And so we begin:

Order #1- January 6, 2017

So, my order was delayed by a massive storm that struck the Rocky Mountains this week.  It ended up being alright, because I can start the diet on a Saturday.  While, for me, it is easier to do a diet when I am busy on the weekdays, I think this weekend will work out well as a beginning point for this adventure.  

The order arrived and was unpacked in two groups.  I ordered the Core Plan for Women.  This includes the lose 13 pounds and 7 inches in the first month guarantee.  There is an asterisk:

*In a study, avg. weight loss was 11.6 lbs and 8 inches.

*Weight lost on a prior program. Expect to lose an avg. of 1-2 lbs per week.

 And a link to the details of the guarantee which is that you have 14 days to determine if the program is working for you.  If it's not working, you have to ship back the remaining food (you pay not the company) and it is only good on the first order.   All in all I don't see myself returning anything, but it's always nice to know the details.  

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Turbo Takeoff Portion: 

Inside the Fedex package there is a red and white box that contains Turbo Takeoff.  Written on the top of the box is "Open me first." Inside the box is the first week of meals.  If you buy the Core Plan, you are not given the option of choosing these foods.  

These look like the same foods that are part of the regular menu except for the crush bars- which you can order separately from ala'carte and the Turbo Shakes that can likewise be ordered separately.  The literature says that you should have a breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack bar, and shake every day for the first seven days of the diet.  It warns that the callorie intake is less than the rest of the plan, so it's important to reduce your exercise during this time.  

My Reaction: 

The food packaging looks better than the brightly colored packages from 9 years ago.  I'm a little nervous to be honest about this particular food.  Some of the items they have put in the box are items that I put on my "do not order" list 9 years ago such as: "The Baked Potato" and "Three Cheese Chicken." Except for the Black Beans and Rice, I'm not very fond of the "cup o soup" style lunches.  I'm also nervous of anything that says potato and sounds like dust in a cup.  There is also the chicken alfredo that makes me nervous.  There is just something about Alfredo that never tastes really good in diet food.  Maybe because it's supposed to be cream and cheese... hmmm....  Last the ultimate evil food has returned to my table... I had a bad instance with the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar in 2009.  I won't go into details, but considering this is supposed to be my snack for the next seven days, I'm tenative about the taste.  

The Rest of the Order:

The remaining order is exactly what I ordered.  I based my decisions on two things.  First- did I like it 9 years ago, and second, the general rating on the site.  Even though I will be using my reviews in the future for orders, it was a good way of picking the more popular meals.  In later shipments I'll pick up the rest of the items, unless they are so low ranked I just don't want to try it.  

Again I am impressed with the packaging.  I like the way this food looks.  9 years ago, Nutrisystem looked like the 1980s.  Bright florescent colors and trendy fonts.  The packaging for these new products looks more like home cooking.  From the surface this is a major gain in my book.  The pictures on all of the products looks very tasty with a couple exceptions.  I'll get to those in my reviews...  I especially like the move from the cup 'o soup/ tin can  meals to the pouch meals.  The pouches indicate to me that the food won't have the tin/ plastic aftertaste.  I was a big fan of the red beans and rice pouch before.  Hopefully these pouches are just as good for premade meals.  

All in all everything looks good.  It looks to me that the first seven days may be the hardest.  Fortunately, the meals I picked are after these seven meals.  I think that small bonus on the other side of these meals I didn't select, will help me get through the turbo days.  

I'll be following the instructions.  According to the literature, you're supposed to do 10 minutes of extra exercise every day.  I will probably try for a little more than that, but if my energy levels get in the way, I can push at least 10 minutes three times a week.  

So, here we go.  Wish me luck.  

October update:

I realize I haven't posted in a while. Things were a bit crazy. They still are, but I have a night to sit and type.

Straight forward answers:

Am I still on the Nutrisystem diet?

Answer: Yes and No. I am continuing to eat Nutrisystem especially breakfast and lunch. Dinner is a bit harder to do, simply because I don't really care for their meals. Dessert is also less often. I'm finding myself less attracted to sweets these days, but it's nice to have something in case I get the munchies.

Have I gained weight since going off the diet?

Answer: No. I'm still losing weight. I reached 147 not long ago. I can't say the weight loss has slowed down any. I was a slow loser anyway. It's averaging about 2 pounds every two weeks. Sometimes it happens quicker than that, but it's not normal.

Would I do Nutrisystem full time again?

Answer: I plan to stay with the program, but most likely I'll only order the breakfasts and lunches. Unless Nutrisystem can pull away from overcooked pasta. I have no desire to eat the dinners.

Do I think the program is worth the money?

Answer: Absolutely! I learned so much while I was on the diet, especially portion control. It is well worth the money to have your eyes adjusted to what you should be eating.

Update:

This was so incredible I had to post. So, this morning I wrote about my issue with the Grilled Chicken Breasts... by 10:00am MST I received a phone call from a Nutrisystem Customer Service Agent, who wanted to see what he could do to help.

Since I'm not even posting on the Nutrisystem site, I have to say that this is impressive. I wasn't able to talk to the agent, because I was teaching at the time, but he was very professional. While it is a little eerie that someone at Nutrisystem is reading my blog and issuing a report that I'm having problems, there is also a bit of comfort in knowing that they are paying attention to what is said on blogs, outside of Nutrisystem, and care whether their customers are happy.

I can think of very few businesses these days where the business contacts the consumer before they report a problem. Can you imagine if this was the norm? Saturn contacts me because I have a problem with my fuel gauge and wants to know what they can do to help? Walmart contacts me about a broken part in a item I just purchased and wants to make things right--before I even repack the item to take it back to the store. That would be an amazing world.

A company that cares... who would have thought? Kudos to Nutrisystem. They get top scores on Customer Service today! I can't believe sour chicken made me more of a believer in this company, but at least I know that they stand by what they sell and want to make things right.

Hats off to all of you CS agents. I'm impressed!

Katherine Wood

Week 11:

Wow, what a week...

The week I've dreaded finally happened. I completely fell off the wagon. Of course, I did start out Tuesday with a touch of stomach flu, which therefore effected looking in the Nutrisystem cupboard.

You know how you can't look at a food, after you've been sick right after eating it? Well this is the problem. I am finally forcing myself to go back to the cupboard, but I really do think there is something wrong with the Grilled Chicken and I'm calling Nutrisystem today. The other chicken patties didn't end up with me sick every time I ate them. I think this must be a bad batch?

Oh well, time to test Nutrisystems Customer Service and return policy. :)

I'm not sure that I can say I completely fell off the wagon either. I more or less just didn't eat anything (maybe one meal) from Thursday to now. I realize that this is incredibly unhealthy, but I just haven't wanted to look at food all weekend. (Sigh)

I also have a new nemesis on the board. Football Season!!! Yes my dreaded foe, who encourages me to snack endlessly while yelling at quarterbacks to throw the ball. Finally the salty snacks of Nutrisystem will actually become something in my program. :)

I am trying to get back on the wagon, but it is difficult this week. I think after two months, two weeks I am finally tired of the program. This is most likely typical, because my Weekly Mindset Makeover- was all about shifting away from Nutrisystem and back into real food. Again I am astounded at Nutrisystem's commitment to change eating habits not have people in the program for life. Amazing! I'll try to get a picture a bit later. No makeup right now. :)

Till next time,

Katie

Week 10

Welcome to Week 10!

I am very excited to write this week, especially since I actually hit 150. I did see 149 briefly but since it was on a scale belonging to someone else, I don't really feel that I can count it. So if I saw 150 why don't I have 150 on my weight? Answer: I've stopped counting a weigh in at first glance. It just makes you depressed when you bounce up a little during the day, week... hour.

Here I am writing on Labor Day. I've spent the weekend making chocolate cake for my nephew's birthday, and helping to run the party. Not the best diet situation, I have to admit. However, my sister is pregnant and I couldn't leave her to do it all by herself. She needed help. I went, and alas I cheated. On the positive side, I cheated only in the- I didn't eat Nutrisystem. Fortunately I ate right. Turkey Subway with all the vegies and no mayo or sauces. I did I'm afraid to say splurge on a piece of birthday cake, and I did have ham. I can't say that this is a falling off the wagon incident, since I knew when I went up there that I was going to eat outside of the diet. I just told myself that I would eat smarter.

However today is another day and I'm ready for the diet again. :) It should be easier coming up. My parents are leaving on a cruise which means Sunday Dinner will be absent for a while. This is good, because no matter how much my father is cooking right, he still can't give up the salt, the carbs, and the butter- especially when my sister and her family comes to dinner.

Because of all the cheating I really was certain that I would gain inches, pounds, etc. I'm still not entirely certain that I won't see some gain. I do have a short delay, but it seems as if playing with the kids all day helped me burn off the pounds.

I am also thrilled to say that I have branched into my skinnier jeans. I put on a pair of jeans that I have been wearing over the last six months and they drowned me. I had to go to the side of the closet where my jeans go when I can't fit into them. I'm happy to say that they fit me without any sucking in. ;)

So in retrospect- this really wasn't the best week for the diet, but I'm continuing to lose weight. I hope this trend continues. I'm into my last four weeks of the diet experiment. I would be delighted to report that I lost ten pounds in three months. Hopefully it is coming. As it is my total weight lost right now is 8.8 pounds and 27.75 inches. Yay!

Katie

Third Month Order Review:

My food was automatically ordered on 8/26/09. It included 4 weeks worth of food- 112 items.

Apple Strudel Scone	5
Berries & Multigrain Flakes	2
Blueberry Flavored Pancake Mix	1
Chocolate Chip Scone	4
Cranberry Granola Bar	2
Lowfat Granola Cereal	5
Pancake Mix	2
Black Beans and Rice	4
Black Bean Tortilla Soup	5
Chicken and Pasta in Cacciatore Sauce	1
Fudge Graham Bar	7
Red Beans and Rice with Sausage	5
Split Pea Soup	3
Flatbread Pizza	5
Grilled Chicken Breast	7
Chocolate Chip Cookie	1
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pudding	4
Chocolate Crunch Bar	7
Milk Chocolatey Delight Bar	3
Mint Chocolate Crunch Bar	8
NutriChocolates	2
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie	2
Cranberry Orange Pastry	2
Thick Crust Pizza	5
Macaroni & Cheese	2
Vegetable Fajita	4
Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bar	5
Chicken Salad	3
Rotini with Meatballs and Tomato Sauce	3
Swedish Meatballs with Pasta in Sauce	1
Peanut Butter Cookie	1
Zesty Cajun Style Chicken and Sausage with Brown Rice	1

RESULTS:

* Speed: 10/10- Record breaking delivery- 2 days!
*Accuracy: 5/10-
I am sorry to say that this time Nutrisystem did not do well on the accuracy level. They sent me an extra Chocolate Crunch Bar- which when I called they told me to enjoy it. But the sad substitution from my original order is that they did not send me any Flat Bread Pizzas. Instead they put in extra amount of Sourdough Pizza. I really wouldn't have minded if they had sent the Thick Crust Pizza, since I think it is as good as the Flat Bread. Instead I got a good yet not as good as my original order item.

Again the order included 28 free items: Like the last time, the majority of the items matched my order with a few exceptions:
1 Bag Barbecue Soy Chips (Third bag- they have now moved to the garage in my disposable food storage.)
1 Bag White Cheddar Soy Chips (Same note as above)
2 Hardy Beef Stew (Same note as above except it has an amazing shelf life, so it won't be hitting the trash any time soon.)
1 Chicken Noodle Soup
1 Blueberry Muffin (I think I ranted enough about this item. Also in food storage)
1 Chocolate Peanut Butter Lunch Bar
1 Chicken Breast Patty (In food storage. My Papillion seems to like it well enough, I've put it in her 72 hour kit.)
1 Macaroni and Cheese with Beef
1 Chocolate Raspberry Lunch Bar
2- Pretzels
1- NutriFrosted Crunch Cereal
2- Nuriflakes 40% Bran Cereal
1- White Chocolate Chunk Cookie

(The free items are all completely the same as last time. They seem like more because I ordered many of the items in August that I didn't order in September, but they are the same list of items. Good to know if you are getting the 3 months free food.)

* Quality: 10/10- Everything in the box was in really good condition this time. There were no broken or crunched packages. The candy bars were not completely melted. :) What can I say? It was 102 when the guy delivered it.

Week 8 to 9

Since I moved my blog entries to the weekend rather than Tuesday, I've had trouble deciding whether I'm blogging about the week I'm finishing or the week I've just started. Thus my silly titles.

I have no idea if it's the diet, just my emotional cycles, or whether it's the stress from the new school year, but boy am I a worrier this week. The thing is I'm worried about the silliest things. Whether a fellow teacher smiled when I said hi, if it's a horrible thing that I didn't associate half mast flag with Sen. Kennedy when someone asked about it (the person probably didn't care), whether I troubled or offended a student when I said I hadn't studied the Mexican Government to the point of stating whether it was a Unitary or Federal Government (probably the student doesn't even remember they asked the question). Still these petty concerns are running around and around in my head, and I can't shake them. It's really frustrating.

The only thing I don't seem to be worrying about is the diet. (Sigh) I'm starting into my third month. I have to say at this point, I'm not sure that I will receive a bear at all before the end of my experiment. My body seems very reluctant to give up pounds. Inches seem to be flying off of me- I'm now down 24.5 inches. However, I'm hanging steady at 153-154. Sometimes I get a cursorily 152 only to have it spring back to 154 the next day. That means this whole month I've really only lost two pounds. If they say losing one to two pounds a week is healthy, what does that mean for me?

This week I do have to report a major slip. Monday after a long day at school- 7Am-5:30 pm and I had to work through lunch. The thought of pouring water into a cup and eating it was more than I could take. I did go to Wendy's and get a burger. However, I did get a potato instead of fries and ate it mostly without butter. (10 squirts of I can't believe it's not butter spray) I had a diet coke- and for penance I did do double aerobics that night. The good news is that after my slip it's been easier to stay on the diet for the rest of the week. Do I think this is going to be an annual occurrence? No. Mostly it is because I'm down to the end of the month and the cupboard is close to being empty.

Speaking of which, I have ordered week three. My order is a lot of repeats, but I've added a few new items- despite the fact I still can't take the beef and potatoes off the shelf. I'm still thinking I should have ordered more Grilled Chicken Breast. According to tracking it is supposed to be here today. If that is the case, I will post the review later today. If it does arrive today, it is the fastest processing yet! Ordered on 26th- arrived on 28th.

I guess that's it for now!

Katie

Week 7 to 8

Wow, what a hard week. It isn't so much the going back to school, but it really is difficult to get back to the computer at the end of the day. I feel a compulsion to log my food on the Nutrisystem website, but I'm afraid this will turn into a weekend update. It is just impossible for me to sit down after a ten to thirteen hour day and talk about the program. Sorry.

This week has literally taken me up and down on the scale of emotions. I reached my all time low then bounced up two pounds, then lost two pounds and yesterday when I got on the scale I was at 152.2. Since I was really hoping to get a bear this month, I am more than disappointed. I can feel the diet now that I'm living an active life. I come home exhausted, and I'm starving. I've got to try and bring my snack to school. It just isn't working to eat it after I get home. The system wants you to eat it around 4:00, I'm still at school at that time. Maybe I'll enlist the aide of my cooler?

The inches lost are starting to slow, but I figure that is something to expect. I've lost the easy weight by now and the stuff I'm working off now are the pounds that have been one for literally decades. I've been 150 or above since 2000. It will feel so good to be under that mark.

I did receive an email from Nutrisystem this week regarding my next order. This is the first email of it's kind and I'm nervous that my order will not come as ordered but will be substitutions. I'm not quite sure. Maybe because I was constantly updating my order form last month it did not send me this... who knows???

This is the last month of my free food. I have to say I'm a little grateful. I really do not want any more soy snacks or chicken breast patties etc. I"m assuming that the adds to my order will be EXACTLY the same as the last order. (Sigh)

All in all the diet is going well. The slow down is frustrating, but I'll get through it. What I'm seeing is worth staying on the program. I have begun to think about getting another pair of jeans the next size down! That's pretty terrific!!!

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EMAIL MENTIONED ABOVE: (Edited for personal information)

Your next Auto-Delivery order is scheduled to process in 4 days. You can make changes to this order until 6pm on the day before. _____to make changes to your order online, or you can call one of our counselors at 1-888-459-THIN® for help or suggestions.

Now that you've tried the NutriSystem® Advanced™ meals and desserts, you probably have a good idea of what your favorite items are. While all of our convenient foods will help you eat great, feel full, AND lose weight, you have the freedom to choose a combination that caters to your exact moods and tastes! For instance, when it comes to dessert are you a choco-holic that enjoys the decadence of our Chocolate Crunch Bar or do you lean more towards the tangy sweetness of our Strawberry Shortcake Bar? Either way, NutriSystem® Advanced™ has you covered!

We encourage you to take a moment to pick your favorite foods. Customizing your order is the best way to continue enjoying your NutriSystem® Advanced™ program, because you get to choose exactly what you like.

NutriSystem® Advanced™It's Easier. Healthier. Our best ever! Now with more crave-busting power to tackle that hunger. You'll eat great, feel full, AND lose weight!

Due to high demand, food orders are subject to change based on availability of individual food items at time of order processing. NutriSystem reserves the right to substitute individual food items which may have become out-of-stock or discontinued, with those of comparable value. Note: Substituted food items may contain different ingredients and allergens than those in items originally ordered. Please be sure to carefully check all individual product packages for the most updated information regarding ingredients and nutritional content for any/all NutriSystem food products, including new and improved items.

Although NutriSystem has taken every reasonable measure to have sufficient inventory to fill your order, availability of product(s) may change without notice. NutriSystem is not responsible for unavailability of product due to popular demand, whether discontinued or still in production. In the completion of orders, NutriSystem reserves the right to substitute a similar product. When making substitutions, NutriSystem takes great care to meet the requirements of your particular NutriSystem food program.

To see our Auto-Delivery cancellation and return policy,

COPYRIGHT © 2009 NutriSystem, Inc., 300 Welsh Road, Horsham, PA 19044, All Rights Reserved – http://www.nutrisystem.com/

Day 45:

Good Morning!

Today I have lost another pound and I'm now sitting at 152.6! This week has been incredible. At the beginning of the week I bounced back up to 155.4 and I've been descending by bits and pieces every day! I love being at 152! I realized today that it is the lightest I have weighed in quite some time.

As for the experiment, I stepped outside the Nutrisystem menu this week to see what I have learned. On Friday I went to Applebees. It was surprising to me that the blurbs beneath the menu selections have become more important. I'm now looking at what the side is that I'm ordering, and the sauces that are involved with the food. In the past I have simply looked at the entree and figured the rest would handle itself. There were a few items on the menu that were listed as Weight Watchers that I chose specifically to avoid because the carbs were too high. I did end up with the Cajun Tilapia with broccoli on the side. It was quite tasty, and I gained confidence that eating out is not impossible.

I also made my own dinner last night- mostly because I have been dying for real beef!!!! If anything is really missing in the Nutrisystem program it is the dinners and I have been missing my beef. Freeze dried hamburger patties do not make it for me-- I guess I could have opened up the beef and potatoes in the cupboard, but I wanted something that I knew would be good. Happily I was able to stick to the program. Is it a little weird that I now weigh literally everything? :)

My explorations outside the Nutrisystem menu have taught me one thing. I really do believe that if you do the program--- that includes reading the Daily Dose, the weekly email, and utilizing the chat boards, you will pick up the tools for eating healthier in the real world. It takes quite a while--- I wouldn't have tried eating out in my first month, but it does work.

The question is: Am I going to step away from the diet regularly. Answer-- No. For the sake of the experiment I allowed myself a bit of latitude to see if the "Training" Nutrisystem touts actually translates to the real world of food. However, to step away from the program all together would make the experiment moot. I will remain on the diet for another month and a half and stay faithful. Any steps outside of the box (little joke-- if you try Nutrisystem you'll get it) will be posted here. :)

Teaching begins in earnest this coming week. It will be a good test to see if the program is as convenient as Nutrisystem advertises.

Till Tuesday,

Katie

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.

Day 41:

I cannot believe that I have stayed on this plan for 41 days! It's incredible- thing is I'm not tired of this yet. By this time on Slim Fast I was ready to beat my head in with one of those little cans. (Chuckle) My only wish is that there were more dinners that I liked. A person can get tired of chicken and pizza. I do have the Mac and Cheese and Chili, but at the end of a long work day I like something more than a cup of something. Oh well.

I've been thinking about the weight loss I've been having and how I never see loss or gain until two days after the mistake or exercise or whatever. It occurs to me that if this does happen to everyone then it explains why it's so hard to stay with a diet. Think about it. Let's say I'm on a diet (not much of a reach there) and I cheat a day and get that Carl's Jr. teriyaki burger I love. The next day, I get on the scale and I haven't really gained anything. Feeling lucky, I go back to the diet and I am good all day long. I keep it up for a week and low and behold on day six I suddenly gain two pounds out of the blue. My thoughts are going to be- what? I didn't do anything wrong! I was true to the diet. What I am seeing is the burger from six days ago. That's true for the gym as well! I do a super workout to the point where I can't even walk. The next day there is no change. In fact I don't see the change for six days- after a day of sitting on the couch and watching TV suddenly ta-da two pounds lost! Psychologically this tells you, cheat and don't exercise and you'll lose weight, when in actuality you're experiencing your body's natural delay.

My delay is about two days. I know others in my family have a delay of six to ten days. This is really an important factor for dieting. Given that we think of weight loss as a cause and effect scenario, our mental state when these changes occur is important. I think programs should incorporate this into their plans. It makes it so much easier to see a weight loss and weight gain and think back two days... what did I do? Oh that was the workout in the gym or Oh, that was the donut. :)

I should point out that my weigh-in put me back at 154.2 (which incidentally coincides with my super workout day at school) The pound gain got to me a bit. I'm feeling better now. I know I've promised food reviews, but I have to get ready for school now. It will have to wait. :)

Katie

Day 39:

The wheels skidded on the rails but I haven't fallen off the track yet; however, I did gain back a pound. It happened two days after my coke/popcorn incident, so I blame that. You know, most people don't really think of that... It was a revelation from my older sister. She made the comment that she always sees her weight gain two weeks or so after the incident. My jump happens two days or so later. Its kind of like food sickness-- It's whatever you ate eight hours before that made you sick, but you always blame the thing you finished ten minutes ago. :)

Also, I'm dealing with a fair amount of stress right now which causes all sorts of nastiness to a diet. Everything from wanting to snack more to digestive problems. I'm impressed about how many calories cleaning burns. I really thought that I had blown it yesterday. Just before lunch I had an incident that sent me spiraling into a "I don't care if I gain weight" moment. I did eat the whole salad yesterday- beans, rice, tortilla, and my dressing that I was going to forgo. When I got home it was almost painful to sit at the computer and plug in the information. The salad wasn't really that bad about 500 calories. Higher than I would have liked but over all not bad. Then I plugged in the hours for my 13 hours at the school setting up my classroom, dusting, hanging posters, etc. I couldn't quite put in 13 hours on the Nutrisystem calculator. So I put 8- It was 1785 calories burned. (I put in heavy house cleaning) I figured it was similar. So even though I derailed slightly, I did burn it off. I feel like that is an even trade.

So new measurements are in: I'm now down 20.25 inches all around! Wow! That is very cool. I would really like to be down to 153 by right now. I really do think once this stress lets up, I'll sink into the low 150s tomorrow or the next day. I just need to relax and not stress so much.

Off to another day of work!

Katie

Day 37:

Ok... I'm in a substantially better mood today. I'm still freaking out mind you... I'm just handling it better. :)

Which brings me to one of Nutrisystem's best things that doesn't really get that much attention. The support groups. Upon entering Nutrisystem, I didn't really think I would be getting involved with the discussion groups. However, after a month of participating with them, I have to say that it is a marvelous part of the program. You can go onto these message groups, have an absolute melt down, and you get back really wonderful support and advice. Perhaps it is just my little July group but... last week I missed a day on the discussion board and I got several messages from people in my group that asked me if I was alright?

It's funny. We're spread out all over the United States, but somehow their camaraderie bolsters me up when I just can't take it anymore or feel like I'm going crazy. I think even without the food or the program- my discussion group has been the biggest advantage in this diet. They helped me through the three weeks of not losing weight- and I felt good about it. And... I have to say, every time someone from the group drops off or disappears-- I really worry about them too. :)

Meal Review:

I decided to try the Mushroom Risotto yesterday. It is a controversial item. Not everyone likes it. Many say that it tastes like licorice. After the debates I read on line I knew I had to try this one for myself.

Mushroom Risotto: 30/40 +++

Visual Appeal: 8/10-
Opening the package, the risotto reminds me of rice pilaf. It is a mix of multi grains of rice mixed in what looks like mushroom soup. There are large pieces of mushroom that look for the world like rubbery canned mushrooms. Not a restaurant quality risotto. (not that I was expecting real Italian rice- but I wished hard.) :)

Smell: 8/10-

The smell is very close to cream of mushroom soup. Now I should clarify- this smells like cream of mushroom soup that is fat free. There is a difference and this is definitely the non-fatty variety. There is a faint odor of anise. (Licorice smell) It hangs above the mushroom enticingly.

Taste: 6/10-

I'm surprised to say that the taste is relatively bland. The anise flavor seems to dissipate as soon as you take your first or second bite. The rice has hardly any flavor and the mushroom soup does just what the fat free variety does. It gives the faint taste of mushroom and then blends with whatever it is with-- unfortunately that is tasteless rice. Every time you eat one of the mushrooms however it picks up flavor again, but mostly mushroom soup. It's a shame. I was hoping the anise would make this a pleasure to eat- It wasn't bad or horrible, but it didn't have me scraping the sauce off the plate either.

Texture: 7/10-

Texture is always an issue with Nutrisystem. I'm happy to say that the rice wasn't mushy, but the mushrooms were rubbery. It was a meal that matched it's look. Beige. Beige flavor, Beige consistency, Beige Beige, Beige... (sigh) I'm disappointed.

Day 36:

I'm feeling horribly neurotic today. I know this is not like my regular posts where I talk about the food or the diet, but I'm really worried today about the project. Today was my first fall off the wagon into the road and get run over by the wheel day. It has been extremely easy to stay on this diet up to this point-- I've been off for summer break. I could hole up in my house and there was no real challenge. Today, a stone shattered the window of my reality, as one of my fellow teachers often quotes.

Today I went to see a movie and ended up with a regular soda rather than a diet. Not much of a stone you might say-- actually it was bigger than you might think. Today I had to choose. Stick to the diet or be rude. I have troubles being rude, especially when the person I would have to correct was one of my former students who is finally moving where he wants to go in life. In that fraction of an instant when he handed me the regular Coke, I could have told him that I wanted diet. I could have, but I didn't. I took it, drank it, and ate half a bag of butter-less popcorn. I skipped lunch and haven't drank one glass of water or exercised all day.

Still this shouldn't cause me so much trauma right? Ah, but the second wheel had yet to roll over my back. It came in the form of a folded pink piece of paper. A paper that welcomed me back to school and contained two very infamous lines: Working lunch, and Staff Lunch at Golden Corral. Again I am in a quandary. Times are difficult in the schools. Our budget has been slashed in half and I know that buying lunch for the entire staff is a drain on the budget that the Principal didn't have to do. Am I really serious enough about this diet to say no thank-you as she hands me my Mexican salad (which is possibly the best tasting thing in the entire world) on Monday? Am I willing to eat my granola bar at Golden Corral on Tuesday?

The answer: of course not. I'm afraid that on both Monday and Wednesday I'll try the Nutrisystem eating out guide- something I was planning on avoiding. As for the salad, I'll try to eat only the lettuce and leave the beans, rice, and sauce on the plate. (Sigh) I only hope I'm strong enough.

Katie

Day 34:

I can safely say that I am feeling pretty good right now. The plateau has finally moved into weight loss and I am down 2 pounds in four days. Officially I'm at 154 and my waist has finally hit 28. Yay! Being on the second box is nice. I know that 95% of what is in the cupboard is something that I enjoy eating. I do have to say that the 3 weeks of free food has been a disappointment because they send me so many items that I can't or won't eat. Oh well, it was free. I put it in my food storage. Most of the items have a 2 years shelf life that I have put away. I suppose if the world ends and I'm starving I will be happy to eat that Chicken Breast Patty. :)

I have also noticed that the quality of the food tends to waver. The Mac and Cheese I ate last night wasn't nearly as sweet as the previous mac and cheese. I hope they didn't change the formula.

I have promised food reviews for the past month. I do have to say sorry that I stopped writing the reviews, but the plateau at 156 was getting to me. The last thing I wanted to do was sit down and blog about food. I'm transferring what I can from my notebook. Please be patient. :)

Cheese Puffs: 24/40 ++

Visual Appeal: 6/10-
The cheese puffs reminded me of the bargain brand cheese puffs my mom bought when I was a kid. They are large and covered with a thin coating of cheese. Looking at them, they have a 65% chance of being tasty.

Smell: 8/10-
You can definitely smell the cheese powder in these puffs. It does remind me of Cheetos. Hopefully it will taste as good.

Taste: 5/10-
Cheetos these are not. They are somewhat cheesy but the flavor disappears after about the second chew and you are left with a mushy cereal taste. These puffs are so puffed with air that I feel like I'm chewing Styrofoam.

Texture: 5/10-

Ok the Styrofoam comment stands with the texture part too. Yes the puffs are crunchy. If you are looking for something to crunch these are your things as long as you are not looking for great flavor. Like I said, the cheese flavor is gone before you really eat the thing and you are left with a mushy corn taste. Oh, there is also a slight chemical aftertaste that I found unappetizing.

Mashed Potatoes with Meatloaf and Tomato Sauce: 14/40 +

Visual Appeal: 2/10-

Hmmm.... how to explain the meatloaf? Ok, take ground beef and put it in a nest of mashed potatoes (I think that's what they were). Then spread a dull red tomato paste over the top. I hate to say it but this meatloaf made school lunch look good. This is really a mess to look at.

Smell: 8/10-

The smell is ok compared to the sight of it. The tomato sauce smells sweet and you get the nice smell of cooked beef. Boy the sight of this thing is still getting to me. Who thought of this?

Taste: 2/10-
Weird. That is my first impression. The potatoes do not really taste like anything. They are white goo. The tomato sauce actually has a tinny taste to it (made with canned tomatoes maybe?) The beef is boiled. You put this all together and it's rather off putting. I saved it with some catsup, but still this is bad. Is this Nutrisystem or Airplane food? Six one way half a dozen the other. Still it gets a point because I was able to finish it.

Texture: 2/10-
Eating the meatloaf is like eating something that has sat in water for a few days. Everything felt soggy and sad. The meat was boiled so it chewed like something between wet paper towel and a rubber tire. The potatoes were well paste there is no other word for what I ate, and the tomato sauce was sauce. Not my favorite meal.

Milk Chocolatey Delight Bar: 40/40 ++++

Visual Appeal: 10/10-

Keeping in mind that my box was somewhat melted when it arrived, it's not surprising that the chocolate around the bar was not uniform. The appearance of the candy bar reminds me of a Milky Way. It is approximately the same size and the same color. It looks like a nice dark chocolate. Of course I am a sucker for anything with the words dark and chocolate in them. :)

Smell: 10/10-

Very nice. Smells like rich dark cocoa.

Taste: 10/10-

Wow! The inside of this bar I think got changed by the heat either that or you are supposed to have something the consistancy of fudge inside. Each bite is like you are cheating with this little candy bar. It is so satisfying that I'm saving it for the days when I just have to eat a three musketeers. I can't beleive how good this bar is! Well done Nutrisystem!!!!

Texture: 10/10-
I froze my bar mostly because I like frozen candybars. However, I let the second one I bought thaw out so I could report on my blog. This candybar pulls away like a Milky Way. It is soft and smooth and is wonderful frozen or at room temperature. A definate winner!!

Rotini with Meatballs and Tomato Sauce: 27/40 ++1/2

Visual Appeal: 7/10-

Rotini with Meatballs looks like Chef Boyardee is back in town. Tiny round meatballs surrounded by spiral noodles in a red tomato sauce. It looks identical to something that my neice had for lunch from a can. Not very impressive. There are some spices in the sauce but they are sparse.

Smell: 7/10-

Same sweet tomato smell that is standard with Nutrisystem pasta meals. The meatballs don't really stand out as a fragrant player in this meal.

Taste: 6/10-
Hello Chef! Even the meatballs taste like the meatballs from Chef Boyardee. The noodles again have very little taste and as I guessed looking at it the sauce is underseasoned. This is not a bad taste by any means but it is bland and somewhat uninteresting. It is nice to have something with a beef flavor but the taste is fleating.

Texture: 6/10-

Again with the overcooked noodles. I think that Nutrisystem should set up the pasta dishes like they do the pizza. Give us a portion of noodles, the sauce and let us cook it. Their meals would be 80% better.

Second Month Order Review

I ordered my food was automatically ordered on 7/29/09. It included 4 weeks worth of food- 112 items.

Apple Strudel Scone	1
Berries & Multigrain Flakes	2
Blueberry Flavored Pancake Mix	3
Chocolate Chip Scone	2
Cranberry Granola Bar	4
Lowfat Granola Cereal	5
NutriFrosted Crunch Cereal	2
Pancake Mix	2
Black Beans and Rice	4
Black Bean Tortilla Soup	5
Chicken and Pasta in Cacciatore Sauce	3
Fudge Graham Bar	6
Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables	1
Pasta with Beef	1
Red Beans and Rice with Sausage	5
Split Pea Soup	2
Tomato and Corn Chowder	1
Chili with Beans	2
Flatbread Pizza	6
Grilled Chicken Breast	6
Sourdough Pizza with Cheese	2
Vegetarian Chili	1
Chocolate Chip Cookie	1
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pudding	2
Chocolate Crunch Bar	4
Double Chocolate Almond Cookie	3
Fudge Brownie	3
Milk Chocolatey Delight Bar	1
Mint Chocolate Crunch Bar	4
NutriChocolates	2
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie	4
Peanut Butter Cookie	2
White Chocolate Chunk Cookie	2
Cranberry Orange Pastry	1
NutriFlakes Cereal - 40% Bran Flakes	3
Thick Crust Pizza	3
Macaroni & Cheese	3
Vegetable Fajita	3
Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bar	3
Mushroom Risotto	1
Beef Pot Roast with Vegetables & Gravy	1

RESULTS:

* Speed: 9/10- While my first order only took 4 Days the second order took- 6 Days.
*Accuracy: 5/10-
One item of my order was replaced- Beef Pot Roast with Vegetables was replaced with Wedged Potatoes with Sliced Beef. (Not really happy about this. Not a trade up according to the websites)
They also messed up with the cookies. I got 4 peanut butter cookies and 3 oatmeal raisin which is too bad because I really LOVE the oatmeal raisin.

Again the order included 28 free items: Like the last time, the majority of the items matched my order with a few exceptions:
1 Bag Barbecue Soy Chips (Sigh again? I can't bring myself to eat the first bag)
1 Bag White Cheddar Soy Chips (Same note as above)
2 Hardy Beef Stew (Same note as above)
1 Chicken Noodle Soup
1 Blueberry Muffin (UGGGGGGG!!!!!!! I HATED THIS!!!!!!!!!! YUCK!)
1 Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar
1 Chicken Breast Patty (ALSO UGGGGG!!!!! THIS IS CATFOOD- No that may be animal abuse)
1 Macaroni and Cheese with Beef
1 Chocolate Raspberry Lunch Bar
2- Pretzels
(I'm getting the feeling that the free items are a standard set of items. Most of them match up with my previous orders. It's just too bad that they didn't match more with the things I liked to eat.)

* Quality: 8/10- The chocolate items were melted. Given that I live in the desert I'm not overly surprised. The loss of points actually is attributed to several of the packages being squished again. Macaroni and cheese did not fair as well this time and several of my chickens have a crease.