The 17 Day Diet Journal Day 1

Pre-Breakfast: 1 cup of hot water with a squeeze of lemon

Note: This is a routine that is going to take some time to get use to. Typically, I would grab a cold glass of water in the morning. Today, I find the warm liquid goes down smoothly and the lemon tantalized my taste buds.

Breakfast: 3 oz. of plain yogurt, 1/2 cup of blueberries, 1 cup of green tea

Note: The plain yogurt did not settle well on my taste buds and often lead to a gag reflex. I was supposed to have 6 oz. of yogurt and 1 cup of berries, but I could only manage half of that. I’m typically not a breakfast person, so I think I did well today. Luckily, the yogurt is only scheduled twice a week. I think next time I will slice the strawberries and let that sit on my pallet first. Hopefully, the strawberries will balance out the tartness of the yogurt. I am use to the flavor of green tea and it was pleasant sipping on it after my breakfast.

Lunch: Salad with Iceberg lettuce, spinach, carrots, cucumbers, mushrooms, 1 whole egg, Bragg’s seasoning, 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese, 1 cup of green tea

Note: Eating healthy is not pretty. There is no salt, no sugar, and no fat to help liven-up the food and satisfy those cravings. There is, however, herbs! I sprinkled some Bragg’s Seasoning on my salad and it was better than ranch dressing!!

After lunch, Richie found a burst of energy. He proceeded to clean the wooden furniture with furniture polish. Then he paused, and moments later I heard what sounded like my cat coughing up a fur ball. I glanced over for the source of the gagging noise and discovered that it was my own husband. In full ADHD mode, he had finished polishing the furniture and decided it was the perfect time to pick that piece of carrot from his tooth. Unfortunately, he had quickly forgotten to wash his hands prior to the finger dive into his mouth. I stifled a chuckle and said, “You are not supposed to ingest toxins during the 17 Day Diet!”

Later, I decided to go to the grocery store for additional items and I discovered that I could not purchase Breakstone LiveActive Cottage Cheese at any of the grocery stores in the Port Huron area. In addition to my low-fat cottage cheese, I purchased Acidophilus Probiotic tablets. I also purchased more tuna and eggs, and was thrilled to finally put my hands on a marinara sauce in the health food section that was not only low-carb but also low-sodium. With the spring birds chirping outside my livingroom window everyday, I thought they would be hungry after a long winter and purchased some bird seed. My total bill today was $21.82.

I paid for my purchases in the lane that my cousin was checking out the items. She had asked me how I was doing on The 17 Day Diet. By this time, my bladder was full, again, and my only thought was how fast I could get home without getting pulled over.

“I have got to pee like a Russian race horse,” I blurted out.

“A Russian, huh?” She raised a brow.

“Yeah, I seem to be rushin’ to the bathroom, a lot!” My attempt at a lame joke was immediately followed by a hearty laugh, and we continued to chat as I was marching on the spot to the pee-pee dance.

When I reached home and put away my purchases, I began to feel light-headed. Then, I realized that it was time for a snack!

Snack: 1 apple

Note: When you haven’t had apples in a while, the sweet juices skip along your tastes buds like a young girl playing hopscotch on a bright summer day. It was delicious!

Dinner: Steamed asparagus, carrots, broccoli, tilapia, Bragg’s Seasoning and 1 cup of green tea

Note: I don’t like the smell of fish. In fact, being a girl from a family of fishermen, I have an aversion towards fish. After eating the steamed tilapia, I may endure the smell of cooking it (and my aversion) to devour this savory dish in the future.  It crumbled as you lifted it with your fork, and the steamed veggies were a great compliment.

It was a wonderful start to this diet and I am feeling more confident that I could commit to it for the 17 day duration. Now I am off to exercise for 17 minutes!