17 Days of Getting Back on Track. Anyone want ot join me?
 

I got kind of sucked into buying a fad diet book. I was drawn to the title by the 17 days. I can do anything for 17 days, right? And also by the claims of people losing 10-12 pounds in that time. Now, let me say that I am way to wise to believe in fad diets. Been there. Done that. But I like the 17 days time frame. I need a short term place to start. I have really been struggling to get back in the right mind-set. I gained a ton of weight this past winter and I can't get re-started. I need a kick-start.

There are 17 days until the end of the month. By then I should be well on my way to losing the winter weight.

Who wants to join me?

Here is my plan. It is basically the old Weight Watchers Core Plan. I liked it, and it worked for me. And it is nutritionally balanced, and healthy, and I don't have to count points or calories.

- No sugar
- Lean proteins
- Fat free dairy
- One serving of whole wheat pasta or potato/day
- Lots of fruit and veggies
- One serving of fat free, sugar free cereal/day
- whole grains
- 2 tsp of healthy oil/day

Lots of water.

Eat only when hungry.

Take my vitamins.

In addition I will walk or some other exercise 30 mins at least 5 times/week.

Day One:

MWI: 250

Walked 30 mins this morning before work.

Breakfast:
- mixture of fruits topped with ff yogurt and Fiber One.

Plan for the rest of the day:
- Salad greens topped with flavoured tuna
- more of the mixed fruit (strawberries, blueberries, peaches)
- Dill salmon, corn on the cob, salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Maybe a ff fudgesicle after dinner, but I have to check and see if they have any sugar in them.

Hi, Judy - I'm not going to officially join your challenge because I'll be on vacation and away from a computer (notice I didn't say "away from a scale" because it's going with me!) from the 27th through Labor Day and I'll miss the end of the challenge. Friends and I (and our families) rent cottages on the lake shore about 20 miles from home for the last week of summer and get Labor Day weekend as extra days, so it's close to home and we come back and forth quite a bit. I usually work a couple days, come in to pick and/or water the garden, etc. And I'm taking my scale with me, so I can weigh in. The "menu" you posted is almost identical to how I've been eating since I started this process in mid January, except I only eat pasta, potatoes, and rice once in a while - maybe once a week. I laughed at your breakfast - it is exactly what I eat EVERY day. If I don't do the Fiber One thing, there are big problems later! LOL.

For me, the challenge will be exercising and eating this way while at the cottage - there are at least 8 families involved and meals become a nightly food fest. I just have to eat what I know is good and keep portions under control. I guess I'll be walking and doing what I can on my own for those days. If I just maintain for those 10 days I'll be happy.

I think you'll do well on this plan - 17 days or forever. I've found it to be pretty easy to stick with this type eating at home and away. I don't strictly count calories but try to stay at about 1500-1600 right now. I drink at least 100 ounces of water and go to the gym almost every day for either cardio or weight training. I also try for 7 hours sleep, but that doesn't always happen in the summer - just too much to do.

Good luck.

Lin

I would love to do it with you..... back on track today after a week full of nothing but bad choices! ;) ?I have a wedding coming up on the forth and would love to be in the 160s by then.
WE CAN DO IT..... 13 pounds in 17 days is not unrealistic at all! After that, I have a full week to lose a couple of more. I will keep you posted daily on my progress and what I eat! Good Luck Judy.... in two and half weeks, lets be nothing but smiles:)

Hi Shmoops, glad to have you aboard!

Lin, thanks for your encouragement, it means a lot! Have a great vacation. Sounds like you are a determined woman with a plan.

Day Two:

MWI: 249

Walked 30 mins this morning before work.

Breakfast:
- ff cottage cheese with blueberries, topped with All Bran Buds

Plan for the rest of the day:
- Salad greens topped fake crab
- mixed fruit (strawberries, blueberries, peaches)
- chicken, small potato, salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
-ff fudgesicle after dinner
__________________

Yesterday went well, although I did have a granola bar that had a lot of sugar in it.

Day Three:

MWI: 249

Walked 30 mins this morning before work.

Breakfast:
- ff cottage cheese with blueberries, topped with All Bran Buds

Plan for the rest of the day:
- Going out for lunch with DH, so will have a large salad with some kind of protein, probably chicken
- mixed fruit (strawberries, blueberries, peaches)
- lean turkey sausage, whole wheat pasta, broccoli/carrotts
-ff fudgesicle after dinner

I had a good day yesterday. I had a small bowl of cereal before bed, and still woke up hungry this morning.

I actually love to wake up hungry. I try not to eat if I'm not hungry, but I like to eat breakfast because all of the "experts" say it gets your metabolism revved for the day. Plus, if I wake up hungry, I interpret that as a sign that I ate the right amount of calories the day before instead of eating "extra." I know it's not scientific, and doesn't even really make sense, but it helps me stay on track and "keep my head in the game."

Congratulations on your progress! And great job on keeping this thread alive every day with your accountability! 14 more days then? Yay!

Day Four:

MWI: 248

Slept in and missed my walk this morning. :(

Breakfast:
- ff cottage cheese with raspberries

Plan for the rest of the day:
- Wrap with deli roast beef and mixed greens. Carrots, broccoli.
- strawberries topped with ff vanilla yogurt
- Plum
- probably a Berry chicken salad from Wendy's for dinner
- ff fudgesicle after dinner

We are going out tonight to a musical production, but there won't be any food challenges there.

I am starting to feel like I am getting my game face on. :D What a great feeling!

We are going to Las Vegas this weekend for a concert (Josh Groban), but I am determined to make good food choices and not un-do all my hard work this week.

Day Four:
MWI: 248

Breakfast:
- high fiber hot cereal with ff vanilla yogurt and blueberries on top (yum!)

Plan for the rest of the day:

We are headed to Las Vegas for the weekend. I will eat mindfully and as low calorie as possible in restaurants. No buffets! Those things are evil!

I have a job interview this morning, and oh how I wish I was thinner. I have so much more self-confidence. Plus, I totally believe that some employers have fat prejudice. But, it is what it is. I can't change my weight over-night. Hopefully they can see past my weight and judge me on my experience and skills.

I probably won't check in until Monday.

Just wanted to say that I hope your job interview went well. And yeah, you're right about the "fat prejudice." It's actually pretty well documented. But your attitude about it is perfect. You can't hide it the way others hide alcoholism or sex addiction or those things that will really get a company in trouble.

Let us know how the job interview went! (And the weekend in Vegas. Though with more challenging food situations, there are also usually more opportunities to burn calories.)

Day Seven:
MWI: 249

Walked 30 mins. before work.

Breakfast:
- high fiber hot cereal with ff vanilla yogurt and blueberries on top

Plan for the rest of the day:
- Wrap with deli roast beef
- peach
- cottage cheese with raspberries/blueberries
- bacon wrapped turkey from M&M meats, salad, corn
- yogurt
- ff fudgesicle
- smalll bowl of cereal

Vegas was good. The Josh Groban concert was fantastic! I think I did OK food-wise. Definitely more calories than if I would have been at home, but it's all part of living a full life, right?

The job interview went OK, I thought. They will let me know if they want me to come in for another interview with the big boss. I am not 100% convinced it is the perfect job for me, but it would be better than where I am.

I can't join until at least Friday, so I'll have to go a few days longer than you - but I'm totally up for it.

My plan will look something (although perhaps not totally) like this:

First 17 days:
Pay attention to food ONLY.

Second 17 day cycle:
Add (at least) 2 days of exercise no fewer than 15 minutes per day.

Third 17 day cycle:
Add another 2 days of exercise no fewer than 15 minutes per day.

Fourth 17 day cycle:
Drop down to 2 days of exercise but bump up the time to 30 minutes each.

Fifth 17 day cycle:
Add another 2 days of exercise at 30 minutes each.

This leaves me on November 19. This is a very significant day for me. It will mark 2 years since I suffered a massive pulmonary embolism that almost killed me. And 2 years since I began to put more and more thinking into my weight and really began wishing it would go down.

I plan to focus more on food rather than exercise, as I do believe the ratio is more what you eat than what you burn. I will be trying to stick to the food in the book as close as possible. And if I can't, then at least within the guidelines.

Hopefully, I can stick to this.

Welcome RainbowGirl! I'm glad to have company here. Your plan sounds doable. That pulmonary embollism must have been very scary! I'm glad you are OK.

Looks like you are a night owl, judging from the time on your post. Not me, that is unless I can't sleep, which happens occasionally.

Why Friday, BTW? Oh, never mind. I just read on your other thread that you are waiting until Friday to buy the book. Here is a website, if you want a preview, that has the grocery list from the book, and some other general stuff. http://tksinclair.com/?page_id=267

Day Eight:
MWI: 248

Walked 30 mins. before work.

Breakfast:
- small ww tortilla with peanut butter

Plan for the rest of the day:
- salad with fake crab
- canteloupe
- cottage cheese with blueberries
- chicken, noddles, corn
- ff fudgesicle
- small bowl of cereal

Hey Judy Lynn,
Yep - Friday b/c I am a broke chickadee! I have that website already and I love it! Some really good recipes on there, too!

ETA: I'm a total night owl. I don't get home from work until midnight (or later) and I'm usually up until 3 a.m. It kind of sucks for getting anything done during the day b/c I tend to sleep until noon (ugh) but, it is what it is.

Day Nine:
MWI: 248

Walked 30 mins. before work.

Breakfast:
- small ww tortilla with peanut butter

Plan for the rest of the day:
- lunch with DH today, half a shrimp/mango wrap and half a roasted red pepper soup (split one meal with DH)
- canteloupe
- cottage cheese with blueberries
- Wendy;s Apple Pecan chicken salad. I looked it up and it's about 400 calories with the dressing - not bad.
- ff fudgesicle
- small bowl of multi-grain Cheerios and Fiber One if hungry

Day Ten:
MWI: 248 (darn scale is not budging this week :?: )

Breakfast:
- small ww tortilla with peanut butter

Plan for the rest of the day:
- small tortilla wrap with chicken & lettuce
- carrotts
- canteloupe & blueberries
- crockpot chicken with muchroom sauce, some kind of noodles or pasta, spaghetti squash
- ff fudgesicle
- small bowl of multi-grain Cheerios and Fiber One if hungry

Got a little off track last night with peanut butter, but today's a new day.

Ok, I finally got the e-Book. My Kobo died last week *sadface* so I'm waiting to hear from Kobo on what I should do (hopefully send it back to be repaired/replaced!). Until then, I have the book on my computer.

I will be starting this AFTER the long weekend. It will give me time to go through my cupboards and fridge to remove temptation. Unfortunately, my mom is currently staying with me for another month or so (although she leaves for 2 weeks early next week) so there's a lot of food here you can't eat on the first cycle (or any cycle: like pop ARG!). I will have to arrange the fridge into her food and my food.

I have a serious Coke addition (Coca-cola, nothing illegal!) and I know quitting cold turkey will kill me. So, I'm going to go on a slow taper. I'll allow myself 2 cans a day for the first 17 day cycle.

Then 1 can a day for the next 17 day cycle.

Then 2 cans a week.

Then 1 can a week.

And hopefully that'll be the end of it.

So: Start date is Tuesday, September 6th.

I'll be following the meal plan in the first cycle chapter, but adjusting it for the Shift Worker diet b/c I start work at 3:30 in the afternoon.

Can't wait!

Cycle 1 Day 1:
Weight: 259.0 lbs.

Wake up:
Hot water with juice from half a lemon. (Not horrible).

Breakfast:
2 egg whites, scrambled (with olive oil Pam)
1/2 grapefruit
1 cup green tea
1 packet Splenda
1 cup water

Lunch: (at work)
2 chicken breasts, pan cooked with olive oil Pam
Lots of steamed veggies (asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots).
1 cup green tea

Snack:
3/4 cup Greek-style yogurt
1/2 packet Splenda.
1 591 mL bottle of water (2.5 cups)

Dinner:
1 can sockeye salmon (in water)
Big salad: romaine lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, red and yellow peppers.
1 Tbsp flax seed oil.
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar.
1 cup green tea.
1 591 mL bottle of water (2.5 cups)

Snack:
1 Bartlett pear.
1 591 mL bottle of water (2.5 cups)

Total water intake: 8.5 cups.

Exercise: walked 1 km with the dog (about 20 minutes).

Cycle 1 Day 2:
Weight: 256.4 lbs.

Wake up:
Hot water with juice from half a lemon. (Not horrible).

Breakfast:
Kefir smoothie (1 cup kefir, 1 cup berries, 1 Tbsp fruit jam, 1 Tbsp flaxseed oil)
1 cup green tea
1 cup water

Lunch: (at work)
Salad (on the go today unfortunately so probably won't be that great)
1 cup green tea

Snack:
3/4 cup Greek-style yogurt
1/2 packet Splenda.
1 591 mL bottle of water (2.5 cups)

Dinner:
Also might be take-out, not that great :(
1 cup green tea
1 cup water

Snack:
1 Bartlett pear.
1 591 mL bottle of water (2.5 cups)

Total water intake: 6 cups.

Exercise: If I can.

Cycle 1 Day 3:
Weight: 256.4

Breakfast:
2 hard-boiled eggs.
1 bartlett pear
1 cup of water

Lunch:
Turkey stir-fry: lean ground turkey cooked without oil, mixed with veggies cooked in 1 Tbsp flaxseed oil (mushrooms, peppers, cauliflower and broccoli).
1 cup green tea

Dinner:
Salad (chicken breast cooked with olive oil pam, romain lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, peppers)
1 cup green tea

Snacks:
3/4 cup Greek yogurt w/ 1 packet splenda
1 Bartlett pear

Not too bad considering yesterday wasn't great. I didn't gain any weight so that's good! :)