Natural Balance Pet Food for Weight Loss

Nutrisystem Update Week 31: Meal Measure Portion Control Tool

We’re adding a great new portion control tool to our weight loss routine! If you’re just joining us, the hubby and I have been losing weight together on the Nutrisystem program. Each week, we post a new update and share tips,  info about our experiences, let you know about the program, and tell you how much we’ve lost so far.

meal measure portion control diet tool

Easy Portion Control Tool for Weight Loss and Maintenance

As I mentioned in last week’s weight loss update, we’re preparing to transition from doing all Nutrisystem meals, to doing our own cooking at home. In addition to the great Nutrisystem Cookbook we told you about, we’re ready to test out the Nutrisystem Meal Measure. It’s an easy to use portion control tool that fits right on your dinner plate and helps dieters learn what a proper portion looks like for each meal.

With individual spaces for protein, starch, fruit and vegetables, the Meal Measure is almost a no-brainer to use…just fill to the line in each cavity (half cup line on the inside or full cup at the top) and then lift the Meal Measure to enjoy your perfectly portioned meal at home!

We’ve had such a busy week that we relied on our pre-portioned Nutrisystem meals just about every day but are hoping to sit down, get organized and plan out some meals we can cook for ourselves soon. That really is one of the biggest challenges and why the Nutrisystem program works so well for us…knowing it’s in the cupboards and freezer and that we can just grab what we want without thinking about it when it’s time to eat. Our challenge now is to use the new tools to plan and make our own meals rather than always rely on the packaged meals we’ve grown so accustomed to!

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Nutrisystem Update Week 30: Cooking At Home + Getting Close To Our Goals!

We’re cooking with Nutrisystem! If you’re just joining us, the hubby and I have been losing weight together on the Nutrisystem program. Each week, we post a new update and share tips,  info about our experiences, let you know about the program, and tell you how much we’ve lost so far.

cooking nutrisystem

Cooking at Home with Nutrisystem

After 30 weeks on Nutrisystem we’re headed into our final month with the program. I’m sad already, and a little stressed about how we’re going to manage without having everything pre-made and pre-measured for us, but the awesome folks over at Nutrisystem have got us covered! They’ve got a great cookbook filled with recipes, ideas and helpful tips on how to cook at home. It’s designed especially for Nutrisystem members who are making the transition from program meals to cooking for themselves again, but it’s got healthy recipes that everyone can enjoy!

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be alternating between the Nutrisystem packaged meals, and some tasty new meals from the cookbook that we’ll cook for ourselves as we begin to transition off the program. We’ve already gone through and bookmarked a bunch of yummy looking ideas including Vietnamese Beef Soup, Smoked Salmon and Dill with Pasta Salad, and several breakfast and dessert recipes. Each recipe looks super easy to follow, and lists everything we need to know to stay on track, including Calories, and the Nutrisystem Equivalent. For example, the beef soup is 260 calories and counts as 1 Nutrisystem Lunch Enter + 1 PowerFuel. We’re just getting started with our grocery list and organizing our schedule, so stay tuned!

We’re Getting Close to Our Weight Loss Goals!

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how I was setting some new mini goals for myself including pushing myself a bit more with the exercise. I’m still doing my daily walks with Daisy but have added in some extra days of cardio using my favorite Zumba Workout DVDs and also the Walking Cardio Shape Up Max exercise video from trainer Chris Freytag. I used to do them quite frequently but the extra weight I was carrying made it really hard on my knees so I’d stopped for a while. As with most things, I’m finding these workouts to be easier now that I’m a bit lighter.  And it looks like bumping up the cardio is starting to pay off. This week’s weigh in was a great one…I’ve lost 2.2 pounds for a total of 34 pounds lost so far! I’m now EXACTLY 10 pounds from my goal…YAY!

The hubby has been running and started increasing his distance and speed using a cool phone app called Runkeeper, and is even thinking about training for his first Half Marathon! He’s lost another 2.4 pounds this week…that means he’s less than 3 pounds away from reaching his goal! I’m jealous he’ll get there first but I know I’m not far behind and will get there eventually!

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Nutrisystem Update Week 29: Cinco de May Edition

If you’re just joining us, the hubby and I have been losing weight together on the Nutrisystem program. Each week, we post a new update and share tips,  info about our experiences, let you know about the program, and tell you how much we’ve lost so far.

Nutrisystem Mexican meals

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love Mexican food, and it’s one of my favorites, but it can be a real diet-buster if you aren’t careful. Luckily, Nutrisytem has us covered, which is great because we want to celebrate Cinco de Mayo but don’t want to derail our progress! Along with a skinny margarita (or two) we’ll be enjoying some of the Mexican-inspired meals from the Nutrisystem menu. It’s part of what we love about the program…real food in all kinds of varieties and flavors including Chinese, Italian, American Comfort Food and more favorites so we never feel like we’re missing out.

We’re both pretty happy with our weigh-ins this morning. I’ve lost another .6 pounds and the hubby lost .4. That means total weight lost so far is 31.8lbs for me and 55.2 for him!

If you missed any of our previous Nutrisystem posts, just visit the links in the table below or click here to catch up! We’d love to hear about your own weight loss experiences, advice and challenges, so leave a comment and share some with us. We’re also happy to answer questions, so ask away!

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Nutrisystem Update Week 28: New 5-Day Jumpstart Your Weight Loss Kits!

The hubby and I are back with another update for you on our weight loss, but first we’ve got some exciting  Nutrisystem news to share!  The new 5-Day Nutrisystem Jumpstart Your Weight Loss Kits are now available at a store near you!

nutrisystem 5 day kit

We can tell you from personal experience that the first week of the weight loss journey can be the hardest, and the Nutrisystem 5-Day kits allow you to get off to a quick and easy start in reaching your weight loss goals. At $44.98, the kits are an affordable way to commit to losing weight and sample foods from the program.

The kit offers structured weight loss with menu items perfectly proportioned for weight loss, including some of our favorite Nutrisystem items:

  • 5 Breakfasts – Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bar, Cinnamon Bun Bar, Granola Cereal, Double Chocolate Muffin and a Honey Wheat Bagel.
  • 5 Lunches – Fudge Graham Bar, Cheesy Homestyle Potatoes, Chicken Noodle Soup, Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar, and Red Beans & Rice.
  • 5 Dinners – Chicken Alfredo, Lasagna with Meat Sauce, Rotini & Meatballs, Homestyle Beef with Potatoes and Thick Crust Pizza.
  • 5 Desserts – Chocolatey Nougat Bar with Peanuts & Caramel, Peppermint Cookie Patty, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Fudge Brownie and a Coconut Almond Bar.

If you’ve been following along with our updates, you already know that Nutrisystem foods are intended to be combined with fresh grocery additions such as low fat yogurt, salad, fruit and vegetables.  To help you figure it all out, a free sample meal planer with program guide is included with all kits.

For more information Visit Nutrisystem or call 1-877-643-THIN.

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Nutrisystem Update Week 27: Keep Calm and Carry On

If you’re just joining us, the hubby and I have been losing weight together on the Nutrisystem program. Each week, we post a new update and share tips,  info about our experiences, let you know about the program, and tell you how much we’ve lost so far.

tips for losing weight

 

We’re still plugging along with our weight loss program and since I’ve been a bit down about how slow my progress has been recently, I thought I’d take a step back and really look at the big picture. I’ve lost 31 lbs and the hubby has lost 55…that’s reassurance that what we’re doing IS working and a great source of encouragement for me to keep doing what we’ve been doing even if I’m not losing weight every week.

I’m more convinced that ever that this whole weight loss thing really is as much mental as it is about the food, and since we’ve got the food covered with great Nutrisystem meals, it frees me up to focus on everything else that’s in my control. To give myself (and anyone else who can use it) a little encouragement and inspiration, I’ve made a list of what I know works and what I could be doing better.

1)Follow the Eating Plan – This seems obvious, but every now and then I catch myself changing the rules or negotiating with myself about what I can and should be eating. It can be easy to get complacent or not pay attention to portion sizes but the plan has been working and it’s important to make sure that every now and then I do a reality check to make sure I’m measuring and logging the extras since even something as simple as an extra handful of almonds can have an impact if it becomes a daily thing (guilty as charged)!

2)Exercise  - Another one that seems obvious and probably the biggest difference between the hubby’s results and mine. He really pushes himself every day to run and workout hard. I’ve been going easier on myself to avoid injury (I’m prone to hurting myself and then not being able to do anything due to knee and shoulder problems) so I’ve stuck to basic walking and have only recently started to add some other cardio workouts using exercise DVD’s at home. I need to keep pushing myself and am finding it a little easier as I keep losing more weight since there’s not as much stress on my joints!

3)Focus on Smaller Goals – It’s so easy to get discouraged looking at how far I still have to go to reach my overall weight loss goal but I keep reminding myself to focus on mini goals. These include things like “lose 5 pounds per month” and “add 30 minutes to your weekly workout total”. Less overwhelming that way.

4)Drink More Water – I was going to include this in my mini goals but I really have not been drinking nearly enough water so it needs its own item…I just forget. I know it’s important and should be such an easy part of the plan, so I’m going to set hourly reminders on my phone and computer and see if that helps.

5)Keep Calm and Carry On – Patience and persistence are the secret sauce of weight loss. It’s amazing how after so many weeks and months, I still get that voice in my head telling me it’s not working and I should just give up and go back to my old ways of eating. Intellectually, I know that what we’re doing is obviously working, and I have to block out the negative thoughts and doubts,  and just keep going!

Do you have tips or stories about what’s worked for you? We’d love to hear about your own weight loss experiences, challenges and goals, so leave a comment and share them. We’re also happy to answer questions, so ask away!  If you missed any of our previous Nutrisystem posts, just visit the links in the table below or click here to catch up!

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Nutrisystem Update Week 26: Six Months Completed and 85 Pounds Lost So Far!

If you’re just joining us, the hubby and I have been losing weight together on the Nutrisystem program. Each week, we post a new update and share info about our experiences, let you know about the program, and tell you how much we’ve lost so far.

 thumbs up

It’s hard to believe that it’s been half a year since the hubby and I started our weight loss journey together! I’ve been super happy with how easy the Nutrisystem program has been to follow, and with the success we’ve had so far. My weight loss has not been nearly as rapid as his but between the two of us we’ve managed to lose a combined 85 pounds! He’s lost 54 lbs so far and I’m down 31 pounds to date.

Moving forward I’m going to be looking at some ways I can pick up the pace on my weight loss including drinking more water and adding more exercise to my routine, since I’m still 13 pounds from my goal weight, but this week I’m just taking time to give some thumbs up to both ourselves and to Nutrisystem for everything we’ve been able to accomplish so far!

If you missed any of our previous Nutrisystem posts, just visit the links in the table below or click here to catch up! We’d love to hear from you about your own weight loss experiences, challenges and goals, so leave a comment and let us know you stopped by. We’re also happy to answer questions, so ask away!

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