Day 43:

My weight is now at 153.6. I'm officially at my lowest weight in two years. Granted it is only by .4 pounds, but I don't care. :) Everything from this point forward is fantastic! The inches and weight loss now pretty heavily conclude that Nutrisystem at least for me is far more effective than me doing my own diet planning. There is still a question about how much I will lose between now and October, and I'm also curious if the weight will stay off once I'm finished with the program. I still have a month and a half to go.

The weight loss seems to be slow, at least for me. I'm not entirely sure I will meet my goal of 130; however, I hope to reach the healthy loss of 136. That would equal roughly two pounds per week average.

Time for some Food Reviews:

Mint Chocolate Crunch Bar 39/40 ++++

I think this is my favorite of all the deserts. I especially love it frozen.

Visual Appeal: 9/10-

The bar again loses points simply because of the melting problem. This caused a bit of discoloration and a good portion of the bar flaked off when unwrapping it. Still, once my little place on the planet descends to a reasonable daily temperature this will not be a problem.

Smell: 10/10-

You can really smell the mint in this bar. It reminds me of the Girl Scout Cookie- Thin Mints. It has that same rich dark chocolate and cool mint smell. Lovely.

Taste: 10/10-

One of the things that I had to give away to start this diet, was my supply of Thin Mints. I've been addicted to them ever since I was a Girl Scout. I am happy to report that the Mint Crunch Bar is the answer!!! It tastes and crunches close enough that my cravings are happy! Yum!

Texture: 10/10-

Texture to the bar is nice. I like having the crisps in the bar, it gives it a satisfying crunch when you eat it. The chocolate is rich and smooth. I should mention is is also quite dark. I know some people are not fond of Dark Chocolate.

Sourdough Pizza with Cheese 37/40 +++1/2

Visual Appeal: 10/10-

This pizza reminds me of the Flat Bread Pizza except it is quite a bit thinner. Again, you are able to make your own decisions about how much cheese and sauce to put on your pizza. I love these little packets! They really need to do this with their pasta!

Smell: 10/10-

Again, the smell is very similar to the Flat Bread. There is the faint sour smell from the dough- though it is not particularly strong.

Taste: 8/10-

Not my favorite of the pizzas. The sourdough gives the pizza an odd aftertaste with which I'm not quite comfortable. The sauce and the cheese are good, and I like the overall combination. I think I just don't like sourdough crust.

Texture: 9/10-

Texture is great! The crust is firm but not crunchy. The cheese melted nicely, though it took a minute or so longer than the directions. All in all quite good.

Vegetable Fajita 28/40 +++

Visual Appeal: 4/10-

Ok... I have to admit this one looks really odd. Mixed in with the vegetables are these little chunks of soy that have been coated in spices. They almost look wormy. The spices and the sauce becomes a sort of pale yellowish brown. It really looks like something that you would not want to eat-- at all.

Smell: 10/10-

The smell is good. If I close my eyes this really has a nice combination of spices. I can really smell the garlic, paprika, and cumin. It smells very warm and inviting.

Taste: 7/10-

This could have more heat and a bit more flavor. I don't really mind the tofu bits in the fajita. I know they bother some people who are expecting chicken. Generally I crank it up a bit by adding some Cajun spice to it, and it has quickly become one of the meals I eat when I'm really hungry because there is so much to it. The spices are rich generally and I like the southern flavors.

Texture: 7/10-

Ok... the tofu is weird and is a little like eating packing peanuts in your meal. I don't think you can get away from that. The beans and other vegetables are really nice though. It is a little messy and If you don't know how to prepare a tortilla you may find it messy. You have to heat the tortilla. I use some fat free Pam in an omelet skillet and brown both sides slightly. That way the tortilla doesn't break a part when you eat it.

Zesty Herb Snack Mix 36/40 +++1/2

Visual Appeal: 8/10-

Looks like a store brand Chex Mix. Some of my cereal squares were crumbs or broken.

Smell: 9/10-

Smells like Chex Mix. I prefer homemade which includes a hefty amount of soy sauce- but that's not going to happen here. :)

Taste: 9/10-

It tasted alright. I have to admit I'm not a big salty snack eater. I prefer sweet. It tasted like mostly cereal. There was a bit of spice but it was mild.

Texture: 10/10-

It was crunchy and filling. Nothing particularly stood out. Kind of a boring snack.