17-day diet: today is #17 and I've done pretty damn good :)

Today is #17. I've made it. I've eaten fruits and vegetables and yogurt. I've drank green tea and survived. 

3 weeks ago I would have told you you're crazy if you said I'd be eating healthier today. 

I have tried every diet out there from Weight Watchers to Jenny Craig to Atkins to South Beach and every little one in between. I've cut calories. I've walked thousands of steps a day. Have I done it all at the same time - well duh...no. That would have been somewhat intelligent - and there is no intelligence when it comes to a fat person trying to lose weight. 

Even when I thought my heart was in it - my stomach wasn't. 

And today - while my muscles still aren't in the game - things have changed. 

I feel lighter. I feel as if my stomach is flatter. OMG - I feel thinner. 

In 17 days. 

Tomorrow, I'll be back home with my scale and my measuring tape to mark my true change. I know there is a loss of weight - a bout 8.5 pounds. There has to be a loss of inches. Even if it's only a 1/2 inch here or there...there's a difference. 

Tomorrow I start cycle 2. I get to start reintroducing carbs into my diet plan. Potatoes? yum. But this morning it was if I didn't really care. How strange. I was almost sad to think a carb was coming back. That's not necessarily good thinking. I have to recognize that reality says carbs exist and will, therefore, appear on my plate periodically. 

It's okay to eat them in moderation. It's okay to eat them if they are healthy. It's not okay to make an entire meal of them. It's not okay to neglect probiotics and veggies and fruit. 

The 17DD is a plan that teaches us how to eat again. The right way. The healthy way. It's carried me well in the past 17 days. I expect it will do the same for the next 17. 

I'm encouraged by the others in the 17DD group on SP. They are women - just like me - who are at various stages in the plan. All of them lose weight. All of them. All of them have issues, concerns, stress, humor and milestones. All of them are still living their lives and sticking to the plan. 

There's no counting, no weighing...just mindful eating. It's so simple. And it works. 

I need to count today as a success - because today I weigh at least 8 pounds less than I did 17 days ago. Tomorrow starts another cycle of 17 days and at the end of it - June 16 - I will weigh less than I do today. Even if it's only 3 or 4 pounds...it's less than before and less is always good. 

I've off to eat an orange...maybe grab a little protein and yogurt to start my day. Then ... 

WATCH OUT WORLD! HERE I COME!