This is day 13 of cycle 1 of the 17 day diet. I just couldn’t seem to get the scale into the 1-7’s but today finally, in a two pound “plunge” (well, it seemed like a plunge at the time) it dropped.  YAY ME. The scale seemed to go up .5 and down .5 and up 1.0 and down 1.0 but it just didn’t want to go to the 170’s.  Day 13 on the 17 day diet. and FINALLY.  I weigh 178.  Now I’m afraid to eat.

See Also:

• 17 Day Diet
• 17 Day Diet Forum
• Previous Entry: Day 12 blog post
• Next Entry: Day 14
• Personal Weight Loss Journey Index

I want to mention one thing. Many are saying they are at a plateau.  Then when I get the statistics on what they weigh, how much they’ve lost and how long they’ve been at this “plateau” I find out if they haven’t lost weight or seen the scale move in three days they think it’s a plateau!  That’s NOT a PLATEAU.  A plateau is when the scale doesn’t move for over a week.  If you have followed the plan and it’s day 9 and you haven’t lost anything, that’s a plateau.

First, if you have lost 5 or more pounds in 17 days you’re above the average weight loss.  Now I know Dr. Mike promises every person quick weight loss but let’s face it, we’re not all the same.  We are not the same age, the same “widths,” the same heights with the same exercise schedules.  Some of you have been on and off diets, some have never dieted.  Some are in menopause, some are losing baby weight and some are still in high school.  Some are men, some are women.  That’s why WE SHARE BUT DON’T COMPARE, RIGHT?

I know people read the book to say a 12 pound loss in 17 days but the book clearly states, “UP TO” a 12 pounds loss, not a minimum of or a guarantee of!

In addition it’s better to take a percentage of body weight lost if you’re going to compare to other people, not a number!  If you weigh 350 lbs and lost 10 pounds that’s approximately 3% of your total body weight.  I weigh about 180 pounds so for me the exact same percentage of weight loss would be around 5 pounds. So, me losing 5 pounds in a week is the same as a heavier person losing 10 pounds in a week, does that make sense?  When people post “I lost 20 lbs in 17 days” (and I have had someone say that) without a lot of other information it just doesn’t make good sense to just look at a number and assume that’s how it should be for every BODY.  You can’t base success just on the number of pounds lost alone.  Okay?

I know a selling point of the book is “rapid weight loss” for all.  The reality is it’s “rapid weight loss, most of the time, for most people!”  And you know what?  That’s still not bad.  The problem is those who aren’t losing as fast get disappointed.  They get frustrated and disillusioned and want to throw in the towel the first day they step on the scale and see that it hasn’t dropped!  It just doesn’t sell as many books to say “most people will lose weight and some faster than others.”

If you think five pounds is "nothing" then pick a five pound dumbbell up and carry it around for 2 or 3 hours and you'll see differently."  Boy oh boy, ain’t that the truth!  People act like losing 5 pounds is nothing.  Well, it isn’t “nothing” it’s a lot!  In fact it’s FIVE POUNDS!  Five less pounds you’re carrying around all day every day.

Think about it…whether it’s 5 pounds of potatoes or a dumbbell think of carrying it with you everywhere you go!  Up the stairs, down the stairs; every time you get out of a chair, up off the floor, sit down, get in the car, out of the car… it’s a lot of weight to lug around.  Think about carrying a 5 pound bag of potatoes with you all day and never putting it down! NEVER! Makes a difference now, doesn’t it?

The other thing is weight isn’t just measured in pounds.  It’s also measure in BMI, or Body Mass Index.

One person in our group reports:  “End of cycle one report: I've lost 5 pounds and inches. My BMI went from 26.1 to 25.3; apparently that's a 3.18% body weight loss! My goal is 17 more pounds. My husband has lost 13.5 pounds and inches and his BMI went from 28.6 to 26.6, that's a 6.78% body weight loss.”

This is why it’s so important to weigh, measure and take photos!

Terri Sinclair - http://tksinclair.com/

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