NUTRISYSTEM : Week 1

Hi, my darlings! As many of you know, I was recently accepted to be a blogger as part of the Nutrisystem Nation blogger program! This couldn't have happened at a better time because in 4 short months my baby sister, who I adore more than the world, is getting married and I'm travelling to India all of the months of July through August for the wedding extravanganza! Being of East Indian descent, our weddings are epic, week-long events and because my sister is marrying a wonderful Goan Catholic man, there will be not one, but TWO week-long celebrations, in two different cities--the traditional Hindu Bengali ceremonies AND the traditional Goan Catholic church wedding! I'm SO excited! But you know what this means...lots of navel-baring, short-sleeved, diaphanous saris and a couple of figure-hugging gowns. Oh boy! Am I glad this program started for me when it did! I have about 3 months (roughly, 12 weeks) to lose about 30 pounds to get back to my "happy" weight!

Now, you may be wondering why I chose to feature a "diet" plan on a beauty blog. You may be asking yourself, "does she consider skinny as beautiful?" To that, I'd like to answer with a resounding NO! It's definitely NOT about being skinny for me, it's about being healthy (or, healthier) and happy for me--which is why I stressed on the "happy" weight! I had some complications requiring minor surgery in late 2011 and since then, I've gained quite a bit of weight--past the point where I'm comfortable with myself or my body. Not just how I look, but how I FEEL. The aches and pains, the shortness of breath, the feeling of fatigue at the end of the day--THESE are the things I want to change most! And since exercise is all but anathema to me, I needed a better way of eating, a healthier lifestyle--not a diet, but a change in lifestyle! I'm a firm believer in beauty comes in ALL shapes and sizes and I would just like to get back to my "happy" weight--which is a good 15 pounds above the recommended weight for my tiny height but at which I'm happiest with my curves, both in how I look and how I feel! So we begin!

This first week was rough! I won't even deny it! My body craved all the sugar and carbs that it was accustomed to and I had spells of extreme fatigue and downright crankiness as my body adjusted to the lower levels of sugar--oh how I craved regular Coke, my pot of white rice at the end of the day and a cupcake here and there! Still, I managed to persevere and stuck to the program, if not absolutely strictly, but quite well! A girl needs time to wean herself off the sugar high, right? =)

One great thing about this program is that you don't feel like you're on a "diet"--you don't feel hungry or deprived AT ALL! In fact, there's MORE than enough food to eat during the day and often it's a challenge making sure you eat everything you need to! According to my particular plan, I'm allocated a whopping 1500 calories a day--Nutrisystem provides all three main meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner plus either a dessert or a snack as you choose per day! On top of this, you are able to add 2 Power Fuels (2 portions of proteins) and 2 Smart Carbs (2 portions of healthy carbs) to your meals throughout the day, plus most veggies are unlimited! So if you're a veggie lover, you can gorge yourself to heart's content and be totally fine! Nutrisystem also allows limited servings of what are called Extras--sauces, dressings etc. I'm going to show you a typical day for me :

Breakfast :  Egg and Turkey Sausage Roll and tea with Splenda and a dash of half-and-half (1 Extra serving)

Lunch : Spicy Kung Pao Noodles with chili paste and Chicken with Broccoli with Sriracha (1 Power Fuel, 1 Veggie serving, I Extra) plus a cup of V8 Fusion juice (1 Smart Carb, 1 Veggie serving)

Dinner : Sweet and Sour Chicken entree and 1/2 cup brown rice (1 Smart Carb) with Chicken with broccoli (1 Power Fuel plus 1 serving of veggies), all liberally sprinkled with crushed red pepper (unlimited)

As you can see, it's ALOT of food and I couldn't even finish it all! I skipped dessert this week but I'll show you some of the quite decadent desserts in the weeks to come! This week, I'm on Spring Break so I know I'll be going out a couple times--let's hope I can stay on track and keep up the momentum!

Finally, before I sign off, I'd love to give a shout out to my Nutrisystem counselor, Allison! After playing phone tag for a bit there last week, we finally managed to sit down and talk today and she's a GODSEND! She's patient and friendly and answered every single one of my questions! Can I eat curry or spicy Thai food every once in awhile? YES, just be mindful of how that dish is cooked and adjust your intake accordingly. Can I eat white rice sometimes? YES, just be careful of portions. I'm a practicing Hindu and can I be successful on the program with dietary restrictions (I don't eat beef or beef products)? ABSOLUTELY, all ingredients are clearly listed on each entree's packaging and there are lots of options to avoid your restriction/allergy.  What do I do about my Coke addiction? Let's try to wean you off slowly. =D We've set a date to touch base every week and I cannot even begin to tell you what a great help that is! Every person on the Nutrisystem program has access to a weight loss counselor and I urge you to reach out--they are more help than you can imagine! So hey Allison and thank you for your support!

That's all for today, my darlings! I hope you all enjoy reading this update and support me on my journey back to my "happy" weight! If you have any questions, comments or concerns, I'd be more than happy to address them in the comments section below!


Until next time,
<3

B


****Food provided to me for an honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own.****