Answering "Why I choose weight loss" and "Why I choose Nutrisystem"

I started Nutrisystem for the first time in early January 2010. At that time, one of the counselors I spoke to recommended I write a brief statement about why I was losing weight so that as I achieved incremental goals I would be able to look back on my statement and be edified. Today, after two years of being in a more-or-less maintenance mode (give or take 40 pounds - ugh!), I thought I'd look back on that statement and see what encouragement it could give me. Here is what I wrote:

I want to be able to ride rollercoasters again, feel more comfortable in airplane seats, be able to sit in those tiny chairs on the patios of cafes, not cause the tires in my tiny compact car to wear unevenly, start my 40s in a year and a half with the same healthful optimism with which I started my 20s, let my parents grow older without having to worry about my health, be able to shop for clothes at the mall again, rollerblade without pain again, and dance the night away again without having to sit the next one out! 

Breaking apart the statement goal by goal today, I see that I pretty much achieved every one of them. So why am I re-starting Nutrisystem again now? Well, it's complicated. To make it more comprehensible (to me and to anyone who might be reading this blog for inspiration or sheer curiosity), I should break this question down into its component parts. Why am I choosing to "diet" again? And why have I chosen to go back on Nutrisystem when it's obvious that I am able to lose weight on my own?

First, I'll address reasons why I'm "dieting". Well, to be more precise, I'm not "dieting" but rather "modifying my diet" (but that's for another conversation). And the reason for this is clear. I am currently at a weight that is unhealthy. It's not unhealthy because I say so or because society says so (or even because I am currently experiencing any health problems, as was most definitely the case when I was 420 pounds). But according to the medical community, I have a disease - obesity - and this disease is a precursor to a slew of other chronic and acute disease that I personally would like to avoid.

No one believes me when I tell them, but I am pushing 300 pounds. At 296 pounds, I may "carry it well", but I would rather not have to carry it at all. This weight is hard on my body and limits me in many ways, not the least of which it makes it more difficult for me to pursue my hiking passion, keeping me from doing longer and more strenuous hikes. It also hurts my joints and keeps me from recovering as quickly from injury. I recently twisted my ankle while traversing a rock-strewn trail at the top of Mount Tammany in Northern New Jersey. I was lucky to make it back down. If I had experienced a greater injury, it would've take five or six big guys to carry me down.

For more on why I want to lose weight, check out the related blog post: My weight loss (and fitness) motivation (revisited). For now, though, I'll get to why I'm kickstarting this next phase of my weight loss journey with Nutrisystem. See, the first time around I lost around 80 pounds on Nutrisystem and another 85 pounds on my own; Having learned from Nutrisystem's portion and calorie control I was able to piece together a plan using regular grocery store foods that worked quite well for me (until I decided after 18 months of rigorous attention to my diet to ease up a bit and began enjoying ice cream and other treats again in a less than moderate manner). But now that I'm out of practice, Nutrisystem will help me relearn healthy portions and develop a more regulated eating pattern.

On Nutrisystem I will eat six times per day - three meals per day and snacks about two hours after each meal. The plan is based on science, creating by nutritionists. It is balanced and does not keep me from eating the kinds of foods I truly enjoy. In fact, some of their meals are quite tasty. The cost is about $260 per month (for the men's plan that I'm on), and this includes five prepackaged foods - each meal plus two snacks daily  (one of the snacks is on your own, such as yogurt or nuts) - as well as access to amazing tools that track your food and water intake and allow you to log your exercise. There is also a very active online community where you can get inspiration from others who are likewise on a weight loss and fitness journey of their own.

At that price, you have to eat what they send you. For $20 more, you get to choose what you want. It's worth it for some, but since saving money is another objective of mine, I just choose to enjoy what I get. After all, "It's your decisions, not the conditions of your life, that determine your destiny", as the great motivational communicator Anthony Robbins would say.

Today is the first day of being on the Nutrisystem plan, and I have to tell you I am pumped. I know Nutrisystem works for me, and I know that even though I will begin to feel hunger between eating events, I know that's a good thing. My stomach will begin shrinking and I'll begin to shed weight, probably quite quickly the first week and more steadily after that. I can take comfort that even though I'm feeling hunger, it's a good thing, and it will only bother me for a couple of weeks.


So that's really why I'm doing this. Hunger is a way of my body telling me it's time to eat. In our society we tend to eat simply because there is an abundance of food. But in a few weeks my new habits will take hold and my eating habits will carry me on auto pilot to finally achieving my goal of overcoming obesity once and for all.



Thanks for reading MyFitLife2Day. Follow me on Twitter @MyFitLife2Day and on Instagram @fitlifechronicles.

Weighing pros and cons, giving Nutrisystem weightloss another go!

My weight-loss journey has been a struggle lately. Culture shock. Lost luggage. Forgetting wear home is. Aimlessly trekking through the world of #fitspo and #fitfam social media. When I'm exercising, I'm not eating right. When I'm eating right, I'm not exercising. I wouldn't say the train has jumped the track. It's just that I just seem to be out of synch with myself. It's time to regain control!

The train hasn't jumped the track - yet - but it's time to regain control!

Today I made a decision to go back to basics; I ordered a month's supply of Nutrisystem, since that's how I initially got on track with my eating habits, learned about portion control and how to include a variety of healthy, nutritious foods into my diet.

I've been on the fence about ordering for quite some time now, mostly because Nutrisystem does not focus on organic, non-GMO whole foods, and I would like to. But I realize that my weight has steadily increased over the course of the past year, and if I don't take drastic measures I may lose control of the degree of healthy weight management I have been able to maintain after losing more than 150 pounds a few years ago. So I bit the bullet and submitted my order just moments ago.

Immediately I downloaded the app, which I'm excited about, since when I was following the program before I didn't have a phone that support the app. Now that I do, I plan on taking full advantage of it, logging my food intake on the go rather than writing things down and logging them at the end of the day.

FYI - My goals are the same as ever. I will work toward losing fat while building muscle in order to get my weight under 227 pounds, which is the cutoff for obesity according to my height. My aim is to achieve this by losing 70 pounds within seven months - April 2014.

When I started my journey at 420 pounds, I was alone. But as I reached my low weight point at 255 pounds, I was flush with friends and followers. I'm hoping that as I get back on track, I will reconnect with some of the folks I have lost touch with over the course of the past year or so. To regain some of that momentum once again, I plan to get more active on Twitter @MyFitLife2Day again, and I'll be using my Instagram account - @fitlifechronicles - more purposefully as well. I know me, and I will need encouragement from others as I continue my journey. If I'm lucky, I hope to inspire others as well as I regain control and continue my fitlife journey toward health, healing and longevity.

I miss Nutrisystem; wish they'd go organic

I really miss being on Nutrisystem. It was so easy to stick to, and convenient given my busy lifestyle. Cooking things from scratch using mostly organic ingredients makes me feel better in general, but there's something so appealing about having everying pre-measured and prepared so I don't even have to think about it. I wonder if it's even in the realm of possibility that a company like Nutrisystem would make strides toward going organic? Either way, I'm going to go back on Nutrisystem the week after my birthday, mostly for the convenience factor; work is going to get extremely hectic as August comes to an end and we head into September. And then when classes begin, I'm really going to need a helping hand. I know I'll feel guilty, but I need something convenient so I can stick to my healthy eating and not be tempted to eat fast food again. The thought of that makes me sick to my stomach, but when push comes to shove if I haven't had time to prepare something to take with me I might become tempted and break my months-long boycott of all fast food (except Subway). Come on Nutrisystem! Help me out! Go organic!

Today's snapshot: diet, exercise, goals

It's been a while since I last posted, so here's the latest:

Weigh-in: As of this morning I'm at 307 pounds. So far I've lost a total of 109 pounds from my high of 417.

Diet: I'm no longer doing Nutrisystem - as of about a month. Things got a bit tight moneywise recently, so I opted to try to do what I could to use Nutrisystem concepts while shopping on my own at the local grocery. However, I've also started to work a crazy schedule, commuting 45 minutes each way and working from 9 a.m. to after 10 p.m. four days a week, so I have had to find a simple solution. So I'm basically I'm preparing all of my own food on the weekends (with the exception of eating out with friends once in a while), and during the week I'm cooking my breakfasts and eating at Subway for lunch and dinner. I usually get a footlong turkey sub and ask for half the cheese and less meet, then load it up with veggies and top it with red wine vinegar. I also remove the top portion of the wheat roll so I don't overload on carbs during the day. At lunch I even have the Baked Lays a couple times a week. I'm still snacking on lowfat Greek yogurt and fruit in the mid-mornings and late afternoons.

Exercise: I'm working out five days a week at a gym in Fort Lauderdale. I have a regular workout partner and we keep each other motivated. I'm seeing some nice results with the routines we're doing. I'm not really doing cardio at this point, because I've only been going to the gym for a month now and I don't want to do something that's going to make me hate it. This coming month, though, I'm going to start adding about 10 minutes of cardio prior to our workouts. But I just really HATE treadmills and stationary bikes.

One option I'm considering is joining the YMCA. I'm already paying for a gym - I love where I work out now, and that's where my work out partner goes, so I can't cancel that. But the Y near my house has two lap pools and an extremely motivating morning swim program called Master Swim. It meets at 5:30 a.m. two mornings per week and at 7:30 a.m. on Saturdays. The people involved in this program are highly motivated - a few are tri-athletes apparently - but the coach and group are supposed to be incredibly friendly and welcoming. At least that's what the staff trying to sell me on a membership tell me. I've requested that the Y waive the $100 start-up fee fir me (I had seen an ad hanging in Starbucks yesterday advertising a temporary waiver). But then membership is $43 per month, plus $25 for the Master Swimming class. Ugh! We'll see. I'm going back in to talk to the director tomorrow. Honestly, I hope this works out because I grew up in the Y: I was in Leader's Club, worked for the summer camp, was an assistant pre-school teacher, and basically co-ran the before- and after-school day care program for several months right out of high school. So I know how amazing it is to be part of a community like the Y.

The people I spoke to yesterday are incredibly nice, so, "finger's crossed".

Weight goal: My current short term goal is to reach 290 by the end of July (and maybe 280 by my birthday in August). I'm hoping to take a short trip home in July for my 20th class reunion. But I'm not sure that will happen. If not, I'm definitely going to take a weekend trip somewhere at the end of August. I can't wait to see the difference in how I fit in the airplane seats. The last time I flew it was to Acapulco in 2008, and I kept my seat belt extender as a souvenir. I remember how embarrassed I was and nervous that I'd offend someone or even be forced to buy two seats. That never happened, thank goodness, although I'm sure there were some snickers and stares that I chose to ignore.

Well, more later, but the gym awaits. *hugs*

Feeling melancholic as I inch toward my goal

I haven't blogged for a while, mainly because things have been going well and I've been content with my progress. But today I'm struggling a bit. Tonight I ate a lot more than I should have, mostly because I've been feeling a bit sad. I've been focusing so much on my weight loss that I haven't been keeping up with my friendships. I've gone through a major lifestyle change in the past few months, and for the most part my friendships have been maintained over a restaurant table. This has been going on for the better part of a decade, and now I find myself eating alone most of the time.

Another possible cause of my meloncholy mood is that my weight loss has really been slowing down. Fortunately it hasn't stopped, but I'd become accustomed to at least a three or four pound weight loss every week and this week I only lost two. I'm down to 331, and even though I've come so far I still see the long road ahead and get bogged down in worry. Will I be able to do this? What's the permanent damage I've done to my body for having been so careless with my eating? These thoughts are so discouraging, and when I spend time alone they invade my thinking relentlessly.

I'm planning to go to Philadelphia in four weeks to get my cat Ciggy from a friend's house where he's been staying since I moved back to Miami at the end of last summer. I'm so excited to have my baby Cig back with me, and I think Remington and Diego will be glad to have another play buddy around the house now that I'm working out of the house again. My current short term goal is to reach 317 pounds by the date of my trip north. This would mark a full 100 pounds down from my max weight and 85 pounds on Nutrisystem. I want to wow my friends and family, and I'd really like to take advantage of the cheaper clothes prices while I'm in Pennsylvania (and also take advantage of the fact that there's no tax on clothes, either). It'll be fun to go shopping with my mom at the outlets in Lancaster, but I hope I can fit into regular XXL shirts by then. Right now I fit into Ralph Lauren XXL, but I want to be able to fit into Haggar shirts by then, since there's a great Haggar outlet there and I really need some new shirts for work.

Well, this has been a rambling blog I know, and I'm usually much more succinct with my blogging. But I had these things on my chest and just needed to get them out. I don't even know if anyone is reading this, but it doesn't matter. The process is cathartic and usefull in helping me inch toward the staggared goals on my path toward achieving a healthy and sustainable weight.

337 pounds, 24 stone, 152 kilos

Today marks 65 pounds lost in just three months on Nutrisystem (and 80 pounds lost overall since 2009). As of today, I weigh 337 pounds (that's 24 stone from my Brit buddies and 152 kilos for the rest of the world). My ultimate goal is to lose 200 total pounds overall - I'm basically trying to halve my weight from the original 417 - so I've still got a long way to go. But this is huge (and now I'm less so!). Thanks, everyone, for providing me with the encouragement and support I need to keep going.

Despite what you may think, the toughest part of this journey isn't watching what I eat. On Nutrisystem that part is easy. The hard part is keeping up with a decent wardrobe. I can't wear anything I was wearing three months ago. Well, I suppose I could tie my pants around me with a rope and go to work looking like a clown, but I don't think that would be good for my psyche and would probably undermine my progress.

When I went from a 52 inch waist to a 46, I bought a new pair of jeans and dug out an old pair of cords - the only pair of pants I'd been saving for the day I would lose weight. And I also bought a couple of 3XL shirts when the 5XL shirts I'd been wearing started to baloon on me. Now I'm getting down to a 42 inch waist and a 2XL shirt. I'm not there yet, but at this rate I should be there in about two weeks, and shopping for new clothes is probably my number one motivation at this point.

These milestones are so motivating. If anyone's reading my blog and wishes they could do the same, I just have one question - what are you waiting for? All you need to do is decide to make the change...the support is out there, and all around you. Believe me. I never thought that would be the case, but now I know from experience!

Me (at 340) with Remy and Diego

3 months on Nutrisystem and more than 60 pounds down!

I've been on Nutrisystem for three months now, and I've lost a little over 60 pounds. When I started I was optimistic, but you know, it was an optimism tempered with doubt that always reared its ugly head by the third or fourth week of starting other health plans. Somehow, though, I knew this time things would be different. And with NS, they have been. Way different.

I haven't had any difficulty staying on the program, and in fact I find it's reduced stress in my life because I now have more control over what I put into my body and can predict what will happen if I continue to eat and live my life in a healthy way. I will lose weight!

I was on the regular men's plan for a while, but now am on the vegetarian plan, mostly because it's 30 bucks cheaper each month. I do eat out a few times a week, but I stick to my special places where I can get a simple meal that fits the NS guidelines to a tee.

My favorite place to eat out is Panera. First of all, they have a Greek salad that is amazing. I ask for half the regular serving of Feta, get no dressing at all, add on grilled chicken and substitute the regular baguette with the whole grain version. I've never counted the calories on this, but it comes with plenty of veggies, plus a few black olives for my fat serving and the Feta for the protein, plus the portion size seems pretty reasonable. (Besides, I find that if I count calories too much I don't focus on what's really important, which is fueling my body for the day.)

The other reason I love Panera is that they allow dogs on the outdoor patio. At 402 pounds this wouldn't have been such a great thing - I never used to fit in those tiny patio chairs. But now I fit fine, and my dogs eat half of my multigrain baguette for me, which wittles the bread portion down to a more suitable size.

To be honest, I haven't really exercised a whole lot during these first three months, although I did increase regular activity a bit, like choosing to park farther from the door while out shopping and (sometimes) taking the stairs. Now, though, I find that I'm exercising more just because I don't think of certain things as exercise anymore. Like I take my dogs on brisk mile-long walks now instead of just taking them to the dog park. Besides being a treat for them, it's a treat for me because I save on gas and the walk tuckers them out so they aren't bouncing off the walls all evening.

Well, I'm not sure when I'll post again; we'll see when the next milestone inspires me. Till then...gotta keep on keepin' on!

They fit! They fit! They fit!

When I stepped on the scale today - my official weekly weigh-in day is Friday - I knew my progress would show signs of slowing (after all, I unofficially weigh myself every morning!). So I wasn't surprised to find that I'd only lost three pounds since last week. I now weigh 358. But despite the fact that I have been losing at least five or six pounds a week since week two, I'm not disappointed in the least.

Why? Well, there are a couple of reasons. First, even though my weight didn't drop much this week, my clothing sizes did (as I mentioned in my last post). After finally realizing that I had no more holes left on my smallest belt and that I was swimming in my smallest pair of jeans I went clothes shopping and was able to fit in jeans that were about 6 inches smaller than my previous size. So I bought a new pair of Levi's that was on sale at JC Penney. Then, when I got home I dug out a pair of Ralph Lauren corduroy pants that I had bought on sale about five years ago but was never able to wear (because I'd bought them a size too tight in a then-failed attempt to encourage myself to lose weight). To my surprise, they fit perfectly! I was shocked. As I buttoned them in front of the mirror I looked down at my legs, then up at my face, and I immediately smiled as I screamed (in my head, so as not to scare my puppies), "They fit! They fit! They fit!"

Second, it's because this week I decided to give myself some liberty in my evening meal. I met someone this week who invited me out to eat a couple of times, and while I didn't go over on calories too badly, my choices included more overall sugar and carbs later in the day than I'm used to. For example, on one night I had two poached eggs, toast and a fruit cup (oh, and a bite of my friend's coconut cream layered cake) at around 9 p.m. even though I'd already eaten a 220 calorie Nutrisystem entree around 5 (but by eliminating my snack I still only ate around 1800 calories for the day). And on another occasion I had a couple of hand fulls of German gummi bears, a few Swedish fish and a piece or two of white chocolate to indulge my sweet tooth (after nearly two months exerting strong willpower to overcome nightly cravings).

I'm glad I did enjoy myself this week, but it will probably be a long time before I do that again. On both occasions, actually, I got a stomach ache after treating myself, which is no treat at all!

Well on my way to my goal

This morning I did a mid-week weigh-in and was pleased to discover that I've lost 5 pounds since last Friday. I'm now at 362 pounds. That means I've lost 40 pounds since starting Nutrisystem and 55 pounds from my highest weight (in 2008/2009) of 417.

I'm so excited to be in the 350s again. I haven't been this weight in four or five years. Of course, I won't be so excited that I stop there. No, I have another 70 pounds to go to reach my interim goal of 290. And then I want to keep going for another 70 to reach my ultimate goal of 217. That will make it a clean 200 pounds shed.

Here's a picture I took yesterday morning, after a 365 weigh-in:

Before at 417 and now at 378

The picture above is me at my heaviest - 417 pounds in the summer of 2008. I first started to work on my weight in January of 2009 and lost 30 pounds, getting down to 387 pounds before gaining 15 back by the end of the year. The picture below represents me at my current weight, 378 (well, actually this pic shows me a few days ago at 380). I still have a long way to go, but as the picture shows, I'm well on my way!

Feeling good as I go into week 4

Today was my third weigh-in, and while I only lost four pounds in the past week I'm not discouraged because I'm losing the weight at a healthy pace. And there are other measures to this diet than just the weight. I'm noticing my clothes are fitting better (except for my jeans, which I can't seem to keep up!), and I'm feeling a lot better, less winded when doing regular daily tasks.

In fact, this morning in the shower I noticed how much easier it was to twist to wash my back and bend (without having to hold on to the wall) to wash my feet. And while I used to take breaks between vacuuming and washing dishes or cleaning the bathroom and doing laundry, now I just go from one task to the next and get things done in half the time.

This week my goal is to increase my exercise. I plan from this point forward is to get at least 20 minutes of exercise four times per week. And by exercise, I don't mean walking the dogs...I mean biking or working out at the gym. Plus, I plan on adding more lifestyle exercise into the mix.

I've taken a part time job waiting tables, which is something that made me sweat in my 20s. So I expect this to really heighten the effects of my healthier diet. I just hope I can manage to organize the regular eating times required by the Nutrisystem diet around my new working schedule. And of course serving all of that tempting food is going to be a bit of a challenge.

What I hate about me

I'm sitting here on a lazy Sunday afternoon, enjoying my afternoon snack (Nutrisystem almond biscotti and a cup of coffee), while watching What I Hate About Me on the Style Network. The show has an interesting concept. They ask a woman to list 10 things she hates about herself and then they enlist 10 different experts to help her address each one. While I can't afford the expert advice, and even though I kind of feel that listing things you hate about yourself is a bit of a negative exercise, I thought I'd jot down my own "10 things" list here to serve as a jumping off point to begin thinking about ways I can change them.

1. I hate that I gained more than 150 pounds without caring enough about myself to notice.
2. I hate that even though I'm losing weight I've most likely caused permanent damage to my skin as a result of having gained so much weight.
3. I hate the deep crease in the middle of my forehead.
4. I hate that I've been progressively losing my hair since my mid 20s.
5. I hate that my head is too big to fit off-the-rack sunglasses and hats.
6. I hate the fact that I've never held a single job for more than about a year and a half.
7. I hate that I can't seem to meld all of my career interests into one long-term steady way to support myself.
8. I hate the fact that realizing the dream I've held the longest - that of living and studying in Paris - eludes me.
9. I hate that I've never really felt close to my own family.
10. I hate that I'm so afraid that to be diagnosed with a deadly brain tumor (or something worse) that I put off going to the doctor for regular checkups.

Okay, that wasn't so painful. But I guess that's because I don't think anyone will ever be reading this. It's nice to put these things out there, though, and now I can start to work on some of them as I continue on with my weight loss journey.

20 pounds and counting

Today marks the end of my second week on Nutrisystem. I didn't lose as much as my first week, but I'm happy to report that I've lost a full 20 pounds!

To be honest, I'm shocked at how easy it has been to stay on this diet. It's pretty simple to follow, just eat one of their pre-packaged items and then eat tons of vegetables and a few fruits throughout the day. I think what makes it easy for me is that they also provide three snack options a day, one in the morning, one in the afternoon and one in the evening.

The morning snack is a dairy/protein, like yogurt, cottage cheese or an egg. And the afternoon and evening snacks are pre-packaged and are either sweet or salty. Sweet options include stuff like a fudge brownie, chocolate cake or a cookie, and salty options are things like pretzels, herb flavored snack mix or soy crisps. This makes me happy!

BUT, and yes, there's a but, I'm a bit annoyed that during week one I lost almost double what I lost week two. Friends and fellow dieters are telling me I should shock my system with a cheat day, but that seems counterproductive to me. The Nutrisystem people say I just need to stick to it, and that slower weight loss is healthier weight loss. Tell that to the contestants on the Biggest Loser!

Okay, that wasn't a fair shot, because honestly I'm not putting in the effort to exercise the way those people do. Maybe that's what I should focus on this week, not giving in to a cheat day but kicking it up a notch and focusing on fitness. This is the dilemma I'm weighing right now, at 4 p.m. on a Friday. The cheating is tempting...wonder what I'll do.

My weight loss motivation

I want to be able to ride rollercoasters again, feel more comfortable in airplane seats, be able to sit in those tiny chairs on the patios of cafes, not cause the tires in my tiny compact car to wear unevenly, start my 40s in a year and a half with the same healthful optimism with which I started my 20s, let my parents grow older without having to worry about my health, be able to shop for clothes at the mall again, rollerblade without pain again, and dance the night away again without having to sit the next one out!

Feeling full after first day on NS food

Yesterday was my first day on NutriSystem and I have to say it wasn't as bad as I was anticipating. I consumed 2,000 calories and didn't feel hungry all day. In fact, I felt pretty full. The pre-packaged food was tasty enough, and preparing the fruits and veggies to go with it was pretty easy, too. The main problem I'm having so far is that I don't usually eat so early in the morning, and on this plan you have to eat nearly a third of the day's calories at breakfast. I also find that my stomach is not used to processing all of this healthy stuff. I've had a slight stomach ache off an on since I started. I'm hoping this will eventually pass as my body becomes accustomed to all the roughage.

The thing I love best about NS is the website. I love logging my exercise, food consumption and weight (first weigh in is next Friday!). It is so helpful being able to track my calorie, fiber, fat, carb, and protein intake with just a few mouse clicks. Chatting with other people going through the same process is also pretty cool. And it's nice to know that there is 24/7 counseling available by phone

The food's arrived - I start in the morning

Well, the food has come, and now I'm off to the market to get the extra fruit and veggies and such that will give life to this boring box of pre-packaged foods (I hope). I'm so anxious about starting this new regime, but I've got to do it, and stick to it, if I'm ever going to have any hope of reaching and maintaining a healthy weight. Here goes!

Back on the wagon - this time with NutriSystem

It's been a year since I've written anything for this blog. After losing about 30 pounds last year I gave up my fantastic new diet and went back to living life in the fast food fast lane. I didn't mean to. It's not like the food is what lured me back. It's the convenience. I live alone, and cooking every day just seemed like a waste of time. Not to mention, it was a waste of food! I never got the hang of buying just the right amount of salads and fixin's so that I could eat it all before it spoiled in my fridge. And where was the flexibility? Sometimes I'd hit the road for a few days, and what then? I'd try making healthy choices while eating out, but it just seemed so unsatisfying, and before I knew it I was back to my old tricks again. "I'll take a number 10 with a large orange drink and a double cheeseburger, please".

Ultimately, I decided to quit my diet, and I figured I'd just abandon this blog forever. So why didn't I just delete all the previous entries? Good question. I guess it's because I didn't want the dream to end. "I'm not just going to flounder here at 400 pounds until disease and heart problems begin start to set in", I thought. "I'm not just going to die alone, choking on a ham sandwich, am I?"

Well, I can't predict the future, but I can certainly say that for the moment it is not my plan to give up like that. My methods were well thought out and based on some really good ideas, but executing said methods and ideas was just, well, not easy enough for me to follow through.

Now, nearly a year since my last entry, I'm ready to move on from my past. I'm not trying to delete it, but rather learn from it. I need something easier. And since I can't afford a person chef, I've chosen the next best thing. I've ordered my first month's supply of pre-packaged foods from NutriSystem. Marie Osmond did it...so can I! LOL. Seriously, though, I did a lot of research into all the different diet plans out there and believe that this one is the right one for me. Here's why:

TOP FIVE REASONS I CHOSE NUTRISYSTEM

1. PRICE. It's nearly half of what Jenny Craig would have cost me, and while I understood where I'd be starting with that program, it seemed so vague as to where I'd end up...and how much it would cost me along the way. NutriSystem is costing me $329 per month for their food (and I still have to figure out the additional cost of fruits, veggies, eggs, etc.). For the first two months I get five weeks of food for the price of four. And after two months the price goes down by five percent.

2. NUTRITION. The person I trust most for issues like this - my friend Angela, who's a nurse practitioner here in South Florida - says that if she were to go on any of these pre-packaged plans it would be NutriSystem. The diet is based on the glycemic index, and while I'm not totally sure what that means I do know that it's geared to keep me from having hunger spikes thoughout the day so I can avoid feelings of hunger and the urge to binge.

3. EASE OF USE. Pre-packaged food is sent to you in the beginning of the month and all you have to do is pop the stuff into the microwave and prepare small portions of fresh fruits and vegetables you've bought at the market to go along with the hot meal. You don't even have to freeze the foods. They're all prepared in some sort of way that you can just stick them in your pantry or whatever. (I'll have more on this later, once I've checked out the foods for myself.)

4. SUPPORT. NutriSystem has an awesome website where you can keep a journal of foods you eat, feelings you're having about the diet, your daily exercise, etc. It's not for the public but for you. You can log all the pertinent information about your body as you lose the weight and track your progress. They also have chat rooms and discussion boards so you can talk with other people going through the process. I've already chatted with some amazing people who are so encouraging and also give you tips on choosing what food is good and what food is, well, not worth trying. And you can select your food, changing your order each month if you want to, right on the web.

5. MARIE OSMOND. How can you say no to this woman? I mean, Valerie Bertinelli is cool and all, but Marie is a little bit country and I'm a little bit rock n' roll! Okay, that's lame, but seriously, when I saw her on the commercial the other night I just got the feeling that if she could do it then I could too. And secretly, I've had a crush on her since I was a kid. Who knows, maybe I'll get to meet her one day after I've lost 150 pounds or something and NutriSystem decides to put me in one of their ads or have me go on Regis and Kelly for a weight loss fashion show or something. Hmmm. A boy can dream, can't he? (By the way, does anyone have Wynona Judd's number? I'd love to start this weight loss journey with her!)