Success Stories

I am six days into it and have lost four Kgs. I didn't lose this much last time So super excited. Last time over the first 17 days I lost 5 kilos total which is pretty good too.

Hi! What is the MOST weight any of you have lost on cycle 1?

Oh well done saying no to pizza. I too have been saying no to numerous things throughout today. hopefull I can continue.

U inspire me....starting day 1 tomorrow....today said no to pizza!

Hi Lesa---Please join us on the Daily Are You on Track thread too!

starting today....i have the book and i downloaded the app for my iphone....reading all of your successes really helps!!!!!

thank you for sharing!!!

And Congrats to all of you "losers"

Way to go girl!!!!!

I started this plan in the beginning of March, and I'm down 30 pounds. I'm so excited to reach this weight in such a short time. I still have more to lose, but I'm motivated as this diet plan really works. I find that even when I mess up, it's not hard to get back on track...as the 17DD is very forgiving. I can't wait until I'm down 40, 50, 60, and so on. Way to go everyone!!!

I'm so happy for you and I'm so glad you shared your success! Those of us staring out really benefit from knowing it can work- if you work the plan! Well done!

Hi ya'll, I have been crazy busy lately and have not had time to check in. But just wanted to tell you guys that I met my goal! Lost 20 pounds total and I'm at 25% body fat. This diet works!! I have been trying to get to this weight for about 5 years and nothing worked, so I'm just shocked and overjoyed. Just wanted to encourage anyone struggling to stick with it, you will get there eventually. Blessings

Sounds like you are off to a terrific start!! The real world can be daunting, but planning is the

Come join us over in the "Daily Check-in" thread, if you want to chat with us about how you're doing! We LOVE to give/receive encouragement!! We seriously can't do this without each other!

Hi all-
I am brand new, but began the 17DD on 4/8/13 and have shed 8.2 pounds in 4 days already! I am so beyond excited! I had joined SP over a year ago but never became active and noticed my weight is 14 pounds up from back then, ouch!

I am liking the diet very much so far. I can feel when I need to eat something, I can feel my blood sugar dropping, and grab some protein before I cave and eat junk. It is going pretty well, I learned not to drink the green tea on an empty stomach, I felt pretty sick.

I have been at home all week as I have settled into this new way of eating, so it has been easy. I am going to work a night shift tonight, after baking and decorating cupcakes for my daughters birthday party tomorrow, then will be surrounded by goodies all day. So with the weekend of being back to work, the odd hours, and cooking and serving lasagna and garlic bread and being around coworkers who order delivery subs and pizza all weekend... I feel like its going to be a nightmare... Trying to prepare some protein today. I have mixed green peppers and onions and seasonings into lean ground turkey and cooked the burgers up then frozen them individually.It is handy for a quick meal, just add veggies.

I am ok knowing that I will probably eat more times during my day and 12 hour night shift, but I am going to arm myself with a strategically packed lunch bag and stick to the plan! But I am terrified to take this plan out into the real world and face all the temptation! Wish me luck!

I experienced a similar thing at the supermarket. I had purchased only fresh and natural foods in the store. Got bread for the faMILY AND PET FOOD IN THE AISLES AND OF COURSE PACKETS OF CINNAMON, cayene pepper AND HONEY (Sorry I hit caps lock accidently and not going back) I have that each morning as it is great for curbing the appetite and for arthritis. I got to the counter and they had chocolate bars on an incredible special. BUT I thought I can leave them. I haven't had one for many months now and just think how good you will feel about resisting the temptation. I did resist and I felt proud of myself. I am now only 5.7 kilos from my goal weight. I never thought I would get here. I have been adjusting my clothing to fit. It is great that I am a hoarder as well so a lot of my jeans and trousers I kept from being this size seventeen years ago. They are classic fits so although they are now getting slightly too big they are o.k. for now. So broke at present I can't afford new clothes. So I will join you in the celebrating. We can do it.

YES!!!! And... it is contagious, as well! So SHARE away!!!!

That feels great, doesn't it?? You are doing a fantastic job of exercising your "resistance" muscles, rather than your "giving-in" muscles, and the more you USE them, the stronger they get!!!!!!

If you read my feed I am repeating myself a little. I just realized that when I celebrate my small successes it has a snowball effect. On Tuesday I wanted to grab a doughnut while getting gas and then I remembered how well I did the day before that and walked gleefully pass the doughnuts. Today the same thing happened and I reminded myself of how well I did for breakfast and read the back of the package. 600 calories, YIKES! I put it down and had a cup of hot tea. I'm going to start putting a few packets of truvia in my purse for these occasions. I did not feel like I was depriving myself of that danish. I felt like I just avoided an avalanche of the wrong kind.

The morale of the story is.... Celebrate every small success, they add up.

I can not even imagine how your clothing sizes work. In New Zealand being an 8 or a 6 is for those little finely built Aians or very sick and almost bones. Average size has crept up to a 14 and now I am between 12 and 14.I haven't been a twelve in 16 years. To be in small clothing for me is a twelve and the only time I was a ten was when I was really ill before I got married and weighed only 47 kgBut it is amazing when people say to you that they hardly recognised you until you spoke. A friend of mine who I hadn't seen in 6 weeks commented about this the other day. I was asked how much I have lost (22kg) and how much I weigh now (77kg) She said wow but she would never have thought that I was that weight She said that she was the same weight but overweight and that she thought I looked about 60kg. I am broad shouldered and hips with large hands and wrists. So weight can be deceiving people. I love the 17 Day diet principles. I could live with it forever. The worst part is if I eat anything unhealthy even a tiny bit it shows straight away. I have found that when I eat bread or wheat products or sugary things I get a headache and feel really lethargic. But sometimes those chocolate bars call really loudly. I consider it a success when I go grocery shopping and I can ignore those calls. This diet is a huge success for me.

Congratulations to everyone!

Still new to this but I am having great success, I am losing consistantly as long as a stay on track! I am currently on C1D13, I started doing 17DD at the begining of December and did well up until the 13th day and then I had one event after anthor...so I decided to restart and I have been able to lose the weight that I gained and be .4 less than I was on the first day 13.
This weekend for the first time I felt as though I will actually reach my goal.

What an awesome story, Sharon. Thanks for sharing. You have come such a long way. You should be sooooo proud of yourself!!!!

Sharon, that is amazing!!! I LOVE inspiring stories of changed lives! I wish more would use this thread for sharing success - I will encourage others to do so. Thanks for taking the time to post here!!!

For the first time in a VERY long time, I made it to a gym and used machines. 20 min. recumbent, 4 min. elliptical, my favorite machine Graviton, and various other arm, leg, abdominals.

best thing about it.... as i was leaving and swung my bag over my shoulder, i realized when i had gone before it was first in handicapped parking with cane, then still handicapped parking with folding cane in bag just in case, then non handicapped parking but with a wheeled bag, and now i slung it over my shoulder!!!! and had the energy afterwards to hit my grocery store for kefir, FF half and half, peppers etc. and i carried that bag back to car without a cart.

Well done. Awesome. Inspiration for all of us still on cycle 2!! Keep on posting.

I'm in C4 - down 23 lbs. Can't believe it. Today I did a 90 min hot yoga class and I'm walking at least 3x a week. Tomorrow - 5 miles. I've had to pull out the "next size down" in my wardrobe, so it's like having all new clothes!

I just started C3 today. I feel great. I've lost 12 lbs so far. Now that I have the diet down pat, I will be stepping up my exercise. I will walk to work at least one day this week and I bought a yoga dvd. Wishing everyone a great week .

@ CUDDLEY51 Getting past that first 10-15lb mark is a great relief, I feel yah! Keep up the fabulous work girl!

I am still in the beginner stages of 17DD, but I couldn't resist commenting on here to let everyone know that "If you work it, it works"..... Currently in Cycle 2, Day 6 and I am down 11.5 lbs. It's more impressive than it sounds since I have been really working at losing weight since the beginning of June and had already lost 12 lbs when I started this plan. That likely means that most of the initial water weight one typically loses when they first change their eating plan was already gone! I am thrilled with how the program is working and have every intention in the world of continuing on!

I started the 17DD in may and completed one full cycle 1 and part of cycle 2 but totally adapted my eating habbits. I stick to the 17DD core values and modified it to fit my home cooking which has allowed me to lose 7 inches from my waist this summer alone! Before 17DD I was stuck at 198 and ready to give up, thank goodness for the 17DD makeover to my lifestyle! Not only have I had success but also my fiance has gone from 212 to 189 :) Helping his high blood pressure and getting us both healthy! Thanks for all the support 17DD team!

Hope you're feeling better, Monamoon! And way to go, sticking to your eating plan even while feeling yucky. It is always a temptation to "comfort" yourself when you're under the weather. If you can do it sick, you CAN do it, PERIOD!!! Keep up the great work!

Just wanted to say that I have been battling a bad case of the flu. I am on c1 day 9 and have not been able to excercise, however even though I was so sick I still was able to stick to my diet and have managed to lose a total of 8lbs.

@Barbh918... I am so happy for you and your success....

and thank you for sharing it here. It helped me just feeling your enthusiasm and self-empowerment come through your words.

I'm having a great deal of success. C1D14 - down 11 pounds. I don't crave anything except fresh, crunchy, ice cold, carrots. It's true. I've passed up: Graduation Cake, Cookies, Ice Cream Cake - you name it. I feel so good. I sleep so good. I'm energized - I'm so thankful that I found this way of living. It may be a "diet" but it's also a lifestyle. I'm all in.

Not sure if this is a success story or not... but am choosing to consider it one. It starts out being so "not" a success story. I returned from an emotionally charged vacation to a wonderful surprise of actually losing 1 1/2 pounds and immediately started going "crazy" at night to the tune of gaining 5 pounds in 5 days. i was supposed to be ending cycle 2 and going to cycle 3 on the fourth of july. but, i chose instead to go to cycle 1 as Dr. Mike suggests when you gain. so it has been an internal struggle these days since... but this morning i was back to where i was at weigh in after the vacation.

so, the success is..... i grasped the reins again and for the first time did what the book said to do. i also kept telling myself that i have the tools. (because in my head i was thinking... i will NEVER be able to maintain once i get to goal.. it will come right back on faster than it came off). but, i got i did get back on track. and i learned from it.

so for me... i really can't let it go to 5 pounds. for me it will be either 3 or 4 (because less than that can truly be water retention).

so, as i said not really a success story.. but if i want the real success story of STAYING and LIVING at a healthy weight... then this lesson was necessary.

so i started cycle 3 today. (now that i wrote that i'm wondering if i should have gone back and finished cycle 2 properly.)... but i made my choice. what a learning curve this is.

I'm on day two and have no great success story to share but have to send out a great big thanks to all of you who have shared yours. You're all inspirations to me! Thanks for sharing!!!

Bravo!! Congratulations!

@PNM... i am speechless but grinning on your behalf. What an accomplishment. i could not even find a tape measure to use today. so guess maybe i should get one. i did measure with a fabric belt on just one area.

I am really so very proud and happy for you.

PNN--Being a size 4 and seeing your lowering of measurements are truly amazing! Congratulations to you and all your hard work!

Shocked this morning when I had a big inch loss! I thought that I would put on my starting inches to show you all how far I've come.

5/8/12 measurements 7/2/12

Calves 14 13.5
thigh 25 20.75
Butt 44 37.5
hips 42 34
waist 33 27
neck 14 12.5
upper arm 12.25 10.75
breast 38 33

I think that it's important to know that I'm still losing inches. Not every week these days but this morning I lost 1/4 inch on my calf and thigh and 1/2 inch on my breast. Measurements are so important at this stage because my weight seems to be where it wants to be right now and that's fine. I still would like to have that five pound buffer but I'm thrilled to be at this weight and size. I never would have believed that I could loose it and keep it off before I started this process. I am so very grateful every single day.

Yes, yes, yes...testimony that it works even for those who don't have tons to lose....simply marvelous!!!

Ahhhhh, PNM... I am so glad for you and your 4!!!

PNM,
That is awesome! I'd love to see a size 4!! Heck I'd love to see a size 8 or 6.

Edited by: KTISFOCUSED at: 6/30/2012 (21:54)

I went to my DIL's house today where she had an entire bag of pants and shorts for me to try on. Most of them were size 6-8 but there was one size 4. Guess what???? I can wear a 4!!! Maybe not all size 4 but this size 4 fit just fine. Whoo Hooooooooo! From a tight 16 to a loose 4. In just 9 months. I love this Diet!!!!

Edited by: PUDGYNOMORE at: 6/30/2012 (20:34)

So now you are truly IN Onderland, instead of just visiting both worlds...fab-u-lous....great perspective...thanks for sharing your success and HOPE! Keep going...whatever it takes...one day at a time!!!

You sound like a women on a mission. (The 17 Day Diet will do that!) Your enthusiasm is contagious!

I broke through another plateau this week! I have been gaining and losing the same three pounds since mid April. I went back to tracking my food and pumped up the walking/hiking time the past two weeks and yippie skippie I lost those nasty three pounds plus three more! I've been switching calories from 1200- 1400 every other day, and being careful with my carbs and sodium. It worked! I know I'm building muscle so plateaus don't worry me to much but I get impatient when they last too long. Now to just make myself behave on this long weekend!

Bythegrace that is so true I know a lot of times of used food or wine or food and wine to fill a void of being lonely, not happy where I am in my career, feeling down or stressed. So ive started journaling and if I do have a major slip up instead of self loathing, I just get right back to sticking to my plan of a healthy life style mind, body and soul.

HALT. I really like that! Thanks.

Terri: Another great awareness...Is it head hunger, heart hunger, belly hunger...or thirst!
HALT (Hungry/Angry/Lonely/Tired) and taking notice is such a great habit!

Congrats on your continued successes Sharon.

Cindy, that guy's Mom didn't finish her job before she got rid of him! LOL! I can't imagine a grown man acting like that and having no regard for others. Glad you handled it great with him and with your food.

Sharon, I think having someone to share things with confirms with your self that your feelings are "right". As long as that person agrees or gives good feedback, of course. If they tell you to get over it, well that isn't so helpful. LOL!

I also was wanting to eat so made an early dinner. After dinner (where I ate way too fast) I was still wanting to eat! Since I hadn't had all my yogurt I took one of those little things of yogurt and standing in the kitchen started to eat it. I have made myself a new deal of no eating in front of the computer or TV, only at the kitchen table. Well I didn't sit down but walked past the computer to the sun room and stood there and had 2 spoonfuls and realized I was stuffed. Obviously my "need" to eat wasn't out of hunger for food. I did the dishes and the urge went away. Strange.

glad you joined in. not a private conversation.

actually, i had to read and reread your first line. because i have been one to have awarnesses without someone to share with. i did not think i found it "brutal". but, now i am wondering. my usual is to write and rework and really try to grow from awareness. but, there IS something different in having shared it here and had PNM comment on it. it felt different. and then for you to join in.

guess i will have to have another awareness about what that is all about and then share that.

off the top of my head, i am thinking if there is someone to share it with , that perhaps, it is more easily assimilated into actual life changes. whereas if no one to share with, it takes more "evidence" and more effort.

just a thought.

again, i am grateful for this space. truly i am.

Awareness without someone to really share with is brutal...just being able to acknowledge and check it with another human is priceless. Good for both of you...I felt like I was "listening in" on a private conversation, but want to commend you both for being so up front! Getting to the bottom of the discomfort that drives us to indulge for comfort...so rewarding...each time it occurs we are strengthened!

yes, i understand and feel the Now Now now aspect of it.

i also applaud you for doing what you felt was the best way to handle things at the moment and then to follow it up with the email. and, yes, it was all bound to stir up lots of stuff. and then to be very aware of how it was entering your being is even more to "your credit".

thank you for sharing it here.

i hope you don't have to wait too long for your meal and you find it and the evening nourishing.


as for me, i am still feeling very thirsty. and most of the "upset" seems to be passing. so maybe that will be yet another helpful lesson for me.

seems so amazing how much learning i still need to do at my age and with my prior experiences.

Today was a zinger for me as well. I had an incident on the tennis court where I run a drop in three days a week. One of the guys is over the top competitive and didn't want to play with another fellow who is older but a great player. Mr. Skinny switched and all was well for a bit, then another player had to leave early which moved me over one spot. The competitive guy likes to partner with me and threw a big fit saying that I couldn't move over. I moved anyway and had to write him a long email confronting him with his mistaken behavior where a dear person had his feelings hurt. I'm telling you all of this because I've wanted to eat, eat, eat all day long. It's almost dinner and I'm having fish and a huge salad then my usual yogurt but I don't want to wait for the bbq. I want it all NOw, NOw, NOw. I know that it's just residual from my feelings of frustration on the court as well as having to deal with an unpleasant situation.

actually, i'm not quite ready for skinny time!! i have never been skinny. but i am ready to be lighter still. and i won't turn down a bit of hocus pocus presto chango.

thanks for the smile and the support.

and for me it wasn't so much knowing the trigger as "feeling' it in the moment. that was the "presto chango" moment.

Edited by: SHARON-NY2021 at: 5/6/2012 (20:00)

That is a huge success! Knowing your triggers is magical. Now you just have to do a little hocus pocus and presto chango....It's skinny time!

I am not sure if this will end up being a success story but it is right now. i am on a cycle 1 day of cycle 2 and have been 100% compliant after major slip up last week. so, i just realized i was about to grab something "just a little off plan". why?.... because i gave up my plans for this evening to stay home for a conference call that seems not to be happening with no word as to what went wrong. so, when i realized i was looking into places i shouldn't be i realized i was very disappointed. i actually felt the disappointment and was able to label it. and i was angry at myself for changing my plans and then also shortening a walk etc etc. i also noticed i was thirsty more than hungry. so i drank some water and i made an almond milk protein shake.

now, my new goal is to stop eating by 8:30. so if i make it thru the next hour doing what i need to do... some exercise or breathing... AND stick with this ... it will be a huge victory. not only for staying compliant. but more than that for being aware of what was going on for me. i spotted a trigger.

oh, and posting this would also be a way to break through.

so i will report back tomorrow.

LOOK AT YOU!!!!! fantastic.

CONGRATULATIONS...Cinco de Mayo and treinta y cinco libras! Keep going...you WILL reach your final goals!!!

I weighed in this morning, and I hit my 35 lb loss on this diet! Woo hoo! I have had a bad cold this week, so I wasn't expecting much. Thank you to all of you friends who inspire me each day to keep going, even when the going gets a bit rough. Together, WE CAN DO THIS!

@Gabbawe.... way to go... you are doing great and seeing and feeling the results.

@ PNM... such very great news!!!! Happy Dance time for you....

@ Trekker.... 1/2 way is very good. it means you can really believe it is doable because you HAVE done it.

I had blood work yesterday for my thyroid and it was perfect. I asked if anyone ever goes off thyroid medication (I've been on two years now) and I was told rarely but once in awhile if they asked. Most people get on a pill and take it the rest of their lives. My Doctor says that because I've lost so much weight....she will work with me to take me off of the medication. I'm stoked. I see her next week to begin the process.

I started Cycle 1 on April 2nd and lost 14lbs. I'm in Cycle 2 now and have lost 6 more lbs; For a total of 20 lbs! I start Cycle 3 on May 6th, and hope to keep losing. My goal is to lose 25 more lbs. This diet really works for me, because its a lifestyle change. I love it.

Edited by: GABBAWE at: 5/1/2012 (12:35)

It was the 17DD that kick started my weight loss. Especially the first cycle when I lost that 25. One really gets complacent when they lose half. Now with 40 pounds gone, I'm still just 1/2 way. Cycle two allowed me more food and more opportunity to cheat, but I never cheated very badly so the weight is still coming off, just very slowly now.

@trekker.... tuning up my dancing shoes to join you in your happy dance!!!

Wow! Those are amazing results and with traveling? I am impressed! Have you lost that much since the 17DD? Either way that is wonderful. That 40 pound loss is almost there-happy dance here you come!

I haven't posted in a while as my business travel really kicked up and while its extremely hard for me to "diet" while on planes and hotels. I'm doing the best I can and while the first 25 pounds came off easily, I'm still plugging along and down 39 pounds. I plan to do the happy dance when I reach 40 pounds. I'm going to my first zumba class this morning and hope I can make it through.

That is awesome, it sure is great when people notice :)

I got my first compliment today!
A friend at work told me that I looked good and that she could see I lost some weight!

Whoo Hooo!!!!!!!!!!!!! Weigh to go as we say here lol.
I am very proud of your accomplishment as should you be. This diet just keeps getting better and better so be prepared...also be prepared to slow down just a little bit in c2 and don't get discouraged if in the first couple of days, you go up, because that is your body telling you that it is a little confused and you want to confuse it so that you will lose more as that cycle goes on.

Can't wait to hear how you did at the end of the cycle. YAY for you.

I am excited beyond belief...I have tried every diet and either cannot stick to them or I don't lose weight.

Well, that has all changed..I am doing the happy dance this morning. Just finished my first week on this diet and I have lost 8 pounds! .

I LOVE this diet! That's not to say I haven't had some challenges....the biggest one being that this first week I have been experiencing some fatigue but I have just been listening to my body and if I need a nap, I just take one. I am looking forward when the energy kicks back in which hopefully will be soon!

Excellent news, Mary! You really pushed through some frustrations during this C1 but look at the results. I think it's so hard to ignore the scale, at least initially in C1, when the numbers are going down so fast for many of us. But it's just so very true - there are so many other ways to measure the progress. . . and you are wearing the size 12s to prove it!

That is why we are always telling people not to rely on the scale so much. Your inches that you are losing is showing up in the fact that you can put on pants that you haven't worn in a long time. Good for you. That is a GREAT accomplishment. I know. I started out wearing a 22 pant...now I am wearing size 11. I know how happy you must be feeling right now.

Congratulations on a GREAT accomplishment. Keep up the good work.

I don't know what's going on!!! I completed round 1 of C1 yesterday and this morning I was up 0.8!! So my total loss for C1 is 8 lbs.

HOWEVER....I tried on a pair of relaxed fit size 12 jeans that I haven't worn in a year and ......drum roll......they fit perfectly!!!!

It proves to me that you just can't rely on the scale. I must be retaining some fluid, which I'm not sure of why. I'm really hoping that C2 shakes things up and I can see those numbers go down again because I am focusing on getting into those 170's!!

Great Success Stories Cindy.
Very happy for you. Enjoy the rest of your vacation.

Cindy, great job on controlling the eating! I found out years ago that now that I am older I can actually get naseaus (sp?) on swings! Great job on getting your butt into one, they are fun. I never sank when I got heavier I always found that the fatter I got the better I floated! My fear is I won't be able to float so easily when I lose weight! Glad you are having so much success!

Hi all from Death Valley! I have three new success. 1. After going through the most stressful week of my life....I didn't gain an ounce but held steady at 132. 2. My butt fits in my grand daughter's swing for the first time. and 3. I don't sink anymore in a swimming pool even when I let my feet drop. Yes!

@Ericagum Doesn't it just feel great. Congratulations!!!