Author: russtidwell

This is the first week that I feel like I’m making progress. I actually lost 5 lbs. (more on that in a sec). Here’s what happened.

In week one, I decided that I needed to shake things up, so I ordered 2 months’ worth of Nutrisystem. I’ve used Nutrisystem in the past, with mixed results. The last time, I didn’t lose as much as I’d hoped, probably due to not being as strict with it as I should have and a changing metabolism as I’m getting older. But whatever the reason, it’s a solid option, so I decided to go for it.

But here’s something you should know: If you have a Costco membership, you can get $100 Nutrisystem gift cards for $80, a 20% discount! They’re online, so just go to the website. So all-told, I spent $620 for 2 months of pre-packaged meals, snacks, and protein shakes.

The caveat is that I need to also buy veggies – 4 portions a day – and extra food (“power fuels” and “smart carbs”), so you can’t expect to only spend $620. Still, I think that’s pretty reasonable in today’s world.

Anyways, I started the program this last Sunday. It starts with a “7 in 7” program, where the first 7 days have a severely limited caloric intake to jump start your progress. For me, I was supposed to only get about 950 to 1050 calories a day, but just following what was listed in the program, I found that I averaged around 1200 to 1300 calories a day. I felt mild hunger at times, but because of the timing of the meals and snacks and the actual food I was eating, it wasn’t too bad.

What was really bad: I had several bouts of light-headedness yesterday. I think it was from being outside a lot and walking more than I had the days before, and not sleeping well the night before. Nutrisystem recommends not doing any exercise during the first week, and it’s good advice.

Now about the 5 lbs. I lost: That was all in the first 5 days. The last 2 days of the week, I stayed steady. But then yesterday we were out all day, going to a pumpkin patch and exploring old town Ft. Collins. So aside from breakfast, I was eating out all day. I thought I did good – a salad at Chick-fil-A for lunch, and teriyaki chicken, broccoli, and maybe 1/3 cup of white rice for dinner, along with one small chocolate at a shop as we were walking around. But guess what? The scale showed a 1 1/2 lb. gain this morning! With all the walking we did, I was pretty disappointed when I stepped off the scale.

Lessons? First, I can do this. Even with the extremely limited calories, I wasn’t super hungry. Second, the type of food I eat makes a huge difference. Proteins, nuts, and cheese, combined with lots of veggies and the occasional fruit and whole grain breads, should make up almost all of my diet. And third, there will be ups and downs, but on average, I’m making the progress that I want.

Next week, I plan to start exercising again: Walking and lifting, and maybe some light stretching and calisthenics in the morning. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Until next week, hope your own project is going well!