Triggers

We all have them. No one just woke up one morning and suddenly had gained 20 or 30 or more pounds, right? Sometimes there is a medical reason, like a medication you're taking or a change of life that affects how your body metabolizes calories, and sometimes it's an emotional reason where we use food to self soothe.

I can't help with menopause or medication or those type of factors, but we can try to break down why we eat emotionally and work on what we can do to stop it.

North American culture certainly feeds into this concept of emotional eating. We see it in movies all the time- if the protagonist is upset, we'll see her in her pajamas with a pint of Ben & Jerrys, right? It's supposed to be a generally acceptable way to deal with our feelings. We use food for so many reasons beyond nourishment. It becomes a reward when we've accomplished something, which is why we see so many people saying, Yay I've lost 10 pounds, I'm going to treat myself to a dinner out! Hopefully you can see why this is counterproductive!

Those kind of issues are places where we can try to build a better relationship with food. Not only does it help put us in touch with our emotional state and actually deal with the issues that are bothering us rather than wrapping them in salt, sugar, and fat- but it keeps those extra pounds off the scale.

However, there are some other things that you may not immediately think of that are underlying factors which increase our likelihood to go off plan. A big one for me? Exhaustion. I have chronic health issues, and because of that I run out of energy much more quickly than a well person. One of the benefits of the Nutrisystem program for me is convenience. While I do like playing with my food and coming up with interesting recipes, sometimes I just want to heat and eat and there are several entrees I do enjoy just as they are (hello, white cheddar mac & cheese!).

On my tired days though, I still have to fight the urge to order takeaway, even when I know that I could have a NS entrée on the table in less time than it would take me to actually place the order. I know my resistance is down and it's easier to cave. Those are the moments I need to be mindful of, so I can get through the cravings for comfort food and stick with it. The pride I feel in myself after winning that battle is so worth it.

What are your underlying factors? Are there things that lower your willpower? Take some time to think about it and make a plan of attack to get you through next time it happens. I promise, it's worth it!

WOW for stacking promotions!

So if you didn't know already, Nutrisystem is having their 50% off sale right now. It's on a la carte items with the usual exclusions (hamburger, buttermilk waffles, ice cream sandwich, grilled chicken sandwich, multipacks, etc).

What you may not know is that you can stack multiple promotions on your a la carte order! Right now you can use the 50% off sale plus enter code CYBERPARTY to get a free frozen pizza pack, plus you can add SAVE10 to save $10 as well! Also, free shipping on a frozen order over $75 (before discount!). And you can pay with Costco gift cards, so you are saving a lot of money off sticker price! Now is a great time to stock up.

But here's the fun part- if you're an existing member, you know most of the great deals are for new members only. Here's a little Christmas gift for you all- enter SAVE10 on your auto delivery for a little something something :)

Deals & Discontinuations

Well, if you missed out on the last Salad Shaker giveaway (or even if you didn't this code is new so you can have a spare when yours is in the dishwasher!), enter code TYU26MN on your a la carte order, or else on your auto delivery if you have anything in the a la carte section (even a Numi freebie!).

I was also sad to hear of some more discontinued items. There has been a lot of turnover of items lately and I hope that Nutrisystem continues to add more items, especially shelf stable items. Remember that us Canadians as well as customers in Alaska and Hawaii can't get the frozen, and we need to have some variety to choose from!

The latest discontinued items are the Turkey Pot Pie Melt, Mushroom Risotto, Creamy Beef Alfredo, Blueberry Lemon Baked Bar, and the Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal. None of them were my particular favourites but I did like the Creamy Beef Alfredo. I think that Nutrisystem generally does well with their pasta dishes and I don't think that there's a direct analogue for this one, although I would like to see some non pasta and non bar lunches- surely there are other options they could come up with.

On the other hand, I've tried some of the new frozen items and I'm super happy with them! I didn't get a photo because they disappeared too quickly, but I'll be sure to add some soon. I absolutely love the Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breast- it tastes like the mushrooms are in a red wine sauce and I think it's so good. I've also liked the two new snack cupcakes- the Strawberry Shortcake Cupcake is SO good, especially the crumble on top. And the Cream Filled Chocolate Cupcake reminds me of a Hostess cupcake, but a lot less sweet so I think people will find it less off putting. If you haven't tried these yet, I would definitely add a few to your order!

And Even More Freebies!

It seems like an odd thing to give away, but Nutrisystem has put out a promotion code for free earbuds.

I guess if you don't have your own set, perhaps they'll encourage you to workout a little more? Or else they'll make a good backup set.

To claim your free earbuds, enter the following promotion code C8YW9AB on any a la carte order, or else in the a la carte section on your auto delivery order if you have even one other item listed there- even a free Numi Reward!

I suspect I'll be unhappier than most people here, since I don't think the Fiesta Macaroni & Cheese was all that popular, but I did receive notification that it has been discontinued. While I didn't want to eat it all the time, I thought it was a nice change and the sauce was thick enough that it was easy to add veggies and seasonings to change the flavour profile. I will miss it.

I hope NS will be bringing out more shelf stable dinners soon!

More Freebies!

If you missed out on the last cutting board giveaway from Nutrisystem, you're in luck! They released another promo code to add one free to your next order! You can add it to your auto delivery as long as you have at least one item in the a la carte section- even if it's free! Otherwise, it can be added to any a la carte order.

While it's a very small cutting board, it's useful for chopping veggies for one person and doesn't take up a lot of space to store. I probably wouldn't have purchased one, but it's a nice freebie gift from Nutrisystem.

Enter promo code XTA4EBS to receive yours free!

What Makes A Carb Smart?

I know I've written a little about this before, but I think it's worth revisiting again.

We generally have a pretty good idea of what kinds of foods constitute carbohydrates, although they can be a little sneaky sometimes! The Nutrisystem Grocery Guide will give you some great ideas of items you can use for SmartCarb servings for when you are flexing or when an entrée instructs you to add a SmartCarb (like the Turkey Ham & Cheese Omelette, the Tuna Salad, and the BBQ Seasoned Chicken).

So how do we decide what can be used for a SmartCarb? Nutrisystem has given us a very simple test to use, where they state it must be 80-120 calories and at least 1g of fiber. Is that it? No!

Keep in mind that this plan is designed around the Glycemic Index. SmartCarbs are considered "smart" because they are low glycemic. Unfortunately, working out where things stand on the glycemic index can be complicated, which is why I believe Nutrisystem is giving out the current information. However, it states right in the Grocery Guide that SmartCarbs are low glycemic carbohydrate servings, which means it is our responsibility to determine what is appropriate. Then, once we decide that an item is in fact a low GI carb, then we apply the second test to make sure the food will fit as one of our add in portions.

If you don't check first to see that a food actually is a low glycemic carbohydrate, you can wind up making some large errors that will make the program less effective. As an example, try this:

Take 1/2 cup white rice, which is considered a high glycemic index food at a score of 89. Then add a couple of nonstarchy veggies to it, and calculate the nutritionals as a whole (or add a little unflavoured fiber powder). If you look at the serving as a whole, suddenly it fits the loose standard of a SmartCarb since it's between 80-120 calories and has 1g fiber. But is it in fact a smart choice?

Definitely not. High glycemic foods defeat the purpose of the program. They will cause blood sugar spikes which give you cravings, and you will feel less full and be more likely to give into those cravings. It's important to choose foods which are within the spirit of the program and not misinterpret the definitions to add in foods which don't belong on the plan.

Again, I don't think there is anything wrong with making a mindful decision to go off plan for a meal and then going right back on afterwards. Where I think problems lie is when people try to make a food fit into the program when it does not, because then they are likely eating is far more often than they should.

Likewise, when you're evaluating an item for a flex meal and looking at it as a Powerfuel/SmartCarb combination, often I have seen people asking if they can use items that really don't include SmartCarbs at all. For example, I've seen egg frittatas talked about. Because they have vegetables in them, they do have that required gram of fiber. But is there a low glycemic carbohydrate serving in there? No- it's a protein serving that happens to have some vegetables in it. While the rules for flex guidelines make it "easy" to figure out if something is on plan, don't forget to evaluate the food on its merits and make sure it actually has the components it is supposed to have, and that it fits on plan- don't just read the label.

So remember- when you're choosing a SmartCarb, make sure that it belongs on the program before you apply the calorie count/fiber test!

More Freebies!

Nutrisystem is giving away another free gift to customers! You can use this one either on any a la carte order, or else on your auto delivery as long as you have at least one item in the a la carte section.

Use promo code SPOOKY and get a free Nutrisystem 3 piece Salad Shaker set! You don't need to add the shaker to your cart- just put in the promo code and it will be added automatically.

This set is pretty useful. It keeps your salad dressing separate so that the veggies don't get soggy, plus a fork clips right into the lid so everything is handy. It's a useful item for taking your favourite salad on the go.

Enjoy!