Think Outside the Box (Or Cup!)

Welcome to all the 2020 newbies! I know there is always an influx of new members in January as we make our New Year's resolutions. How have your first few weeks been going? Don't forget to check out my Tips for Newbies page to get some suggestions on how best to make the program work for you.

Here's a good tip to remember, whether you're brand new or a Nutrisystem veteran- creativity keeps it interesting. If you eat the same old same old, it's so easy to get bored and start making up excuses not to eat something. Or maybe an entrée just doesn't look good to you- find a way to make it different!

I remember the first time I saw the Cheddar Broccoli Rice, and I remember thinking that rice is a side dish, not a lunch! Similarly with entrees like the Loaded Potato, where they really just don't feel emotionally satisfying, even if the food tastes good.

So I thought about that concept- what would I be eating if I had rice on the side? Well, I love fish, but you could also have just about any lean protein that you like. So when I have this lunch entrée, I make it the side dish to go along with my favourite Powerfuel serving, and now instead of feeling frustrated, it suddenly seems like a filling "normal" lunch.

Now, some of you may be thinking, well, I don't get a Powerfuel with lunch? Some plans do, and that solves that problem. For the ones who don't, it is okay to occasionally save a Powerfuel from elsewhere in your day to do this. Maybe you missed your morning snack, or you didn't eat your breakfast Powerfuel. Or if you want, you can add a Powerfuel to lunch simply by "switching" your lunch and dinner. A lunch entrée is 1 Powerfuel + 1 SmartCarb, and a dinner entrée is 2 Powerfuels + 1 SmartCarb, so eating your lunch entrée and adding a Powerful counts as dinner. Just be sure to even that out by either flexing your dinner with only 1 Powerfuel instead of 2, or else eating another lunch entrée at dinnertime.

Remember that 1 Powerfuel is 80-120 calories and at least 5g of protein, so ensure that your protein choice fits into that range. I chose to have 4oz of cod as my Powerfuel with lunch. Seafood is a great option because it's very low fat and loaded with protein. My cod has 119 calories and a whopping 27 grams of protein, so that's a lunch that will keep me full and satisfied!

So don't forget to be creative with your meals- while it's very convenient to have everything premade for us, that doesn't mean that you can't customize the food to your liking and make it easier to succeed with your weight loss goals!

Cheddar Broccoli Rice (Lunch):

Don't forget to check out the Tags on the right side of my blog, where you can click on any Nutrisystem entrée and read all the different ways I have used it in the past. There are lots of creative ideas in there to keep your meals interesting!

Protein

Protein is one of the major macronutrients, and it's so helpful in keeping yourself full. It's really important to choose high protein foods for your Powerfuels because they will not only make you feel satisfied but give your body what it needs. If you need some ideas for Powerfuels, check out my Pantry Guide.

In the meantime, Nutrisystem has been releasing more new items that are great for protein consumption.

Nutricrush Shakes (Powerfuel):

While I'm not a big fan of protein shakes in general, because I prefer eating my calories than drinking them, these shakes can definitely be a useful tool in curbing hunger. My mother really likes them, particularly the chocolate. She's had Vega protein shakes in the past, and finds these particles are much smaller, so they blend more easily. She likes mixing the chocolate shake with her morning coffee so it tastes like a mocha, and adding just a little bit of cinnamon. You can also blend them with ice (or make your coffee into ice cubes!) and add mint for a chocolate mint "milkshake". The vanilla shake can blend with coffee for a latte, but I think it mixes better with chai tea, personally. You can also use one of your extras for 35 calories' of fruit and make a milkshake! I've seen "black forest" milkshakes with some cherries blended in, or use a little pineapple for a pina colada.

Looking to buy some cheaply to try? The Nutrisystem ones are expensive, but my family prefers them over other varieties we have tried in the stores. There are often cans of shakes for sale in the Facebook Nutrisystem Food Resale Group for less than retail price!

What are your favourite ways to use the shakes?


Salted Caramel Protein Puffs (Snack):

Salted caramel seems to be one of the new crazes lately. I have to admit, I'm not a fan of even the highest quality salted caramel foods because I don't enjoy mixing the sweet and salty tastes- it's just not to my palate. I'm not surprised that these were not among my favourite snacks.

On the plus side, they are absolutely loaded with protein- one of the highest protein snacks that Nutrisystem offers. And as you can see, you get a huge serving. That's a cereal bowl and it's quite full of those little puffs. If you occasionally want to sit and snack with a large portion, these will work. They are very sweet though and the texture isn't all that appealing- but they are definitely a snack that will take up some time to eat.


Nacho Puffs (Snack):

These seem to be the same texture as the Salted Caramel Protein Puffs, but I like the flavour much better. I have to admit that the Cheese Puffs still win hands down flavourwise (even after the reformulation), but the sheer quantity of these Nacho Puffs plus the more than doubled protein gives them the win for me. I've been having these as my afternoon snack nearly every day because they are just so filling and they take such a long time to eat! I would definitely recommend these (but don't order too many, I'd hate to see them go low inventory!).

Crushed It!

So, today is the end of my first seven days 100% back on track. Yesterday I posted a pretty big NSV (Non-Scale Victory) where I talked about how I've seen my heart rate decline significantly since restarting the program.

Today, I had my scale victory- I don't think I have ever lost this much weight in a single week! I even lost more than I did when I weighed significantly more and was doing Fresh Start. My body is ready to see these pounds disappear.

This first week back, I lost 6.6lbs, or 2.75% of my body weight. Way to go me, and talk about encouragement to keep going!

How did you do this week?

Are You Making A Difference?

Sometimes, it's difficult to see if doing the right thing is actually working. Human beings really rely on shorter term results and gratifications because it's simply so difficult for our brains to understand the long term picture; there have been studies that prove it's just much more difficult for us to concentrate on the big picture than just on a portion of it.

So, is eating fewer calories really helping our bodies? Will this hopefully benefit our health and lengthen our lives? Because that's why I am here; I don't want to die. I want to see Kiddo grow up and spend more time with my loved ones. I really like food, but the best food in the world isn't worth dying for.

It's so easy to say that, though, and then think, well, one meal isn't going to kill me, right? The possibility of living a slightly shorter life seems so abstract, until one day it won't be.

So if you ever wonder if what we're doing actually works, here is one of the clearest non scale indicators that I've ever seen.

Like I said, I took the month of December "off" completely. I decided to enjoy all the holiday foods I love and not to worry about it, but just to get right back at it in January, and I've done that. Now, I know Fitbits aren't nearly as accurate as medical grade equipment, but when we're looking at trends over time, I am reasonably confident this is an accurate trend.

I know my cardiac health is generally not good, and Fitbit rates it as low for women my age, which is no surprise. Before I went off plan in December, my resting heart rate was in the low 60s. I noticed in December that it was climbing back up, and I didn't really think about it. Now I've been back following the Nutrisystem program for just one week, and look at the trend now!

Eating all that extra fat and sugar and sodium was clearly making my heart work harder, which makes me more likely to have a heart attack and die prematurely. And look how fast my body reacted to the change in diet! I think that is the clearest sign of all that I am doing the right thing. I still wish I could do more exercise, but my health currently isn't allowing that. But I can control what goes in my mouth, and I definitely want to take as much stress off my heart as I can.

So next time a Big Mac or whatever your trigger food is, is calling to you- ask yourself if it's really worth it to you.

New Reviews!

So I made a list of all the current offerings that I haven't posted a review for, and I'm surprised at how far behind I've gotten with that. I've always enjoyed being able to look back at old items that are no longer offered and see how much variety there has been over time, so I'd hate to miss any now! I wish NS would have a contest and bring back some of the more popular entrees from the past, though. Hello, beef tacos!

In the meantime, I'll continue trying to get caught up as quickly as I can!

I'm still on track, and today is day 5 of 100% Nutrisystem. No Fresh Start, like I said in the regular plan- I still believe that it is not any more helpful than just getting right back on the horse. I know that a bunch of my holiday weight gain was sodium, so I'm expecting to see a big loss this week.

How are you all doing with getting back on track?


Garlic Cheese Flatbread (Lunch):

This was actually pretty tasty. I thought it was just going to basically be a pizza with no sauce, but the garlic sauce was pretty good. I could see myself, in my pre- Nutrisystem days, having lunch of garlic bread and salad and feeling decadent about it, so this feels like a pretty good new option. Once again, if you aren't a big fan of their cheese, it's OK to substitute your own. Dietary Services confirms that the cheese packet is approximately 72 calories' worth of cheese.


Creamy Cauliflower & Chicken (Lunch):

Cauliflower seems to be all the craze lately. I have to admit, I like cauliflower, but I don't think it's as awesome as it's getting billed for lately. I also don't think it substitutes for everything potato, so take my comments with a grain or two of Mrs Dash!

I found this entrée to be on the bland side. Nothing wrong with it, but it definitely needs some perking up. I would not eat it straight out of the package. Try it over some flavourful roasted veggies or else add your favourite herbs and spices to give it some punch.


Cheesesteak Pizza (Frozen Dinner):

Somehow I missed this one back when I was reviewing all the pizzas! As long as you get a pizza that actually has steak on it (their quality control seems to be really iffy lately with pizza toppings in general, not just one this one), then you have a pretty satisfying dinner. I do love their frozen pizza crusts. I cut mine into 8 little triangles and eat it with a salad or other veggie side dish to make it last longer. I would definitely order this one again.

New Year & Second Chances

Sorry I haven't been writing as much lately. Some of you know that I have a chronic illness, and it's been flaring lately so I haven't had a lot of energy for writing. I plan to write more in 2020 as I am able to do so.

I am firmly back on plan again. Today is day 2. I don't subscribe to the idea of doing Fresh Start again just because I've gotten off plan. First of all, eating too few calories can not only slow your metabolism, but also make you tired and irritable. I also believe it makes you less likely to succeed since it's so difficult. It's really not necessary- just going back onto your plan will start the weight coming off again!

I have so many recipes that I've been meaning to share here, and I just haven't been well enough to do that. So my resolution for 2020 is to focus on putting more effort into this blog for you all! I also note that I have fallen way behind in my food reviews. I always enjoy going down my tags of Nutrisystem entrees and seeing how they have changed over the years, so I want to make sure that I have them all recorded here just for posterity. I made a list of all the current NS foods that I am missing, and I'm going to try to post a few new reviews every week so I can get up to date again.

Remember that even if you didn't achieve your goals for 2019, that you only fail once you stop trying. Just keep going and keep putting one foot in front of the other, and you will get there. Make 2020 the year that you put yourself first!