The First 17 Days

The 17 Day Diet

This past Thursday five of the six of us who started the 17 Day Diet completed the first cycle (called the Accelerate cycle). How we did seems to have depended on what we needed to lose when we started.

One of us dropped out on day four. Something about deciding that being “fat” was better than going on this diet. Another 41 year old 6’2 ½ inch male, (we’ll call him…. “Tom”) was the shining example among us. He lost 20 pounds in 17 days. For the record, he had the most to lose. Our next big loser lost 13 pounds, another lost 10. Another, the twig among us, lost 8 and reached her goal. She’s happy and incorporating this way of eating into her lifestyle.

I came in at the bottom of the pack with a meager 7 out of my 14 pounds. On the other hand, that’s half my goal and the easiest seven pounds in two weeks I’ve ever lost rather painlessly, without much hunger: about as good a record as I’ve ever done in the past, but that was while running 20-25 miles a week. During this phase, exercise was limited to 17 minutes a day (and I missed several days.)

But even though my weight loss wasn’t outrageously dramatic, the other benefits to me and my cohorts have been. I will list just a few of the changes we have experienced in a short 17 days:

Energy levels: Beyond the first 4 days of sugar cravings and carb lows, our energy went up and remained steady most days with one or two. I experienced greater alertness and much less fatigue throughout the day.

Emotions: As someone who suffers from seasonal affective disorder, these last 17 days have been almost depression/blues free. I’m beginning to suspect that my winter blues are related to the highs and lows of too many sweets and carbohydrates (most middle aged women cannot efficiently process more than two servings a day, unless they are vigorously exercising)

A special note about “low carb” and “high protein” diets: I’ve done the reading. I know that long-term they don’t work and they are dangerous—but this diet is not one of them. The carbs are not so low that you don’t get any. I’ve eaten more vegetables on this plan than I ever have before—as well as two servings of low sugar fruits. Yes the diet is more protein, but not so much protein as to be dangerous. It’s a lower calorie intake altogether for 17 days.

PMS: Ditto about the emotions during my PMS week. In combination with unnamed participants, we’ve experienced fewer mood swings, minimal to no bloating and no breast tenderness.

Thought-life: My greatest problem was an addiction to sugar. No joke. I thought about eating all the time. When I was tired; when I was busy; when I wanted to relax. I didn’t want just any food; I wanted sugar or simple carbs. Most people think this is a joke because I look reasonably fit—but honestly, it was gluttony and it was wrong. After 17 days, I do not think about food that way. Cold turkey for the sweets and a maintenance program has literally cured my cravings. The food I’m eating does its job and satisfies me without making me hungry for more before I should be.

Food Economy: I also think differently about the food I eat. People have commented that this diet is costly. It does cost more to eat well than to eat processed food. It costs more in two ways: both financially and in my time. I cook every single day. I never did that before—and somehow it’s teaching me that food should not be taken for granted. Real food is dependent on the sun and the rain; but it’s also dependent on the hard work of others to raise it, care for it and get it to you. It’s worth something—and it should be. As one friend of mine likes to ask, “Why would we want to put junk in our bodies?”

Because real food costs more money and more time, it also saves me money. I use what I buy. Very little gets wasted (except egg yolks during the first 17 days). It also saves me money because we have eaten out zero times. If I had to eat out, I could. But my orders would not be costly…and I don’t want to right now. I’m too busy having fun watching my friends lose weight and trying to myself.

Family thinking: My daughters are not on this diet. But I don’t cook separately for them either. They eat the main entre that I make. They eat the steamed veggies and salads—and they have their carbohydrate servings at dinner that I don’t have. It’s that simple. My kids hate fish—but they eat it because, that’s just what’s for dinner. They have also seen an example of a mother who doesn’t have double fist portions of Oreos in her hand anymore, and I’ve noticed they’re paying attention. They don’t need to lose weight—but they certainly need examples who do not model excess and materialism (by God’s grace for 17 days, there go I).

Was it worth it? Oh yeah. It works. It’s more than I expected. I am now on CYCLE 2 “Activate,” which adds 2 servings of carbs (including grains) and a larger variety of meats, along with beans and a few other things. The principle to keep the weight loss off the plateau is to switch between menus on cycle 1 (the first 17 days) and cycle 2 every other day. So one day is lower calorie/lower carb and the next is higher calorie, higher carb. After four days, I’ve dropped another pound.

I’ll write again at the end and let you know how we did.

Note to my readers: I started grad school—and the water line feels a little too far over my head. So I’ll be writing less frequently than I promised if you haven’t already figured that out. If you’re interested in this diet—don’t’ wait on me, order the book: www.the17daydiet.com