Fatigue, Health, & Triggers

So I know I haven't been writing much lately, but I'm still here! I've been having some health problems recently and I've just been too tired to write. My chronic conditions have been flaring up and I an exhausted all the time.

Fatigue is also one of my triggers for craving high calorie and fat foods, so I've been trying to watch that lately. Having Nutrisystem entrees around really helps because I can tell myself that I can have a yummy meal faster than if I ordered takeout. The only issue is that I am often too tired to make any of my recipes or do jazzing up- so those are the times I generally choose frozen meals so that I can just heat and eat. The shelf stable entrees are so much easier to "cook" with, and I believe I can make much tastier meals out of them than just doing heat and eat, but that still requires energy that I don't have some days.

So I'm well aware that my health problems are a big part of why I regained my weight. I had maintained a 110lb weight loss for over six years, which is long enough to make me believe that I'll be able to make it last this time if I'm more careful. Over 90% of dieters regain their weight within 5 years, so at least I was past that. It points to the truism that we have to be mindful that we are making permanent changes if we want our weight loss to stick; if we revert back into our old habits and patterns, eventually we will regain the weight. Finding that balance is important! It's unrealistic to say that you'll never drink alcohol or enjoy your favourite foods again. Life isn't about deprivation. But it's also important to develop healthier habits so that when we reach goal and start to maintain, that we beat those statistics!

I find that mindfulness really is one of the best ways to help myself become a better person, not only with my relationship to food, but in general. Before I make a choice, I examine it- is it really what I want? Is it helpful to my goals? And sure, sometimes I want that chocolate martini and I'm okay with that. But most of the time? I'd rather keep the big picture in sight.

I have some great flex recipes I will try to write up to share with you soon, especially since Valentine's Day is coming! We don't have to blow the calorie budget just to enjoy a special evening with someone we love. Don't forget to look up some of my dessert recipes- I have some great ones using the Chocolate Lovers Cake Mug Mix (although they're listed under the tag with the old name, Microwave Chocolate Cake). Try my Black Forest Cake, or my Chocolate Lava Cake, they're both delicious and a great sweet treat.

I'll try to get back to posting recipes and reviews soon! Right now I'm just so close to my next milestone of 70lbs lost, and I can't wait to share that with you.

New Menu Items!

It looks like Nutrisystem has started to release new menu items, which is great! They haven't made an announcement yet, so hopefully more items are still to roll out. Definitely check your auto delivery before it ships and have a look at what's been added. So far there's been an item or two every couple of days over the past week.

They also announced two more discontinued items, sadly, the Sesame Ginger Chicken and the Black Bean Polenta Enchilada. I was disappointed to hear this because that particular enchilada was one of my favourite frozen meals for just plain ol' heating and eating. I loved the zesty spicy flavour even if it looked absolutely nothing like on the box. The Sesame Ginger Chicken was a really great base for adding cauliflower rice and I'd save a SmartCarb to add orange segments and make a version of orange ginger chicken (kind of like what I used to do with the discontinued Nutrisystem Orange Chicken). I will definitely miss that.

But, onwards and upwards- I'm looking forward to trying these new items!

The new breakfast item is the Strawberry Baked Bar.

I haven't been all that impressed with the baked bars in general, this time around on Nutrisystem. When I did the program back in 2010-2011, I generally loved the bars. These ones, not so much. They honestly have tasted to me like cardboard with a very artificial flavouring. The Blueberry Lemon Baked Bar had my hopes up because I remembered the old Blueberry Lemon Bar, but no dice there. So I am not sure how much better this new breakfast bar will be. Granted, I do believe that the baked bars are more filling than the granola-type bars, but it's just not worth it to me when I can eat something that tastes much better. When I actually get my hands on one of these, I'll definitely write a review and let you know how I find it!

So far I haven't seen any new lunches. There is a frozen dinner which has reappeared (marked limited time only, so check it out if you're interested!)- the Pork Tenderloins.

I looked at the previous reviews, and several commenters say it is spicy, so I am looking forward to trying one of these.

It also looks like the Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breast is back! I love the stuffed chicken breasts. They are low calorie, filling, and really makes it feel like I'm eating a "normal" dinner with my family.

So far, there are also two new snacks; the Chocolate Lovers' Cake Mug Mix and the Confetti Cake Mug Mix.

I'm really hoping that this one will be reminiscent of the old Microwave Chocolate Cake Mix. I loved making that one into Lava Cake with the Nutrichocolates! That made a deliciously decadent meal. I know that the mixes are a little more work than just heating and eating, but any time you get a mix item like this it opens up so many possibilities to customize a dessert to make it your own. I'm imagining this one as dessert puffs, maybe with a raspberry in the centre, or making a filling out of cream cheese. I think I'm going to have a lot of fun playing with it!

This one looks like a lot of fun, too. I'm not quite sure what I want to do with it yet, but I'm sure I'll get some ideas. If nothing else, it looks like a great birthday treat- or an Unbirthday treat since it doesn't have to be a special occasion to eat cake!

Is there a discontinued item that you wish Nutrisystem would bring back? I really miss the Caramel Popcorn- omg that was delicious! And the Beef Taco was my all time favourite Nutrisystem dinner. I know tacos aren't difficult to flex well, but this made it easy and delicious to have one of my favourite meals. The Vegetable Fajita was not the most attractive looking meal, but it was so yummy and the most filling dinner. Nutrisystem really does tend to do the Mexican style entrees very well- I miss the Chicken Quesadilla, too! And what about the shelf stable dinner Macaroni & Cheese instant cups- OMG Kraft dinner or Hamburger Helper if you picked the one with beef! Don't forget some of the amazing snacks like the Nacho Crisps, Chocolate Crunch Bar, and the Chocolatey Rainbow Delights! There have been so many meals that I have really enjoyed and would happily keep buying!

What new items are you hoping that Nutrisystem will release or bring back?