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NutriSystem Day 14: More Energy, Fewer Pounds

Joe feels good and is losing weight; some dishes better than others

By Joseph S. Enoch
ConsumerAffairs.com

October 11, 2007

Nutrisystem • NutriSystem Leaves a Bad Taste in Many Mouths • Consumer Complaints --- 28 Days of Nutrisystem • Day 28: Mission Accomplished • Day 26: Hold the Eggs • Day 21: Tired, Hungry, Not Much Lighter • Day 14: More Energy, Fewer Pounds • Day 11: Logistics Prove Difficult • Day 5: Cardboard Soup • Day 1: A Brave Beginning --- • Weight Loss News

As much as being on the NutriSystem diet has been a sacrifice, I am beginning to appreciate some aspects of it.

I visited with ConsumerAffairs.com's medical reporter, Dr. Henry Fishman, this afternoon and weighed in. I've dropped eight pounds to 180 – four pounds less than I was when I weighed myself on Monday.

While I've not only lost a significant amount of weight in two weeks, I also feel as good if not better than I did before the diet.

Earlier this week, on day 11, I bickered about having so many tiny portions of so many types of food throughout the day. I still think it's a huge hassle, but I believe all the extra fruits, vegetables, healthy fats and protein content in my daily diet has given me a boost of energy. I have never had as balanced of diet in my life.

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Not only have I maintained a regular running regime of two or three times a week, I have been running more. Two days ago I ran almost three and a half miles without stopping. I was pretty ragged by the end of it, but that's about a mile longer than my typical run on 2500 calories or more per day. I've also been sleeping well and on a couple of occasions even woke up before my alarm.

I'm probably sounding like a bit of a salesman right now, but it does feel good having people comment that I look thinner. Some of my pants are beginning to loosen up as well.

My appetite has gradually become accustomed to the diet. While I'm still relishing the opportunity to gnaw at a juicy and tender center cut, I rarely have the dire hunger that nearly crippled me at the outset.

That's not to say my taste buds have grown accustomed. While most of the food is fair, there are still a few dishes that I would rather never even have to smell again.

Most notably was the Thai noodles with peanut sauce and tofu. When I pulled it out of microwave, it looked OK to eat. But when I poked the goopy “peanut sauce,” I wasn't sure I could place it in my mouth. When I finally took a bite, it felt like I had melted plastic in my mouth.

If there was some sort of correlating taste on Earth, I would share it, but I've never tasted anything like it and I hope I never do again. I love peanut sauce over Thai noodles at just about any Thai joint in town, but NutriSystem's attempt at it was horrendous. I took three bites before I decided to totally skip a dinner entree that night.

Goopy Thai noodles aside (or maybe as a result), I've lost so much weight I've nearly toppled my initial goal.

When I started the diet, I hoped to drop below 180 pounds. Seeing as how I'm only a pound away from that with two weeks left to go, I've decided to set a new goal. I now hope to lose another eight pounds and drop to 172 – my weight when I was in college.

Only time will tell if I can reach it, but one thing's for sure, if I run into many more meals like the Thai noodles, I stand a better chance.

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