Tamsin is finding maintenance tough

This month, Tamsin interviews a NutriSystem counselor about maintaining her new weight...

Help! I’ve hit a snag in my NutriSystem maintenance and gained 4 pounds in the past week! This really bums me out but, in truth, I know exactly where those 4 pounds came from: Summer snacking! A fruity cocktail on the patio here, a handful of low-fat chips there… it adds up.

I called NutriSystem to chat with a Nutrition Counselor about getting back on track. I explained my horror and Counselor Donna asked me questions about to get a sense of my typical day of eating.

I told her that I really love the NutriSystem breakfast and lunch bars, and that I usually have the dessert with my afternoon coffee because that’s when my sweet tooth moment hits. Then I sheepishly described some of my favourite snacks for unwinding on the patio at the end of the day. Ah-ha! That’s the culprit right there. Donna was very supportive. She told me, “Sure, it common sense that it’s important to avoid resorting to old habits that may have contributed to your original weight gain, but knowing that doesn’t make it easy!”

Tamsin: How many NutriSystem foods do you recommend during Maintenance?

NutriSystem Counselor: How often you use NutriSystem foods depends on you. During your maintenance, you decide which NutriSystem foods you want to help maintain your weight loss. Some people, like yourself, stick wit the bars for breakfast and lunch because they are convenient. Many NutriSystem dieters choose NutriSystem foods for 2-3 complete days per week.

Tamsin: How many calories are required for maintenance?

NutriSystem Counselor: Donna explained that the number of calories I need to maintain my weight is determined by my activity level, weight, age and metabolism.

Tamsin: How long do NutriSystem dieters stay on maintenance?

NutriSystem Counselor: Donna told me that maintenance time is a personal choice. On average, dieters stay stick with the maintenance program for a year. At minimum, Donna recommends 6 months. She’s met many NutriSystem dieters who stayed on the maintenance program for 2-3 years.

Tamsin: What does NutriSystem recommend for alcohol consumption? Is it OK to have a cold beer or icy mojito on a hot summer day?

NutriSystem Counselor: NutriSystem recommends no more than 2 alcoholic beverages a week, including during maintenance. Donna reminded me that those tasty sweet cocktails are often loaded with calories.

Donna emailed me some guidelines for following the NutriSystem Maintenance Plan, which is available in the U.S. Getting back on track is my new 4-Day Goal! The bright side is that I have loads of NutriSystem food and motivation to get back on track.

Second time lucky with the NutriSystem challenge

Weigh-in:
• Tamsin - 2.5 pounds
• Eden - 2.6 pounds (4.6 pounds lost to-date)

Other than progress, the one thing that I’ve been asked by readers, family and co-workers since I started the NutriSystem Challenge is: “How’s the food?”

Well, I’m not sure whether I’m hungrier now that before but it’s not bad. In fact, some meals are pretty darn good. Others I could do without. So without further ado, here’s my mini-review...

Breakfast
Favourite: Nutrisystem Apple Granola Bar, 8oz. skim milk lactaid, 1/2 banana

Dreaded: None. I haven’t been adventurous enough to try the NutriSystem powdered scrambled eggs and I’m not sure I will.

Lunch
Favourite: NutriSystem Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar, Salad with mesculun greens, baby spinach, raw mushrooms, radish slices, sliced eggs, no-fat dressing

Dreaded: NutriSystem Pasta with Beef. I’m lucky because I was only sent a couple of cans. I like their dinner pasta but I didn’t like this one at all.

Dinner
Favourite: NutriSystem Wedged Potatoes with Sliced Beef Steak - this meal was by far the best I’ve tasted; mixed greens with sprinkle of red pepper, two grape tomatoes, cucumber slices, sliced olives (fat serving); two portions of steamed broccoli.

Dreaded: I’m sorry but I wouldn’t serve the Chicken Breast Patty to my worst enemy. If I had to guess how cat food tastes this would come pretty close. I couldn’t eat it and had a couple of pieces of the beef from the stir-fry I made for my family that night. In all fairness, my 9-year-old asked to try the chicken and liked it a lot.

Dessert
Favourite: NutriSystem Chocolatey chips dipped in light peanut butter (fat serving). Yum yum! I’d like to know how it compares to the caramel popcorn but I haven’t seen any yet. Maybe next month.

Dreaded: None. I’m not crazy about the savoury treats. The pretzels were airy and bland. I’ve always preferred something sweet after dinner. The NutriSystem dinners are high in sodium so I’m not craving salty foods either.

Cravings
Truthfully, I’ve been quite satisfied on the program and rarely felt hungry, except I’d really like a Montreal bagel once a week. I’m not sure why the NutriSystem guide provides a list of bread servings when we can’t add them to our meal plan anyway.

Day 1 of the NutriSystem Challenge

Okay, so the delivery was a bit messed up but Tamsin and I are on track now. We started the program today. I’m on a 3-day training course for work so my routine is out of whack. We tossed around the idea of delaying our start and decided if we did that, we’d always be able to find an excuse. Here goes nothing...

Initial observations:
• Nutrisystem’s website needs to answer more of my questions without requiring me to log in first. I didn’t know how much of my own food I’d be combining with NutriSystem products. Tamsin and I had a lot of questions but we needed to wait for our kits to get answers. Fortunately, I had enough fruit and veggies in the house to get started.

• A lot of reading is required and we’re supposed to watch a motivational exercise DVD. As for me, I read what I needed to know to get going. I did a fair amount of walking– not bad considering the storm we had in Toronto today.

• NutriSystem food comes in colour-coded packages and are easy to sort into meal categories.

• The breakfast and lunch meals are portable.

• NutriSystem assumes everyone who needs to lose weight has a sweet tooth. There’s a ton of breakfast pastries, breakfast and lunch bars a plus a daily dessert.

• The program includes a daily diary. The concept is similar to Weight Watchers but instead of itemizing everything you eat and their point values, you check off items divided into 5 meal categories. Here’s what I ate today:

Breakfast
I didn’t have time to eat breakfast at home. I drank a glass of skim milk lactaid, and grabbed a banana (should have only eaten half) and a NutriSystem Cranberry Orange Pastry (yuck, this sounds much better than it looks or tastes).

Lunch
NutriSystem Chocolaty Raspberry Flavoured Bar (tasted better than your average energy bar), steamed veggies with tofu, shrimp, green beans and green tea.

As much as I wanted to follow the rules, I had to break them the very first day because of my change in routine. I figured it was better to follow as much as I could rather than not starting at all. I skipped the lunch salad and ate my dinner veggies at lunchtime instead. I ended up at a Chinese restaurant so I ordered them steamed. I realized I needed some protein so I had a taste of steamed tofu and about 2 oz. of small shrimp (the sauce was probably a no-no) and some stir-fried green beans with fresh garlic and ginger. I counted this as my fat serving for the day (probably at least a bit more than a teaspoon of oil – oh well!)

Afternoon Snack
½ c unsweetened applesauce.

Dinner
NutriSystem Beef and Mushrooms with Pasta (comparable to Lean Cuisine, bigger portion than I expected), salad with low-calorie dressing, 1/3 c edamame (leftover from snacktime).

Dessert
NutriSystem White Chocolate Flavoured Chunk Cookie (hard and dry but edible).

I had 2 decaf coffees with a splash of 2% milk. (I shouldn’t be drinking milk at all since I’m lactose intolerant, and the program favours skim milk.) I’m still working my way through the 8 glasses of water. I’m used to snacking at night so I guess I’ll fill up with water instead.

Stay tuned for next week’s check-up when Tamsin and I will tell you what happened when we stepped on our scales.

NutriSytem: maintaining the (behaviour) modification

The NutriSystem journey continues. Tamsin weighs in this week with her thoughts about staying on track while trying to maintain her current weight.

The good people at NutriSystem Canada continue to encourage us - they offered to help Eden and I transition back to grocery-store foods by continuing NutriSystem on a maintenance basis. NutriSystem Canada doesn’t offer an official maintenance program yet (its US counterpart does), so we are starting to eat NutriSystem foods a couple of times a week while slowly introducing non-NS home-cooked meals.

The best of both worlds? Let the maintenance begin!

After 3 months of continuous NutriSystem, I find myself automatically planning my meals and thinking before eating (well, except for a certain time of the month when I *do* allow myself free reign). I was always a try-anything and eat-as-much-as-I-like eater, so “portion control” and “meal planning” are new behaviours for me.

So, now that I am eating NS a couple of days a week, how have I managed in my own real-world kitchen with my husband's Twinkies in the cupboard, steak on the BBQ, and ice cream in freezer?

I’m not going to lie: I’m still tempted. Especially as I’m feeling thinner and more confident. You know, it’s so easy to indulge when you are happy! The little temptress on my shoulder whispers, “You look great! What's a cheeseburger and bowl of Ben and Jerry's gonna hurt!?”

Fortunately, my good sense kicks in. After all, our weight loss was well-earned, and there’s simply no point letting our new waists go to waste. :)

I’m striving to maintain the protein intake that NutriSystem provides by restricting my breakfast to fantastic fruit smoothies (I most enjoy strawberry-banana or mango -- sometimes indulging in chocolate!)

I’m continuing to eat often. With full-time NutriSystem, I was always eating. Fruit snacks, entrees, yummy NS desserts, lunch bars. On my own, I am learning about the Glycemic Index that NutriSystem is based on and incorporating more “good carbs” with low GI values in my diet to help keep my blood sugar levels stable and my appetite in check. I’ve even ordered some GI recipe books from the library. I was so excited to see some of my favourite food on the Low GI list -- fresh salsa, chicken breast with spinach, cottage cheese, stir frys, red peppers, edamame.

What are your cravings? How often do you indulge them? I’d love to read your tips on curbing your cravings!

Join me for a NutriSystem challenge

If you’re like most Canadians, one of your New Years’ resolutions was to lose weight. I didn’t make any resolutions. Never do. But when NutriSystem asked if I’d have a reader giveaway, I immediately stepped up to the plate. (Bad pun, I know but I couldn’t resist.)

NutriSystem has been helping Americans lose weight for 35 years. New to Canada, they want to share their secrets with us Canucks. Apparently, clients who stay on the program for three months, lose 1.5 - 2lbs/wk (.68-.9 kilos). Carol Prinn has been on the plan for five months and lost 36 pounds. I want to know if her results are typical and what it’s like to be on the program. Teena has just started so I’ll be watching her closely too.

I’ve been struggling to shed the extra 25-30 pounds I gained back after a successful experience with another weight loss program six years ago. I used to go to meetings but got bored when the focus shifted to a triathlon the company sponsored. Last year I tried a workout program but it didn’t work out for me.

I lost some weight last summer but gained it back. My clothes aren’t fitting and nothing I try seems to look good on me. (The cat is out of the bag. Now you know why I haven’t been shopping for clothes lately.)

I’m curious to see if NutriSystem really works and what the food is like. I’ve never been a fad dieter or tried anything like this before.

Wanna join me for FREE?
Here’s the deal... NutriSystem will give us (me plus one lucky reader) a 3-month supply of food plus phone and online support for free (approximate value: $1,000). I’m going to blog about our progress at least once a week. And don’t worry, I’m not posting my actual weight and I won’t share yours either unless you want to. I’ll be focusing on weight changes. We can start the program together and I’m hoping the community will cheer us on. If you have a blog or podcast and you’d like to discuss your results, that’s cool too.

Want to join me? Leave a comment or send an e-mail explaining why. The contest is open to Canadian residents and ends on Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 5 p.m. EST. So, what are you waiting for? Get your entry in soon.

Another NutriSystem freebie
NutriSystem has a promo on now. Buy 28 days of food and get one week of food for free. You won’t be alone. NutriSystem offers counseling and support for everyone on the program and provides preliminary counseling and assessment for those who are thinking about joining. If you do decide to try it out, as always, leave a comment.

The fine print
As with any weight loss program, contact your doctor first and read NutriSystem’s Terms and Conditions. I (“Bargainista”) am not responsible for any problems ensuing as a result of your participation in this program.

NutriSystem Challenge: Greetings from Las Vegas

Weigh-in (Day 35):
• Tamsin - 1 pound (-6.5 pounds to-date)
• Eden - 1.6 pounds (-8.8 pounds to-date)

Tamsin shares her challenges while vacationing in Las Vegas last week...

Week 5 of our NutriSystem Challenge took a bit of a detour for me. I spent 4 days and nights in what is perhaps the most indulgent city in North America – Las Vegas. So this week, I am talking about how I navigated the many tasty temptations of Vegas.

Before I embarked on my weekend getaway with my girlfriend, I logged into the NutriSystem website (free for anyone to sign up!) to check out the advice in their handy “NutriSystem Dining Out Guide”. I like that NutriSystem acknowledges “real lives” that might include a special night out and the occasional desire to order dinner in. NutriSystem’s advice is all about positioning your mindset before you even enter a restaurant (or flip through the delivery menu). The guide includes sections for different cuisines: Chinese food, Indian food, Italian, Thai, and so on. It lists dishes to avoid and dishes to go for.

It’s all about preparation. I arrived in Vegas feeling prepared to eat healthily and watch out for portion control – especially the notorious buffets. I tossed a few NutriSystem breakfast bars (I’m enjoying the cranberry) into my suitcase to have with my morning coffee and juice. They contain a good amount of protein, which saw me through to lunch most days.

NutriSystem encourages enjoying the dining experience—rather than eating everything to get your money's worth. Given the spectacularly designed restaurants and glorious presentation of each dish (especially the sushi at Koi), enjoying the experience was easy! I ate a salad with every meal and, despite enjoying some expensive dishes, I really did find myself worrying less about clearing my plate.

I didn’t expect to lose any weight this week because of my trip, but I am proud of how I balanced the temptation with my new awareness of how I eat. Portion control is important, but I am convinced that a prepared mindset is just as critical – whether you’re in excessive Vegas or ordering in pizza at home.

Photo credit: Roadsidepictures on Flickr

Tamsin gets her NutriSystem meals

Last week, Purolator delivered a 35lb box of portion-controlled goodies to my door. Well, I wasn’t home, but I did get a notice to go pick it up at the depot. Lucky for me, Purolator Courier is a 5 minute drive from my home, so I had my package by 8 p.m.

I needed to confirm that there was enough food, and it certainly looked like it. It took a while to sift through the box. I piled the colour coded packages on my dining room table to see what's in store. In my final count, the numbers didn’t support 28 days of 3 meals and 2 snacks/desserts.

Here’s what the box contained:
• 19 breakfasts – not enough
• 28 snacks/desserts – not enough for 2 per day. Also, many of the biscotti packages seemed crushed.
• 28 lunches – Yep, this is correct.
• 36 dinners – a few too many. That’s OK, more choice!

Also, no information kit – the key to understanding the “system” in NutriSystem. I contacted our rep who promised to rush out “some remaining breakfast items to fill out the 28 days, some new biscotti, and the information kit with the DVD.”

Also, she explained that we “should only have one snack/dessert per day (all explained in the information kit)”. I was confused, since I read on the NutriSystem website that “You get to eat 5 times a day to help reduce those cravings between meals!”. I assumed that #5 was a second NutriSystem snack. (I’ve since discovered that you DO get to have a second snack, but it is not supplied by NutriSystem. They do advise you on what to choose, though – a piece of fruit, for example.)

On Saturday, the supplementary box arrived – did it ever! Another big box of food. Yes, the information kit was there with the exercise DVD. And the breakfasts and the biscottis. Plus lots and lots more lunches and dinners and very yummy-sounding snacks, including chocolate bars – woo hoo! NutriSystem overload!

I spent some time reading the nutritional information. It’s pretty clear that jacking up PROTEIN intake is a key part of NutriSystem. Every single meal or snack that I looked at 10-25mg of protein and little fat. You just do not find that in everyday food – unless you sprinkle protein powder on everything you eat. I’m encouraged: protein is good for us, keeps us feeling full, and gives us energy.

Yeah, but how does the food taste? I'm curious too! We’ll let you know when we finally get started. Meanwhile, Eden STILL awaits her first delivery of NutriSystem meals.

Talk about portion control!

[Bargainista: I received my first food package today (the DVD should arrive any day) and will give a full report on Day 1 – Stay tuned!]

NutriSystem Challenge: mission accomplished!

Weigh-in (Day 84):


• Tamsin – no change – lost 13 pounds in 12 weeks!
• Eden – -1.6 lbs – lost 25.5 pounds in 12 weeks!

I can’t believe this is the last official post for The NutriSystem Challenge. Tamsin and I have lost a total of 38.5 pounds combined and gained a friendship. It’s been amazing connecting with a member of the community this way. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of her in this space. She has an open invitation to contribute anytime.

Most likely, we will be testing out NutriSystem’s maintenance program. I suspect we won’t be blogging about it weekly but we will have a regular weigh-in and posting schedule sorted out soon.

I am so grateful to the team at com.motion and NutriSystem for asking me to participate in the program. I was nervous at first because I had never done anything like it before. I’d always been uncomfortable with the idea of food supplements and diet food. Not anymore. It worked for me. I feel great and I’m loving every minute.

I’d be lying though if I didn’t acknowledge the psychological component and my prior experience with Weight Watchers – both were critical to my success. I was highly motivated and ready for a drastic change. It was more than the food. If you’re wondering, I’m at exactly the same weight I was at when I became a Weight Watchers lifetime member in 2002. The biggest difference is I lost almost the same amount of weight in half the time with NutriSystem and I didn’t need to go to weekly meetings or public weigh-ins.

I’m looking forward to continuing with some NutriSystem products at least for the short-term. I’ve started altering my bigger clothes and buying new ones so there’s no way I’m prepared to give up my new body or the benefits of being more than 25 pounds lighter – a lot on my barely 5’3” frame.

As for Tamsin, here’s what she had to say…

Hey there
No change for me this week, but I DID start working out with my favourite Goodlife trainer in a Women On Weights (WOW) program for the next 8 weeks. Not sure I'd promote Goodlife, but NS definitely got me pumped to keeping trying with the weight loss and maintenance!! My trainer, who I haven't seen in a year, told me I looked "amazing" and that she almost didn't recognize me. She measured me, and we compared the inches to 1 year ago. Major inches lost in my thighs, calves, and waist combined. Amazing! I credit MOST of that to NutriSystem.

I am eager to keep working out and practicing the eating habits that I picked up from NS - portion control, frequent minimeals, PROTEIN, and water, water, water!

Tamsin

Are there any questions on your mind we haven’t answered? If so, please send me an email or leave a comment. We’ll do our best to help. What we haven’t learned is what it’s like to order the food and receive deliveries as a regular customer. If you have, we’d love hearing from you as that is one of the most frequently asked questions I get whenever people ask me how I lost the weight.

As a final note, we still owe you some pictures of how we look today. It would be awesome if we could have makeovers first à la Stacy and Clinton from What Not to Wear. Being a bit more realistic, spending a few hours with a wardrobe planner at Yorkdale would be awesome. Any takers?

Our evening with NutriSystem spokesperson, Jillian Barberie Reynolds

Weigh-in (Day 28):
• Tamsin - 1.5 pounds (-5.5 pounds to-date)
• Eden -.8 pound (-7.2 pounds to-date)

Being a blogger has its perks, like 12 free weeks of NutriSystem. Last night, NutriSystem had something else in store. They hosted a blogger event at Atom Egoyan’s CAMERA bar – one of the coolest venues I’ve seen in a while. It’s the perfect spot for mingling with an intimate crowd and has a small screening room at the back.

Tamsin and I were there and joined by Kathryn and Henna. They’d been following our weight loss adventures on the blog and were curious to see what all the fuss was about.

As for dinner, there were plenty of raw fruits, veggies and NutriSystem-friendly hors d’oeuvres on hand. For the curious and those with a sweet tooth, there were a few trays with NutriSystem desserts. Who would have thought of entertaining with them? Somehow, it worked.

Burlington born Jillian Barberie Reynolds hung out with the crowd and shared her experiences living in La La Land and losing her 41lbs. pregnancy weight gain with the help of NutriSystem.

She is a genuine, warm and funny woman who says what’s on her mind. I videotaped her speech so I could share it with you. Unfortunately, at 13+ minutes it was too much for my digicam to handle. You may have seen her on Breakfast Television this morning.

I asked Jillian how she’s managed to maintain her weight. Her answer was simple: although her husband is a great cook, she also likes NutriSystem food and includes it as part of her regular diet.

Another perk of the evening was having the chance to get to know Tamsin. That’s her in the picture with Jillian Barberie.

Preparing for maintenance after NutriSystem

Weigh-in (Day 77):

• Tamsin – -1.25 lbs (-13 pounds to-date)
• Eden – -1 lbs (-23.8 pounds to-date)

*Note: Eden spent last weekend in Montreal and managed to lose weight while eating regular food most of the time.

Here’s a post from Tamsin after 11 weeks on the NutriSytem Challenge.

For weeks, most of my food has come in handy packages from NutriSystem:
• lunches that fit in my purse;
• breakfast bars on the streetcar;
• dinners that heat up in 1 minute.

I’ve been thinking about what I’ll miss the most and how I’ll translate what I’ve learned about portion control to the real world where convenience and nutritionally balanced don’t always go hand-in-hand.

I think the trick is planning ahead and choosing foods that I enjoy. Convenient meals are useless if the food is tasteless. That's been a big plus for me: NutriSystem is handy AND tastes good.

I met a coworker in the kitchen at work the other day while I waited to heat my NutriSystem lunch. He was just taking his lunch from the microwave -- and boy, it smelled yummy! He asked about my NutriSystem package, and I asked what he was heating up for lunch. High Liner Scallops Mediterranean. We compared nutrition labels, and I was shocked to see similarities to NutriSystem (serving size, calorie and nutrients). Imagine scallops and linguine for lunch -- with the added bonus of 13 grams of protein!

These single-serve meals seem like a good meal option that offers the perks I’ve come to enjoy with NutriSystem: portion control, convenience, and the all-important yummy factor.

How have you transitioned from a diet? What are your tricks to eating healthy on-the-go?

Chef Tamsin gets cooking with NutriSystem

Weigh-in (Day 63):
• Tamsin – 1.2 lbs (-11.7 pounds to-date)
• Eden – 2.3 lbs (-21.8 pounds to-date)

We're nearing the final NutriSystem-fueled weeks. I recently discovered some creative NutriSystem recipes using the NS foods, so I decided to get cooking!

I actually found a way to enjoy the powdered Scrambled Egg Mix! I added prepared as directed with boiling water, then I sauteed some red peppers, mushrooms, and onions with a little cooking spray. I added the eggs, tossed, and rolled into a wholewheat tortilla. NS eggs are mixed with cheese, so I just added some salsa. Delicious breakfast!

Many of the NutriSystem dinners are heavy on sauces or gravy. It's actually a perfect opportunity to mix in the requisite vegetable serving -- rather than eat veggies separately from the entree. I baked a small potato, steamed some broccoli and topped both with the Beef Stew. Not bad! I've also enjoyed the Chicken Dumplings with steamed bok choy.

As for the boring chicken patty, I sliced it up and stir-fried some veggies with Pam. (In many of the recipes I found, foods are often sauteed in Pam or cooking sprays.) Another way to enjoy the chicken (or beef) patty: serve as a fajita! Add a tablespoon of shredded cheese (fat serving), lots of veggies, and a whole wheat tortilla. I enjoyed this MUCH more than the NutriSystem Fajita Mix.

A little experimenting went a long way! I really enjoyed the patties served as fajitas. And I learned a lot of great tips for following NS principles outside of the program. (The discussion board on the NutriSystem website also has some great tips for maintaining your weight, post-NS) Blogger Amy posted recipes and pictures of her own “NS type” meal plan using her own foods. (While on NutriSystem, she lost an amazing 56 pounds in 6 months!)

Back on the NutriSystem bandwagon

Kirstie Alley might be the most famous rebound dieter to tell her story this month but she’s not he only one.

Well, despite all your wonderful support, slipped into some of my bad habits again and gained back about half of the weight I lost last year.

Good news! A representative for NutriSystem Canada read my tweets and offered to replenish my supply. Despite my initial elation and subsequent resistance, I’ve been on the program the past three weeks.

Getting back on track hasn’t been without its bumps along the way. Once I finally submitted my order, it took six weeks to arrive. Unfortunately, for NutriSystem, the first order they were going to hand deliver, was stolen.

My order also came with several substitutions, some I wasn’t crazy about. I wish they had a means of communicating this to customers first. I’d prefer choosing my own rather than some stranger who doesn’t know my likes and dislikes. A few weeks later, I was told they’d be happy to exchange the food I didn’t want. What I wasn’t told was the substitutions were made because NutriSystem pulled breakfast and lunch bars containing peanut butter out of their inventory because of salmonella concerns. I wish they’d have told me that upfront instead of leading me to believe they didn’t have their act together when fulfilling orders. I found out by accident googling NutriSystem.

These days, people are asking about my experience so instead of fat-blogging, I’ll provide occasional reports about the program and what NutriSystem Canada is doing to improve its service.

As for me, I’ll try my best to have regular weigh-ins (ignoring the scale was probably the worst thing I could do – weekly weigh-ins would have helped me nip that weight gain in the bud). I’ve also been more active. The biggest challenge right now, is sticking to the programs. My willpower has been pretty strong but not as strong as it was when I did the program last year. And by the way, I’ve lost about 4 pounds. My goal is another 6-10 more and keeping it off.

Keeping it off with NutriSystem?

Okay, so it’s been a month since the official NutriSystem Challenge ended. I actually kept up with the routine until mid-May then family gatherings got in the way. I lost another few pounds even though I didn’t want to.

So when my son’s Bar Mitzvah weekend came around, I planned to eat whatever I wanted. A week later my weight was still about the same. Then today, another half week later, I hopped on the scale and gained two pounds! Yikes!

I still look the same and my clothes still fit fine but I’m getting concerned. I’m at my ideal weight (according to me) and I don’t want to gain another ounce. So, guess what, instead of doing a half-assed job of following NutriSystem, today I followed it every step of the way, well except I didn’t drink eight glasses of water. Thank goodness the good folks at NutriSystem have agreed to keep me stocked up with their food.

Now it’s a balancing act. I want to keep my current weight and not lose any more. I think I’ll try keeping it up during the week and give myself a bit of a break on the weekends. Ideally, I should be exercising but thanks to a hip injury, I’ve had to put that on hold for another month or so. I’ve been trying to walk a bit at night but 10 minutes is about my limit.

FYI, my friend ZoeDisco and her husband have started their own NutriSystem project. They are video chronicling their experience. Pretty cool, huh?

What do you do to maintain your ideal weight? I need some help. Please share your tricks and tips.

The NutriSystem Countdown - anticipation is keeping us way-ay-ay-ay-iting

Guest blogger and future NutriSystem buddy, Tamsin, shares her thoughts about our upcoming NutriSystem Challenge...

I’m really eager to get started on my NutriSystem adventure. I look at this as an adventure of-sorts because I have never really dieted before -- let alone followed a prescribed menu that comes in little packages. I’m very curious: will it look like astronaut food? Are the scrambled eggs as bad as some bloggers describe? Will I STARVE? I am grazing like crazy these days, as if I am off to Yummy-Snacks rehab! I need to clean house of temptation foods before Day 1.

In anticipation of Finally Getting Started, I’ve thought about some good habits to develop over the next 3 months -- perhaps some of these will even take my mind off the great meals I’ll miss during the upcoming Winterlicious:

• Keep a daily journal. Aside from reporting on my experience and progress through Bargainista, I will keep a daily personal journal. I used to journal religiously, but I somehow lost the habit and have longer planned to get back into it. This is my chance! I’m still not sure if this will be paper or blog, but I look forward to a personal space to clear my thoughts.

[Bargainista: I used to journal when I was on Weight Watchers and worked really well.]

• Drink more water. Surely water intake will be a component of NutriSystem, but I plan to make an extra effort.

• Daily walks. With a new job downtown, I plan to use the great window-shopping as incentive for a quick afternoon walk. Is it too early to dream of a spring shopping spree in a smaller size?

[Bargainista: If you don’t start dreaming now, what’s the point? Dreaming is what motivates me this time around. ; )]

The NutriSystem Challenge: two months later

Wow! That's all I can say. I’ve been off the Nutrisystem Challenge for just over two months now and not only have I managed to maintain my weight and svelte new figure, I’ve actually lost another few pounds!

Here’s what I’ve been up to:
• Two conferences
• Major family party weekend
• Eating lots of ice cream and cake
• Drinking martinis and beer
• Little exercise - I’d love to ride my bike and try Wii Fit but I have a bit more healing to do

How I’ve been managing?
• Smaller portions
• Maintaining similar eating habits as when I was on a more rigid NutriSystem routine
• Following Nutrisystem as much as possible for breakfast, lunch, snacks and some dinners
• Drinking lots of water and eating lots of veggies, fruit and protien, while shunning the carbs
• Minimal after-dinner snacking

Thanks NutriSystem for keeping my cupboards fully-stocked with your food. ;) When are you starting the maintenance program in Canada? I want in!

How do you maintain your weight? What tempts you? How do you manage when you’re away from home?

Tamsin joins me for the NutriSystem Challenge

One week, nine entries, two posts and three judges later, we have a winner...

Congratulations to Tamsin who will be joining me in Bargainista’s NutriSystem Challenge.

Here’s Tamsin’s winning entry:

Happy new year Eden
I’d love the chance to give NutriSystem a try. In 10 minutes, I face my 37th birthday and, while I feel blessed and pretty good about my life, I know that I weigh more than I ever have and hate the way my clothes (don’t) fit. Like you, I’ve lost and gained -- back and forth -- over the past 5-8 years. I’m sick of maintaining 3-sized wardrobes! I feel I know my natural “happy” weight and this 145lbs isn’t it!

As for my physical activity, I began taking pole dancing fitness classes a couple of years ago and trained to become a part-time instructor last year. The pole dancing (2 classes a week) keeps me fairly fit, but natural aging has changed my body (I don’t have children). I *know* that I need to eat more healthily to trim my extra pounds -- I’d love to see myself 15-20 pounds lighter. (Portion control is another challenge for me, especially as my husband is the cook in our family.) I have never tried formal dieting before; I’m curious about NutriSystem.

I would love to share updates with your readers.

Tamsin

Tamsin has agreed to write guest posts so expect both of us to provide you with regular updates.

Thank you to everyone who entered the NutriSystem challenge. I hope you’ll follow our trials and tribulations over the next 12 weeks or so and share your weight loss experiences in the comment section.

In total, I received nine compelling entries from across Canada. The judges had their work cut out for them but in the end, Tamsin was clearly the winner.

Judges scored each entry individually. In order to stay objective, my role was simply to determine judging criteria and add up the scores. Judges were asked to score entries based on three criteria around the theme of building community.

A big shout out also goes to the judges:
• Kate Trgovac (Vancouver), publisher of One Degree – “a marketer's secret weapon” and author of My Name is Kate, one of Canada’s leading blogs on marketing and technology;

• Kim Vallée (Montréal), writer of At Home with Kim Vallee – inspiration for stylish living and entertaining; and,

• Sameer Vasta (Toronto), storyteller and new media junkie who likes to laugh a lot. You can find him at blogTO and Eloquation.

Okay, so I finally blew it but I’m determined to get back on track

Once I started deviating from NutriSystem and eating junk food other than the occasional ice cream or gelato, I had trouble stopping. To make matters worse, I was on a mini-vacation last week and my hosts were quick to express their disappointment when I suggested I eat salad with tuna instead of their cooking.

You guessed it... I’ve gained back a few nasty pounds. I need to learn not to be discouraged. I need to remember I’m still hanging on to my original goal of 25 pounds and down three sizes!

I have lots of NutriSystem dinners on hand because I’m pretty good about knowing how and what to eat for dinner at home or at restaurants so on maintenance I’d been pretty religious about sticking to the plan except for dinners.

I inquired about ordering more breakfasts and lunches from NutriSystem but that option isn’t available – at least not to Canadian customers.

Feeling desperate, I asked one of their PR company’s reps for help. NutriSystem came through and thanks to them, I have an order of breakfasts and lunch bars on their way.

Losing the weight was challenging and keeping all of it off is even tougher but I’m determined not to go back to the weight I was when I started the NutriSystem Challenge last winter.

Mr. B weighs in on NutriSystem

Weigh-in (Day 70):

• Tamsin – no change* (-11.7 pounds to-date)
• Eden – 1 lbs (-22.8 pounds to-date)

*Note: Tamsin spent last weekend in California and maintaining her weight must have been quite a challenge. Congratulations!

For something a little different, we thought we’d share a little insight from our husbands points of view. After all they are the ones who have been putting up with us after 10 weeks on the NutriSytem Challenge.


First, my interview with Mr. B…

B: What did you think when I told you I was going to begin the NutriSystem program for 12 weeks?

Mr. B: I was happy for you.

B: Why?

Mr. B: You seemed to be bothered so long by your weight and you were very unhappy about your body image: the way you were complaining about how your clothes were fitting or not fitting as the case may be.

I wanted you to be happy and if this is what you felt was going to get the job done, then great. At the same time, I did have reservations that you’d be able to stick to the program when all you basically would be eating was NutriSystem food. I mean if it were me, there’s no way I could eat that stuff meal after meal, day after day. There’s just too much other food I would miss. And frankly, some of those dinners look a little less than appetizing. Looks like the type of food they probably serve at the Kingston pen.

B: What changes have you noticed since I started the program?

Mr. B: A number of things...
You’re in much better spirits. For example, on any given weekday morning, when we’re both rushing around getting ready for work, it’s nice not to hear you moan about how everything in your closet is too tight. And you complained everything made you look fat. It’s nice to see you smile when you get dressed for work now.

B: What is your biggest beef?

Mr. B: What is my biggest beef? Well, for one thing beef, or what I mean to say is in all the years we’ve been together, I’ve almost never complained about your cooking except for the infamous tuna casserole incident. So basically, I miss your cooking. While on the one hand, I’m thrilled you’ve stuck to the program and you’re able to eat that ahem “food” day after day, I find myself longing more and more for those days when you’d come to me in the morning and say “Would you like me to make such and such for you for dinner tonight?” Plus, the kids are missing out too. I realize this may come off sounding selfish but I find the kids and I eating the same thing over and over.

Bottom line: I love what NutriSytem has done for you on a number of levels but a few more home-cooked meals per week would be nice. A way to a man’s heart is through is stomach? No, sh*t. But of course, I still love you.

B: What is your biggest fear?

Mr. B: That you’ll fall off the wagon so to speak. It’s not so much that you may gain the weight back, in and of itself but what the weight gain will do to your spirit and the more positive outlook you have on life in general.

B: Is it worth the trade-off for a slimmer, more-energetic and healthier wife?

Mr. B: Absolutely! Not withstanding the answers above, I fully support you on this journey.

Tamin and her husband share their tips for Nutrisystem dining...

I have a lot of dinners, so sometimes my husband and I take split 2 of them to taste test -- especially ones that aren’t my faves. And it’s a way we get to dine together (you know, without me drooling over the table at his yummy home cooked meals).

Wrapping up week 1 on NutriSystem

Weigh-in:
• Tamsin - no change
• Eden - about 2 pounds

This week Tamsin shares her experiences from week 1 of the NutriSystem Challenge...

Well, the NutriSystem Challenge has certainly turned my regular menu planning upside down. It’s been pretty handy having the portable entrees, but a bit of a challenge to plan interesting choices for the the salad, protein, and fat servings ahead of time. I have a pretty busy schedule, so it is taking me some practise and a little imagination.

The first week has been all about tracking meals and trying to remember to fill my water bottle at every opportunity. How did I do in week 1? Well, I must come clean with some diversions: a premenstrual plate of homemade nachos on Friday and celebratory Indian dinner buffet at Siddhartha on Gerrard (I tried to choose dishes responsibly and had only 1 plate). The NutriSystem booklet gives you tips on what to order or avoid at different types of restaurants, so I knew to back away slowly from the butter chicken. ;)

I have been eating a dinner entrée for lunch and a lunch entrée for dinner, mostly because it keeps the hunger pangs at bay and works better for my schedule. While I haven’t tried everything yet, I have enjoyed the lasagna dinner (for 2 lunches this week), so I recommend them as pretty filling. The breakfast and lunch bars are very good, though the flavours are limited. I wonder how yummy they’ll be in a month...

For handy protein, I purchased a box of vegetarian (non-chicken) chicken breasts from the Presidents Choice Blue Menu line -- 24g protein for each 1/2 “breast”. They taste OK when baked, though there is a slight, mild seasoning on them. All in all, a good alternative to cottage cheese (my main protein choice) and probably not bad shredded in a salad.

I am enjoying logging my meals, though it’s more effort on the weekend. It keeps me conscious of everything – my water intake, the times when I eat, etc. For example, I thought I ate more veggies than I do; now I know that I need to amp up the veggie-factor!

Physical exercise is, of course, critical to losing weight. My exercise mostly comes from my part-time job: Teaching pole dancing at Aradia Fitness Uptown. Since last Thursday, I have taught 6 classes – not too bad.

I weighed myself this morning, and there’s no change. I’m not surprised, but I’m not discouraged either. I feel more aware of the logistics of applying the “system” to my everyday life. I feel more prepared for the coming weeks.

Tamsin talks maintenance and The Four Day Win

Eden and I continue our NutriSystem maintenance through the summer, as we negotiate our way through summer-social commitments (why do they all somehow involve yummy food!?) and nasty hip injuries (Feel better soon, Bargainista). If you’re looking summer reading that doesn’t involve torrid romance or scandal, I’ve got a book for you!

I’ve been reading a new book by one of my favourite writers – “The Four Day Win: End Your Diet War and Achieve Thinner Peace” by Martha Beck. The concept of small wins isn’t new; it’s a simple method of breaking a goal into digestible pieces (pardon the pun!) that you can accomplish over a four-day period. You can do this with help quit smoking, start an exercise regimen, tackle chores around the house, or your entire to-do list. Martha Beck applies the concept to gradually changing the way we think about food and our bodies. She talks about rewarding yourself for a 4-day win with something you love (a pedicure or massage), and then creating another goal. (OK, it’s much more introspective than that, but I won’t give it all away.)

In general, I’ve been pretty good about staying the NutriSystem course – but bags of chips (Miss Vickies, plain or jalapeno) bring challenging times. You see, I still find myself struggling as an emotional eater. In my case, I’ve noticed that the better I feel, the more permissive I am about “treating” myself with food. I feel so good about where NutriSystem has helped me get to that I am determined to undo my self-sabotaging habits. This book has got me thinking about stomping out my self-indulgent, reward eating by gradually sneaking in small changes.

I always admired people who are able to give up white flour, white rice, and potatoes (way to go, Donna Papacosta). Seemed impossible to me! But I can see how achievable that could be by taking it 4 days at a time. Maybe that’s be a longer term goal for me.

In the meantime, I’m continuing to eat NutriSystem meals a few times a week and starting to chip away at my conscious, healthy eating goals 4 days a time. Can’t wait to treat myself with a pedicure – less fattening than those chips!