The 17 Day Diet Plan Has Gone Viral!!

That's not news to those of us who love this plan, and are not only losing weight and inches; but are feeling better. Some of us are feeling better than we have in years. I know that I can't remember the last time I had so much energy and I have CFIDS! I feel lighter - not just physically, but mentally. No more brain fog from all the toxins that I had stored in my fat cells.

I have to admit that for me the first 8 days weren't easy. The first cycle is a cleansing cycle (but a nutritious, healthy 17 days). I had withdrawal like symptoms such as: headaches, extreme fatigue, and more muscle pain than is normal from the Fibromyalgia I have. The first few days, as I battled cravings I kept repeating "I can do anything for 17 days", "I can do anything for 17 days". It became my mantra. Dr. Mike says - Give him 17 days and you'll change your life - because after the first 17 days, odds are, you will want to stay with it.

On day 5 my cravings for sweets, bread, pasta, alcohol and processed foods in general, were completely gone. Pfffft! Vanished, along with my insatiable hunger. No more headaches. I was still very fatigued though. On day 6 I was still fatigued and had muscle pain and I didn't know if it was from CFIDS or the diet. I almost gave up, but I kept repeating my mantra. Day 8, I woke up and it was LIKE A MIRACLE - I felt great!! I got out of bed with a vigor I hadn't experienced in years! No pain, more energy! I no longer have acid reflux or indigestion, which had plagued me almost daily, (just occasional constipation on cycle one).

I'm now in the 2nd cycle on day 12 and I still feel great! If I get on the scale and didn't lose as fast as I expected, I don't get discouraged like I would have on all the other diets I've been on. That's because I'm aware of all the benefits this plan has for me besides weight loss. Like the fact that not only am I feeling great, but my clothes are fitting better. It's also changed how I look at food. On other diets, I would look forward to food rewards or what I would eat when I was "off" the diet. So with this in mind, I went grocery shopping yesterday. I am approaching cycle 3 when I am allowed pasta and whole wheat bread again, along with a lot of other things like higher fat cheeses and alcohol. I'm also on cycle 2 now, when I can have lean beef and pork on alternating days. So what did my cart look like at checkout, when I could have filled it with so many possibilities? I had a cart full of fruits, fresh vegetables, chicken and turkey. None of the other "goodies" I thought I missed. When my DH helped me unpack he said "Where's the beef?!", but then he smiled because he can see results too. He doesn't need to lose weight and has always been a strict meat, potatoes and junk food person , but even he has started to like eating healthy. As an example, I made chili with ground turkey the other day. In the past, he wouldn't have even tried it when he saw it wasn't hamburger or cubes of beef. He had several helpings and declared it tasted great. This plan eliminates your desire for sugar, salt and fat. I chose to fill my cart with healthy food. I discovered much to my surprise, that I wasn't missing pizza as much as I thought I was!

There are a lot of naysayers out there who are putting in their two cents when they know nothing about the diet. They see the words "17 day" and assume it's a fad diet. It's not. It's sound nutrition - my doctor approved it, the TV " Doctors" approved it, other team members had their nutritionists or doctors approve it.

To those of you who say it's nothing new and anyone can lose weight if they eat healthy, cut calories and exercise... I say, yes that's true - but if it were that simple, we wouldn't be here would we? Dr. Mike himself, admits that his diet is nothing new. The way he designed it is. It's designed to prevent plateaus, to offer guidelines and reduce boredom. Every 17 day cycle is slightly different and cycle 4 is designed for lifetime maintenance. Dr. Mike says that he designed the diet to fit your lifestyle, not so that you have to fit your lifestyle to the diet.

To those of you who say a low carb diet is bad for you . I heartily agree with you - but this is NOT a low carb diet. I was on Atkins for 5 months once, and although I was losing weight, I felt terrible!!! It also affected my brain. I had short term memory loss and brain fog, which cleared up when I went off of Atkins. This plan is a low "unhealthy" carb diet. It allows for UNLIMITED VEGETABLES and 2 servings of FRUIT. After cycle one which is the cleansing cycle, we're allowed a greater choice of "healthy" carbs. I had a plain yam the other day, and although I didn't have to, I chose to eat it without salt or fat. It was the sweetest, best tasting yam I have ever eaten!

I read that one nutritionist who was interviewed for her opinion, said that it was a very expensive plan, because you had to buy special diet foods - like cookies for breakfast. I think she got it confused with Jennie Craig or Nutrisystem. We don't have to buy anything that our supermarket doesn't sell. As far as I know, chicken is a pretty economical choice. If we can't afford fresh, we can buy frozen vegetables. Some members are having a hard time finding Greek yogurt, but I wouldn't consider Greek style yogurt an "expensive" diet food, and we can substitute any probiotic yogurt.

Some other site said that we have to eat a cookie every day for breakfast! I have no idea where they came up with that! I have never tried Dr. Mike's Power cookie for breakfast, although other members have. It's a RECIPE in the book, which contains very healthy ingredients like flaxseed, dried cherries, almond paste, Stevia and agave for sweeteners. I don't have to "buy" them - I just haven't felt like making them yet. As I said, I no longer have a "sweet" tooth.

Another nutritionist said it's too complicated for her to keep track of. I'm going on 60 years old. I occasionally have CRS (Can't Remember Sh#@), but I have no trouble remembering the guidelines on this plan. Obviously, that nutritionist must have a hard time walking and chewing gum at the same time.

Some others say it restricts calories. No where does he say in the book to count calories. Most of us have a hard time eating enough calories, because fresh fruits and unlimited vegetables and unlimited lean protein are very filling, but it's our choice. Why should I force myself to eat when I feel full? ( He also teaches us an easy way to tell if we're full in the book, so that we avoid mindless eating). He does mention portion control for cycles 2 and beyond only if you start gaining, after adding back in things like pasta, bread, alcohol etc. . I'm using the Sparks nutrition tracker to keep track of calories because I choose to, not because I have to. I use it so that I make sure I am eating enough calories. I sometimes have to add whey protein powder to my smoothies or eat an extra piece of deli turkey breast, but let me repeat, it's because I didn't eat everything I should have for the day. It is not a requirement that it be low calorie (although it naturally is) - I'm just not hungry!

We've also had members who dropped out of the team in a very short time. That's their prerogative - this isn't the only healthy plan out there, and to be successful you have to find one that works for you. Most didn't make it past the 1st few days, which are admittedly the hardest. Judging from their comments, a few who had negative things to say, obviously didn't read the whole book or understood the science behind the plan. Some also had misconceptions, which made it harder for them. Those misconceptions would have been clarified had they read the book or asked questions. On this plan, you have to READ THE WHOLE BOOK!! If you're confused about something and the team can't help, you can go to Dr. Mike's website and they will answer your question in 24 hours.

I must have at least 50 diet books! They fill a whole bookcase. I've probably tried them all with little or no results. A few I even had great results with, but couldn't stick to because they weren't practical. I cook for my family, and with this plan, I don't have to cook anything special for them or myself. I don't feel deprived like I did on other diets, because on this one I COMPLETELY LOST MY CRAVINGS! For example, I was never a fruit eater, but now I look forward to it. I had a ripe, juicy pear yesterday, and it was the most delicious thing I could have imagined prior to this plan . Much better than a chocolate cupcake full of sugar and fat, which would have been one of my desserts of choice before. I used to abhor yogurt but I like Greek yogurt now, instead of my daily generous helping of ice cream, etc. etc. In so many ways, this is the first plan that I can see myself staying on for the rest of my life. It was the best retirement investment that I could have made, and it only cost me $11.99!!

So if you don't know any facts about it, only some "gossip" that you heard or read - please keep your negative comments to yourself!! Thank You!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to make my mid-afternoon blueberry smoothie!