My Nutrisystem Journey

"Sometimes you just have to bow your  head, say a prayer, and weather the  storm." It's Day 453 of Nutrisystem and Day 16  of staying at home. What we're going through now is a storm none of us saw coming, least of all me. It still seems a little surreal.  At this point I'm resigned to our fate and pretty much planning on this lasting well into May. I am so thankful every day that I started the journey to weight loss and fitness because it gives me something positive to focus on while I wait for the world to right itself. The old me would have filled this house with every comfort food under the sun and I would be eating non-stop. I'd be emerging from this quarantine 20 pounds heavier instead of 10 pounds lighter ! Breakfast was a 2.1 ounce 180 calorie cinnamon roll. Power fuel was a 5.3 ounce 80 calorie Light & Fit creme brulee yogurt. Morning snack was a 155 calorie vanilla shake with peanut butter powder. Lunch was a 3.8 ounce 220 ca...

"Sometimes you have to let go of the  picture of what you thought life would  be like and learn to find joy in the  story you are actually living."  ~Rachel Marie Martin~ It's Day 452 of Nutrisystem and Day 15  of staying at home. When I first heard about this virus never in a million years did I expect to be where we are today. Why would I ? This is unlike anything most people alive have ever experienced. With the initial shock worn off, I've pretty much adjusted to this new normal. I still worry about the long term effects this is going to have on our country but there is little I can do about that, other than support our local businesses if and when they reopen. I woke up this morning wishing this was a dream and that I'd wake up soon. I'm glad I have my work and my exercise program to keep me busy ! If I were not on Nutrisystem I'd be sitting here eating all day long and that's a scary thought ! Breakfast was a 2.1 ounce 16...

"Strong women don't play victim, don't  make themselves look pitiful, and  don't point fingers. They stand and  they deal.  ~Mandy Hale~ It's Day 451 of Nutrisystem and Day 14  of staying at home. I chose this quote today because it's something I  saw in myself and I'm working on changing. I spent too many years playing the victim instead of taking the steps needed to change my circumstances. All that time I spent pitying myself would have been better spent actually working on solutions ! Some people play the victim outwardly for the sympathy it garners and some do it inwardly, suffering in silence. I was the latter and eating was my coping mechanism. Changing my relationship with food is slowly changing my ability to also manage whatever life throws at me. I may not instantly spring into action but I don't let it keep me down for long. I don't think I was ever one to point the finger. I've said before that everything I pu...

"Peace is the result of retraining your  mind to process life as it is, rather than  as you think it should be."  ~Wayne W. Dyer~ It's Day 450 of Nutrisystem and Day 13  of staying at home. A good night's sleep and a couple hours out of the house restored peace and calm to my mind. I chose this particular photo today because it's an accurate representation of where we are right now. No one knows what is around that curve ! I fully expect to be living in this twilight zone through April and perhaps beyond. At this point I'm just wishing for warmer weather so I can spend more time outside. I do still plan on doing some garden work in my yard and on work days I can take my computer outside and do my work in the fresh air. That alone would go a long way towards making this isolation more bearable.  Breakfast was a 2.1 ounce 180 calorie cinnamon roll with butter toffee coffee. Power fuel was a 5.3 ounce 80 calorie Light & Fit creme brulee...

"Feeling lonely sometimes is a good  thing. It makes us appreciate the care  and kindness we receive from our loved  ones." It's Day 449 of Nutrisystem and Day 12 of staying at home. Every day that goes by I think back to the days when I wanted nothing more than to stay at home and be alone. There was a time that I wasn't connected to my family so outside of work I was typically at home, eating to escape. Now I find myself staying at home alone with no end in sight and it's not so great. If I were not working all week I think this situation would be even more difficult for me. I keep telling myself to be grateful that I am still employed, still being paid and that I am safe at home with everything I need. I'm also grateful that no one in my family is ill. We've reluctantly embraced social distancing so visiting my mom is out of the question unless you're dropping off food or other necessities. No casino visits, no restaurant meals,...

"Sometimes I have to remind myself  that I don't have to do what everyone  else is doing." It's Day 448 of Nutrisystem and Day 11 of staying at home. Life hasn't really changed much for me and I'm grateful for that. When I'm not working or exercising I spend time playing online games or doing some virtual window shopping. I'm not ordering anything because many retailers are having a difficult time keeping up with the influx of online orders, but it's fun to look and add items to my "wish list". When this has passed I plan to take a few days to shop in some real stores ! Until then I'll continue working on home projects, such as purging my garage ! Looks like this weekend is going to be mild but rainy so it'll be a good day to poke around in the junk in the garage.  Goal will be tossing at least 5o% !! Breakfast was a 2.1 ounce 180 calorie cinnamon roll. Power fuel was a 5.3 ounce Light & Fit toasted cocon...

"Ah, kindness. What a simple way to  tell another struggling soul that there  is love to be found in this world." It's Day 447 of Nutrisystem but only Day 10 of staying at home. I didn't really have a theme for today until someone showed me a little kindness first thing this morning. Just a simple thank you for a job well done meant the world to me and set the tone for the day. Kindness is important today more than ever since so many people are really struggling with what is going on in the world. I've seen a lot of posts about being kind to service workers but I've always been kind and appreciative. I don't look down on anyone who is earning an honest living. I don't care if you're a janitor or an astrophysicist, I'm going to treat you both with the same level of respect. Being employed in a customer service role I am more aware of just how mean and spiteful people can be, so I've always gone out of my way to treat peo...

"Acceptance doesn't mean that life gets  better. It just means that my way of  living life on life's terms improves."  ~Sharon E. Rainey~ It's Day 446 of Nutrisystem but only Day 9 of staying at home. I was thinking about acceptance when I woke up this morning. Sleep has been the only real escape from what's happening in the world and it all comes flooding back when you open your eyes in the morning. I've come to the conclusion that the sooner we accept this new normal, the sooner we can move on to living the best life we can under the current restrictions. It seems like all of the viruses that came before had their moment and then faded away, so I'm hoping this one does too. I keep telling myself this will pass soon (run its course, if you will) and life will go back to the way it was ... but then I think we won't ever be the same. Someone said that we have it pretty easy, holed up in our warm homes with internet, cabl...

"No matter how you feel, get up, dress  up, show up, and never give up." It's Day 445 of Nutrisystem but it's only Day 8 of staying at home. This morning I realized that I am getting up, I'm showing up and I'm never going to give up .... but I haven't been dressing up ! I typically don't put makeup on if I'm staying home but today I decided to go ahead and put makeup on. I also slathered myself with some luxurious scented body lotion for a little aromatherapy.  It made the day seem a whole lot more normal and gave me a much needed boost ! I can't say I "dressed up" what I'm wearing, since I've been wearing my exercise gear most days, but at least I'm not sitting here in my pajamas. Putting on my exercise gear motivates me to keep getting on the treadmill ! I suspect I'll be working from home full time for a few months since it's really unknown how long this "social distancing" needs to ...

"It's not selfish to love yourself, take  care of yourself, and to make your  happiness a priority. It's necessary."  ~Mandy Hale~ It's Day 444 of Nutrisystem but it's only Day 7 of staying at home. Grocery shopping yesterday got me out of the house long enough to not feel isolated. Waking up to blue skies and sunshine guaranteed the day would start on a good note, even though it was pretty cold outside ! I'd like to think we're done with temps in the 20's but who knows. I chose this quote today because I think it's important to acknowledge that it's okay to be thinking about yourself these days. We've all been put in a situation that none of us have experienced before and taking care of yourself needs to be the #1 priority, whenever possible. I spent many years taking care of everyone but myself and the day I started Nutrisystem was the day I decided it was time to put me first. Despite the current state of the w...

"When life gives you every reason to be  negative, think of all the reasons to be  positive. There's always someone who  has it worse." It's Day 443 of Nutrisystem but it's only Day 6 of staying at home. I didn't stay home all day (see below) but it felt odd to be out. People still seem shell shocked and subdued and I noticed NO ONE had children with them. I'm used to crying babies and rambunctious kids running rampant at Walmart ! I saw a couple of people wearing masks and most everyone took advantage of the sanitizing wipes for the cart handles. Wegmans has hand sanitizer at the entrance and red lines on the floor at the registers. You have to stand behind the line while the cashier rings up your groceries. As soon as the cashier handed me my receipt he used hand sanitizer. I saw a cashier at Walmart wearing plastic gloves. She was an elderly woman so that's understandable. I don't know if all the cashiers are doing that as ...

"Always remember that your present  situation is not your final destination.  The best is yet to come." It's Day 442 of Nutrisystem but it's only Day 5 of staying at home. It feels like it's been much longer since the end is not in sight. I was getting kind of down about that but then I stopped and thought about how I felt on my very first day of Nutrisystem. There I was at 304 pounds with a goal of reaching 150. I was staring down the longest road of my life but I took the first step and never looked back. I'm using that as inspiration to get through this enforced isolation and reminding myself I've sat at home alone for 5 or more days many, many times .... and it never bothered me ! I reminded myself that many other people have found themselves in much more difficult circumstances so big girl panties are in order here ! 2019 was my year and it was pretty great ! I thought 2020 was going to be amazing as well and who knows, it may tu...

Faith is unseen but felt. Faith is  strength when we feel we have none.  Faith is hope when all seems lost." It's Day 441 of Nutrisystem but it's only Day 4 of staying at home. I feel like I've gotten over the initial shock of what is going on in the world right now, so I've settled in to being at home for a while. For me, exercise is helping tremendously. For those brief spans of time I don't think about the uncertainty and it tires me out so I can sleep. It also helps that I'm not reading all of the nonsense being published online. I'm focusing on the things that are within my power to control. I'm heeding the request to stay home and beyond that there is little else I can do. So I'm back to a more peaceful mind. Breakfast was a 2.1 ounce 160 calorie cherry cheese roll with caramel drizzle coffee. Power fuel was a 5.3 ounce 80 calorie Light & Fit toasted coconut vanilla yogurt. Morning snack was a 155 calorie vanilla ...