NutriSystem - Day 1

Ok so I have officially lived through day one.  Overall I feel ok.  I did get hungry a few times but either tried to have "ok" snacks per the meal plan (baby carrots, string cheese, etc) or plied myself with caffeine (yeah not so healthy but yet effective).  I noticed my energy is down, but I knew the first 3-4 days would be a detox or adjustment period since I'm accustomed to eating crap in great quantities whenever I feel like.   Another thing I've discovered is that I used food as entertainment or something to look forward to. I caught myself thinking "man I have nothing to look forward to tomorrow" since its a Sunday with nothing much planned.  When I had nothing else going on I used food as an event.  Gotta stop that bid'ness!

Ok, so here is what I had today along with my reviews:

Breakfast:

• NS Blueberry Pancake Mix made with 2% milk, & ICBINB spray
  
• Apple
  
• Water

The pancakes were actually pretty good.  Actually really nice - just like normal pancakes.  You don't get a lot.  Enough for either 2 normal or 3 silver dollar-sized.  But that was enough for me along with the apple.  You are "allowed" a tablespoon of light syrup but since I had used 2% milk I skipped that and just used the ICBINB spray.  I felt full and overall good about the meal however we went shopping after and within 2 hours I was very, very hungry. I had to get a coffee to help stem the tide.

Lunch:

• NS Red Beans & Rice w/ Chicken Sausage
  
• String Cheese (Low Fat)
  
• Starbucks coffee (leftover from shopping trip)
  

The main entree was actually really good - a lot of good Cajun spice - and the portion was generous for a diet portion. The chicken sausage was not gristly or overly processed.  Not much else to say here - I did get peckish before dinner but you are allowed one designated "fat" a day so I used mine as an afternoon snack - a teaspoon of peanut butter.  It was really all I needed to not feel deprived.

Dinner:

• NS Flatbread Cheese Pizza
  
• Cooked Broccoli with ICBITB spray
  
• Steamed corn with ICBINB spray
  
• Cherry Coke Zero
  

The pizza was the best thing I remember about my last go round with NS.  Unfortunately it was the most disappointing of my day today!  The serving is VERY small.  I remember thinking the old version (the thick crust) was about the size of a coaster.  The flatbread is about the size of a woman's small wallet (i.e. the kind without a checkbook portion).  I tried cutting it into 4 pieces to make myself feel better but they ended up truly being bite sized.  In addition, I was short on time so I chose the microwave directions and got a rubbery crust. I will do my best to make sure I have time to do them in the oven.  Just to give you an idea of size, these little guys only take 5 mins in the conventional oven - not much there to cook.  The broccoli and corn helped me make it through the meal without feeling bummed.

Snack:

• NS Chocolate Crunch Bar
  

This was the highlight of the day and I remembered the chocolates being pretty good last time so I intentionally saved it for last when I'd get my evening munchies after I put my little one to bed.  The portion was great - the size of a normal candy bar - and the taste was really good!  It didn't have that odd powdery chalky taste a lot of energy or diet bars have at all!  It was a rice crisp bar (like a Nestle Crunch) but also had a bit of an espresso taste.  So far, its 9:00 at night and I'm still "ok".  (And I ate dinner early  - around 5:30 - since I was so hungry!)

Total caloric intake today: 916.6.  Overall I'd give today a B-.  So, one day down.  34 to go!  Oh boy!

Nutri System Take Two - Review

Once again spring is upon us.  So of course once again that means diet time.  After much consideration and weighing of options, I decided on Nutri System.  I had done NS once before about 2.5 yrs ago with great results weight-wise (13lbs in a month) but not so great results otherwise.  What do I mean?  I thought the food was horrid (cardboard and sand as I called it) and I was so hungry ALL the time that, well lets just say I was not a cheerful wife to be around.

So why give it another go?  First, I've heard the food has improved.  Second, I have, since the last time around, become very familiar with diet food and realized most of it is cardboard and sand so you just cope.  Third, I can't argue with the results I got - and that is the bottom line.

When I was thinking of signing back on I looked and looked for reviews of the food.  The only comprehensive one I could find was sponsored by NS itself!  Sooo I decided why not review everything as I go.  I plan to track what I eat each day, how I feel, and how much I'm losing.  I'd like to ultimately lose 20 lbs. 

Today is day one so look for a post tomorrow on today's big start!!

Vote Early, Vote Often - Take 2

Ok, loyal readers, and voters. I need your mouse clicks once again! Here is a note below regarding my cousin, Mattie about her son:

Alec is wondering if anyone would help his school with their prom? He is in grade 11 and it's his first prom. It's a voting thing where you can vote everyday for his school and the school that wins receives $5,000 to use towards their prom. You can vote once a day if you want to. If you can't, don't worry about it. I just thought it would be neat if a little school won instead of a big school.

When the page pulls up, it's just off to the right hand side where it says to vote. It lists the schools based on the state. He lives in Colorado (CO) and the name of the school is Cedaredge High School. Right now they only have 73 votes and a school in Colorado Springs has over 250, but my nephews school is in second place! Anything you can do to help would be great! The deadline is March 13th!

Note that deadline - so vote once a day for two weeks and you will have fulfilled your civic (or least your karmic) duty! Thanks all!!!

http://www.stumpsprom.com/service.cfm?page=promusadetails

I Hate Dove

Ok, today - feeling a little down about the pudge factor - I decided to try and be good and limit my afternoon treat. I decided on only 2 Dove "Milk Chocolate Promises with Caramel" bites (I mean a "serving is 5 pcs!). They are lovely little chocolate squares with inspirational messages on the wrappers. Or so they claim.

As I'm sitting enjoying my first bit o chocoloate love, I glance down at my wrapper to see this:

Nice. Now my very small seed of guilt has ballooned into a potted plant of guilt. What gives? What the heck kind of "inspiration" is that??? As I sit going through the stages of grief, I slowly transition into the anger phase. I will not be bossed around! I will not be made to feel guilty! Most certainly not by a piece of foil! So I defiantly unwrap my next square, pop it in my mouth and check out the wrapper:

OK! OK DOVE - I GET IT! I'm a pig. I disgust you. I get it! Back the eff off! Man - who died and made you hall monitor? Sheesh.

In all honestly, I'd just like to know who the ____ does the brilliant marketing for Dove? If I ever meet them I will pelt them with all the small 'oragami' style folded foil wrappers I'll be collecting - in defiance of evil, evil, mean Dove Chocolate.

Just In Case...

....there are any of you still hanging on (God bless you!) I'm posting to say that it will likely be a while before I post again. Nice huh?

To catch you all up: OUR HOUSE SOLD! (can I get a w00t)?! But the new folks needed a quick close so we are getting up and out by this weekend. (By Superbowl time according to hubby). Sooo the last two weeks have been a flurry of packing, packing, packing, moving, packing.

Because of said move, we will be moving in with my folks (yes my husband is a saint) while our new home is being built. In that aspect we haven't even finalized the plans yet so it will be a good 6-8 months before we get into our new digs. SO, in the meantime living in one home with two families, 5 people, 2 bathrooms, and limited computer-using space will likely put a further crimp on my blog time.

And finally, to be honest, I'm not sure I still have my blog spark. Just don't have anything fun to say or talk about lately. Things have kinda been a stress kettle around here since the holidays so I just haven't had much fun, interesting stuff to share! I thought if I took a break it would come back stronger than ever but so far, not so much. So we'll see. If nothing else I can post house updates! (neato keano I'm sure).

So, dear reader(s) have a wonderful tail end of winter and hopefully I'll be back here belting out witty prose sooner rather than later!