Friday:
This morning, after a week of the 17 Day Diet (followed imperfectly, I admit, but a pretty good effort) I was 77.7 kg, down 1.2 kg. A decent loss. I was down to 77.0 kg a couple of days ago but that was after a tummy bug so I'm not surprised it went up again.
I've stuck to Cycle One, the first 17 days of the plan, for a week; but the whole time I've been wondering if it was worth it. Losing weight is a good and important thing and I'm willing to go through a certain amount of unpleasantness for it. And "they" say it takes a while to get used to low carb. But I've felt so tired and a bit sad and like I'm living in a fog. I've had little interest in anything. I was halfway through the last book of a trilogy I was really enjoying, but set that aside as too much mental effort and turned to children's books like Alice in Wonderland -- I often do this when I'm sick. I go back to bed during the day. I watch morning TV. This isn't living!
I've decided to move on early to Cycle Two, which allows some carbs (and red meat) every second day. In fact I'm going to have limited carbs every day. I realise this can no longer be called the 17 Day Diet. I'm now on Natalie's 7 Day Diet. It is loosely based on the 17 Day Diet, but designed for my body. And I'm adding back "forbidden" fruit like bananas! And green grapes. How come I'll allowed red grapes but not green?
It will still be low-processed and moderate-carb.
I need more energy to exercise. And to just think normally. I had carbs at lunch time and it made me feel so happy.
Showing posts with label 17 day diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 17 day diet. Show all posts
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Day 4/17: Compliance
Monday:
I struggled a bit with complying to the rules of this diet for the first few days as I was trying to work around the fact that I had already planned and shopped for meals. Although I stayed away from all starchy carbs, I did have lots of red meat and some take-away rotisserie chicken.
I did the shopping this morning and should be able to follow the rules more closely. Tonight we had san choy bau, made with turkey mince instead of pork. I couldn't tell the difference. Lots of vegetables and wrapped in lettuce leaves. I chopped everything beforehand then did the run back and forth to the kids' activities then cooked quickly when I got home.
I did 45 mins of Dance this morning and got 5 stars on three more dances, only 11 to go. Getting up tomorrow to do my C25K training with Joe.
I'm not sure how I'm going with the fairly low-carb nature of this diet. I've been feeling a bit down, not sure if it's related. When I tried a really low-carb diet I was miserable and irritable, but this isn't so extreme -- I have two fruits a day and most vegetables. I haven't noticed any cravings except I would really like a bit of sugar in my tea! But overall my spirit is a little low. I'll continue to give it a go, but if I think it is affecting me adversely I will jump to Cycle 2 of the diet which allows some carbs (and red meat) every second day.
I don't think I am exercising with full energy either, but it's only for two more weeks so I am not worried about performance. I'll be having carbs by race day.
I struggled a bit with complying to the rules of this diet for the first few days as I was trying to work around the fact that I had already planned and shopped for meals. Although I stayed away from all starchy carbs, I did have lots of red meat and some take-away rotisserie chicken.
I did the shopping this morning and should be able to follow the rules more closely. Tonight we had san choy bau, made with turkey mince instead of pork. I couldn't tell the difference. Lots of vegetables and wrapped in lettuce leaves. I chopped everything beforehand then did the run back and forth to the kids' activities then cooked quickly when I got home.
I did 45 mins of Dance this morning and got 5 stars on three more dances, only 11 to go. Getting up tomorrow to do my C25K training with Joe.
I'm not sure how I'm going with the fairly low-carb nature of this diet. I've been feeling a bit down, not sure if it's related. When I tried a really low-carb diet I was miserable and irritable, but this isn't so extreme -- I have two fruits a day and most vegetables. I haven't noticed any cravings except I would really like a bit of sugar in my tea! But overall my spirit is a little low. I'll continue to give it a go, but if I think it is affecting me adversely I will jump to Cycle 2 of the diet which allows some carbs (and red meat) every second day.
I don't think I am exercising with full energy either, but it's only for two more weeks so I am not worried about performance. I'll be having carbs by race day.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Day 2/17 Climbing Mt Ainslie
Saturday:
Last night my legs were so sore and I was so tired that I went to bed before 9.00 pm. I slept pretty soundly but woke whenever I turned over because my legs hurt, especially my calves and just above my knees. Who would have thought that only ten minutes of really intense exercise would exhaust me so much? And this morning I was very stiff.
The plan was to walk up Mt Ainslie with my friend Caroline this morning. It was raining a bit, so it was yes then no then yes. We didn't mind rain but were worried about it being slippery. We left an hour later than expected but it stayed rain-free for us. I had driven up Mt Ainslie once, to the look-out, but never walked up; Caroline had done it many times. She is much fitter than me.
I didn't have a really good idea of what to expect, I was thinking lots of stairs (particularly as Caroline had suggested it as good training for my Verti-cool challenge). Actually there were very few. The first two thirds of the climb is very steep, the path going on a straight line up through bushland with just the occasional rocky step. Then the next bit zig-zags back and forth so it's not as steep, then finally about 50 stairs at the top to the look-out with really magnificent views of Canberra and the lake.
The first ten minutes or so were the worst. My legs were already stiff and sore, and Caroline walks faster than me although I'm sure she slowed down for me. I was panting and sweating and trying to keep up. Then my muscles loosened up a bit and it wasn't so hard, but still very steep. After 30 mins we sat down briefly, Caroline thought we were more than half-way but it still looked like a long way to go. She asked if I wanted to stop but I decided to keep going. But shortly after that I said I couldn't go any further. We were up to the gentler zig-zags but my body was just so tired. Caroline asked me to wait for her while she jogged to the top (jogged! I was dying from walking!) and I decided to keep walking and I wouldn't turn around until she got back to me. But by the time she got back I had covered more than half the remaining distance on my own and was determined to get to the top. She encouraged me that it wasn't too much further and we walked up together, lots of stairs mainly which was pretty painful!
We got to the very top after 41 mins and 40 seconds of climbing. Maybe that doesn't sound so much to you, but remember it was very steep nearly all the way. After a few minutes we started down again. It was generally much easier going down, but the steepest bits were very hard on the knees. It took about 30 mins to get to the bottom.
I am exhausted. My whole body aches. I can forsee another very early night. But we are doing it again next week! Great exercise.
It was really good chatting time too. Well, when I had enough breath to talk.
Day 2 of 17 Day Diet. Started the day with hot water and lemon, fruit and yoghurt. Chicken and vegetable stir fry for lunch. No sugar in my tea. Being very good.
Last night my legs were so sore and I was so tired that I went to bed before 9.00 pm. I slept pretty soundly but woke whenever I turned over because my legs hurt, especially my calves and just above my knees. Who would have thought that only ten minutes of really intense exercise would exhaust me so much? And this morning I was very stiff.
The plan was to walk up Mt Ainslie with my friend Caroline this morning. It was raining a bit, so it was yes then no then yes. We didn't mind rain but were worried about it being slippery. We left an hour later than expected but it stayed rain-free for us. I had driven up Mt Ainslie once, to the look-out, but never walked up; Caroline had done it many times. She is much fitter than me.
I didn't have a really good idea of what to expect, I was thinking lots of stairs (particularly as Caroline had suggested it as good training for my Verti-cool challenge). Actually there were very few. The first two thirds of the climb is very steep, the path going on a straight line up through bushland with just the occasional rocky step. Then the next bit zig-zags back and forth so it's not as steep, then finally about 50 stairs at the top to the look-out with really magnificent views of Canberra and the lake.
The first ten minutes or so were the worst. My legs were already stiff and sore, and Caroline walks faster than me although I'm sure she slowed down for me. I was panting and sweating and trying to keep up. Then my muscles loosened up a bit and it wasn't so hard, but still very steep. After 30 mins we sat down briefly, Caroline thought we were more than half-way but it still looked like a long way to go. She asked if I wanted to stop but I decided to keep going. But shortly after that I said I couldn't go any further. We were up to the gentler zig-zags but my body was just so tired. Caroline asked me to wait for her while she jogged to the top (jogged! I was dying from walking!) and I decided to keep walking and I wouldn't turn around until she got back to me. But by the time she got back I had covered more than half the remaining distance on my own and was determined to get to the top. She encouraged me that it wasn't too much further and we walked up together, lots of stairs mainly which was pretty painful!
We got to the very top after 41 mins and 40 seconds of climbing. Maybe that doesn't sound so much to you, but remember it was very steep nearly all the way. After a few minutes we started down again. It was generally much easier going down, but the steepest bits were very hard on the knees. It took about 30 mins to get to the bottom.
I am exhausted. My whole body aches. I can forsee another very early night. But we are doing it again next week! Great exercise.
It was really good chatting time too. Well, when I had enough breath to talk.
Day 2 of 17 Day Diet. Started the day with hot water and lemon, fruit and yoghurt. Chicken and vegetable stir fry for lunch. No sugar in my tea. Being very good.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
The 17 Day Diet
Friday:
I'll talk about the diet in a moment, but first -- my day. I finished an editing project yesterday and had today off, so I made exercise my focus. I haven't done a lot of that lately. And the Verti-cool challenge is coming up fast. So, despite inclement weather, I walked into the local town centre (about 40 mins including taking the kids to school) and then ran up 400 stairs, 25 at a time.
Last time I did these stairs, a few weeks ago, I ran up each set of 25 then walked down the ramp; giving me a fairly long break between sets. And it wasn't too hard at all. Today I ran up each set then walked briskly down the stairs. I've never come so close to vomiting due to exercise. I walked up number 11 and 15 (out of 16 sets) but ran the rest. I was completely buggered. But I did it in under 10 minutes.
I went and sat outside the library, waiting for it to open, and drank half my bottle of water. Ten minutes later I stood to go in and my legs were trembling so badly I was worried I was going to fall. I made it inside and went to the bathroom. My face (more than 10 minutes after finishing exercise) was a rather frightening shade of magenta. I always go very pink when I exercise hard, but this was like an overripe tomato. If I was a bystander I would be worried for me.
I collected The 17 Day Diet book and recipe book the library had on hold for me and sat down to read for a while, getting the basics. 45 minutes later I checked my face in the mirror again, down to a mere flush. My legs were still a bit wobbly. Despite bananas not being allowed in phase 1, I ate the one I had with me. I definitely needed the calories to get me home. Then I walked home (a bit over 20 mins), at first with rain driving into my face but then it stopped and the sun came out rather dramatically which was nice.
After a very rushed lunch (chicken and broccoli) I showered and drove back to nearly where I was to have my legs waxed. I only mention that because now my legs are sore inside and out. My calves are really feeling all the stair climbing. A friend and I are planning to climb a mountain tomorrow, I just hope I'm not too stiff to walk! I have no idea how many stairs it will involve.
I'd been thinking about researching the 17 Day Diet for a while after hearing about it on TV. Maybe Dr Phil -- although I haven't watched Dr Phil since he went all "Jerry Springer" a few of years ago. Anyway, my impression of it was slightly wrong; I had the idea that the phases change completely every 17 days. This sounded good to me as I tend to get bored with any particular plan. Actually I get bored after a week or so so I was thinking about making up my own 7 day diet with different rules each week. I like having rules, but with change as well.
The real 17 Day Diet consists of four phases or "cycles", three of 17 days each and then maintenance. The first cycle is really strict, then you add in more things on the second cyle and more still on the third. Reapeat the three as needed. Maintenance means being good all week then eating what you want on the weekends. It is basically a high-protein low-carb diet. The first cycle has no starches at all.
I've decided to try it. The first cycle is similar to what I did recently; no sugar or processed food or wheat, but also no potato or corn or rice or even quinoa. Two fruits a day, from a restricted list; low-fat dairy; healthy fats; lots of water; lots of vegetables. The only bit I really quibble with is the unlimited amount of protein -- as long as it is chicken, turkey, fish, or eggs. You don't get lean red meat until the second cycle. I have yet to find any reason for this. I won't cheat on the carbs or junk food, but I may cheat a bit on the red meat. My family don't like fish and there is no way they are going to accept chicken every night for two and a half weeks, and I really don't fancy sitting down to some lemon sole while they are having steak.
Second cycle you can add red meat and some starches like potato and rice, third cycle more variety of fruits and more starches like bread and pasta (while reducing protein a bit).
It doesn't seem very complicated and I am willing to give it a go. As a pre-diabetic, I do need to eat regular carbs but I can get them from the fruit and vegetables and dairy.
I am calling this Day 1 even though I had a forbidden banana and I've already done the shopping for the next few days so tonight I'll be having beef fajitas (wrapped in lettuce not tortillas) which is also not canon. I'm not going to wait until Monday to start, so I will do my best with what I have. One big reason not to wait is that my weight has gone up to 78.9 kg and I need to stop that upward creep.
After the first set of stairs this morning I was feeling very strong and kind of fit, and then I saw my reflection in the library window. That is always a shock, especially side-on. In my own head I am just not as fat as I really am. It is still a shock every time I see myself. But I won't let it make me miserable -- I am doing something about it.
Oh, the 17 Day Diet suggests exercising 17 minutes a day, or twice a day. (BTW, I wonder why 17 days in particular. Two and a half weeks is kind of an odd measurement, it doesn't seem to come from anywhere.) Of course I want to do more than that. I've got my Verti-cool challenge to train for, and now that we are at the tail-end of summer and it's cooling down I want to start running again. I'm still on week 1 of the C25K!
I'll talk about the diet in a moment, but first -- my day. I finished an editing project yesterday and had today off, so I made exercise my focus. I haven't done a lot of that lately. And the Verti-cool challenge is coming up fast. So, despite inclement weather, I walked into the local town centre (about 40 mins including taking the kids to school) and then ran up 400 stairs, 25 at a time.
Last time I did these stairs, a few weeks ago, I ran up each set of 25 then walked down the ramp; giving me a fairly long break between sets. And it wasn't too hard at all. Today I ran up each set then walked briskly down the stairs. I've never come so close to vomiting due to exercise. I walked up number 11 and 15 (out of 16 sets) but ran the rest. I was completely buggered. But I did it in under 10 minutes.
I went and sat outside the library, waiting for it to open, and drank half my bottle of water. Ten minutes later I stood to go in and my legs were trembling so badly I was worried I was going to fall. I made it inside and went to the bathroom. My face (more than 10 minutes after finishing exercise) was a rather frightening shade of magenta. I always go very pink when I exercise hard, but this was like an overripe tomato. If I was a bystander I would be worried for me.
I collected The 17 Day Diet book and recipe book the library had on hold for me and sat down to read for a while, getting the basics. 45 minutes later I checked my face in the mirror again, down to a mere flush. My legs were still a bit wobbly. Despite bananas not being allowed in phase 1, I ate the one I had with me. I definitely needed the calories to get me home. Then I walked home (a bit over 20 mins), at first with rain driving into my face but then it stopped and the sun came out rather dramatically which was nice.
After a very rushed lunch (chicken and broccoli) I showered and drove back to nearly where I was to have my legs waxed. I only mention that because now my legs are sore inside and out. My calves are really feeling all the stair climbing. A friend and I are planning to climb a mountain tomorrow, I just hope I'm not too stiff to walk! I have no idea how many stairs it will involve.
I'd been thinking about researching the 17 Day Diet for a while after hearing about it on TV. Maybe Dr Phil -- although I haven't watched Dr Phil since he went all "Jerry Springer" a few of years ago. Anyway, my impression of it was slightly wrong; I had the idea that the phases change completely every 17 days. This sounded good to me as I tend to get bored with any particular plan. Actually I get bored after a week or so so I was thinking about making up my own 7 day diet with different rules each week. I like having rules, but with change as well.
The real 17 Day Diet consists of four phases or "cycles", three of 17 days each and then maintenance. The first cycle is really strict, then you add in more things on the second cyle and more still on the third. Reapeat the three as needed. Maintenance means being good all week then eating what you want on the weekends. It is basically a high-protein low-carb diet. The first cycle has no starches at all.
I've decided to try it. The first cycle is similar to what I did recently; no sugar or processed food or wheat, but also no potato or corn or rice or even quinoa. Two fruits a day, from a restricted list; low-fat dairy; healthy fats; lots of water; lots of vegetables. The only bit I really quibble with is the unlimited amount of protein -- as long as it is chicken, turkey, fish, or eggs. You don't get lean red meat until the second cycle. I have yet to find any reason for this. I won't cheat on the carbs or junk food, but I may cheat a bit on the red meat. My family don't like fish and there is no way they are going to accept chicken every night for two and a half weeks, and I really don't fancy sitting down to some lemon sole while they are having steak.
Second cycle you can add red meat and some starches like potato and rice, third cycle more variety of fruits and more starches like bread and pasta (while reducing protein a bit).
It doesn't seem very complicated and I am willing to give it a go. As a pre-diabetic, I do need to eat regular carbs but I can get them from the fruit and vegetables and dairy.
I am calling this Day 1 even though I had a forbidden banana and I've already done the shopping for the next few days so tonight I'll be having beef fajitas (wrapped in lettuce not tortillas) which is also not canon. I'm not going to wait until Monday to start, so I will do my best with what I have. One big reason not to wait is that my weight has gone up to 78.9 kg and I need to stop that upward creep.
After the first set of stairs this morning I was feeling very strong and kind of fit, and then I saw my reflection in the library window. That is always a shock, especially side-on. In my own head I am just not as fat as I really am. It is still a shock every time I see myself. But I won't let it make me miserable -- I am doing something about it.
Oh, the 17 Day Diet suggests exercising 17 minutes a day, or twice a day. (BTW, I wonder why 17 days in particular. Two and a half weeks is kind of an odd measurement, it doesn't seem to come from anywhere.) Of course I want to do more than that. I've got my Verti-cool challenge to train for, and now that we are at the tail-end of summer and it's cooling down I want to start running again. I'm still on week 1 of the C25K!
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