I've now been on the program for about two weeks and after the first week, I'm down three pounds! I am still getting used to the program and trying to figure out what works for a picky vegetarian. It's not the easiest road to follow, but with a little planning, it's doable.
To get a good start to the week, I spoke with a Nutrisystem counselor for a bit, trying to figure out exactly how the program works. I'm used to doing Weight Watchers, Spark People and Business Plan for the Body. I'm not used to doing a plan quite like this. The other plans focus on calories or points, which isn't something you have to worry about on Nutrisystem. That said, it's important to really double check your grocery guide to make sure the string cheese you selected matches up with what the grocery guide counts as a serving of string cheese. From what the counselor had told me, while calories aren't what's fueling your success on the program, adding extra things (like fat free creamer!) can seriously derail your progress. He told me that the Nutrisystem program gives you a little less than 100 calories of wiggle room per day, which depends on your plan. For those who need to be whipped into shape and have their food habits reworked and retrained, this may be the program for you.
According to my counselor, some things that had made me happy - like a 60 calorie pudding cup counting as an add-on, which I had read on a chat board - just aren't true. However, 2 oz of fat free cream cheese can count as a dairy/protein. However that is a LOT of cream cheese to eat on its own (Loxy thinks that is a perfect idea!). What is awesome is that the reduced fat cream cheese minis can be used as an add-on to make my baby carrots more enjoyable. It's not enough as a dairy serving, but it's an ok way to enhance my carrots in the afternoon. One of the best parts of the program is the constant support. My counselor actually told me to call them any time, like from the grocery store, for help selecting the right foods. I might just do that!
I'm still getting use to how much food I am eating and the changes happening in my body. I feel full constantly and, well, the effects of the additional fiber are obvious. You do have to plan what you are going to eat for each of the six meals, so it's not quite as grab and go as expected. That said, a bit of planning seems to be paying off!
I am happy to report that my blueberry muffin this week was full of blueberries, so my last one was a fluke. My favorite meal this week was, hands down, my Vegetarian Fajita. I took a snack pack of Nacho Crisps and buried them under some lettuce. I added my fajita mix, tomatoes, cucumbers, a little bit of avocado and a touch of fat free sour cream (which all covered two of my daily add-ons). It was like a decadent tortilla salad at my favorite Mexican restaurant. Loxy's favorite this week was the Chicken Fajita Melt. And he's down two pounds. So for both of us, we're down five pounds in the first week!
I'm a little worried about how I am going to handle going out of town in a few weekends. I'm going to take some of my food and try to keep my portions small and several times each day, but with me, the switch is either on or off. And it isn't easy for me to flip. If you have any helpful hints on how to keep succeeding while on a mini-vacation, please let me know!
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.
Photos by Bean & I and the NJ Monthly.
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(My dinner on Wednesday: Shelf-stable Pasta Primavera with Tofu and fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers and my favorite; 1/8 of avocado. So yummy and so filling!)
To get a good start to the week, I spoke with a Nutrisystem counselor for a bit, trying to figure out exactly how the program works. I'm used to doing Weight Watchers, Spark People and Business Plan for the Body. I'm not used to doing a plan quite like this. The other plans focus on calories or points, which isn't something you have to worry about on Nutrisystem. That said, it's important to really double check your grocery guide to make sure the string cheese you selected matches up with what the grocery guide counts as a serving of string cheese. From what the counselor had told me, while calories aren't what's fueling your success on the program, adding extra things (like fat free creamer!) can seriously derail your progress. He told me that the Nutrisystem program gives you a little less than 100 calories of wiggle room per day, which depends on your plan. For those who need to be whipped into shape and have their food habits reworked and retrained, this may be the program for you.
According to my counselor, some things that had made me happy - like a 60 calorie pudding cup counting as an add-on, which I had read on a chat board - just aren't true. However, 2 oz of fat free cream cheese can count as a dairy/protein. However that is a LOT of cream cheese to eat on its own (Loxy thinks that is a perfect idea!). What is awesome is that the reduced fat cream cheese minis can be used as an add-on to make my baby carrots more enjoyable. It's not enough as a dairy serving, but it's an ok way to enhance my carrots in the afternoon. One of the best parts of the program is the constant support. My counselor actually told me to call them any time, like from the grocery store, for help selecting the right foods. I might just do that!
I'm still getting use to how much food I am eating and the changes happening in my body. I feel full constantly and, well, the effects of the additional fiber are obvious. You do have to plan what you are going to eat for each of the six meals, so it's not quite as grab and go as expected. That said, a bit of planning seems to be paying off!
I am happy to report that my blueberry muffin this week was full of blueberries, so my last one was a fluke. My favorite meal this week was, hands down, my Vegetarian Fajita. I took a snack pack of Nacho Crisps and buried them under some lettuce. I added my fajita mix, tomatoes, cucumbers, a little bit of avocado and a touch of fat free sour cream (which all covered two of my daily add-ons). It was like a decadent tortilla salad at my favorite Mexican restaurant. Loxy's favorite this week was the Chicken Fajita Melt. And he's down two pounds. So for both of us, we're down five pounds in the first week!
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.
Photos by Bean & I and the NJ Monthly.
Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement.