The 17 Day Diet (16 page)

My elimination has improved.

My stomach is flatter.

I feel lighter.

I have fewer cravings.

My mood is better.

For the rest of you, before we get started on Achieve Cycle 3, let’s talk about what positive changes you’ve begun to enjoy. Look at my check-up on this page. Mark any changes that apply. Make a copy of the check-list and stick it on your fridge so that the next time you feel like nosing around in the freezer for that 20-inch pizza that you forgot to throw out, the list will stop you in your tracks.

The Speed of Weight Loss on Cycle 3

So far, you have been dropping weight at the speed of light, or just about. On Cycle 3, expect your weight loss to slow down a bit. I tell you this so that when you get on the scales, you won’t be disappointed, blow your diet big-time, and vow to not start up again until next January.

The goal of this Cycle is to establish healthy eating habits and produce steady, manageable weight loss. So just relax and enjoy the addition of whole grain breads and pasta, additional fruits and vegetables, fats and snacks and alcohol in moderation (one alcoholic drink a day).

Okay, now that I’ve told you your weight loss may slow down a bit over the next 17 days, let me tell you how to speed it up on Cycle 3. You can do this in three ways:

1. Ramp up your aerobic exercise.
Aerobic exercise, such as walking, jogging, biking, or aerobics classes, is the best way to burn fat and speed up weight loss. So if you’ve been doing it at least 17 minutes a day, it’s time to add even more minutes. Aim to do 45 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise most days of the week.

2. Continue not to eat carbs after 2:00 p.m.
During Cycles 1 and 2, I recommend not eating carbs after 2:00 p.m. If you did a good job of replenishing your muscle and liver glycogen throughout the day—which is what carbs do—then any excess carbs in the later afternoon and at night—a time when you’re typically least active—will be readily converted to fat. On Cycle 3, you’re allowed to have carbs at dinner. But if you want to spur weight loss, continue avoiding carbs after 2:00 p.m.

3. Pass on the alcohol.
I know I just gave you the thumbs-up for alcohol on Cycle 3. But please know that alcohol can throw a complete monkey wrench into weight loss. Alcohol strains your liver, which responds by slowing down on functions like fat-burning. Alcohol is also dehydrating and will cause water-weight pounds to register on the scale. If you want bigger losses on this Cycle, pass up the alcohol option.

Achieve Cycle Guidelines

1.
Stay on the Achieve Cycle for 17 days.

2.
Because you’ll be eating more food, it’s time to control your protein portions. Rather than eat protein liberally as in the two previous Cycles, keep your portions of fish, poultry, and meat smaller—about the size of an average kitchen sponge. In fact, you can use that sponge to sop up any remnants of fat that might have dripped off the protein.

3.
Remove skin from chicken and turkey prior to cooking or purchase skinless poultry.

MISTER M.D., CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME

When’s the best time of day to exercise?

The short answer: the best time of day to work out is the time that works for you.

Luckily, some scientists have been working on this. But scientists are like judges on
American Idol
. They don’t agree on anything, and so their findings always conflict.

As for morning workouts, people burn 10 percent more fat calories with early-morning workouts, one study shows. Bodybuilders, who are not scientists, swear by exercising in the morning before breakfast. They claim it is the best time to shed flab. Supposedly, after a night of sleeping, your carb stores are lower, so your body is forced to go to your fat stores for fuel. But what do bodybuilders know? They only leave the gym for bodybuilding contests and more protein powder.

Most doctors will agree with me on the following: Do not try pre-breakfast exercise under the following conditions: (1) if you are a diabetic or suffer from low-blood sugar, because you could become dizzy or nauseous (2) if you are not much of a dawn’s-early-light person and a morning workout sounds about as appealing as watching reruns of
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

As for evening workouts, a recent study by a group of Italian scientists found that women who walked in the evening burned more fat than women who walked in the morning. It’s not clear why, though.

Again, there’s no bad time to exercise, except for maybe right now, when I’m hoping you’re reading this chapter.

4.
Trim all visible fat from meat.

5.
You may eat up to two eggs a day. But stick to no more than four yolks per week if your physician has diagnosed you with high cholesterol. Egg whites can be eaten without restriction.

6.
Enjoy fresh vegetables and fruits as much as possible. For convenience, frozen and canned items are fine, if chosen in moderation. Canned and frozen fruits should be unsweetened.

7.
You may have one alcoholic drink daily: 5 oz. wine; 12 oz. beer; or 1½ oz. hard liquor if you wish. Attention, everyone reading this: Notice I said, “one.” If you go to a party, have one drink and spend the rest of the night drinking nonalcoholic, calorie-free drinks such as flavored seltzer. (This will help you avoid embarrassing work-party karaoke moments.) Please remember that alcohol has a dehydrating effect and can interfere with fat-burning and weight loss. One drink per day, however, has a positive effect on cholesterol levels. Accumulating evidence suggests that moderate drinking may lower the risk of heart attacks.

8.
Don’t eat more than two servings daily from the natural starches list.

9.
Don’t worry about eating all the food you’re allowed each day. If you forget your second dairy or carb serving, or are too full to eat it, that’s okay.

10.
Eat slowly and only until full; do not overload your stomach.
Use my Hunger/Fullness meter as a gauge to keep you from stuffing yourself.

11.
Begin to increase your weekly aerobic exercise. Exercise at least 150 to 300 minutes per week, depending on your physical condition (five 30-minute sessions or five 60-minute sessions).

Achieve Cycle Expanded Food List

Where indicated, add foods to your diet, in addition to those you ate on the first 2 Cycles.

Proteins

Fish and Shellfish (from Accelerate and Activate lists)

Lean Meats (from Accelerate and Activate lists)

Poultry (from Accelerate and Activate lists, including eggs and egg whites)

Additional poultry:

Cornish Hen

Quail Pheasant

Reduced-fat turkey bacon or sausage or lunch meat

Canadian bacon

SCIENCE SAYS:
If You Have to Drink Alcohol on Your Diet, Drink Red Wine

O
kay, here we are back on the alcohol issue. There is some intriguing research I want to share with you about one of my favorite food groups, red wine. I mentioned earlier that red wine contains a heart-protective compound called resveratrol, which does everything but fly to the moon. Apparently, resveratrol can also reduce the number of fat cells in a person’s body, and scientists think it may one day be used to treat or prevent obesity. Several years ago, researchers at the University of Ulm in Germany took a strain of human fat cell precursors, called preadipocytes. In the body, these are “baby” cells that develop into mature fat cells.