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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Return to Cycle 1 of the 17 Day diet

Well I finished up three cycles of the 17 day diet 16 pounds lighter and only 15 pounds from my goal weight.  I'm returning to the accelerate cycle to try to get as close to that goal weight as possible. I plan to kick the exercise into high gear to speed up the weight loss this time (I lost 10 the first time).  Hopefully 17 days to where I want to be...

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Brown Rice and the 17 Day Diet



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When you reach the second cycle of the 17 Day Diet, you can have some starchy carbs every other day.  Dr. Mike Moreno stresses having brown rice instead of white rice due to its low glycemic load.  If you are still on the fence about switching over to brown rice, try different types and accept that this change is good for your health, not just your waistline.  I Love California Basmati Brown Rice and will never go back to white rice.  It smells like popcorn when it is cooking and cooks fluffy and light. Still not convinced?  Read my article below for the full health benefits and types of brown rice available. Keep an open mind and, in time, you'll learn to love brown rice better than its unhealthy, stripped-of-nutrients, bleached cousin!



Brown Rice and Your Health



What kind of rice are you serving with your meals? If it is that same boring white rice, there are many benefits to switching to one of the healthier brown rice choices.



The Difference between White Rice and Brown Rice



Both white and brown rice are gluten-free, and contain no trans fat or cholesterol, however, the

differences between the two can be monumental in regard to many diseases and health conditions.



The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that the foundation for a healthy diet be three servings daily of whole grains. Brown rice is 100% whole grain, with the bran and inner germ layer still intact. It is not milled like white rice which removes the fiber, the plant-based carbohydrate part of the food our bodies don't digest. Fiber can relieve constipation and prevent several conditions such as gallstones, kidney stones, hemorrhoids, and diverticular disease, a condition in which small pouches develop in the colon that become infected and cause painful digestive problems.



Health Benefits of Eating Brown Rice



1. Lower Blood Glucose.  Diabetes tells us in their Fall 2010 magazine edition that eating five or more servings of white rice weekly increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, while two or more servings of brown rice actually lowers that risk. Their article, "Brown Rice for Lower Blood Glucose," states "replacing 50 grams of white rice (one third of a serving) with the same amount  of brown rice would lower type 2 diabetes risk by 16%.



Physicians consider a healthy diet one that includes foods low in saturated fat, cholesterol and made with whole grains. Selecting brown rice in place of white rice as a whole grain choice has several benefits for your body.



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The Achieve Cycle of the 17 Day Diet Feels Like a Feast!

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Today I started the third cycle of the 17 Day Diet. Yay!  I'm stuck right now at 13 pounds lost, and was feeling a little disappointed until I said it in a different way which was, "In only 34 days I've lost 13 pounds!"  Those pounds were coming off so quickly at first that I wanted it to go on forever,but really, I should be excited about losing 13 pounds as long as I don't gain them back, right?



To be honest, I'm a little scared of this third cycle because it seems like I'll be eating quite a bit! Today I cooked a turkey I'd bought during the Christmas holidays when turkeys were cheap.  (I was almost salivating as that 13-pound bird was cooking!)  I had a serving with veggies, and a baked potato topped with a tablespoon of fat-free sour cream. It really felt like a feast!  I'll remove all the turkey from the bone and store it in my fridge (maybe freeze half), which I will turn into turkey salad, sliced on sandwiches and in soups over the next few days. I also baked 3 Idaho potatoes and 2 sweet potatoes while the turkey baked, which I can warm up quickly in the microwave for lunches and dinners.



It's 6:25 right now and, after finishing my yummy turkey dinner, I have to say that I didn't even feel like I was on a diet today!  I ate some of the same things I have grown to like over the past 34 days but was happy I could add in a piece of bread at lunch and a potatoe tonight. I'm having a hard time fitting in all the fruit before 2 PM, so I only ate my frozen grapes today.  I need my probiotic so I may cheat and mix some frozen blueberries into a yogurt shake tonight.  Hopefully, that won't throw a kink in the works!



It's great to have reached this point.  If I can lose a few more pounds over the next 17 days eating like this, I'll be thrilled!  To be continued........

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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.)



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