Cycle 1 of the 17 Day Diet is also known as the “Accelerate Cycle”. The primary purpose of Cycle 1 is to experience rapid weight loss, which helps flush sugar and fat storage from your system. Think of Cycle 1 as the “cleansing” cycle releasing toxins from your body.
During Cycle 1, you will eliminate most carbohydrates with the exception of some low-sugar fruits and you will eliminate sugar all together. You’ll enjoy generous amounts of lean proteins such as chicken, turkey and some fish and various low-glycemic index vegetables as well as probiotics to help promote a healthy digestive system. If you don’t have the 17 Day Diet book yet, you may sign up for the blog’s free guide which includes the 17 Day Diet food lists to get started.
Here’s a quick recap of Cycle 1 to get you started:
Wake Up Drink: Within a half hour of waking, drink hot lemon water to get your digestive juices flowing.
Green Tea: Drink green tea with most of your meals– Green tea is full of anti-oxidants and helps promote weight loss.
Water: Drink eight 8-oz glasses of plain water every day. If you can drink more, the better!
Eat generous amounts of lean protein and certain veggies.
Eat two servings of fresh low-sugar fruit by 2pm (only fruits from the approved list).
Friendly Fats: Use 1 to 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil or Flax Seed Oil per day.
No sugar is allowed
No alcohol is allowed
Light exercise for 17 minutes each day
Only stay on Cycle 1 for 17 Days — not a day longer–
Cycle 1 is only meant to be used for 17 days and no longer. If you reach your weight loss goal after Cycle 1, continue onto Cycle 4.
If you still have weight to lose by the time you’re finished with Cycle 1, you are encouraged to move along to Cycle 2 and finish through Cycle 3 before returning to a previous Cycle to continue to lose additional weight. Staying on Cycle 1 for too long may result in a sluggish metabolism as your body will get used to eating the same way or a long period of time.
You’ve made a commitment to losing weight this year.
You feel like you’re doing everything right...until you step on the scale and see that the number is higher than it was last week. What gives?!
You may not realize it, but you could be a victim of sabotage — your own! Here are...
Underestimating the calories in what you eat.
Unless you are regularly tracking not only what you eat but how much, you’re likely eating more than you realize.
Quick check: how many calories are in that handful of dry-roasted peanuts?
Depending on how large your hand is, you may have upwards of 300 calories in that “little” snack!
Tracking what you eat in detail will give you a clearer picture not only of your total calorie count for the day, but it will also let you see where you might be out of balance (e.g. 60% of your calories came from fat).
Overestimating your calorie burn at the gym.
You feel like a beast as you knock out your Zumba routine at the YMCA, and you think to yourself, “Yes! Now I can go home and eat a big lunch, after burning all those calories.”
Quick check: how many calories did you actually burn in the hour-long class?
Your total was most likely in the neighborhood of 500 calories, depending on your size and level of exertion.
Exercise forms an important part of any weight loss plan, but unless you are using a more accurate means of calculating the calories used in your activity of choice, you’re better off underestimating your total. Alternately, you can choose to not factor in your exercise as you plan your daily caloric intake and aim for the same nutritional goals daily, reducing the possibility of justifying an eating binge after a good workout.
Not getting enough water.
Sometimes you find yourself in front of the fridge, looking for something to eat even though you really don’t feel hungry.
Guess what?
You’re probably thirsty!
Adding water to your daily tracking will help you make sure that you’re staying hydrated and not mistaking thirst for hunger. Drinking water will also help you to feel full when you do eat, so it’s a win-win.
Not managing stress appropriately.
Quick check: after a hard day at the office, what is your go-to stress-buster?
If you’re like many people, your answer may have been “a stiff (alcoholic) drink” or “half a bag of Doritos.”
The next time you’re feeling the pressure at work or home, try to pay attention to your response. If it’s something that is going to sabotage your weight loss, you can consciously choose to replace it with a healthier choice.
Bingeing on the weekends.
You’re working hard all week long, keeping your protein-carb-fat intake in mind and getting to the gym. There’s no harm in easing up on Saturday and Sunday, right?
As tempting as it is to give yourself a total break from your healthy eating habits, you’ll be hurting your efforts in the long run.
Success is more probable — unsurprisingly — if you enjoy yourself in moderation while still doing your best to track your indulgences, as much as you may hate to admit and record that plate of hot wings!
Taking medications that interfere with weight loss.
If you are currently taking medication, prescription or over-the-counter, talk to your doctor to see if it could be affecting your weight loss efforts.
7 Tips to Stay Motivated with the 17 Day Diet (Free PDF Download)
Staying motivated while on a diet can be difficult if you allow it to be. Here are 7 tips to stay motivated so you see results with the 17 Day Diet.
1. Variety is King
Variety at meal time is crucial if you’re planning on sticking with your diet. Keeping your menus fresh, varied and flavorful is extremely important if you don’t want to burn out and allow food boredom to set in.
We all know what happens when you become tired of eating the same chicken breast and green bean dinner – you give up and give in to the temptations of chocolate cake and pizza creeping into the back of your mind.
If funds are tight or you’re not a fish lover, rather than adding different protein sources to your meals, try adding variety to your menu by experimenting with different herbs and seasonings. This, if done right, can be a game changer at dinner time!
A personal favorite of mind is Flavor God seasonings. This particular brand is made fresh, is gluten free, kosher, low sodium, contains no MSG, GMO-free, and soy-free. Flavor God seasonings contain no sugar or nuts, and have a shelf life of 12 months! So if you’re looking for a different take on chicken and veggies, try this seasoning and see how motivated you become to stick with your weight loss plan.
2. Surround Yourself With Positive Influences
Surrounding yourself with supportive people who “get you” and your struggles can be the difference you need to stick with your weight loss plan. If you’re a naturally pessimistic person, find others who are optimistic and who can lift you up rather than bring you down.
Take our private Facebook group for the 17 Day Diet, for example. We have over 6,000 members in our group and we have so much fun. From swapping recipes to cheering each other on, the group is full of supportive members who are making progress with their weight loss.
The C1 Challenge, for instance, is the perfect platform to surround yourself with like-minded individuals during Cycle 1 of the 17 Day Diet — this phase is usually the most difficult, yet the most crucial for your weight loss success, so it’s extremely helpful to have this community at your fingertips!
Having a support system, even if it’s others on social media that you’ve never met or don’t know personally, can be very motivating and encouraging. Knowing there’s someone who understands your struggles and offers words of encouragement can be very empowering and will help keep you moving in the right direction.
3. Have an Accountability Plan or Partner
Having an accountability plan or partner in place is a sure way to help you stick with your weight loss plan. Ask a friend at work to check in with you each week to help keep you on track. A spouse or partner who is also on the same weight loss journey is a win-win – keeping each other accountable and motivated helps keep the momentum going. When you have accountability and momentum, you’re also going to see results and seeing results will keep you motivated!
4. Plan Ahead to Save Time and Avoid Temptation
Planning your menus, recipes and grocery list ahead of time is the key to success when it comes to your weight loss journey. Plan week by week so you don’t overwhelm yourself. If you don’t have time to round up a week’s worth of 17 Day Diet compliant recipes, consider a done-for-you meal planning option such as C1 Slim Down™ or Simple N’ Lean 17™.
Carefully plan out your meals, set a game plan for a grocery list and subsequent shopping trip and food prep. Bulk prepping, while it may take some time before hand, can be a lifesaver, not to mention time saver, the week of your meals.
Consider setting aside a few hours of your weekend preparing your proteins and vegetables for your lunches and dinners. After a long day at work during the week, knowing parts of your meals are already cooked and ready to be assembled and served, can be the difference between ordering pizza at the last minute and having a healthful, home-cooked meal.
You’ll also want to consider planning out snacks for the week and weekend. Not sure what to eat when you’re hungry? Make a few extra servings of your meals and snack on flavorful mini meals — this will not only keep you fueled for energy, but will also keep you from grabbing the easy-to-eat processed snack foods that can derail your weight loss in a matter of minutes.
If you find yourself eating out during your diet, don’t fret. If you know ahead of time the restaurant you’re dining at, find their menu online, decide ahead of time what you’ll order, and you’ll instantly take out the stress and temptation that sometimes come along for the dining-out ride.
5. Keep a Journal
Feeling a bit overwhelmed or emotional? No worries! If you plan out your weekly meals, do a bit of prep before hand, you’re going to free up time to participate in healthy emotional journaling while munching on your pre-planned healthy snacks.
If you consistently use journaling as a healthy emotional outlet rather than reaching for comfort food, you’re going to find your relationship with food will change. Plan ahead, pick up a journal and get those feelings down on paper (and yes, use paper and a pen — your brain needs that “dump”).
6. Positivity is Key
In life, positivity is the key to success. This goes for every facet of your life whether it be business, personal, weight loss, relationships and more.
You can stay in a positive mindset a few different ways:
Daily affirmations
Craft several present-tense positive affirmations and repeat them every morning before you get out of bed, and every evening before you go to sleep. An example of a positive affirmation would be: “I let go of any guilt I hold around food choices.”
If you do this consistently, you’ll start to see a shift in your mindset. This can be a very powerful exercise that can have immediate effects on your weight loss.
Vision board
A vision board is a great visual reminder of what you want to achieve in your life. Your vision board may contain anything you desire – wealth, happiness, material things, weight loss, family, dream vacations, and the like.
Your vision board may be constructed using paper, glue and cutouts from magazines that represent your desires, hopes and dreams. If you’re living the digital lifestyle, you may use a secret Pinterest board or other online visual platform to document your dreams and goals. The idea behind the vision board is to view it daily and for it to serve as a constant reminder of what you want to attract in your life.
Positive People
As mentioned earlier, surrounding yourself with positive and uplifting people will dramatically increase your chances of sticking with your plan, seeing results and keeping you on the right path. They say, “you become who you hang out with”. Make sure you’re extremely selective of who you choose to surround yourself with and also be an encouraging and supportive friend to others as well.
No More Excuses
This is a big one. If you give yourself excuses of why you can’t stick with a plan for more than a few days, then you’ll never stick with a plan for more than a few days. Tell yourself, “No more excuses!” and stick to it! Changing your mindset is key, and getting rid of the “I can’t, I don’t, I won’t” in your vocabulary will increase your success rate in weight loss AND your life in general. If you’re looking for a bit of inspiration, check out this video about excuses:
7. Set Realistic Goals
Goal setting can either keep you on track for success or derail you. Setting a large goal such as “lose 30 pounds in 30 days” may not be realistic and achievable, and therefore if you don’t attain the large goal, you may feel defeated and give up.
Setting realistic goals is key to keeping yourself on the right path and celebrating success, even if the successes are small! Every celebration is one piece of the main objective, and with each milestone achieved is one step closer to realizing your dreams.
Consider creating small mini goals you help keep you motivated. A mini goal could include drinking eight 8oz glasses of water per day. Another mini goal could include sticking with your meal plan for seven days without getting off track. Another mini goal could include losing three pounds in one week. When these mini goals are achieved, they are keeping you aligned with your overall objective of your weight loss plan, and when you achieve your goals, you gain momentum and when you gain momentum, you are encouraged to stay motivated to stick with your weight loss plan.
Original article and pictures take 17ddblog.com site
