Reply #10: I wish there were such a thing

[rox63]

I would have sought it out years ago. :)

I've been doing NutriSystem since July, and I've lost 56 lbs so far. I've recently considered doing the plan on my, without buying their food. (It's possible to do it that way, and would cut down considerably on my expenses.) But I've got about 60 lbs more to lose, so I don't know if I'm ready for that yet.

The keys to their plan are like any Low Glycemic Index diet. There are books available that explain how the whole low-GI thing works. Basically, I eat 5 times a day, 3 meals and 2 snacks. It's high-protein (soy is my friend :D), high fiber (lots of fruits & veggies) low-fat, and stresses "good carbs" (whole grains & slowly-digested carbs instead of refined starches & sugars) rather than no-carbs. Having carbs in my diet helps me feel more full and satisfied with my meals. Eating 5 times a day keeps me from getting hungry. Portion control is really key on this plan, along with eating the right types of food.

I know I ate too much yesterday. I didn't binge or freak out on sweets. But my Christmas meal was much bigger than the meals I've gotten used to eating over the last few months. I didn't feel good last night, and I'm still a bit queasy this morning. My digestive system just isn't used to processing that much food at a time any more. But today, I am back on plan. Another key thing that's helped me is to not beat myself up when I have gone off-plan. I just get right back on, knowing that this is the only thing that will keep me heading in the right direction. None of us is perfect, and no one can follow a food plan perfectly. What we do need to learn is to move past our imperfections and keep moving forward.

I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season, whichever holidays you celebrate. :)