Weekly Weigh In Week 2 11/19 #NSNation

 

It’s that time again… time for my weekly weigh in report. I have been on Nutrisystem for two weeks now. It has been fairly smooth sailing so far with only a few moments of temptation and longing. I attribute those moments to letting myself get too hungry and not planning ahead appropriately.

I am still eating… eating… eating all day long. The vegetarian plan has me eating 3 meals a day, 2 snacks during the day and 1 dessert. I had a couple of days that I was so busy here with sick kids (etc) that I had to force myself to finish my daily foods… strange huh?

Another exciting thing happened this week. Nutrisystem is sending their Select program for us to try. What is Select? It is two weeks of fresh/frozen food to accompany their shelf stable food menu. Unfortunately, they don’t have a dedicated vegetarian plan for that right now, but I was still able to enjoy several items that are delicious! So exactly what do they have me eating? My favorites are the blueberry muffin and the cranberry orange pastry for breakfast (with my morning coffee of course)…

the chocolate peanut butter bar and the fudge graham bar for lunch (I’m a bar person at lunch. I eat one while making the babies lunch so I don’t nibble on their food … they have you eat this, dairy or protein and 2 vegetable servings and salad dressing if you choose)

Btw, these are fabulous!

and for dinner mushroom risotto and spinach and cheese stuffed shells.

Dessert? you ask??…. chocolate nougat bar with peanuts and carmel (can we say Snickers?) and ice cream sandwiches!

Snacks are supplemented from the grocery store… mostly fruit, veggies, dairy or protein. So, your burning question… do they really taste as good as they look??

O.M.G. YES!

So, now to what you really tuned in for… the weigh in, right? It is a little confusing for me this week because I decided to purchase a new scale. The one I have been using weighs me crazy. Like today, first is said I lost 17 lbs in 2 weeks, then 15, then it weighed me correctly (Oh! How nice if those had been right, huh??). I did weigh in on the new scale so I have an accurate reading next week. So…. drum roll please………………. this week I lost 2.5 lbs making a total of 8.5 lbs in two weeks! I am pleased with that, although I have to admit I really wanted bragging right to 10 lbs in two weeks. Next week, right?

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So this next week leads us into the holiday season where the average person gains at least 10 lbs. Don’t want to be that person?

Here are some tips and tricks that were passed on to me. They are geared towards staying on the Nutrisystem program but can be easily adapted for anyone… I hope they benefit you, too.

Holiday Survival Smarts

Diet-friendly Strategies for The Holiday Season and Beyond

1. Have a plan.  Think things through before you get to the actual holiday meals and parties. Maybe your strategy is to take tiny portions of different dishes; that’s okay. If you’re cooking, you might want to have your bottle of water with you in the kitchen, so you’re less tempted to snack. Do what you can to stay away from the appetizer table. Plan to avoid anything that’s not homemade. The point is that if you go in with a plan, you’ll be less likely to get caught off-guard.

2. Stay on track. Holidays are not the time to skip meals in an attempt to “bank” calories. That’s a strategy that can backfire miserably. Instead, eat everything on your meal plan leading up to the holiday event, and make sure you’re drinking all your water. You’ll be less likely to overindulge at the big event.

3. Set a goal. There’s something about holidays that makes people forget what they do the rest of the year. Do you already have weight loss goals set up for November, December and January? If not you can start today. Once you’ve set a short-term goal, decide on a way to reward yourself once the goal has been reached.

4. Drink smart. Face it, overindulging during holiday events—whether it’s an office party, a family gathering or a neighborhood open house—can add a lot of extra calories to your day. In addition, when you’ve had too much to drink, it tends to weaken your previous resolve and derail any strategies and plans you might have had. Besides, you don’t want to end up as that karaoke-singing family member or neighbor everyone will be talking about for the next month.

5. Trim the calories.  This tip is especially useful if you happen to be the primary cook for an event. In baked items, replace the fat with an equal amount of applesauce and the sugar with a sugar substitute; substitute a quarter cup of egg substitute for every egg called for in the recipe; replace whole milk with 1% milk and sour cream with yogurt; reduce the amount of nuts called for by half. And don’t forget both veggies and salad.

6. Enlist support. Trying to maintain your Nutrisystem program can be hard at the holidays, but there’s no reason you have to go it alone. Ask for your family’s understanding or even their help, so nobody’s trying to foist “seconds” on you. Nutrisystem counselors can help you strategize, based on your individual circumstances. Or you can go to the Nutrisystem Discussion Boards, where you’ll find people who definitely understand what you’re trying to do. Discuss your concerns; share tips of your own, or join one of the many weight loss challenges. Some of them are specifically geared to the holidays. Introduce yourself well before the event, so you have that support already in place.

7. Keep moving. Instead of just sitting around after dinner, suggest a family walk, or organize a touch-football game. Most people will be grateful for the chance to move around, and it can keep you on-track with your exercise plan.

8. Embrace the spirit.  This last tip may just be the most important: You can get so caught up in all the planning and hoopla that you lose the whole meaning of the holiday season—coming together with friends and loved ones. It’s the time that’s really valuable, not the food and drink.

Remember: Quality not Quantity

If you do plan to indulge in some of the traditional Thanksgiving favorites, use these portions as a guideline:

Turkey—3 oz. white meat, no skin (about the size of a deck of cards)

Mashed potatoes—1/3 cup (about the size of half of a baseball)

Gravy—1 Tbsp. (just drizzle it)

Relish made with sugar—1 Tbsp.

Stuffing—2 Tbsp.

Dinner Roll—if not homemade, skip it

Pie—1/12 of a 9” pie

Today was weigh in day for Nutrisystem buddies, too!! Make sure to drop in and visit Heather at Living on Love and Cents and Melissa at The Life of a Sippy Cup Mom and cheer them on!

Interested in joining us? Nutrisystem has set up a special website for blog readers. Visit for news and special offers, or call 1-888-853-4689

DISCLOSURE: This post was written by me and was not edited by anyone. The opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own and have not been influenced in any way. Nutrisystem is providing their food and program to me free of charge for my weekly updates. I was not compensated for writing this post. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255