My previous Nutrisystem journey & the strength to admit I need it again. #NSNation #Nutrisystem

Well, my friends. I'm back on Nutrisystem again. My journey in 2015 was challenging, but so rewarding. After 3 months of Nutrisystem and my new lifestyle choices, I lost a total of 18 lbs – without working out at all. It was the best decision I’ve ever made. My confidence was through the roof, my energy was replenished, my skin looked incredible. It’s incredible what eating healthy can do for you.

Back then, I worked with Nutrisystem on their 3 month blogger program. This time, I’m all on my own for 1 month. There’s something really encouraging about blogging about it, which is why I’m here today. I think putting it all in writing, for the world to see, helps me to hold myself accountable. I have to do this for myself and for all my readers.

My previous Nutrisystem Journey

So, let me give you a quick recap of my journey last time. I had 3 months of Nutrisystem. The month, I didn’t cheat at all. I only ate the required Nutrisystem foods, drank water, and ate a ton of veggies. It was not easy. I felt like my stomach was eating itself at times. By the second month, I trusted myself to go out to eat every so often. Nutrisystem taught me how to count calories and what is good for you – and what’s not even worth it. By the third month, I’d weaned myself off of Nutrisystem for the most part. I only ate the Nutrisystem breakfast and drank the delicious shakes. Lunch and Dinner was all me. On my 3 months of Nutrisystem I lost a total of 13lbs. The month following, I’d lost 5 more lbs – totally 18lbs. *Insert muscle emoji here*. I can honestly (and shamefully) say that I did not do any physical activity to lose the weight. It was all in my new lifestyle choices.

Falling back into old patterns

Then, last year, I started falling back into old patterns… I started snacking on everything. I’d eat chips here, a brownie there, a midnight steak. Yeah, I said steak… It was so difficult to find my way back to my old lifestyle. Eating junk food is way too easy in America! We have quick and easy fast food places, snack cakes, chips, and cookies that can be devoured as fast as it takes for us to open a bag. Have you SEEN the popcorn buckets at movie theaters? It’s absolutely disgusting when you think about… but it’s our reality. We can’t let the bad health choices of others destroy us. Choosing a healthy alternative isn’t easy and it usually isn’t cheap, but it’s absolutely worth it. And so, here I am.

Deciding to go back to Nutrisystem

After feeling very unsatisfied with literally every meal, looking at myself in the mirror and realizing that the healthy, skinny Joyce was gone – I decided it was time to do something about it. I know my habits very well and knew that losing weight, without the structure and discipline of Nutrisystem, just wouldn’t do it for me. So, I ordered a month, but this time was a little different.

My Nutrisystem Order

I had a pretty good idea of the foods I would and wouldn’t like, so I decided to get the Uniquely Yours Plan, which was a tad bit more expensive, but allowed me to choose all of my food. It was well worth it! I ordered some of my favorites:

• Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
• Ham & Bean Soup
• Margherritta pizza
• Thin Mint Bars
• Hamburgers
• Blueberry Muffins

And I avoided some of the disgusting Nutrisystem food options:

• Cheese Tortellini
• Chili
• Chicken Alfredo
• Cinnamon Roll

The order also included the Turbo Takeoff package for the first week, which basically is a box filled with pre-selected foods that help you quickly drop weight in the first week. I ordered on January 1^st and had to wait a stinking week for my order to arrive, so I decided to jumpstart my diet by doing it on my own before the order arrived.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BO41F6zDvX4/?taken-by=joyceduboise

Jumpstarting my diet – before Nutrisystem

First of all, I took it upon myself to download the NuMi app, which is the app I’ll use throughout my entire weight loss journey for: weight tracking, calorie counting, activity tracking, recipe ideas, and more!

The app told me to keep it at 1200 calories per day, to drink more water, and eat tons of green veggies! So, I went to the store and picked up a ton of fresh veggies. I stuck to my 1200 calories, although I didn't eat the best. There were times when I was under the 1200 mark, so I treated myself to desserts and junk food. This is the exact reason I need Nutrisystem. After that, I threw out all of my tempting, leftover food. It's easier to do the right thing when temptation isn't looking you in the eyes. 

I also prepped for my daily water intake by picking out a water bottle that would make it a little bit easier. I chose my biggest, most insulated bottle: my 24 oz Tervis water bottle. I drink a full bottle 3 times a day (which is much easier with a large bottle like this one) and I'm beyond my allotted intake of 64 oz. 

A few other things I did to help jumpstart my diet before Nutrisystem was: 

• I cut out cheese – completely. The calories are ridiculously high!
• I cut out ranch dressing. It's the worst!
• I made better choices: wheat bread instead of white, light mayo, grilled meat instead of fried, etc. 
• Smaller portions. I stuck to the suggested serving sizes based on the NuMi app. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOIoCeaj_cL/?taken-by=joyceduboise

Where I'm at now

So, I will be weighing myself every Saturday, which is the day I started Nutrisystem. I'm currently at 132 lbs and my goal is to get down to 110. I know I can do it – not necessarily in 1 month, but I can do it. All I need is the right mindset and everything will work itself out. I will definitely update you as much as I can. Probably not every week, but as much as I can.