SWAP & Support Your Sisters

Remember Tamsin, my partner in the NutriSystem Challenge? In this guest post, she explains her latest project.

I've been hearing more and more chatter about clothing swaps. Magazines, friends, bloggers are all describing clothing swaps as the eco-cure for our shopping blues during the slow economy. Last month, I ventured to my first clothing swap -- hosted in Toronto by StyleHog.com. It was a lot of fun! Much more civilized scene than my girlfriend Sarah and I joked could have been. (Though, I would like to have seen better quality clothes...)

I was looking for fundraising ideas because I am joining a humanitarian mission to Kenya in 7 weeks. I thought it'd be a blast to host a clothing swap party where women from various social circles hook up to swap some serious style. I hope for this even to have a particular focus on quality.

Good News! Everyone is invited. (Participation is limited to the first 30 ladies - register now!)

You will love this if you have clothes that:
• You adore but simply aren’t “YOU”
• No longer fit well
• Deserve better loving by another fashionista.

What?
Swap & Support Your Sister – A Swap Style for a Fabulous Cause!
• Make a $20 donation* and the idea is very simple: You mingle, while we organize by size.
• Bring 3-4 under-loved or under-worn items (clothes, accessories, shoes) to the party and leave with 3-4 “free” fabulous finds for your closet!
• A mirrored change space is provided

To maximize Swap Nirvana and ensure a great selection, all items MUST be:
• High Style
• Great Condition
• Quality Label
• Clean
• Current (Less than 2 years old)

Snacks * Refreshments * Door Prizes

Why?
Support Tamsin’s humanitarian mission to transform the lives of orphaned girls in Kenya.

When?
Friday, June 5: 7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Who?
You (bring your girlfriends!) – arrive on time, as participation is limited.

Where?
146 De Grassi St. (map)
street parking

How?
Register now!

If you have questions about the mission (I would love to tell you about it!) or clothing swaps (I had plenty of questions before my first swap!), you can email me (Tamsin) directly.

*Your $20 donation supports abandoned/orphaned girls in Kenya & tax receipts can be issued

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.

Bargainista shape up for 2009 contest

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably been thinking of new goals for 2009. Maybe you call them resolutions, maybe you don’t.

One of my goals – and I have many – is to lose some of the weight I’ve gained back since the Nutrisystem Challenge last year. Fortunately, NutriSystem has kindly offered to give me another month of food. Now, if I would only get up the nerve to place my order.

What I really need to do is kick up my activity level.

Enough about me. I want to hear about you. What are you doing to help stay in shape this year?

Leave me a comment, photo or video clip, provided I have permission to use it on the blog.

What’s in it for you?
I have a women’s 2-pc. workout outfit from Vata Brazil. It’s supposed to be one-size-fits-all and claims to be made with fabric they call “10x stretch”. I think it’s probably for women sized 6-10 or 12. The pants sell for $89.99. I don’t have a price for the top but I think it’s between $30-$40. I’ve included pictures except the top I’m giving away is white.

Entries are due by Sunday, Jan. 25, 11:59 p.m. EST. (Open to Canadian residents only.)

Michael Allison will be picking the winning entry and here’s why:

We met in person when he was in Toronto last summer and we’ve stayed in touch. Last month he asked me if I’d like to run a contest with outfits donated by his (now former) client Vata Brazil.

He did an excellent job on the blogger outreach side of things. Why? He did his research. He didn’t schmooze me in any way and most of all, he built a relationship with me. When he had a client who he thought might interest me, he got in touch and tailored his approach.

Unfortunately, Michael lost his job due to downsizing since he was one of the new guys. If you’re in Vancouver looking to hire a sharp guy with a background in communications with a solid understanding of social media, Michael’s your man.

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.

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.

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 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!

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.