The year long decline of our daughter’s health followed by the sudden unexpected death of our beloved Sheltie, led to fewer walks, too much comfort food, and not enough veggies.

I wrote this four years ago when I used this diet to lose 30 lbs (stupid thyroid). I’ve kept it off for the most part, but want what I’ve gained off me in a hurry. Maintenance comes easy to me, as my vanity takes care of that.

I STRICTLY adhere to the food list in Cycle 1, but I don’t necessarily follow the portions. I eat as much as I want of the included fruits. And I have 4 GREAT recipes for soup that just happen to be C1 compliant. Making the soups SAVED me the first time around and they’ll ensure your success as well.

I also don’t do probiotics, and the yogurt’s the same variety that my daughter eats daily, a 16 carb Yoplait LITE with fruit.

I can’t imagine losing any faster so I’m sharing my success here with you:

• FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2014 •

If you want to lose weight by jump-starting your metabolism and breaking your cravings for carbs & sugar WITHOUT purchasing anything BUT healthy food in order to do it – the 17Day Diet may be right for you.  Tons of water, lean protein at EVERY meal.  Unlimited cleansing vegetables and 2 servings of fruit.  It’s a book that you can find at your local library.  There’s a newer version out for those that like cleansing shakes (between cycles) but I prefer the original version.  Sample menus are given but only as a guide.  Folks seem to get very confused by that.

NO matter HOW the weight GOT there, THIS will take it OFF.   I thought lack of sound sleep and thyroid meant I could never lose the weight that I gained over menopause AND because my (fired) doctor kept ignoring my bouncing TSH scores (a healthy thyroid doesn’t HAVE wild swings in TSH scores.  Your TSH should be 3.5 or BELOW).  Mine got to 68.72 after 10 years of my (fired) doc’s neglect 😦

You’re going to feel lousy those first few days of the diet because your body is ridding itself of all the bad toxins it’s been storing.  When you can’t use the (white) carbs you eat for energy, your body doesn’t know what to do with them so it stores them with COPIOUS amounts of water, as fat.   Since you don’t eat but 2 tablespoons of fat a DAY in this diet, your body is forced to burn off the stored fat. 

Once you’re done with the diet – you use the tools you learned to maintain. I still eat carbs but I recognize how I FEEL after eating them and THAT makes it easier to avoid them with GOOD CHOICES.  

PROTEINS

Fish

• Canned Light Tuna (water packed)

• Catfish

• Flounder

• Salmon

• Sole

• Tilapia

* Opt for wild-caught rather than farm-raised fish, which may have received doses of antibiotics. Avoid the bigger fish such as swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and albacore tuna. They are the most likely to carry metals like methyl-mercury, which is considered a toxin.

Poultry

• Chicken Breast

• Eggs (2 eggs = 1 serving)

• Egg Whites (4 egg whites =1 serving)

• Turkey Breast

CLEANSING VEGETABLES   (Eat Liberally)

•       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

FIBROUS FRUIT- 2 SERVINGS DAILY

•       Apples

•       Berries, all types

•       Grapefruit

•       Oranges

•       Peaches

•       Pears

•       Plums

•       Prickly pear cactus

•       Prunes

•       Red grapes

PROBIOTIC FOODS- 2 SERVINGS DAILY

Acidophilus milk: (1 cup = 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)

Reduced salt miso dissolved in low-fat, low-sodium broth (1 tablespoon – 1 serving)

Sauerkraut: (1/2 cup – 1 serving)

Yakult: (1 cup = 1 serving)

Yogurt, any type, including Greek-style, sugar-free (6 oz. container = 1 serving)

FRIENDLY FATS: 1 TO 2 TABLESPOONS DAILY

Flaxseed oil

Olive oil

CONDIMENTS

Condiments and seasonings are allowed in moderation:

•       Salsa, low-carb marinara sauce, lite soy sauce, low-carb ketchup, fat-free sour cream, Truvia (a non-caloric sweetener made from natural ingredients), sugar-free jams and jellies, vegetable cooking spray, fat-free cheeses (i.e. Parmesan), fat-free salad dressing, salt, pepper, vinegar, mustard, herbs, and spices.

Substitutions for vegetarians:

One-half cup of tofu (any type)

One-half cup of beans, lentils, or any legume

1-2 vegetarian or black bean burgers (made from textured vegetable protein)

2-4 ounces any vegetarian cheese, including soy cheese

2 vegetarian “sausage” links (great substitute for eggs!)

2 scoops vegan rice protein powder (great for smoothies, blend with 1 cup unsweetened almond milk and a fruit) for a quick 17-Day Diet vegetarian breakfast

Any type of vegetarian meat substitute made from textured vegetable protein (see package for serving size)

For dairy substitutes: 1 serving is 1 cup unsweetened soy milk, almond milk, or rice milk

For yogurt substitutes, it is fine to use soy milk yogurt. These subs will work for all cycles as meat-protein substitutions.