Fresh Start – Again….

Firstly, aren’t sugar headache a real bitch!!!!

Anyway, the thing is, I can be silly and funny and careless sometimes but mostly I’m a pretty serious person. I’m a person who over-thinks and tries to analyse and that has been my downfall on more than one occasion. When I started this blog I decided to change not just my weight, but me too. When I began this diet I thought the best thing would be not to take it too seriously, you know  follow it and learn from it but don’t be too rigid, don’t over-analyse, just use it as a guideline.

On the first three days I did just that, and where I didn’t enjoy something I’d substitute it and just made sure I stayed below 1200 calories. Then I started reading the book, and it turns out there are actual reasons why this diet is so strict (duh) and actual reasons why I should make an effort to really stick to it (I will explain at the end). So yesterday I started fresh, again, and am happy to say day 2 is nearly over, again. Only 15 days to go in cycle 1.

I’ve had 2 really shitty nights though, not anything to do with the diet and everything to do with the yung’uns, and a couple of hours sleep really doesn’t help with life altering decisions(like chicken or turkey), and so due to lack of preparedness I’m absolutely starving again tonight! On the plus side though, I haven’t been bloated or uncomfortable for a good few days now and I do feel more energised.

On a different topic, I sat down yesterday and really sorted out my finances. I’m usually fairly good with money but the last 5 to 6 weeks I went a bit off the rails with spending and really ended up behind on my rent and bills. What  a relief it is to have sorted through it and I worked it out so by next week I’ll be all caught up again.

I’m really starting to feel the benefits of knowing that I’ve decided to do this, I’ve decided to change(not too much), and ultimately I’ve decided to improve our lives(mine and the yung’uns). On that note I will now outline the 17 day diet, if you’re yawning skip to bottom and leave a comment, please.

The 17 Day Diet is made up of four cycles, and it goes like this:

Cycle 1: Accelerate (17 days)
Purpose: To promote rapid weight loss by improving
digestive health. It helps clear sugar from the blood to
boost fat-burning and discourage fat storage.

Cycle 2: Activate (17 days)
Purpose: To reset your metabolism through a
strategy that involves increasing and decreasing
your caloric consumption to stimulate fat-burning
and to help prevent plateaus.

Cycle 3: Achieve (17 days)
Purpose: To develop good eating habits
through the re-introduction of additional foods
and move you closer to your goal weight.

Cycle 4: Arrive (ongoing)
Purpose: To keep you at your goal weight through a
program of eating that lets you enjoy your favorite foods
on weekends, while eating healthfully during the week.

Here’s the breakdown of the food I’m allowed to eat in cycle 1:

Lean Proteins

Fish*
Salmon, canned or fresh
Sole
Flounder
Catfish
Tilapia
Canned light tuna (in water)

Poultry
Chicken breasts
Turkey breasts
Ground turkey, lean
Eggs (2 eggs = 1 serving)
Egg whites (4 egg whites = 1 serving)

Cleansing vegetables

Artichoke
Artichoke hearts
Asparagus
Bell peppers, green, orange, red,
yellow
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower

Celery
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Garlic
Green beans
Green, leafy vegetables (including beet greens,
turnip greens, collard greens)
Kale
Leeks
Lettuce, all varieties
Mushrooms
Okra
Onions
Parsley
Scallions
Spinach
Tomatoes
Watercress

Low-Sugar Fruit—2 servings daily

Apples
Berries, all types
Grapefruit
Oranges
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Prickly pear cactus
Prunes Red grapes

Probiotic Foods—2 servings daily

Yogurt, any type, including Greek-style, sugar-free fruit
flavored; plain; and low-fat (6 oz. container = 1 serving)
Kefir : similar to a drinking-style yogurt; great
for making smoothies (1 cup = 1 serving)
Low-fat acidophilus milk (1 cup = 1 serving)
Yakult (small 50-calorie bottle)
Breakstone LiveActive cottage cheese (½ cup =
1 serving)
Reduced salt miso dissolved in low-fat, lowsodium
broth (1 tablespoon = 1 serving)
Tempeh (a fermented cake of pressed
soybeans) (4 oz. = I serving)
Sauerkraut (½ cup = 1 serving)
Kimchi (Korean cabbage) (½ cup = 1 serving) Find it
in Asian supermarkets or natural food stores, and
enjoy a small amount as a side dish with meals.

Friendly Fats: 1 to 2 tablespoons daily

Olive oil
Flaxseed oil

Condiments are also allowed, and truvia as a sweetener. Green Tea is recommended with every meal.

There is a greater variety in cycle 2, and again in 3 and 4.

The book itself, while it does explain everything, there is also a lot of bulk, like learn about the author, even a quiz to see if you’re ready(like wtf), but Ive read some reviews and apparently it really works. It seems pretty drastic to me thought and I don’t know if I will stick through all the cycles, but I’m not giving up yet. I think this might be a good one for anyone trying to shift the last 10-20lbs.  Also, the book is very condescending, it even has a section where the guy outlines benefits of being fat(dead serious), I kind of thought do you want me to lose weight or not?

Well that’s the info, you can ask questions or comment below I am always grateful for any interest.

Good night, I am going to hopefully have a great night sleep.