Last week I received a somewhat disconcerting email from a 17 Day Diet Blog reader that prompted me to write this article. I had received two emails from this dieter in a span of three days.
In the first email she wrote that she was discouraged because she was starving during Cycle 1 and not losing any weight. She admitted that she was only eating her one portion of protein at each meal.
I proceeded to tell her that in Cycle 1, Dr. Moreno tells us to eat as much protein and vegetables as we need to in order to keep us full during this first cycle as we are eliminating toxins from our body by the reduction of sugar and carbohydrates. She responded with “Eat more!?! On a diet!?! I’ve never been told to do that in my lifetime!”
Yes, eat more. In Cycle 1 we are instructed to eat liberal amounts of lean protein and veggies from the approved Cycle 1 Food List. I’ll repeat it one more time: liberal amounts of protein and veggies!
I received the last email from her three days later. She still hadn’t lost any weight (after 12 days on the diet) and she was still hungry. I suspect she wasn’t eating liberal amounts of protein and veggies.
There’s no reason to feel hungry on Cycle 1 of the 17 Day Diet. If you’re following the diet as Dr. Moreno advises us, then you should feel pretty satiated– and if for some reason you feel hungry or feel like you’re “starving’….guess what? Eat more protein and veggies!!
Check out the Beginners Guide and Overview of Cycle 1 to get the skinny on the 17 Day Diet.
I’ve been loving the 17 Day Diet since 2011. I love sharing my favorite healthy recipes and meal plans to keep you motivated and on the right path to success!
When I’m not hanging out here, I enjoy quick trips to the Oregon Coast, designing my jewelry line, being a proud Swiftie, and tinkering with my personal Youtube Channel!
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I have over 50lbs to loose . How long can I stay on cycle 1 ?
Only 17 days!!!
If you have more weight to lose after Cycle 1, go all the way to Cycle 3 before returning back to Cycle 1 or 2 for more weight loss.
First two days went well and I’m looking forward to the next 65 days to complete all 4 cycles. The only thing that I am really missing is my morning coffee (I drink it with half/half and stevia). Green tea is good but doesn’t quite fill that void.
Arlene, no need to give up your coffee!! It’s allowed. See this blog post for more details: https://17ddblog.com/is-coffee-allowed-on-the-17-day-diet/
Oh thank you! That makes me very happy!!!
You are very welcome!
I started a few days early and lost about 4 pounds over the first two days. Over the remainder, I haven’t lost anything, even though I am eating right. The only difference is I rejoined a gym and am doing a crossfit-style workout for 1 hour every other day. Could my muscles (sore ones) be holding onto more water, or?? I know muscle weighs more but can’t imagine that’s the issue yet. I think I’m still more breaking them down right now, not yet building them up.
Cindy, how high of an impact workout is this? During C1 and C2 it should be low to medium for 17 minutes twice a day. I wonder if you’re not eating enough now that you’re exercising and your body is holding on to whatever it can for energy. Or possibly gaining muscle. How are your clothes fitting? Are they getting lose? If so, maybe it’s muscle weight. It’s hard to say. Here is a blog post about eating and exercise: https://17ddblog.com/should-i-eat-more-if-i-exercise-more-on-the-17-day-diet/
Here is another post with some updated information on exercise from the breakthrough edition book. There are some inconsistencies, so it’s hard to tell about the prescribed exercise: https://17ddblog.com/long-exercise-17-day-diet/
Thanks. It’s super intense. I’ll go to the links you gave. Maybe I need to tone it down a bit, or eat a bit more.
Definitely try to tone it down and see if that helps!
I don’t belong to facebook, have no intention of joining facebook, is there any other way to join?
Hi Kate, what exactly are you wanting to join?