Well, hello again...

I somehow doubt if anyone is reading this blog after six years, but I decided I'd write in it again. The past few years haven't been good to me. I lost over 110lbs on Nutrisystem and kept it off for four years, but then I hit some serious life stress, got divorced, developed several serious health issues, and regained all my weight and then some.

I had been really proud of keeping off my loss for so long. While I didn't go all the way down to what BMI considered to be my goal weight, I was happy with it and how I looked, and the extra energy that I had. I was not losing weight to look good in a bikini, but merely not to be "fat" anymore. I'm still the same me, regardless of what body I am in. But it is nice to be able to shop in regular stores, and to be able to get around as best I can given my health issues without being winded.

So, here I am again. I've been wanting to lose weight for a while, but more in that wistful sort of way than in any decisive manner. I know that I have the skills and ability to do it once I put my mind to things, but I haven't been able to spare the time or the energy. Plus, I have to admit I have really been enjoying eating dinner as a family and it's just not the same when you're eating out of a box.

I will also admit that what gave me the kickstart was not necessarily appearance based, but in that regard. My best friend is getting married soon. I bought my dress months ago, and it fit just fine through my first and second dress fittings. Then, last week I went back for the third fitting, and not only did my dress not zip up, but it gapped by a good two inches.

Now that, my friends, is what you call an emergency! The seamstress told me that my dress didn't have a lot of seam allowance, which means that any late adjustments would really change the way it looked (as well as cost me a lot of money). So, I have exactly three weeks to get back into my dress!

I don't have a lot of time for meal prep right now and I wanted this to be a sure thing. I know Nutrisystem works. So, I restarted my Nutrisystem order and my box is here! I have to admit, I am really disappointed in some of the program changes since I was last here. I really miss my cranberry orange pastry and my apple strudel scone, and the veggie fajitas. Thank goodness the mashed potatoes are still here- I did so much cooking with those in the past that I don't know what I would do without them. I was so disappointed to see the pancake mix gone. I used to love the recipes I made with that. I'll need to see if I can find a substitute somewhere. If any readers have any ideas or suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

The program was just changing into its current incarnation when I left- the lingo moving from dairy/protein to "powerfuel" which I have to admit sounds pretty stupid to say, and "smart carb". I do like that change, since before you only added carbs to a few meals or were otherwise directed to eat fruit. As a carbaholic, this sounds great to me, but of course recognizing that replacing fruit with bread all the time is likely not the best choice.

So I was sent the Turbo Takeoff package, which is supposed to help you hit the ground running. It is much lower calorie than the regular Nutrisystem program, which is why the first portion lasts for only 7 days. I suppose they figure that since you're going to be hungry anyway the first few days, that being a little more hungry won't make too much more difference, and also that seeing a big number on the scale after the first week will be enough of a mental reward to most people to stick with the program especially once more things get added back in. I actually don't even think that you get dessert in the first week.

They do give you TurboShakes and NutriCurb bars for the first week, though. I haven't tried either yet. Normally I hate protein shakes and so I'm a bit skeptical of exactly how bad these are going to be. But I figure I can survive anything for one week, so I'm going to give it a try and see how it goes.

I will continue my past trend of taking pictures of the food I'm eating and giving updates on what I think of meal items and the program in general. One thing I know for sure- Nutrisystem does in fact work, when you follow the program.

I'm going to rock my dress and have an amazing time with my family and friends in three weeks! And maybe use this as the nudge to get back on the wagon a bit. I think I might finally be ready to lose the weight again.