I’ve been overweight pretty much since puberty. I maintained a healthy weight through high school, but it wasn’t without effort. After graduation, the weight started to pile on rapidly. I remember a doctor appointment in my early 20’s where my doctor compared my weight from the previous year and told me it simply wasn’t possible that I gained as much as I did as fast as I did and made me re-weigh (the weight was correct the first time).
I put on weight FAST. I take off weight SLOW. I’ve also always had a pretty low self esteem, so the combination of slow weight loss and quick weight gain left me feeling uninspired and inevitably any weight loss effort was quickly squashed by the negative, “I just can’t do it” thoughts in my head.
I’ve tried just about everything with minimal results:
- Low Carb
- Low Cal
- Low Fat
- Atkins
- South Beach
- Weight Watchers
- etc.
all with varying degrees of success, but none of them stuck long term. With my weight reaching an all time high, I began to feel like I was being very hypocritical preaching a frugal lifestyle, when I myself was neglecting the most important part of maintaining a frugal lifestyle: good health.
Good Health is Essential to a Frugal Lifestyle
You see, you can clip coupons until the cows come home and buy all your clothes at a thrift store…but if you are overweight, you will never be saving as much money as you could.
When you are overweight, so many things are naturally more expensive:
- clothing
- healthcare
- food (even if you do eat healthy, you eat more)
- obesity related medications
There have also been studies that show that overweight people overall earn less then their thinner peers. Being overweight is holding my family back from important goals, whether I want to admit that to myself or not.
My motto has always been that you save where you can so you can spend where you want, so I decided that it’s time to invest in my health. I started looking at different diets to see what kind of lifestyle would help support my busy lifestyle as a working mom, yet provide the nutrition and structure that I so desperately need to start to lose this weight and become healthier.
Will Nutrisystem Work For Me?
During this time, I started following a certain hashtag on Twitter (a hashtag is just the # sign and a word that helps you keep up with specific conversation since Twitter moves so fast!).
The hashtag was #NSNation and it was filled with bloggers participating in the Nutrisystem blogging program.
At first, I was just a bit jealous (as us blogger’s often are! Some blogger’s get some seriously cool stuff) because how cool was that?! These bloggers were having their weight loss sponsored like they were celebrities or something! However, after awhile I started to notice that not only were these bloggers really losing weight…they seemed excited about it! I’d see a blogger lose 5, 10, 15, 20 lbs and my jaw would drop.
You see, when I was younger, I remember family members going on Nutrisystem and I remember going to the centers. I remember them not really being too successful, but I also remember them cheating…a lot.
I decided that Nutrisystem would work if I worked it. Obviously it was effective because it was helpful in aiding so many others in the battle of the bulge.
I Need Your Support
I need your support though. I’ve tried to do weight loss on my own. I’ve even tried to do it on the side, blogging on a different domain. I need more accountability then that. My Family Friendly Frugality readers have been amazing through these past 8 1/2 months, and I know that my readers want to see me succeed. Just like I want all of you to succeed with your goals for frugal living, I know you’ll encourage and support me on my path to provide a better example. Not just a better example for my readers (referring to me feeling like a hypocrite), but a better example to my family (specifically my children).
Healthful living is frugal living, so I’m going to invest in my health. I’ll be doing the Nutrisystem program for at least the next 4 months and I hope you’ll support me on this journey. My goal is big and it’s daunting:
I want to lose 100 lbs.
But I know, with the support of my family, my readers and my God…that I will do it this time.
If I’m putting it out there for all to see, don’t I have to succeed? ;)
Luckily, my husband will be on this journey with me! Colin doesn’t have near as much to lose. He would like to lose about 30 lbs or so. I’m not sure I could radically change my lifestyle in this way without his support though. So be sure to wish him luck as well!
What Does This Mean for the Blog?
Things will still proceed as normal around here. Only every Friday (including tomorrow), I’ll be posting a weight loss update. If I don’t post a weight loss update? I expect emails on top of emails on top of emails in my inbox asking me what’s going on!
Be sure to check out the other NSNation bloggers, and lend them some support too!: Shibley Smiles, This Mama Loves Her Bargains, Living on Love and Cents, Our Kids Mom, Dealicious Mom, Thanks, Mail Carrier, Sippy Cup Mom, Shining 2 Save, Closer to Lucy, and The Life of Rylie…and Bryce too.
Disclaimer: Nutrisystem has provided me this program free of charge to participate in Nutrisystem Nation. Opinions are my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. Read my disclosure policy for more details.
Are you interested in investing in your health with Nutrisystem? Join today by calling tel:1-888-853-4689 or by visiting Nutrisystem.
Good for you, you sound determined! I have been thinking for at least a month about going on a weight loss journey and blogging about it for the accountability and support, but haven’t yet found the encouragement.
I hope that the NutriSystem works for you! I think you had it right when you said that with God, self determination, and support you can do it!! I will be here every Friday following your journey, I am already following you on GFC, but am going to get your feed in a reader too so I don’t miss anything!
Katrina
Thank you so much Katrina! I really appreciate your support. Honestly, I have to admit I’m required to blog about the nutrisystem journey. Which is why I think I’ll be so successful this time. I’m not so great at commitments to myself, but I stick to my commitments to others like glue!
Heather, if you follow Nutrisystem the way you blog (with such determination and flair!) You will be losing lots and lots of weight! You inspire me very much in your journey! Do you have any info on how to do Nutrisystem as a blogger? I would love any info you could give me…I could stand to lose a pound, or two, or 40 lol. Thanks for all your hard work!
You are so sweet Annette. I am actually a pretty determined person, I just let my weight get the best of me. No longer though!
Annette, I am not sure if they are still accepting new bloggers. It took me a few months to be accepted. You can find Meredith on Twitter though: http://twitter.com/#!/NutriPRMeredith
This post is amazing, Heather, and it really shows the true reasoning for taking care of yourself and losing weight. I can’t wait to follow along with you and Colin because I know you’re going to love Nutrisystem!
Thanks Xenia! So far so good. I’ve had a breakfast burrito and the margarita pizza today and they were both AMAZING. Love it!
Heather, wow, that must have been hard for you to come and out state your goal. I am proud of you. I understand where you are coming from. Sometimes I feel like I am not putting out the best picture to represent my lifestyle. I too would like to lose 100 lbs. I seem to fall in the same category as you. I lose slowly and gain quickly. I have put on 20lbs since this time last year. I applaud you for going on this journey and sharing it with us. Maybe sometime in the near future I will be willing to share with others. In fact I think that time will be around the corner.
Thanks Lisa! I’m hoping putting this all out there will help me stay more accountable. Hearing that others are supportive really helps big time! I can’t tell you how much your comment means to me!
I will be following this. Ive been trying to lose weight for 2 years now and I cant seem to keep the weight off or it comes off very slowly and I get discouraged. I put weight on fast also just like you. I might even join the nutrisystem and lose weight along side with you once I see how it works. Ive never known anyone to use this one before.
I just had my lunch and it was awesome! So far this seems very maintainable. I’m excited for my dessert tonight! LOL
Yay!! – I’m starting NSNation at the end of may! would love to see your progress so I know what to expect :)
Awesome! Be sure to let me know when you start so I can support you too!
Good for you, Heather! Awesome blog post! You have a gift for writing and I agree with all the other posters…go after this like you’ve gone after everything else! :) Time to take care of yourself now…which most mothers don’t do often enough…we put ourselves last on the totem pole!
Awww, thank you Dawn! I really appreciate your kind words. I am so guilty of putting myself on the bottom of the totem pole. I know my whole family will benefit from me treating myself better though!
Oh my goodness, you sound so much like me..I can gain weight really quickly…I’m also able to lose it pretty quickly, but we all know that kind of yo-yo behavior isn’t healthy. If you have time, check out SparkPeople.com…I kind of got away from logging in there daily and ended up gaining a lot of weight back…boo!! But now I’m back in the swing of it…just got back from Kroger, buying only healthy food (and still managed to save 47% with coupons and Kroger card…so you can be frugal and eat healthy). Just think about how much progress we can make in 4 months! I’m looking forward to hearing all about your success!!
Thank you Patti! I have done spark people in the past and enjoyed it. Good luck with your weight loss!
I wish I could still lose weight really quickly. Pre babies I could!
Good Luck Heather! I will be following and encouraging you. I’m glad Colin is in it with you. :)
Thank you Katie! You have seen me go through a LOT of weight loss attempts, so I appreciate you supporting me!
This is your time!!! How wonderful that you’re being sponsored and since we’re all watching and cheering you on, you’re bound for success!!! Your priorities are in order and your determined!! Can’t wait to see the pounds melting away each Friday!!!
Aww, you made me tear up just a bit Sheila! LOVE all this support! Thank you all so much!
What a great post! I know you can do this Heather, and we will all be here cheering you on! If you ever want to talk, vent, etc, you know I’m here for you. I can’t wait to see that ticker start moving!
Thank you LeeAnn! I so appreciate the support and encouragement! You are always such a great friend :)
Good for you, to make such a life changing decision – as someone who has lost and kept off 110 pounds for a year now it is pure hard work, but it can be done, and I personally am a whole new woman for it! Good luck with it all, and I look forward to reading about your goals, and trials with it. The biggest things for me honestly were all the little things i have done, like parking as far away as I can from everything like the grociery store, still do this, and my kids love the walk. Anyway, I can go on forever, but this is your story, not mine, good luck with it all!
Tracy, that’s amazing. I’d love to hear more! 110 lbs is fantastic. How long did it take you to lose?
I’m here for you Heather. I started Nutrisystem Nation a few weeks ago. At me week 2 weigh in, I was 8.8 pounds lighter. Like you, I have a lot to lose. 120 pounds to be exact (well, now more like 112).
The cool thing is, doing this on my blog has made me feel accountable more than I ever have on a diet. And I have Meredith to be mad at me if I don’t try. I have all of my faithful readers who are tracking my progress. For me, that helps a LOT. And I think that’ll help you too. So, I’m gonna subscribe to your feed and keep an eye on you. And, maybe, you’ll do the same for me.
Awesome Trisha! I will definitely follow along with you as well!
The accountability is definitely going to be the big edge this time, also my husband doing the program with me. I have so much support that I simply can’t fail!
Wishing you lots of luck! I haven’t done nutrisystem because of the price, but my mother had a lot of success with it. You might motivate me…
It does initially seem pricey. However, when I try to eat healthy on my own…I probably spend about the same. I need to sit down and do a price breakdown soon on how it all works out.
Regardless, save more so you can spend where you want…Invest in your health!
Heather I am so proud of you for doing this….and doing it so publicly! I am totally rooting you on! I’ve been trying to lose about 40 pounds and have so far lost 15….but I have to admit I’m not really doing it the way I should be…..I’m hopefully now on the right track and can continue on to my goal! Looking forward to your updates and your ticker moving in the right direction! Love ya lots my friend :)
Wishing you all the best, Heather. I hope this is the answer you are looking for and you have success in your goal. Rooting for you!