I've officially been on the Nutrisystem Women's Vegetarian Program since Monday. It hasn't been a full week, so I'm not going to share my scale success until next week - but I'm expecting good things! It's been a bit of an adjustment, totally changing the way I eat.
If you aren't familiar with the plan, here is how it works. They send you breakfast, lunch, dinners and snacks and then you fill out your daily menu with fruits, veggies, dairy and some proteins. You also have to drink 6-8 glasses of water each day, which is a little on the hard side for me. On the plan I am doing, I am being asked to eat way more than I normally do and it is taking a little getting used to. Normally, I would eat a small breakfast, a frozen lunch and pudding cup, something for dinner and anything else sweet, salty or carb-y that I could get my hands on. Clearly, that isn't working.
It also requires a bit more planning than I was expecting. Partially bringing it on myself, because of my dietary preferences, I've been leaning on the Nutrisystem dietitians and counselors for a little help. My big issue? Getting in enough dairy and protein during meals and snacks. I just need to sit down and plan. For example, a Boca burger and a slice of low fat cheese are one option, but it feels weird to eat that at 10:30 in the morning. So I opt for yogurt. But then at lunch, I need more dairy/protein And then even more at a snack in the afternoon. It ends up being a lot of string cheese and yogurt.
But the counselors gave me a fantastic idea - adding protein powder to a fat free pudding cup counts as a protein! It also curbs my need for something on the sweet side, as well. I asked my holistic wellness guru what type of protein powder she would suggest and she opted for pea protein powder. Why pea? Because it's tasty and it has no artificial sweeteners or hormones, unlike soy powders.
At the end of the day, I'm eating quite a bit more food than I am used to, feeling satisfied longer and I haven't been hungry once. And while my stress level has continued to be high, I haven't felt the need to power-eat crackers or cookies. I'm guessing it's because I'm eating balanced meals and more consistent times, which is keeping my cravings and urges at bay.
My favorite meals so far? I'm loving the Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells, the Vegetable Fajita (I added spinach, tomatoes and a little avocado and sour cream!) and the Apple Strudel Scone. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Chocolate Peanut Butter Lunch Bar. Loxy is trying to do this with me and his favorite meal of the week has been the Chicken Quesadilla. The biggest surprise of the week? My Blueberry Muffin, which I was really excited about, was lacking in the actual blueberry department. I'm hoping it was fluke.
Are you doing Nutrisystem? If you are, please let me know your favorite tips! I need all of the help I can get!
Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting here.
I am part of the Nutrisystem Blogger Nation and Nutrisystem is providing their plan and food in exchange for my reviews. As always, opinions are my own.
Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement.Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews and more! Copyright 2009-2011, Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.
(Here are my dry goods, minus snacks, for the month. It's a lot of food!)
If you aren't familiar with the plan, here is how it works. They send you breakfast, lunch, dinners and snacks and then you fill out your daily menu with fruits, veggies, dairy and some proteins. You also have to drink 6-8 glasses of water each day, which is a little on the hard side for me. On the plan I am doing, I am being asked to eat way more than I normally do and it is taking a little getting used to. Normally, I would eat a small breakfast, a frozen lunch and pudding cup, something for dinner and anything else sweet, salty or carb-y that I could get my hands on. Clearly, that isn't working.
On Nutrisystem, I'm eating a large breakfast, a snack at 10:30, a large lunch, a snack at 3 and a large dinner at 7. Then, while I'm catching up with Criminal Minds (or taped QVC presentations), I'll have one snack. It's a lot of food. I feel consistently full constantly, which I am not accustomed to.
(My pantry-ready foods for the week - I've selected them in advance so I can plan what else I'll need.)
It also requires a bit more planning than I was expecting. Partially bringing it on myself, because of my dietary preferences, I've been leaning on the Nutrisystem dietitians and counselors for a little help. My big issue? Getting in enough dairy and protein during meals and snacks. I just need to sit down and plan. For example, a Boca burger and a slice of low fat cheese are one option, but it feels weird to eat that at 10:30 in the morning. So I opt for yogurt. But then at lunch, I need more dairy/protein And then even more at a snack in the afternoon. It ends up being a lot of string cheese and yogurt.
But the counselors gave me a fantastic idea - adding protein powder to a fat free pudding cup counts as a protein! It also curbs my need for something on the sweet side, as well. I asked my holistic wellness guru what type of protein powder she would suggest and she opted for pea protein powder. Why pea? Because it's tasty and it has no artificial sweeteners or hormones, unlike soy powders.
(My snack basket , which doesn't include any of the frozen items!)
My favorite meals so far? I'm loving the Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells, the Vegetable Fajita (I added spinach, tomatoes and a little avocado and sour cream!) and the Apple Strudel Scone. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Chocolate Peanut Butter Lunch Bar. Loxy is trying to do this with me and his favorite meal of the week has been the Chicken Quesadilla. The biggest surprise of the week? My Blueberry Muffin, which I was really excited about, was lacking in the actual blueberry department. I'm hoping it was fluke.
Are you doing Nutrisystem? If you are, please let me know your favorite tips! I need all of the help I can get!
Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting here.
I am part of the Nutrisystem Blogger Nation and Nutrisystem is providing their plan and food in exchange for my reviews. As always, opinions are my own.
Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement.