When I began my Nutrisystem journey back in July, I was worried about the taste of Nutrisystem food. Would it taste like cardboard? Would chicken taste like chicken and beef like beef? Would the frozen meals taste like TV dinners? Needless to say, I'm sure if you are reading this post, you are wondering the same thing. What I can tell you, is that I am OBSESSED with their breakfasts--double chocolate muffin, cinnamon roll, granola cereal, egg omelets. My mornings have never been more flavorful. I like that for pantry meals, I am able to go a la cart, which meant I chose foods I knew I would eat (and happily did so!) I am OBSESSED with their desserts. I honestly feel that Nutrisystem desserts allow you to be indulgent, but within reason. A red velvet whoopie may be tiny, but it is just enough sweetness to conquer your cravings. The ice cream sandwich tastes like the real deal. The chocolate chip pudding? Decadent! All perfectly portioned, but with the help of the Nutrisystem app on my phone, I'm able to better understand how many calories I'm taking in per item. I also read the labels (as should you!) I've gained a good understanding of carbs, sodium, calories, etc. this way too. I am OBSESSED with their protein shakes. Being a chocolate addict, the creamy chocolate shake is my favorite, but Coffee and Strawberry are delicious also. Now that I've been drinking these protein shakes for 3 months, it is definitely a habit and I find myself simply putting them together each morning without another thought. The dinners and lunches have their pros and cons, but they do seem to balance each other out. The chicken pot pie is YUM. The various lunch melts that only need 1 minute in the microwave taste like you bought them fresh at the store. The flame broiled hamburger is actually really good, although it's definitely not as substantial as a real burger (but that's the point, right?) My main con is that I'm not a huge pasta or sauce person. Most of the meals are doused in some sort of sauce. But that is just my personal dislike. I do tend to scrape off most of the sauce...and the food is good otherwise. So far my weight continues to remain stagnant at 169.5 for the last few months. Admittedly, there have been times when I've eaten normal food off the diet...however it was not indulgently so. In fact, I feel like Nutrisystem has taught me exactly what I've been looking for this whole time in understanding portion size, and how to balance out eating. When I've been at an event or restaurant, I've dove into veggies and meat and tried to avoid bad carbs and sweets. And while at first I was super upset that the pounds were not dropping off, the inches have! I wore a dress to a wedding that I haven't put on in over a year...and I almost fell over seeing myself in it and the fact that it was LOOSE! The inch loss has been noticeable in my pants and shirts, which makes me super happy. I'm still trying to wrap my head around being a certain number on the scale, yet not actually looking like that number. What questions do you have about Nutrisystem food? I'd be happy to answer them! Be sure to read: Why I Started Nutrisystem Nutrisystem Portion Control Week One Week Two Week Three Week Four Week Five Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+ *Disclosure: Spon

Remember when you were told, never say never (and I'm not talking about Justin Bieber)? I feel like having said, "I never want to be 170 lbs," is haunting me because it simply won't go away. While everyone says not to pay attention to the scale, but rather how you look, I know I should listen (but it is so hard to do!) Due to losing inches, I've definitely noticed that my favorite blue shirt is looser on me. I also noticed on Sunday that a shirt I haven't worn in a while (due to muffin top issues) suddenly looked a lot better. Not to mention that my jeans are looser and require a belt (or at least me pulling them up multiple times until I buy one.) My husband even told me that it's hard to believe I haven't lost weight because I look like I have (brownie points). Which got me wondering. Both hyper and hypothyroidism run in my family. After playing Dr. Google, I found on WedMD that I do meet a lot of the symptoms. Unfortunately, I do not have health insurance, so I can't have the blood work done to be sure. I'm beginning to wonder if this is why that despite following the Nutrisystem diet plan and exercising, why I am not dropping pounds. I admit that I didn't get around to getting plain water and flavoring it naturally with fruit just yet...but I making that change this week. I also got wrapped up in work and spending the holiday weekend with my family and have not yet contacted the Nutrisystem dietician. Something I will do as soon as I finish this post. My week 5 results are: 2 inches lost, a half pound gained. I'm at 170 again. I can tell you that not seeing the pounds drop off after all this hard work makes you feel defeated. But as I'm constantly pulling up my jeans, I'm reminded that Nutrisystem IS working. I'm not where I want to be weight-wise, but otherwise I am healthy, eating the right portion sizes and toning up. I have to remind myself that those are good things too! I feel like my weekly updates end up being pep talks to myself! Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+ *Disclosure: Sponsored

Just like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, I'm ready to call my Life Line. That Life Line being a Nutrisystem dietician. On a sidenote: I wish the above picture was really me. I've been on the Nutrisystem weight loss program for a month now. I've definitely learned a lot during this time, but I've also encountered a lot of frustration. 30 days of Nutrisystem has only results in 4 pounds lost for me, the majority of which were in the first week. For the last few weeks my weight has been at a stand still. Inches have been lost in some places, while in others it fluctuates. There have been a few times due to my work schedule that I've skipped the Powerfuel snack...or my eating hasn't been every few hours. I can only speak for myself, but that's just a reality. Not everyone can be chained to their kitchen 24/7. I have 4 kids and a full time job...sometimes this means working long hours without coming up for air, or running around to appointments and stores making it impossible for a fresh food snack-a-thon. Additionally, I've made sure to keep active and to switch up how I'm exercising. So far I've done walking 1-2 miles, working out with weights, calithetics, hiking, high impact aerobics and pilates. The only one that made a measurable impact on my weight loss was hiking.  This past Sunday I hiked 5 miles through Lacawac Sanctuary which is hillside to Lake Wallenpaupack. It was a vigorous workout and definitely not something I'm up for on a routine basis. I woke up to a 1.5 pound weight loss and I was stoked. Yet, by this morning I already gained a half pound back. Since my weight fluctuated all week, that 1.5 pound loss voided the gain that happened all week, leaving me at the same weight for the last 3 weeks. Mentally I am feeling defeated. I want so badly to lose these 40 pounds. But I also know that I need to do it the way that fits into my lifestyle now and that is maintainable. I haven't quite figured out what the cause of the weight gain then loss then gain is yet. My sister seems to think it's also partly to me drinking flavored water. I drink Nestle Pure Life Splash and she tells me that it is filled with weight holding preservatives. I'm not sure how to drink 32 ounces of water a day without some sort of flavoring to it that has no preservatives. I hate unflavored water. Would love your suggestions on this one. If I could look in the mirror and see changes, maybe I wouldn't be down on myself...but I look at myself and still see the same chubby, big chested girl who hates what she looks like. This week I'm going to change up a few things and get suggestions from the Nutrisystem dietician. Let's see what happens when I check back in a week from now! Why I Started Nutrisystem Nutrisystem Portion Control Week One Week Two Week Three Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+ *Disclosure: Sponsored

Nutrisystem's weight loss plan is not The Biggest Loser. This is the reality check I had this past week. In my pre-Nutrisystem life, I ate junk food like it was going out of business. I consumed fat like there was no tomorrow. Portion size? That would be two helpings of everything. Vegetables were only to be eaten at dinner time and late night snacking was a must. Exercise? Wasn't being a mom (aka taxi, chef, maid, organizer, grocery shopper and overall "clean your room" harasser) enough exercise for one day? I'd sit and watch The Biggest Loser religiously and think, "That's going to be me." I wrongfully assumed that as soon as I cut calories, ate healthier, ate the right way with the right portions and included more exercise that BOOM! the weight would drop off me like a sack of potatoes. But I was so wrong. Last week I posted a very depressed Facebook update wondering how in the world my weight goes up and down if I am doing everything right. I received a variety of answers from: 1200 calories a day is putting my body into starvation mode and clinging to the fat resources TO muscle weighs more than fat TO add more calories TO you're retaining water TO you're taking in too much sodium TO exercise more and so on. All I knew is that I watched my weight bounce up and down on the scale and it depressed me. I wanted to be that person who stepped on the scale and saw a big weight loss, certainly not a weight gain. My measurements have been all over the place as well, my hips and waist seem to be the only spots that are losing inches (which is great of course) while my thighs and arms vary from week to week. I'm not sure if this is the whole "muscle vs fat" argument or not. I haven't stuck to the program 100% as there was a day or two last week where I skipped the afternoon snack because I was out running errands and didn't want to keep something perishable in my car in the summer heat. Also, my husband took me out for dinner on Saturday night for a pre-birthday celebration. Dinner was prime rib. PRIME RIB. I was good though, I cut off all the fat, didn't eat much of the baked potato and ate all of the broccoli. The funny thing is that I think my body is definitely getting used to the smaller portion sizes as I felt full a lot quicker and made myself stop eating...which isn't something I would've done before. And thank goodness for Nutrisystem members. I had asked about how to curb chocolate cravings and got some great answers from fellow members on the boards. Who knew that sugar-free Jello with fat-free whipped cream would only be 15 calories and no fat!? It's great to know I'm not alone in this and can get support and help from others on the program as well. My reality check is that I don't have a personal trainer, dropping an enormous amount of weight so quickly is unhealthy and that less calories doesn't mean more weight lost. So no, Nutrisystem is not The Biggest Loser, but despite my battle with the scale, I know that the program is helping me to lose weight and inches in a healthy way that, in the end, will help me to keep it off. My week 3 weight loss was a 1/2 pound bringing me to 169.5.  For inches, I lost a half inch on my arms and waist each, my thighs remained the same while my hips and chest appeared to gain in inches. So in 3 weeks, I've lost 4 pounds and 5 inches. Which is why I have to keep reminding myself that losing 1-2 pounds a week is totally normal and I am right on track. When you began Nutrisystem or your diet plan, what reality check did you have a few weeks in? Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+

"If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you." - Fred Devito

This week has been a tough one for me. I've struggled in week two with stress, anxiety and wicked cravings for chocolate. All women know "that week" once a month where we become an emotional mess, which always leads me down the path of feeling depressed about how I look and burying those feelings in ice cream and cake. But not this time. This time I simply...struggled. I didn't give into the cravings, which essentially made me feel like I was crawling out of my skin. Throw in my youngest son being diagnosed with Lyme Disease and my ex-MIL passing away, and it was a week frought with stress. I can feel that my size large shirts are becoming looser. But I beat myself up looking at the scale. Like it's taunting me. My weight fluctuated all week long. At first I had lost 2.5 pounds this week on Nutrisystem, only to end up gaining it back (even though I continued to eat the way I should.) Thank goodness for friends like Teri from Beautiful Makeup Search, who is also on the Nutrisystem weight loss program. I would email her about my struggles, about how I was putting myself to bed early just to avoid raiding the refrigerator, etc. That's also how I discovered that my shipment had come with an old Daily Planner that showed that a Nutrisystem dessert was to be eaten as an afternoon and evening snack. She directed me to the awesome app Nutrisystem has (free) and that not only showed that a SmartCarb should be eaten for the afternoon snack, but how many calories I'm taking in per day, a list of grocery items that fit into PowerFuel and SmartCarb, as well as logging my exercise, weight, measurements, etc. The app is super helpful! I'm glad I toughed it out through the cravings, but it definitely showed me that anxiety and stress play a major factor in my comfort food snacking. I would definitely love to hear your suggestions on how to make it through this without going crazy. So in week two, no weight was lost, however when logging my measurements into the Nutrisystem app this morning I realized that I have lost 8 inches since I started. While I know I should be thrilled, I'm still disappointed not seeing the pounds drop off when I am eating a much lower calorie count, exercising and eating healthier than ever before. What have your weight loss challenges been so far and how have you overcome them? Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+ *Disclosure: Sponsored

Nothing is more exciting than watching the weight come off. Even better is knowing that your weight loss is as a result of committing to a healthier lifestyle. Today is check-in day for me. I started Nutrisystem one week ago with the goal of losing 43 pounds. I'll tell you at the end of this post how much weight I lost (the suspense!) What I really want to do is share some tips for those thinking of also starting Nutrisystem (or similar weight loss program.) Don't Run Away From Your Favorites I absolutely know that whether I am on Nutrisystem or off it, chocolate and frozen treats will always be a part of my life. So trying to avoid it would be futile and would most likely cause me to cheat, which I don't want to do. When writing out my meals in my Daily Planner, I make sure to include a Nutrisystem chocolate dessert for my afternoon snack. Typically I'd indulge in some sort of chocolateness around 2:30 everyday, so it only made sense to continue this, but replace the fatty high calorie version with Nutrisystem's perfectly portioned snacks. Some initial favorites are the Peppermint Cookie, and Thin Mint Crisp Bar. You may also remember that I mentioned eating ice cream religiously every night. I still can (and do) with the Fudge Bar, Ice Cream Sandwich and even the Red Velvet Whoopie Pie (which comes frozen.) All are to die for. Speaking of 2:30 chocolate snack, something I found this week is that by eating the right foods throughout the day helps me maintain a consistent energy and avoid that afternoon slump (which is probably why I would typically eat chocolate to get my blood sugar racing again.) Surprisingly, I never ran out of energy at all this past week. Plan the Food in Your Meals as You Normally Would It's easy to look at the list of Power Fuels and Smart Carbs Nutrisystem lists in the Daily Planner and randomly assign them to your meals. If it seems like an odd match now, it just won't flow when you're off the program. So I chose to make those items fit into the ideal meal. For example, for lunch one day I had the Chicken & Cheese Quesadilla knowing I needed a smart carb and power fuel to go along with it...and squeeze in a serving of veggies. So I sliced up some yellow peppers to eat and also diced some of the slices to add into the quesadilla, added a small amount of lowfat vanilla yogurt and a side of pineapple and papaya to offset the spicy with sweet. The same went for dinner one night when I had the Ginger Cashew Chicken. I chose to pair it with Soy Nuts mixed into the rice and a slice of pita bread. If the complete meal makes sense, it becomes easier to create the correct food pairings that are healthy. Be Ready for Stomach Issues If this is TMI for you, skip to the end, but it's worth the warning. If you are transitioning from being a junk food junkie (me) to a diet high in fiber, be ready for your digestive system to curse you (but then gently tell it that it'll all be worth it in the end.) By day 2, I realized pretty quickly I needed to aid my stomach a bit and quickly acquired Beano. I also plan to take Acidophilus, which you can get at any drugstore, and it is a great probiotic to help with digestive health. Eat Your "Dine Out/Take Meals" When You Normally Would Friday night in my house is always take out night. Typically it would mean Burger King or Pizza. The same goes for Saturday nights when my kids are with their dad and my husband and I are here alone (our favorite is Chinese food.) So last Friday I ate the Italian Herb Flatbread Pizza and Saturday night was the Ginger Cashew Chicken. That way my family doesn't have to feel restricted to my change of diet and I don't have to feel like I'm missing out on my usual non-cooking nights. You Won't Like Everything and That's OK Just as there are foods I am not fond of no matter what (green beans) and I typically don't like overly-saucy meals (mainly those with red sauce), there will be meals from Nutrisystem that you just won't like. There's already a few I know I won't order again, but then there are others where I said out loud "How did I not ever eat this before?! It is SO good!" If you want a heads up, the Fettucini Alfredo is outstanding! And now for my 1-week weight loss: 3.5 pounds! So I started off at 173.5 and now I'm 170. I'm so excited to start this new week knowing that by the end I'll FINALLY be under 170! I hope you are learning along the way as I am! Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+ *Disclosure: Sponsored

Diet. It's truly an ugly word. To me, it means something that is short term. My goal when deciding to do the Nutrisystem weight loss program was to attain both short term and long term goals. In essence, a lifestyle change. This is my first week (I officially began on Monday July 29: You Had Me at Weight Loss Nutrisystem) and I can honestly say I've learned a lot so far. I'll give you my weigh in on Monday (and yes, only a few days and I've lost weight!) but for now I just wanted to share some things I have learned in just a few short days. Organization I've never been one for meal planning or even charting what I eat. When I received my first shipment of pantry and frozen meals I was overwhelmed. Not to mention, I still had to go shop for grocery items (veggies, fruit, etc.) The Daily Planner that Nutrisystem provides is a lifesaver. It helps me to breakdown (and plan in advance) what my meals each day will be, my smart carbs, power fuels, veggies, how often I'm drinking water and exercising. My household has 5 other people in it (my 4 boys and husband), so it was important to me (and my sanity) to plan my dinner meals along with what they'll be eating. I figure this will help me to feel normalized when eating. For example, I planned one night lasagna for me and lasagna for them, grilled chicken for me, grilled chicken for them. I believe this will help my mindset for when I've met my weight loss goal and resume non-Nutrisystem foods and allowing myself to realize I can eat small, healthy portions of what the rest of the family is eating. Knowing in advance what is considered a smart carb (fruit, berries, whole grain, etc.) and a power fuel (eggs, nut butters, nuts, lowfat yogurt, 1% milk, etc.) is also helpful when at the market. It really helped me to focus in on what I needed to buy and made me pay more attention to the produce aisle. Scheduling Along the lines of organization, learning a new way to live healthy also requires scheduling things! I work from home, so my schedule is fluid. In a typical day I would eat breakfast (typically a very large bowl of Kelloggs cereal) and then snack and snack until dinner time (and those snacks were anything but healthy...I'm looking at you chocolate.) Then around 9 or so, I would indulge in a bowl of ice cream (many times accompanied by a warm brownie/cookie/piece of cake.) On the Nutrisystem weight loss plan you have plenty of opportunities to eat (6 times a day!) and they have ice cream, muffins and other delicious goods to consume so that you're not craving them and go on a binge. I found that using the Daily Planner and scheduling in my meals, water consumption and exercise has helped me tremendously with time management and making sure I am eating the way I am truly supposed to. Smaller Portions, Eating More Often When people think diet, they automatically think about what is being taken away from them. That's why this is a lifestyle change not a diet. Nutrisystem has shown me in just a few short days that I can literally remain full all day by eating more often, just in smaller portion sizes. I honestly was nervous that I would be starving, but that hasn't been the case. Even to the point that it has been difficult to get in 4 servings of veggies per day because I am honestly too full to eat another bite! I'd love to hear from you if you are doing Nutrisystem or are trying to lose weight yourself. What are some things you are learning along the way? Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+ *Disclosure: Sponsored

When I was younger I would always say, "If I get to X weight, then I'll go on a diet." "X" would always vary based on what was going on at the time. I always had a cap weight though. 170 lbs. I'm only 5'1" and knew that this was too much weight for me. I recall with my 4th son I reached 170 during my pregnancy. I gave myself the excuse that I was pregnant and that it would go away once he was born..and some of it did, but not all of course. People would try to say nice things like, "Well you did have 4 kids, so of course you'll be out of shape and have some weight on." At some point full length mirrors disappeared from my house. One summer I took up walking around the lake in front of my house with my friend Barb. I loved having a friend to chat with (I hate doing things alone, I get super bored.) We walked religiously 6 nights a week, first just doing one time around (1 mile) and eventually we built it up to 2-3 laps a night. Before the summer was over, I had lost 25 pounds and looked and felt great. But then life got in the way, and being a single mom didn't warrant time for me to do anything for myself anymore. I maintained that lesser weight for a while and it was only in the last two years that I began to gain it back. And as of my wedding, I weighed in at 173 and my mind went back to that young girl who told herself 170 was way too much. I look at the pictures of myself and often refer to myself the way I felt that day: Porky Pig. I remember when I was about 20 and weighed 125 pounds that my doctor told me I was obese. She said that someone of my height should only be 100 pounds. So imagine my mindset at just being shy of 39 years old and 173 pounds. I feel like if that doctor saw me now she'd be having me scheduled for bariatric surgery. Over the years I've watched some of my blogger friends try Nutrisystem (#NSnation) and successfully lose the weight (and keep it off.) Of course, there are the ones that struggled too (and that's OK, we all struggle at some point.) I'm most inspired by my friend Nancy of Beauty411 who lost 100 pounds on Nutrisystem. She has been in maintenance mode for a while now and is a great resource. What is odd to me is that I am a size 10 still in my jeans and a size 12 in dresses. Most of my weight is in my chest...but I've always been big busted, and in my stomach. OK, and maybe my butt too. Yet, even when I weighed 125 I was a size 10, so I'm confused how my weight can vary so much yet still be the same clothing size. I know that realistically there is no way I could get myself to 100 pounds and maintain it. And quite honestly, I think that would look just as unhealthy as 173. So I've set a realistic goal for me of 130. And even 43 pounds sounds overwhelming to me, but I'm motivated to learn to eat healthy and incorporate more exercise into my life. I also want to be happy with what I look like, and I am oh so unhappy right now. I don't look at Nutrisystem as a diet though, but more like helping me to understand (and stick to) portion control. Let's be honest here, those words haven't been in my vocabulary up to this point. My husband mentioned putting a full length mirror on the back of the door in the bedroom and I cringed...but I'm hoping at some point to be ready to say OK. So I hope you'll follow my weight loss journey over the next couple of months; I'll be starting in the next week once my shipment arrives and will be posting weekly about my progress. I hope you'll leave me encouraging comments here or on Facebook, and tweet me @agirlsgottaspa. I'll need all of the positivity I can get! Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+ *Disclosure: Sponsored