NutriSystem: After Five Months

I must say that NutriSystem works. I started the program five and a half months ago and, although it took some getting used to (requiring much humor and sarcasm), I've lost 25.5 pounds.

During the first 35-day program, I stuck to the NS diet nearly 100%. For the next 35-day batch of NS food, I stuck to the diet maybe 75%, which stretched out my supply of NS food by a few weeks. But since then, I have yet to complete the third round of NS food that I'd ordered back in December; I've successfully been able to mix the NS food with non-NS food every day and still lose weight. On many days I've avoided NS food altogether, substituting my own stuff—albeit in the same vein as the program.

This is actually a good thing because I continue to lose weight while avoiding the NS MREs and occasionally indulging in a meal out or other treat. I have a thing for the Whole Foods cold bar, which I treat myself to once a week. WF also has these fantastic black bean quesadillas and chicken quesadillas that you can buy in the pre-packaged meals section. Oh, and I love the WF chili and some of their soups. Costco chili is pretty good, too.

So I've been substituting entrees. The rest is easy—I just eat lots of fruits and vegies. When I am hungry for a snack, I automatically reach for a piece of fruit, a container of yogurt, or a handful of almonds. If someone offers me a cookie or some candy, I politely decline. ("I don't do that anymore.") If I indulge one evening on a meal out, then I skip dessert the next day or do an extra workout. It all seems to balance out in the end.

It works. The idea behind successful weight loss is learning to eat right. It means breaking bad habits. It's basically that simple. It is really no different from quitting smoking. You just have to decide to do it. Once it becomes habit, it requires no second thought. Of course, excercising is necessary for good health, so that element goes without saying.

There is one drawback, however. If you lose a bunch of weight while unemployed, then you end up without a wardrobe. That's the situation I've gotten myself into now. Fortunately, I had saved a bunch of my smaller clothes in a big box that I dug out of the back corner of my storage closet a few weeks ago. I hadn't seen most of those clothes since 2004—when I was a smoker! There were items in there that still had the tags on them. It was like Christmas!

Meanwhile, I've made several trips to Good Will in a ZipCar. This time, I'm not keeping my fat clothes. I never plan to wear them again! Besides, I'm tired of packing and hauling three separate wardrobes (in three different sizes) every time I move.

So the good part is, I do have some clothes I can wear. Granted, my selection is limited, but I can't complain. It sure will be fun to go clothes shopping when I find myself employed again. Hopefully that will happen by this spring.