Hi Michelle,

Seems like you've tried Nutrisystem before according to the story on your page. From what I hear, the program and foods have improved drastically over the years, so maybe, this time, you'll be able to follow the plan.

When your box arrives, DO NOT LIFT IT YOURSELF. Get help...that sucker is HEAVY !

Next open it, find the envelope and take out the meal planner. Open it, read it. Follow it. The front section has pages that tell you exactly what to eat, and when to eat it. You should be eating 6 times a day, with not more than 2-3 hours between meals or snacks which we also call "meals". Ok, so there's 3 meals and 3 snacks to be specific.

Also, you MUST drink 64 ounces of water EVERY DAY! Without fail. VITAL. DO IT. It washes out burned up fats from your food intake. The pre-prepared foods are measured for exact quantity and calories, fats, fiber, etc.... so all you have to do it open, micro or heat after adding water to some or a little touch up to others, but you're ready to go.

My morning snack is an apple and a 1oz piece of reduced fat cheddar cheese...just enough to get me over to the next meal at lunch. The morning snack can be a NS snack or one you supply like mine.

You'll be surprised at how the amount of food, which looks very little, fills you up. It will if you also drink the water as I previously pointed out. At dinner, you'll add in some cooked veggies to have with your evening NS entree. I love the lasagna and vegetable fajita over two slices of low calorie bread...yummy.

Check off your meals for a couple weeks in the meal planner and by the second week, you'll be looking at the scale, tinking, what the heck, I lost how much??? Yikes, this plan works!!!! After that, it comes of much slower at around 1-3 pounds a week.

Be patient with yourself. Weight comes off slowly. It only seems like it went on fast, but as you noted, it's been 10 years since the birth of your daughter and you've had this weight problem...so, if it takes you a whole year to get to your goal, so what? That's nothing in terms of how long you've carried the extra weight...so, BE PATIENT. You may not lose EVERY week either. There may even be weeks on plan, that you go back up a couple pounds, don't panic..it's normal. And, it's normal for all of us to "cheat" a bit now and then, but we get right back on the plan after our "treat".

SUPPORT: Right here on the blogs. Anytime you feel like something is wrong, you don't feel well or not getting the results you hope, let us know. There are so many friends around here who are helpful, skilled and experienced at losing weight on this plan, that if they cannot help you with a question or problem, they will steer you to the NS counselors who have more ideas and ways to get you back and make you feel ok.

I hope the plan works for you this time. Give it two weeks solid of your dedicated, I will follow the plan to the letter and see if you don't agree, the loss is worth it.

Keep us posted and good luck. We know you can do it. So many of us have been where you are, or, still are where you are, and struggle with food every day. But we are trying to change that with new habits, for good.

Neal in CT.

I have been on plan for a week and a half. I picked the food I wanted since I know I am a little hard to please when it comes to food. Gotta say haven't really had anything I did not like. SOme things I even loved. It is just the small portions I am trying to get use to and the NOT feeling of FULL but I have come to see what I thought was full was really stuffed. Best of luck and keep us posted on your journey.

Thanks for the thoughts.

Neal,
Yes, I did do NS before & did have success as long as I stuck with it..... but didn't stick w/ it long enough. Our cross-country move & other things didn't help the matter & I just let my emotional eating, budget (or lack thereof), and other things get in the way.

I know it won't come off immediately, no matter if I wish it would or not. I really am in this for the "long haul" this time.

I pick out my own food too, devenyteach. I don't like some of their "default" food -- at least I didn't last time. I did notice there were new things and things that said they were different this time, so there are some things I just got one of this time so I can see if I like them or not before ordering more of something.

My other biggest problem, beside food being an addiction for me, is that I have a hard time getting motivated to exercise. We just bought our first house about 2-1/2 months ago & we are in a walking district for the elementary school. I had been walking both to school & home from school with my daughter. However, my husband took a week of vacation about a month ago & he drove her then. I got out of the habit of walking & then it was easy to have him drop her off in the morning & I'd just walk to pick her up in the afternoon. It's still 1.2 miles total (there & back) but it was only 1.2 instead of 2.4 since I only did it once a day.

Now, school gets out the end of this coming week & I won't have a reason to walk there or back! Our assigned mailbox is near the school, so I told my husband I need to make sure I walk down to get the mail each day in the summer. I also want to walk with our dogs more -- since we got the house, it's easy to just let them out back instead of taking good walks with them, even though I enjoy the walks.

Part of the whole exercise problem right now is that I have plantar fasciitis (inflammation in the bottom of my foot) which flares up some & is painful when it does. Of course, weight loss will help that problem not be so bad too.

Our Wii is in the pawn shop right now, but when we get it out in a few weeks, I want to start using the Wii Fit again & maybe even ask for that new personal trainer Wii game for my birthday. We're also thinking about putting in an above-ground pool once we get the $8000 tax refund for being new homebuyers (which we should get within the next month). If we do put in a pool, I'll use it a lot for exercise too, especially since it'll be right in the back yard.

Anyway.... thanks a lot for the comments & support. I know that between NS & the addiction recovery program through my church, I will be able to do this & be healthy again once & for all. I played volleyball in high school & I would love to be able to do that again.... not to mention actually do more with my family & improve my self-esteem again!

Michelle