Hi all! Thought I'd introduce myself. If you have questions about Nutrisystem...I'm an alum.

[mnhtnbb]

I've been around on DU for some years...but dropped off after the 08 election.
Recently, I've been participating a little more and just found this group today.

My weight problems started after surgical menopause when I was 43--and I'm now 61.
I had never had a weight problem prior to that--lost the pregnancy weight after
each son was born. I had tried Scarsdale, SlimFast, Atkins, South Beach, and
was just getting into Nutrisystem (NS) in 2007 when my house burned down.
The next couple years were so stressful, I gained back the 15 lbs I'd lost--and more--
until I was tipping the scales in the low 180's on a 5'3" frame.

In August 2010 I started NS again, and reached my goal weight of 138 on May 19, 2011.
I've been maintaining since then--going back to NS meal stats (calories/protein/fat/carbs)
whenever I gain more than a couple of lbs.

I joined a discussion group on the NS boards and found it extremely helpful in learning
how to work the NS system, pick up recipe tips for 'flexing' and maintenance. It was
also fun and I made friends with some people chatting on-line every day. Many of the folks
(99% women in a 50+ year old forum) credit participating in the forum with giving them
the motivation to stick with the program and get to their goal weight and learn how to change
their eating habits so they could maintain the weight loss.

That's the challenge: I'm sure most people here are familiar with the high recidivism
rate for those who lose weight only to gain it back. Changing eating habits for the rest
of our lives is the challenge.

If anyone has questions about NS, I'd be happy to try to answer them. I can tell you
that it works and it's easy in the weight loss mode. You do have to learn, along the way,
portion control and what constitutes an NS equivalent meal when cooking on your own
for maintenance. The NS website provides a lot of resources in that regard.

I look forward to getting to know everyone!

[rox63]

1. I lost 80 pounds on NS a few years back, but ended up gaining it all back

Last edited Fri Jul 13, 2012, 04:53 PM - Edit history (1)

I couldn't afford to stay on NS any longer. I tried doing it on my own. But I was entering a very stressful time in my life, and I ended up going back to food as my abused substance of choice. I gained the weight back over the 2 years that followed. I'm glad it's worked out well for you over the long term.

After a lifetime of yo-yo dieting, and the impending health problems that come with middle-age, I went ahead and had bariatric surgery (lap band) about a month ago, and I am doing well so far.

[mnhtnbb]

2. Glad to hear you are doing well. Changing how we nourish our bodies is very difficult and

as you say, often food is about something other than physical nourishment.

My SIL is extremely overweight--probably at least 125 or more lbs--and has thought about lap band surgery.
I'm curious whether your surgeon advised any kind of counseling prior to the surgery--or afterwards.

[rox63]

3. I had to go through several months of meetings with specialists before I could get approved

I don't want to hijack your thread with my own story, which is documented in a couple of other threads. I know that many of the reasons I overate are emotional/psychological. Because of that, a diet or food plan alone would not work for me. I'm very happy for those who can find success with NS or other plans.

[auntAgonist]

4. welcome to our little group mnhtnbb.

I hope you find our combined knowledge helpful and at times entertaining.



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