HEY DURANGOGAL...Hope your beach vacation was great... We just got home late last night. I really did not want to get on the scale as after arriving to the resort the fruity cocktails, new friends and fine dining arrived with a splash. We had such a great time, I loved being in my bathing suit again and gained 4 lbs back. But I am thrilled after 6 days of eating and drinking without caution. I am back on cycle 1 starting today and feel those extra lb's  will be gone very quickly... actually feels great to be eating healthy again... Looking forward to hearing how your vacation went.. The Dominican Rebulic on Bavaro beach is beautiful and we must have walked 3-4 miles a day. we were kayaking and sailing so we kept active but I knew the rich foods were going to follow me home... LOL

I also am glad I found this post because I didn't know about the recipe site.  Does anyone else have trouble with the fish?  I tried the flound, but I guess I baked it too long.  It was mushy.  Does anyone have any ideas about fixing fish that takes a little fishiness out of it?

I love the bead idea.  It can serve as a goal incentive, and then it will be a reminder once we reach goal what we accomplished.  I need to go buy 1 bead for my first 10 pounds.  I will then need to add ten more beads!  Great Idea. 

Beads:

I had started a topic a while back about settng up a reward system for ourselves....  My original thought was I would get a manicure once I lost 20 lbs,   a pedicure and new hair style at 30 and at my goal of 40 lbs I'd do a full spa day. 

Someone else mentioned getting a new bead for her bracelet.  There are many different brands/styles of the bead bracelets.  I liked that idea, so I decided I would reward myself with the bracelet and my first bead at 10 lbs,  then add a bead for every 10 lbs.   Most jewelry stores sell them,  I will probably just go to Kohls though. 

We have created a NEW 17 Day Diet Recipe Board:

Share your Recipes and find new ones for the 17 Day Diet Here

Please create a new topic for each recipe and include the Cycle Number in the Title of the Recipe.

For Example: Chicken Lettuce Wraps - Cycle 1

Okay....end of day four...not so bad afterall....I made it through the weekend, it will be fun to see if I lost any more weight when I step on the scale tomorrow.  I am feeling a bit more energy coming on, I hope and pray that only gets better too.  Good luck everyone, hang in there, we can do this!

I've also had sugar cravings before and find it hard to give it up but I'm doing my best and feeling much better now because of it.  I now look carefully at labels on packages and reject anything over 17 grams of sugar.  I've even taught my 8-year old grandaughter to study these labels as she has had problems with hyperactivity. It's fun to watch her "shop" and say, "I guess I can't have this one" while putting it back on the shelf.

Is it the "processed" white sugar that's bad for you?  I thought I read something about that before and that's why I use raw or brown sugar now, and I use less in my cooking.

It's hard, isn't it?

_________ PENNY

Sorry to hear about your headaches! It is probably going to take our bodies a little bit to adjust to this no sugar thing. Good job sticking with it! :)