Vacation's Over!

Well, I'm back from my Cruise to the Mexican Riviera and yes, I need to go back to the first cycle of the 17 day diet to bring my weight back in line. (All that wonderful cruise food is too tempting!) I've finished off items in my kitchen that would be taboo on the diet and will be grocery shopping tomorrow. Additionally, my neighbor and I are looking at exercise classes to join too.  I'm thinking Zumba...that looks like a fun workout!

There's nothing wrong with taking a vacation from your fitness routine every now and then if you can restart once it's over.  So, if you're in a similar situation, join me!

Want to see a slideshow of Cabo San Lucas? Click Here: Tour of Cabo San Lucas in Photos

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A 17 Day Diet Recipe Idea: Apple French Toast without the Toast?



Image courtesy of Cohdra/morguefile.com

 I'm always searching around the net for recipes that will work on this 17 day diet.  I ran across this 'almost french toast' idea and thought I'd share.  It involves apples, eggs, cinnamon and sweetener. Perfect for every 17 Day Diet cycle!



Let's see who tries it out first!



Here's the link:  http://www.weightloss-hq.biz/weight-loss-forum/17-day-diet-recipes/index.php?option=com_fireboard&func=view&catid=26&id=68085&Itemid=46



Update: Today (2/27/11) I made this recipe and it was good!  I would recommend, however that if you make it, use two eggs for a large apple, and only one egg if the apple is smaller.  I'm going to try it next adding a 1/2 slice of whole grain bread torn into chunks to the cooked apple before I pour the egg.  (Of course, wait to add the bread until you've gotten to the activate cycle!) I'll report back how that goes.

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The Joy of the 17 Day Diet's Accelerate Cycle - Fast Weight Loss!

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I'm happy to report that today, my 55th day on the 17-day diet, I have lost a total of 18 pounds, losing 2 pounds since I decided to repeat the accelerate cycle on Monday (today's Friday).  I'm repeating this cycle since Dr. Moreno's book suggests that if you haven't reached your goal weight, to repeat a precious cycle.  I chose the accelerate cycle for these reasons:

• The weight came off fastest on this cycle


• It's easier to get into the daily groove


• The low carb menu on this cycle works like an appetite suppressant for me and I gain incredible self control.

Also, I was wiser this time, having found out mid way the first time that there were some items I could be eating (check page 46 in the book under condiments) that I didn't know about .  Last time I didn't realize I could have fat-free cheese and salad dressings on my salad (I like Kraft fat-free cheddar). I didn't realize I could have lowcarb marina sauce (top eggplant with it!) Also, this time I know that I can make a dip using fat free sour cream or yogurt and dip my cleansing veggies in it as as a snack.  If you use the yogurt it counts toward one pro-biotic serving.



Over the past 55 days, I have learned to absolutely LOVE eating raw bell peppers.....green, yellow, red and orange and nibble on them every day now.  I cut out the seeds and slice them into strips and crunch on them whenever I need to.  I've been watching the sales and buying bags of them.  Sprouts had green peppers for 49 cents each and the red, orange, and yellow peppers for 88 cents last week.  I was in Heaven!



I would have never guessed that I could lose 18 pounds in less than two months using pure will power. I'm now within 13 pounds of my goal weight.  Thank you Dr. Moreno for your 17 Day Diet Plan.

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Low Carb Cauliflower Rice



Image courtesy of jeltovski/morguefile.com



I ran across a video tonight and had never heard of using cauliflower as a rice alternative. I'll be trying it for the accelerate cycle!



Watch the instruction video on turning this head of cauliflower into rice here: "Low Carb Cauliflower Rice"

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Low Carb Whole Wheat Crepes

I've been trying out different crepe recipes from online sites and now have the perfect crepe recipe for the 17 Day Diet.  I fill mine with low carb yogurt and fruit, which means it would count as 1 probiotic and 1 fruit.  Here it is:



Low Carb Whole Wheat Crepes



In France, crepes are a national dish and served widely. According to epicurean.com, "crepes are traditionally offered on Candlemas and Shrove Tuesday to celebrate renewal, family life, and hope for good fortune and happiness ahead.



Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time:10 min

Total Time:25 min

6 Servings

Ingredients:



1  Whole Egg

1  Egg White

1/4 cup  Low Fat Ricotta Cheese

2 Tbls  Wheat Flour

2 Tbls Half and Half, non fat

Pinch  Salt

1/2 teas Vanilla - Optional

2 pkts Sweetener (Truvia or Splenda) - Optional

1/2 cup Fruit (Strawberries, bluberries, peaches)

To preference Light Whipped Creme

Click here for step by step instructions: "Low Carb Whole Wheat Crepes"

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Day 43 on the 17 Day Diet

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I'm on the ninth day of the third cycle, achieve.  It's nice to be able to eat more, but boy....the weight loss is crawling now. I'm not drinking alcohol and trying to stick with starchy carbs before 2, but that doesn't seem to be helping much.   I'm stuck at a 13.5 pound loss and would really love to make that fifteen pound loss statement to friends and family.  I think I'll try a few changes:

1. Weigh myself every 3 days instead of daily

2. Every third day resort back to the accelerate cycle guidelines

3. Do 30 minutes of exercise daily (I admit, I've been slacking here)



I've still got almost twenty pounds of extra junk in my trunk, so I will definitely be returning to the accelerate cycle when this one is over. I feel good on this diet and have incorporated healthy alternatives into my diet.....but I want that last twenty gone before I resort to pure mantenance.



How are you doing?? I'd love to hear some comments from others!

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Turkey Salad Recipe





Turkey Salad with Wasa 7 Grain Crackerbread







  

Since I cooked my turkey yesterday, today I chopped up some of the white meat to make turkey salad.  Here's my recipe which would work for any cycle of the 17 Day Diet.  Once you've reached the 3rd cycle, Achieve, you can eat it with whole grain bread or if you are dying for a cracker, try Wasa brand Crisp'n'Light 7 grain crackerbread. 20 calories per slice, 0 g fat, 15 g carbs, 2 g protein.

Turkey Salad

 Recipe



Light and slightly sweet salad made with home cooked turkey.  Substitute canned or poached chicken if preferred.

2 cups turkey

1/3 cup craisins (use halved red grapes for cycles 1 and 2)

1/4 medium apple

1 stalk celery

3 tablespoons light mayonnaise

1 green onion

1 Teaspoon Orange Zest (optional)

Directions: Chop baked turkey and apple into bite sized chunks. Dice celery and slice green onion. Mix all ingredients together and add salt to taste. Chill for 1 hour. 

Serving size: 1 cup (I only ate 1/2 cup for lunch today)

Calories: 188

Fat: 6.1 grams (1.3 g saturated fat)

Carbs: 11.8 grams

Protein: 21.2

For the full breakdown, visit the recipe I entered into Calorie Count: Turkey Salad

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Where to Find Recipes for the 17-Day Diet

Online Resources for Dr. Moreno's Weightloss Diet



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As the popularity of the 17 Day Diet picks up speed, more recipes and resources are popping up online. This is a good thing since nothing can derail a diet more than eating boredom. Here are a few helpful sites I uncovered.



Dr. Mike Moreno's Recipes

The 17 Day Diet book does contain recipes that adhere to the program's guidelines, which helps to get you started. I've already outlined some of my favorite recipes from the book in my "Tips and Advice for the 17 Day Diet" and "Review of Two 17 Day Diet Recipes" articles. So far, I've been pleased with the book's recipes. But eventually, you'll want to explore new options.



New Recipes for the 17 Day Diet

Once I hit week 4 on the diet, I began to tire of the chicken vegetable soup, even though I really like it! That was when I stumbled upon a few helpful online sites that stirred up my taste buds and renewed my commitment to sticking with the 17 Day Diet plan.



Gina's Skinny Recipes

Gina's Skinny Recipe blog, recognized by Kitchn.com's as one of the top ten food blogs, is in the running for top spot in 2011, and I can certainly understand why! The day I discovered the website I spent a few hours looking through all the recipes and printing out some to try. The sidebar on the blog showcases a few mouth watering examples that would work once you get past the first cycle. I've tried two:



1. Gina's Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken fits nicely into the Activate guidelines and is very tasty! I found it a bit too spicy for my gringo tongue, so I will reduce the amount of cayenne pepper next time; also, mine came out a bit soupy, so I will reduce the amount of broth also.

Continue reading, "Where to Find Recipes for the 17-Day Diet"

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Tips and Advice for the 17 Day Diet

Ideas Dr. Mike Moreno Didn't Think Of!

If you have jumped on the 17 Day Diet train like me, you are establishing some healthy eating habits while that number on the scale is going down. Here are a few fun and helpful tips you can use as you lose those pounds!



How's it Working for Me You Ask?I am currently on the second cycle of the 17 day diet (day 27 to be exact) and have lost a total of 12 pounds, which I am thrilled about. During these last 27 days, I have developed a good routine, tried some of the recipes in the book, and come up with some ideas that I thought you might find helpful. Here they are:



Tracking WaterAt first I thought I might float away trying to drink all the fluids on this diet, but soon I developed a pattern. To ensure that I get my eight glasses of water in each day, I use a water bottle that holds 32 ounces, which means less tracking. I fill it up each morning and carry it around with me wherever I am in the house, when I'm driving, at my daughter's home, etc. Once I've finished it off twice, I automatically know I have gotten my water in for the day.



Make Lemon Zest out of all Those Lemons!As all 17 Day dieters know, every day starts out with a cup of warm water that contains the juice of half a lemon. This is my least favorite part of the diet, but I do it. During some research, I found that lemon and limes have the same nutritional properties, so I switch between them in the mornings. The health benefits I uncovered during my research gave me more incentive to stick with this part of the plan. (They both are rated 'excellent' on the " World's Healthiest Foods Rating " chart.)



Continue reading "Tips and Advice for the 17 Day Diet"

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