Tips and Advice for the 17 Day Diet

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 Water

At 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.)

In addition to feeling good about the health and digestive benefits, I started making zest from the lemon and lime peels before I cut and squeezed it into my cup of water each morning. Many recipes call for zest; I use it in my Mango Salsa recipe, homemade salad dressings, sprinkled in salads, when I steam broccoli, and mixed with a small amount of olive oil brushed on my fish before cooking.

Since I am eating oranges too, I zest their peels as well. For an idea of all the ways you can use citrus zest, check out the recipes on the Hugging the Coast website. You can buy a zester at most retail stores that sell kitchen gadgets (Wal-Mart sells them for around $5.00). Simply wash the fruit well, run the zester over the skin, place strands into a container and use immediately, refrigerate or freeze. For tips on measuring and storing lemon zest, visit The Kitchn.com, "All About Zest"

My Favorite 17 Day Diet Recipes

So far I have made the Power Cookies, Kefir Smoothie, Egg-white Frittata, Taco Salad, Lettuce Wraps, Chicken Vegetable Soup, Eggplant Parmesan, and Sesame Fish and I enjoyed all of them! The smoothies and chicken vegetable soup are both quite yummy and my staples. The only changes I'd recommend are additional water and less salt for the soup, and slicing the eggplant thicker and stacking the baked slices before adding the sauce for the eggplant parmesan.

Freeze Dr. Mike's Power Cookies

The very day I could eat a cookie on the second cycle of the 17 Day Diet, I made Dr. Mike's Power cookies, which are very good! The recipes makes 18 cookies and, at max, you can only eat 2 cookies every other day on the second cycle. Because of this, I froze most of the cookies after baking, keeping out only enough for a few days. One recipe will last you the entire second cycle by doing this. To keep the cookies moist, use the old 'apple slice in the bag' trick, or zap in the microwave to soften before eating. I also decided that next time I make this recipe, I may try cherry flavored cranberries to cut the cost.

Freeze Fruit for Smoothies and Grapes for Fruit Snacks

I actually got this idea when my granddaughter chose frozen grapes with her kid's meal at a Claim Jumper restaurant. I tried one at the restaurant, went home and froze all the grapes I had in my fridge, and now I LOVE them this way! I keep a bag of red grapes frozen right on the stems in the freezer and each afternoon (before that 2:00 cut-off) I fill a serving sized bowl with the frozen treats and eat them while I work at my computer.

Also, I freeze my blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries if I haven't eaten them within a few days and use them in my smoothies. Because they are frozen, they create a yummy treat akin to a frozen shake!

Make Smoothies!

Speaking of smoothies, I love, love love the Smoothies in the 17 Day Diet! You can have a smoothie every day during this diet as one of your probiotic servings, which I consider an amazing treat. I had never had Kefir before, but now I buy it every time I go grocery shopping. As I already mentioned, the frozen fruit I use creates a milk-shake like consistency.

I also started making my sister-in-law's smoothie recipe using plain, low-fat yogurt. I couldn't find the acidophilus milk called for in the book's recipe anywhere, so I feel this smoothie adheres to the 17 Day diet guidelines as one probiotic serving. Here's the recipe:

Low-Fat Yogurt Fruit Smoothies

-1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
-3/4 cup frozen strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or peaches (try a mixture too!)
1/4 to 1/2 cup seltzer water or club soda
-10 packets (or ¼ cup granulated) Splenda

Whirl all ingredients in your blender, adding additional seltzer or crushed ice until it is the thickness you like, and serve in a fancy footed glass with an ice cream spoon! Freeze any leftovers in a Dixie cup to eat like a slushy treat later. (It freezes hard, so take it out of the freezer 15 minutes prior to eating).

The 17 Day Diet has gotten an immense amount of television air-time, and you'll also find many opinions on its effectiveness online. All I can say is that it is working for me and that I don't find it hard to stick with. My health is just as important to me as my weight, and in addition to losing those stubborn pounds I thought I couldn't lose, I am feeling great, thinking clearly and sleeping soundly.

If you decide to try the 17 Day Diet, expect to eat those fruits and vegetables your Mom always tried to get you to eat. You'll feel good about cutting cut way back on unhealthy sugars and refined carbs, and learn to appreciate lean protein. Each cycle of the 17 Day Diet adds in more foods, until eventually you're eating a full range of foods, including some of your favorite snacks in moderation. I'm certain that once I've gotten through all four cycles of the diet, I will have improved my eating habits that will continue as a healthy diet into the future. If you need to lose weight, get started today, accept that you need to change your eating habits, and check back here for more ideas! Good luck!

Related reading: "Review of Two 17 Day Diet Recipes"
17 Day Diet Tips Blog

View some of these tips in pictures: "17 Day Diet Tips"

Helpful Related Reading:

Five Yummy Diet Food Tricks
Understanding Your Cholesterol Levels
How to Lose Weight and Save Money at the Same Time!

Resources:
Moreno, Dr. Mike. The 17 Day Diet. Published by 17 Day Diet, Inc., 2010
The 17 Day Diet Website
What's Cooking America Website
Hugging the Coast.com
The World's Healthiest Foods Website