Wrapping up Our Fourth Month on Nutrisystem #NSNation

Can you believe that we have been on Nutrisystem for FOUR months now? The time has flown by so fast. We are doing great and feeling very excited for what Fall will have in store for us! Check out our v-log above recapping some of the things we’ve learned this month, and how I celebrated my 29th birthday without ruining my diet progress or missing any fun!

Beeb’s Weigh-In:

Starting Weight: 164.5 lbs
Week 16 weight: 145.6 lbs
Total Weight Lost: 18.9 lbs
Goal Weight: 110 lbs

Here are my measurements:

Since last month, that is 1.8″ down on the chest, .8″ down on the waist, and .5″ down on the hips, with the arms and thighs remaining the same.

Jai’s Weigh-In:

Starting Weight: 217.5 lbs
Week 16 Weight: 181.4 lbs
Total Weight Lost: 36.1 lbs
Goal Weight: 158 lbs

Here are Jai’s measurements:

Since last month, that’s .5″ down on the arms, .1″ down on the chest, 2″ down on the waist, 1″ down on the hips, and 1″ down on the thighs.

As I mentioned in the video above, this past week was BIRTHDAY WEEK! I turned 29 on Tuesday, followed by two other family birthdays on Wednesday and Thursday. This was marked by multiple gatherings, and my celebratory off-plan indulgences included biscotti, pizza, cake, and an admittedly strange gin-and-hot-chocolate cocktail which I invented. 😉 Understandably, our weight loss was minimal this week, with .4 pounds lost for me and .2 lost for Jai, which I was expecting. As I’ve said before, the point of Nutrisystem is not to skip out on enjoying life, but to just not eat like every single week is birthday week. 😉 And I have to say, I think it’s pretty awesome to STILL lose weight after going to a pizza party 48 hours before our weigh-in. As I discussed in the video, I also think it’s really important to have these controlled experiences while we’re on the plan to help us re-learn our habits and not throw everything out the window whenever there’s a party. It’s one thing to do great while you’re on a diet, but as we all know, it’s your lifestyle as a whole that will determine long-term success; so the goal of Nutrisystem is to help you start and maintain a healthy life in all you do – not just when you’re eating diet-specific foods. It’s been amazing how much I’ve learned about myself and my habits while doing this program – this is the first time in my life that I’ve ever made an effort to think about what I ate while I was at a party or eating out, and it dawned on that a lot of my thinking was stuck in the past. And I’ll tell you another marked difference – in just four months, both Jai and I can tell how much our stomach capacity has shrunk, because a much smaller amount makes us feel totally stuffed!

Another important part of “Birthday week” was the fact that I turned 29. The last few years have been really difficult with my health problems and everything else – nothing will make you feel older than chronic pain, so I’ve got to say, being in my late 20’s hasn’t been very fun. I feel a little like I’ve been having an early mid-life crisis, probably because I’ve felt so worn down and haggard by my injury and the resulting complications for so long. So it’s nice to be doing so well on my weight loss, because it makes me feel more encouraged about what I have to look forward to in the future. At the rate I’m going, I am confident that I will be at my goal weight by the time I turn 30 – and I won’t mind saying goodbye to my 20’s so much if it means being back at my teenage weight! Ha!

I also wanted to share some pictures and information that might be helpful to any of you who are also doing the plan or considering it. As you know, we supplement the plan with select fresh foods like fruit, veggies, lowfat milk, and so on. A typical menu includes a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack as well as a side with lunch and dinner. These are broken into two categories: PowerFuels (Proteins) and SmartCarbs. There is a huge list of acceptable PowerFuels and SmartCarbs that you can choose from, but Jai and I usually like to keep it simple since there’s only two of us to feed and we’re both so busy. We headed out of town to a Walmart store for a work project last week, since we don’t have any locally. I happened to have won $125 in Walmart gift cards – remember what I said about low-entry giveaways having such great odds?! – so I made a big list so that I could stock up on non-perishable items. I also printed out the Nutrisystem grocery guide and took that along, so that I could reference it with any good deals I found in-store. As you can see in the snapshot above, I’m checking out my list while in the applesauce aisle. Applesauce is a SmartCarb, and also inexpensive, so I stocked up on several jars! I have a slideshow of my shopping trip here if you’re curious to see the details on the items I bought. Here’s the summary:

SmartCarbs:

Sliced frozen strawberries
Bananas
Brown rice
Applesauce

PowerFuels:

Tuna
Pink salmon
Peanut butter

Extras:

Popcorn – we can have up to 3 cups per day

I get one PowerFuel mid-morning and one with my lunch, then one SmartCarb in the afternoon and one with my dinner. Jai gets both a PowerFuel and a SmartCarb with his lunch, a Nutrisystem dessert in the afternoon, and two SmartCarbs with his dinner. As you can see, this is a really simple and easy way to have versatile supplies on hand for two people.

So it’s been a very eventful month! In addition to the celebrations and extra chaotic crazy schedules/work emergencies, I’ve also made even more progress with my knee injury. I would say at this point, I have 90% function back and I’ve been able to go on much longer walks and even walk up steep hills. I do still have some pain, but I have an appointment with a new doctor on Thursday where I can outline the issue and get some input on the best way to proceed – even if that’s just “Keep up the good work”!

As members of the Nutrisystem Nation Blogger Panel, Jai and I will be receiving the Nutrisystem program free of charge in order to share our honest opinions with you. Always consult with your physician before embarking on any weight loss or exercise program.

Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Take advantage of their online support forums & community and join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting Nutrisystem.com!