tomorrow will be a fresh start -- another long walk in Glenmore Park in the morning!  Such a pretty way to get that exercise in...

Day 28 (Activate Cycle Day 10)

Not much to report today...

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- 2 poached eggs, 1 naval orange, coffee, probiotic supplement
Morning Snack -- 6 oz vanilla yogurt with red grapes
Lunch -- ooops, missed it (too busy sewing curtains for my trailer...)
Afternoon Snack -- 2 chocolate chip cookies (don't judge -- the daughter baked and someone had to do quality control...)
Dinner --grilled chicken salad with low-cal Italian dressing (from DQ)


No gardening for me today -- paid the boy to pull weeds so I could sew...


Some tips from Dr. Mike if you're wanting to start...
http://www.tipsonhealthyliving.com/diet-and-fitness/get-insider-tips-for-success-on-the-17-day-diet

Follow the diet on Twitter: @17DayDiet
And some recipes on Twitter: @17daydietrecipe

Here's a link to the Facebook page where people are posting all sorts of tips, recipes, encouragements, success stories:
http://www.facebook.com/17daydiet?sk=wall

Another weigh-in tomorrow morning -- and I'll be checking to see if "Project Shrinkage" worked on any of my capris...

Day 27 (Activate Cycle Day 9)

Well, today was supposed to be a carb day -- unfortunately, because of my bad behaviour with that pizza last night, I've decided to do two Accelerate days in a row to get back on track.  That'll learn me -- I really, really wanted a potato today...

But that pizza was really tasty, so no regrets...

Today was a beautiful day for two reasons.  Number One -- it was a gorgeous, sunny day with a nice breeze so it didn't feel too hot -- great day for a walk.  Number Two -- I have several days' worth of 24 hour Allegra in my system now, so I could actually go outside in the wind and not fear the pollen blowing around.  So, outside I went!!  I walked to the dentist's office (20 minutes) and then home again, coffee in hand.  A fantastic start to the day!

I spent the remainder of the day running errands and doing chores inside -- would have loved to be outside on this gorgeous day, but the laundry and vacuuming don't do themselves -- the kids did their part earlier in the day, so all that's left is up to me.  Maybe tomorrow...

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- 6 oz strawberry yogurt, strawberries, green tea
Morning Snack -- none (at the dentist with the kids...)
Lunch -- large Super Salad with tuna and balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing and that coffee I mentioned...
Afternoon Snack -- medium Timmy's coffee (black) and their vanilla yogurt/berries combo
Dinner -- Dr. Mikes' turkey chili, monster green salad with balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing

Missing the morning snack wasn't a good idea, because I've had a hard time curbing the "hungries", but I'm pretty sure that 7-11 wouldn't have had anything permissible for a snack (and butter tarts live there -- just sayin...) so I didn't venture over there until I got that coffee for the walk home -- that way, I was heading to where the good stuff is, so it was easier to avoid the temptation.  I'm also making sure I get all my water in today, too.  I can't say how many times I've been to the washroom -- lost count...

Since it's laundry day, I decided my first course of action in altering the size of my wardrobe bits would be to see if I could shrink anything in the dryer.  So, I'm in the process of washing/drying the too-loose capris.  Of course, since this is my plan, I'm sure it won't be successful, but you never know until you try...

Day 25 & 26 (Activate Cycle Day 7 & 8)

Day 25

134 lbs!!!  This is so amazing!  The pants I wore on Monday are looser today -- can you believe it?!

I'm not kidding when I say that this book will change your life.  I have been skeptical of diets and eating this way for a lot of years -- it didn't seem like something I would be able to do, let alone stick with had I decided to try.  It's been so easy to follow the meal plans -- I know I will be able to maintain the changes to my eating habits...

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- 2 scrambled eggs, strawberries, green tea, probiotic supplement
Morning Snack -- 6 oz vanilla yogurt with red grapes (I think I might be addicted to this...)
Lunch -- 1/2 cup brown rice, 1/2 cup corn, grilled chicken, small green salad with balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing, green tea (working the late shift today, so I saved my carbs until mid-day...)
Dinner -- 4 pieces of whole wheat toast with Becel...oops...

Yep -- things fell apart at dinner time.  It was unfortunate, as I had some good momentum going there today -- wound up working late and not getting home until after 9:00 (plus I had run out of food at work...note to self, pack more snacks...) -- didn't seem like the time to break out a big meal, so I snacked.  And when Traci snacks, out come the carbs...

_________________________________________________________

Day 26

So, the skirt I wore to work on Tuesday was looser today!  Guess that toast didn't do much damage (no bloating that I can detect...good, good...) but I'm going to have to be very careful, because that toast last night was very yummy and tempting...

It's looking like I'm going to have to do some alterations on some of my clothes this weekend.  Not that I mind -- some of my stuff is in really good shape because I outgrew it not long after buying it, so the fact that it's a little loose now makes me very, very happy -- it will be like having a whole new wardrobe for a few weeks.  And then I'll get to go shopping for a new fall/winter wardrobe!!  That's the timeframe -- I should be well into Cycle 4 by back-to-school, so the kids and I can all shop together.  Yeah, they'll love that...

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- 2 scrambled eggs, 1/2 grapefruit
Morning Snack -- Granny Smith apple, coffee
Lunch -- Dr. Mike's turkey chili (no beans -- not a carb day...), green salad with balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing
Dinner -- chicken pizza (grilled chicken, feta cheese, parmesan, green onion with some type of "house" white sauce -- pretty sure the sauce isn't something I'd find on the list (and we're not going to talk about the crust, seeing as it's a no-carb day -- I know, I know, I promised no cheating today, but dammit -- this is what happens when all I have in the fridge is the makings of tuna salad...)

Tomorrow will be another big grocery shop and cooking day, so I won't be tempted to have things I'm not entitled to yet.  At least the lovely bottle of wine from the boss is stashed away in a safe place at work, patiently awaiting Cycle 3...

Day 24 (Activate Cycle Day 6)

Another quiet day on the "project"...

Didn't have time for the walk in the park this morning, but fit in quite a few crunches and squats before leaving the house.  We ran errands after dinner, so I'm counting running around Costco as my walking -- that counts, right??  It's a big warehouse...

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- 2 poached eggs, 1/2 grapefruit, green tea, probiotic supplement
Morning Snack -- 6 oz vanilla yogurt with red grapes (my favourite!!), coffee
Lunch -- Dr. Mike's chicken soup
Dinner -- turkey chili (no black or kidney beans -- it's a no-carb day...), steamed carrots

One thing this diet is clearing out, besides my belly fat, is my rather extensive collection of green tea -- I don't know where it all came from, but I have about a half-dozen different brands in the pantry.  Some are better than others -- I find I prefer a regular green tea or one that's blended with fruit.  The jasmine green tea has a very strong flavour that tends to overpower what I'm eating.

Let's talk about fluids for a bit...

• Apparently drinking too much green tea can lead to constipation -- not good!  This could potentially explain some things (TMI perhaps...).  Dr. Mike says it's fine to back off of drinking it and use a green tea supplement (capsule/pill -- washed down with water, of course...) if this happens, but stresses that the green tea is important to the metabolic process and reducing inflammation, especially during the first cycle.  So make sure you have some laxatives around, just in case...

• Wine is good for you -- there's lots of research out there that supports moderate alcohol consumption as being good for the heart and circulation, preventing strokes and heart attacks.  But its carbs -- sugar and grapes -- so it slows your progress.  But this diet isn't about deprivation (because if you tell people they "can't", they're just going to find creative ways to ensure that they "can"), so Dr. Mike says go ahead and have some -- just be sure that you have a glass of water for every glass of wine.  This makes me very happy, but I'm waiting until Cycle 3 before I have some...

• Coffee, tea and alcohol are considered negative waters, so if you're having them, you have to up your water intake.  This I am not so good at.  I'm barely managing the 8 glasses of water each day, and Dr. Mike says it should be 8+, especially if there's a lot of caffeine happening in the day -- and my day just doesn't progress well without copious amounts of coffee, far more than the 2 maximum that the good doctor says is safe.  It's safe to say that besides carbohydrates, coffee is my other addiction.  I'll work on that...

So, while Dr. Mike recommends three cups of green tea each day to help the metabolic process, bear in mind that you should drink three more glasses of water to compensate for it.  It might be easier to find a capsule and take it with one of the 6 to 8...

There's some great video clips with this information, diet tips and answers to common questions to be found on the website -- check it out at http://www.the17daydiet.com/

Another weigh-in tomorrow!

Day 23 (Activate Cycle Day 5)

Another carb day!  I love carb day!!!

Walking in Glenmore Park was lovely -- managed to fit a quick one in before heading to work -- included some stairs at the sailing school -- felt good...

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- oatmeal with cinnamon & 1 Granny Smith apple (diced and mixed in), 4 scrambled egg whites, green tea, probiotic supplement
Morning Snack -- not needed -- it's a carb day -- just some coffee, thanks!
Lunch -- green salad with cucumber, tomato, onion, chicken & balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing, 1/2 cup brown rice, probiotic supplement
Afternoon Snack -- not needed -- did I mention, it's a carb day!!!!!
Dinner -- BBQ'd pork chop, green salad with low fat Italian dressing, green tea

Looking forward to Thursday, the next carb/walk in Glenmore Park/weigh-in day!

Day 22 (Activate Cycle Day 4)

136 lbs...

I'm liking this steady loss!  It's like I'm slowly melting away...

The cute white capris were pretty loose today -- next time they're washed they might have to put them in the dryer and hope for some dramatic shrinkage -- I need to hang onto them for a while longer.  I'm not ready to shop just yet...

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- 6 oz vanilla yogurt, 1 peach, green tea
Morning Snack -- 1 naval orange, coffee
Lunch -- Dr. Mike's freaking amazing, super delicious, "why didn't I ever think of this recipe" taco salad, probiotic supplement
Dinner -- Denny's "create-a-slam" -- breakfast for supper (2 scrambled eggs, 2 slices turkey bacon, small dish of vanilla yogurt with a very small serving of red grapes/strawberries) -- not sure this was the best choice (I know, that was the carbs after 2:00 and turkey bacon isn't actually allowed until Cycle 3 -- bad, bad, Traci...) but I just couldn't face the fish entree (tilapia) or another salad...

But, hey, at least I resisted the lovely home-baked muffin that one of the students brought in for me -- and the Tim-Bits another student "donated" to the kids that were testing today -- and the sugar cookies that are calling me from the kitchen counter...

That's it for another day!  Going for my walk in Glenmore Park in the morning after I drop the kids at sailing school -- that will be a nice change of pace -- might just do that for the next 10 days...

Day 21 (Activate Cycle Day 3)

Well -- three weeks in and things are going great!  I still have a pretty substantial muffin top that I'll be working harder on in the weeks to come, but my clothes are fitting so much better that I can't believe that I was wearing them 10 pounds ago.  I've started shopping for my "rewards" --  saw some more cute things in my travels this weekend -- I'm actually starting to look forward to clothes shopping again!

Today was another higher-calorie day, which I can tell already I'm going to look forward to!  Those carbs are lasting a long time and I didn't feel the need for any snacks today -- paid close attention to the Hunger/Fullness meter, resisted the temptation to eat out with the kids while we were shopping, and ate my meals on time.  Success!!!  No gardening as exercise today due to an allergy medication failure, but I did a lot of stairs again.  Tomorrow will be back to the workout -- need to get some crunches happening more regularly so I can ditch the roll that's hanging over my waistband right now!

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- 2 poached eggs, medium baked potato (diced & browned), 1 naval orange, green tea, probiotic supplement
Lunch -- chicken salad (greens, cucumber, tomato grilled chicken) with balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing, 1/2 cup brown rice, coffee
Dinner -- Dr. Mike's chicken soup, probiotic supplement

Confession:  I ate a Tim-Bit at 3:00...
Confession:  I was badly tempted by the pizza everyone else had for dinner -- it smelled amazing but I managed to resist it...

Good thing I resisted that pizza!  Another weigh-in tomorrow morning!

Day 20 (Activate Cycle Day 2)

A much more successful day today!  I hope this means I'm back on track...

Something interesting -- before I started this project, I was beginning to have some suspicions about my ability to tolerate beef.  I noticed that I usually got indigestion (and other not-so-pleasant issues that I won't go into here -- TMI and all that...) after eating beef.  I absolutely LOVE a nice, rare chunk of beef for dinner, but I think I have developed a sensitivity to it.  Years ago, I worked with a nutritionist in an attempt to sort out some of the boy's problems.  Through doing elimination diets we determined that he has a sensitivity to proteins, with "cow" being the worst offender -- this definitely explained his trouble with milk and a whole lot of other stuff.  I was advised to keep him off of the beef for two weeks and rotate the other proteins, keeping 3 days in between.  Well, I have been off beef for 18 days and had my first exposure in that BBQ'd patty last night.  No indigestion last night to report but this morning, well, you can probably guess where this is going -- TMI and all that...

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- 6 oz vanilla yogurt with lots of strawberries mixed in, coffee
Morning Snack -- missed it -- too busy vacuuming & cleaning/running the stairs...
Lunch -- Dr. Mike's freaking fantastic taco salad, green tea, probiotic supplement
Dinner -- BBQ chicken breast (with Dr. Mike's sauce), lots of broccoli, green tea

In keeping with the festive mood around Canada Day, breakfast today was red and white!  Holy cow -- that was one tasty meal!  Almost better than the red grape/vanilla yogurt combo -- almost...

I never managed to make it into the yard today -- kept myself very busy running up and down stairs, cleaning, vacuuming, running laundry here and there, organizing the winter gear.  Then I spent the afternoon teaching the daughter how to sew while I worked on a valence for the holiday trailer -- lots of bending, etc.  I sure hope this counts as exercise -- it's not like I do it every day...

I don't usually have the energy/patience to do this type of thing for a whole day.  I've been more alert and calm lately, willing to take on projects that I've been avoiding, and enjoying them.  This makes me happy!  This makes my family very happy!

I feel....... better.....

Day 19 (Activate Cycle Day 1)

Happy Canada Day!!  We're having BBQ all weekend!!

Back on track today -- hopefully!  This is a 3-day weekend for me and so far my track record for eating on weekends hasn't been great.  I'll be making a conscious effort to stay on top of things...

I should be getting plenty of exercise over the next 3 days.  The weather is beautiful, so I'll be getting some clean-up work done in the yard (spent 2 solid hours on it today) -- and I have new, pretty, pink gardening gloves to make it fun when I tackle the thistles...

Here begins the "alternate day fasting".  Today is food from the Activate menus (higher-calorie day) and tomorrow will be food from the Accelerate ones (low-calorie day) -- odd days will be Activate and even days will be Accelerate -- this is meant to keep your metabolism in high gear and get your cells to burn fat rather than store it.  No danger of the consequences of carb sensitivity or weight loss plateau!

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- 4 scrambled egg whites with 1 Tbsp salsa, 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1 peach, green tea, probiotic supplement (this was A LOT of food -- actually didn't finish it...)
Morning Snack -- (didn't need one -- oatmeal is very filling -- drank a lot of water instead...)
Lunch -- Traci's tuna salad, probiotic supplement
Dinner -- BBQ peppercorn crusted hamburger patty (no sauce), small baked potato with approx. 1 Tbsp each of low fat sour cream & salsa toppings (terribly tasty -- didn't miss the butter at all...)


Oh, how happy I was to have that oatmeal!  I put the diced up peach on top and it was yummers!  Unfortunately, I didn't read the menus carefully enough and thought I could have the potato with dinner -- that's a big no-no -- remember the "no carbs after 2:00" rule -- dummy...

And I kinda forgot about veggies with dinner -- dummy...

By the way -- look what I found while trolling the internet this morning!  A website/discussion board of 17 Day Diet friendly recipes -- I'll post the link right here and under "Useful Links" at the bottom of the page as well.  I'll definitely be spending some time looking through this tonight...17 Day Diet Recipes

Even though my mealtimes were "off" today (lunch at 2:00, dinner at 7:30), I'm feeling good about stuff tonight!  Tomorrow will only be better!

Day 18

137 pounds!

That's the "official" number after the first 17 days and I'm thrilled with it!  The diet guarantees 10 to 12 pounds gone in the first cycle, and considering that I wasn't the best "patient" the good doctors have ever had, I can say that this diet delivers!

Confession time...

Why wasn't I the best "patient"?  I was very slack on the exercise.  This past week saw absolutely no walking and very little in the way of workout.  Not good, I know -- I allowed my "lazy" mentality to overtake my responsibility.  Also, I didn't follow the menus as closely as I could have -- my coffee addiction took over and so I drank almost no green tea all week -- and far too much coffee to boot.  I also avoided the rabbit food when I could and usually forgot to pop the probiotic supplement on non-yogurt days.

Day 18 was supposed to be the start of Cycle 2 for me.  The eating didn't go as planned, so I'm not counting it as anything but a lost diet day -- a day I barely managed to get through with my sanity intact.  It started out promisingly enough -- met a dear friend at our favourite breakfast place, ordered a good breakfast and headed to work.  That's where the day went off the rails.  Stuff came up and before I knew it, it was almost 3:00 and I was starving -- no snack or lunch.  Yikes!  Gobbled down lunch and back to the craziness.  Then I worked overtime again and didn't get dinner at all.  Pretty sure this mucked up my metabolism but good...

Today's menu:
Breakfast -- 2 poached eggs, fruit mixture (red grapes, nectarine, red plum, orange, grapefruit, pineapple, watermelon -- most of that fruit isn't allowed yet but I only ate a little bit of it...), coffee
Morning Snack -- cooooffffffeeeeeeeee
Lunch -- Dr. Mike's chicken soup, probiotic supplement
Dinner -- 3 pieces whole wheat toast with margarine, glass of pomegranite/orange/grapefruit juice (yup -- I gave into the carbohydrate temptation -- at 9:30 pm...)

On the plus side -- those adorable white shorts?  Too big!  Gonna have to see if I can alter them.  Wore the olive capris today and they are just shy of too big as well.  Good thing I took sewing in high school -- hopefully I can remember how to alter pants, because I'm not willing to let these wardrobe pieces go just yet...

Back on track tomorrow with Day 1 of the Activate Cycle!  I hope...