Everything You Need to Know About the Nutrisystem 7 in 7 Plan (a.k.a. Week 1), and My Results!
Ok, so if you are coming off of the holidays and starting the new year after parties, big meals out, sweets, cocktails and late nights, brace yourself. The Nutrisystem 7 In 7 will be a major departure from overindulging, which was just what I needed to feel like I would see some results early on. I have made it through my first seven days on Nutrisystem, and the results are in! I’m sure you are wondering what it was like, so read on for the details.
First, I did have to buy all of the fresh foods I was going to need while on the 7 In 7 week. I spent about $35.00 on the items shown below. The Nutrisystem 7 In 7 plan has a recipe booklet that you can download, so I bought everything I would need to make some of them. I also got my go-to veggies that I always reach for like carrots and frozen green beans. You can see below that there were also mini cucumbers, canned tomatoes, apples, bananas and riced cauliflower. It’s always easier to stick to an eating plan when it includes food I already know I love!
Once I had everything I needed to dive into the week, I took a look at the provided example of what to have each day. And let me tell you, after the stretch of weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, the 7 In 7 week was a little bit of a shock! After going out to eat and celebrating with abandon, I was going to have to tap into some dormant discipline to make it through the week with far smaller portions. I knew it would be worth it, though.
I was eating roughly every two hours this week, but was definitely feeling hungry here and there in between. I’ll post my entire food journal for the week below so you can see what each day looked like. As the week went on, it definitely got easier because I started to feel GREAT. Incorporating all the fresh food I had with the smaller meal portions gave me the awareness that I was giving my body what it needed, and I was already feeling lighter than I had in weeks. I had been overdoing it so much during the holidays that this was a very welcome shift. I also added in an easy 30-35 minute walk each morning which got my days off to a wonderful start.
I’m sure you are wondering how the food tasted, and I can tell you that there was not a single think I did not like. However, whenever you start ANY kind of plan to help with weight loss, it is important to manage expectations. If you are a gourmet chef, or used to eating fancy meals in restaurants several times a week, the Nutrisystem meals may seem much simpler than what you are used to. For me, I actually like it and I was surprised that I was not craving other things (that may have been due to really working on having a determined mindset this time around). In a previous post, I wrote about the ProSync shakes and bars, which are tasty and have a solid dose of protein. My favorite meals this week were the Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, which was creamy, savory, and comforting during this freezing cold winter week. The chicken was very tender and there was a lot of it. I paired it with green beans and a flavored seltzer water, and it made for a yummy, satisfying dinner! One of my other favorites was the Margherita Pizza, which was a favorite of mine when I did Nutrisystem before about 5 years ago. It’s a thin crust pizza with cheese, diced tomatoes and basil. I started this one off in the microwave and finished cooking it in the toaster oven and it was a crispy, familiar meal for dinnertime. Size-wise though, it’s about the size of one slice of pizza you would get at a restaurant. I don’t know about you, but when I go out for pizza, I never have just one slice! That’s what Nutrisystem is about though- learning what an appropriate portion is and how to round out your meals with healthy sides like a salad or other vegetables.
For snacks, I had a Chocolatey Pretzel Bar which was something from Nutrisystem I had never had before. I’m happy to say it is a new favorite! Normally, I do not reach for things that mix salty and sweet, but this pretzel bar was crunchy, chocolaty and I did not feel that there was an overwhelming salty pretzel taste with it. The other snacks I had this week were White Cheddar Popcorn, a Chocolate Chunk Cookie, a Peanut Butter Cookie, Chocolate Flavored Pretzels, and Cheese Puffs. Honestly, I would eat any of them again because they allowed me to have a small indulgence every afternoon to keep me satisfied between meals.
This week was definitely NOT about deprivation. While I definitely felt hungry at times, I could eat vegetables like Cucumber Salad, Fire-Roasted Tomato Soup, Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice, Pico de Gallo and of course fresh carrots whenever I wanted. I did go out to dinner with my mom one night, but was determined to order something light. I had tortilla soup with part of a Southwest salad that we shared. By my account, I think I was eating between 1100-1200 calories each day. When all was said and done, I wound up dropping 4.4 pounds this week. Now, for the rest of the time I follow Nutrisystem, each day will include more calories by adding SmartCarbs, PowerFuels, FlexMeals, free foods and more! I feel like I am off to a good start, and if I stay within the guidelines given by Nutrisystem aiming to lose 1-2 pounds each additional week, by the end of my three months following the plan I should be reaching my goal with ease. Now get out there and make it a great day!
