I’m excited to announce that I’ve been invited to join the Nutrisystem Nation Blogger Program and will sharing my journey on the program with all of you each week for the next 4 months. Each week I’ll post updates on how Nutrisystem is working for me and what I think of the foods and the system itself. My food and info packet is on its way and I can’t wait to get started!
You’ve heard me talk about healthy nutrition on the Ask MomRN Show many, many times. We’ve had countless experts, authors, and chefs on the show sharing advice and recipes for helping you feed your family a healthy, well-balanced diet. The reality is, even though we know better, many of us (including me) have not been eating as healthy a diet as we should and it shows.
Like many moms, my weight struggles began after having children. Before my pregnancies, I never had any problem keeping my weight in check and staying active. After having two children, that all changed. It doesn’t help that as we age, our metabolism tends to slow down too, making it easier to gain weight and harder to lose it. Add in the fact that due to the nature of my job, I am in front of a computer for hours at a time and not as active as I should be, well, you get the picture. It all has added up to excess weight. Throw in some grief and depression after losing my stepfather to colon cancer and losing several other loved ones and friends to various illnesses in the last few years and you’ve got a woman who hasn’t been taking very good care of herself. I know I talk a lot about taking care of yourself first so you can take care of your family and I truly believe that. Somewhere along the way, I stopped following my own advice and now it is time for that to change. It is time for a LOT of things to change – my weight being one of them. The last thing I want anyone to think is that I’m a hypocrite, and yet, that is how I’ve been feeling lately. I’m in tears as I write this, because you all mean so much to me and I feel as though by not taking care of myself, I’m not doing right by everyone else. And for that, I deeply apologize.
So why did I chose to join the Nutrisystem Nation to help me lose weight and get healthy, instead of just changing what I eat and working out more? Good question! It actually started about 3 years ago, when my wonderful mother-in-law joined another weight loss food program. She needed to lose at least 50 pounds and had been overweight for many years. Over the course of a year, she lost over 50 pounds and felt and looked great, plus, as you can imagine, it had a very positive impact on her over-all health. She loved the program and especially the support and encouragement she got from her assigned counselor. I was so excited for her and proud of her and wanted desperately to join that program too. But unfortunately, we didn’t have the budget for me to do that. So I watched my portion sizes, ate healthier, worked out more, and I did lose about 25 pounds on my own. At this time two years ago, I had been losing weight and was feeling better overall and was well on my way to my goal weight. Then my stepdad’s cancer returned and he was going downhill fast. He passed away in January of last year and even though I’d tried to prepare myself for the grief, I don’t think you can ever really be ready for it. The grief, along with many other major stressors, became overwhelming and depression led to eating for comfort and becoming sedentary. So, of course, I gained back the weight I’d worked so hard to lose. Knowing that I must lose this weight to improve my health, I had prayed for assistance and accountability.
A few months ago, my prayers were answered. I was watching Anderson Cooper’s new daytime talk show, Anderson, and Janet Jackson was his guest. She talked about her own weight struggles that she has dealt with most of her life. She recently lost a lot of excess weight using Nutrisystem’s program and she looks great and more importantly, she says she feels great and is overall healthier. While talking about the foods offered by Nutrisystem, Janet introduced Chef Andre Carthen because he has helped create some of the recipes and meals being offered by Nutrisystem. I was excited to see Chef Andre because he was a wonderful guest on the Ask MomRN Show about 3 years ago, along with Kathy Ireland. If you heard that interview, you might remember that Chef Andre works with Kathy and had contributed to her book, Real Solutions for Busy Moms. We had talked on the show and we’ve had several conversations online so it was great to see him on Anderson. After the Anderson episode ended, I tweeted Chef Andre and told him what a great job he did and asked him if he thought I should contact Nutrisystem to see if they would work with me. He encouraged me to contact them and to “Get on it!” and because of our conversation, Nutrisystem contacted me on Twitter and invited me to join their blogger program. A BIG THANK YOU to Chef Andre for his encouragement!!!
It is often said that people don’t change unless they want to change and they undertake that change for themselves first and foremost. However, I do think others can be a huge source of help and motivation in making a lifestyle change. Being held accountable to other people will help me keep on track and motivated and that is one of the biggest reasons I’ve chosen to join the Nutrisystem Nation Blogger Program. The food is portion-controlled and already prepared so that makes eating right easier but I think the support and accountability is what will be the most beneficial aspect of the program for me.
As I go through this journey, I’d be incredibly grateful for any encouragement and support along the way. It is my great pleasure to encourage and support all of you through the information and advice provided on MomRN and on Ask MomRN Show and through emails and social media. I love hearing from you and helping you! Today, I humbly ask for your help. Please check out my updates each week and help keep me accountable. I promise to do my very best not to let myself or any of you down as I work to get healthier. And I’m ready and excited for the positive changes that are going to happen during this journey and beyond!
Thanks in advance!
Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog today!
FTC Disclosure: I was selected to participate in the Nutrisystem Nation Blogger Program which includes receiving meals, support, and program materials related to the Women’s Nutrisystem Success program in exchange for my honest reviews and opinions about the program through blog posts, videos, and social media posts. I have received no compensation and am under no obligation to provide favorable reviews. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Hi there, I’m Charlene and I”m a NS blogger too
Please don’t feel like a hypocrite…as mothers we are all guilty of putting our families first and ourselves last, it just happens. I wish you lots of luck on your journey and look forward to reading more about it!! You’re going to love it!
Thanks, Charlene, for your kind words! I’m excited about being an NS blogger and glad to meet you! How long have you been blogging for NS?
I’m just beginning my 4th month. My goal is to lose 60 pounds, so far I’ve lost 16 pounds and 15 inches. It’s a slow process, but it’s worth it.
That’s awesome and inspiring, Charlene! Congratulations!