For My Fellow 17 Day Dieters

If you are following the 17 Day Diet, or have in the past, I want to hear from you! I have found that this diet has a very strong online support system, and it's great knowing I am not alone in this journey! Tomorrow I will be posting my favorite links to blogs, websites, and social networks that I have found useful in my preparation and execution of this diet.

Which brings me to my queries for those that have been (or are currently) in my shoes. What was your experience like? Any favorite recipes you would like to share? Before and after photos? Comment below, or shoot me an email by clicking here.

Can't wait to hear from you!

C1: Day 4

It is a popular opinion that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. There are many scientific studies to back this up, and the research makes sense. So it comes with a bit of surprise that only 4 days into my new diet, I feel like I have been following it forever- in a good way. I can't remember how I ate before, and I have to wonder why I hadn't changed my eating habits dramatically much sooner!

Many health experts say that knowledge is the best tool to eating healthy. Not so, in my case. I have long known what I should be eating, how much of it I need, and how often. It is simply due to a lack of commitment and willpower to follow through. I have steered away from the various fad diets through the years, opting for low-calorie, high protein food choices, paying attention to portion size and snacking regularly to prevent my hunger reaching a near-starvation point. The past few months I abandoned those principles, and I believe I have made the best choice possible to get back on track with this diet.

One of Dr. Moreno's best tips in his book is to follow the "hunger meter". It essentially advises that you do not allow yourself to reach a state of being "very hungry", which I have ignored the past several months. Very hungry, in his words, is a 2 out of a 1-2 scale (one being moderately hungry, 2 being very hungry) on his "hunger meter". For myself, working 12-14 hours behind a bar has led to some awful scenarios of extreme binge eating, as I had reached a level of hunger that led me to make very poor food choices. But I also made the same mistake during the daytime. I would skip breakfast, run errands for hours, then gorge myself at 4 PM to make up for the two missed meals.

I know myself. I have very little self control when it comes to food. Once I am a "2", all elements of reason go out the window. Yes, the principle of eating frequently to avoid being very hungry is a simple one, but much easier said than done. Having made the effort to take healthy snacks and meals with me at all times, going on four days, I have yet to come close to a "2". On the flip side, Dr. Moreno also has a "fullness meter", and it applies the same principle: stop eating before reaching a 2. This is easy to follow when you never reach a "2" in hunger, however on cheat days  in the past I have been extremely guilty of far exceeding that "2".

Besides feeling refreshed and healthy, I discovered another perk of this diet on my scale today. Down 5 pounds! My overall goal is to lose 15, so this is a great start. I also ordered this Victoria's Secret swimsuit as a reward for completing cycle 1 successfully (yes, premature, I know-but that's how confident I am!). And, how incredibly inspiring is her body? If I look at this picture every day, no chance I will go awry!

Here we go with today's meals...

Breakfast:

3 Egg White Omelet

Snack:

Yoplait 100 Calorie Greek Yogurt (Peach)

Lunch:

Spicy Chicken Vegetable Soup

Snack:

1/2 Cup Cottage Cheese

5 Strawberries

Dinner:

Chicken and Spinach Casserole

Day 4, done! Now it's time to find more recipes. At work I do not have a microwave, therefore all food I bring with me must be eaten cold. The chicken soup and eggplant parmesan taste fine, but not so much with chicken dishes. I think I will try to find a good C1 Cauliflower Soup. A gazpacho could be great as well! Stay tuned...

3 Egg White Omelet

*Eliminate cayenne pepper and jalapeno if you do not like heat.

3 Egg Whites (I use egg beaters)
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp black pepper
Diced onion, to taste
Diced green peppers, to taste
Diced jalapenos, to taste


1. Coat pan in non-fat, nonstick cooking spray. Place over medium heat.
2. Once hot, add Egg whites.
3. Cook for 30 seconds, then distribute the veggies and spices over egg whites.
4. Cook until it is lightly browned on the bottom, then fold in half.
5. Once golden brown on bottom, flip onto other side. Once the other side is also golden brown, remove from heat and serve.

C1: Day 3

Today I am deciding how and when to start incorporating exercise into my new diet. Dr. Moreno suggests 17 minutes of light exercise a day. However, as a high-volume bartender, my job is very physically intense, and with only 1200 calories, I don't want to overdo it. I think I will go ahead and start 15-30 minute routines tomorrow (day 4), considering I have not felt weak or fatigued  so far with my new low calorie diet.

I had an early meeting today, and the turkey sausage muffins were perfect to grab on the run. Those will certainly be a staple for me!

That last couple days have me feeling invigorated and craving salad (which salad cravings are very much common for me!) so I incorporated two meals into my day incorporating spins on salads. With the carb cut back I have also developed a good bit of a sweet tooth, so I decided to brew a hefty batch of green tea, and added a couple teaspoons of Truvia. So far it's doing the trick.

Now on to my meals...

Breakfast:

Caryl's Turkey Sausage Egg Muffins

Snack:

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup red grapes

Lunch:

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Snack:

Yoplait Greek Yogurt 100 calories


Dinner:

Turkey Taco Salad 

Final Comments:

So far, so good! I have turned down a couple happy hour and dinner date requests, as I feel the first phase of this diet is best spent preparing my own food and staying in. I decided I will wait to dine out until cycle 2, when shellfish is introduced to the diet. I live just down the road from a fabulous raw bar, and I'm always craving raw oysters and peel & eat shrimp. When I successfully complete cycle one, that raw bar will be my first stop! 

Baked Blackened Chicken: C1

Baked Blackened Chicken

Note from R: this is an easy, versatile recipe that is my go-to for essentially all recipes that call for cooked chicken.

Minutes of Prep: 5

Cook Time: 40

Servings: 8

8 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thawed)

Salt Free Blackening Seasoning 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil.

3. Arrange the chicken breasts so they are evenly separated and not touching each other.

4. Generously sprinkle blackening seasoning over the top of each fillet.

5. Bake for 40 minutes. This may vary based on the size of the chicken breasts, therefore cut into the thickest piece or use a meat thermometer to determine that it is cooked thoroughly after allotted time.

Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps

1 Baked Blackened Chicken Breast, diced

3-4 large leaves of iceburg lettuce

2 TBS fat free sour cream

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup onions, diced (optional)

1/2 jalapeno, diced (optional)

Frank's Hot Sauce, to taste (optional)

1. On a large plate, arrange diced chicken breast and lettuce leaves

2. On a side plate, arrange the onions and jalapenos.

3. In a small dish, mix sour cream, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. 

4. Build your own lettuce wraps like a soft taco, using the lettuce leaves like you would a tortilla., incorporating these ingredients. I like to add the sour cream mixture and a drop of hot sauce to each piece of chicken before I wrap it up in the lettuce.

Turkey Taco Salad

Turkey Taco Salad

1 serving Spicy Turkey Sausage

2 cups lettuce (I like to use red romaine for this)

1/4 cup fat free cheddar cheese

Sliced onion, to taste

1 serving Creamy Fat Free Balsamic Dressing

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients

2. Toss ingredients to evenly distribute dressing