Am I The Biggest Loser?

As I continue from last week’s article that included Nutrisystem and Nu-Kitchen, I have just completed a flank steak with string beans and coconut rice dinner from Nu-Kitchen. In case you missed it, this company delivers fresh meals each day. The meals from Nu-Kitchen have been quite tasty and easy enough to reheat…except for the salads or if I desire my dessert cold.

One of my biggest problems in regards to eating at home is that I tend to make a larger portion than my body requires. It’s about boredom, sadness, happiness…a reason to eat. With food tasting as good as it does, my taste buds, vs my stomach, wants more. My own meals are cooked “from scratch” and resort to frozen fruits and vegetables when needed. My breakfast, when having dry cereal is one from Nature’s Path, organic and with lots of fiber. There is no way that I can consume milk that is lower than 1% fat. Tuna fish from a can? Have you ever really looked at the ingredients of “tuna in water”? I have found a few brands that are just that.

I have been watching “The Biggest Loser” and for the life of me cannot understand how people that weigh much more than I do can run. Athletes, yes…but not these people. I have a treadmill at home that I will be utilizing (No, I have never used it to hang clothing) it. Cutting down on portion sizes and calories may assist in weight loss, but there apparently has to be more exercise in my life than going up and down the stairs to pee (My bathroom is not on the same floor that I hang out on). I also have this thing about not hanging onto at least one handle of the treadmill for fear that I’ll automatically walk backwards and fall. And so, I will commit myself (No, not to a sanitarium) to walking 30 minutes each day…unless I’m walking 30 minutes outside.

Well, here I am with Nu-Kitchen as I began last Wednesday with breakfast consisting of a blueberry muffin, fresh berry jam and yogurt. Lunch got me a grilled chicken salad, chocolate chip cookie for dessert (which I had with a glass of milk), dinner sporting a Moroccan grilled lamb chop with honey and almond and my snack of a Mizuna salad with jicima, carrots and sesame vinaigrette. I made an effort to down lots of water and four cups of rooibos tea.

One of the issues I have with both Nu-Kitchen and Nutrisystem (as with most meal plans that you do not cook yourself) is the reheating as I do not have a microwave or toaster oven. I certainly do not want to heat up the oven that came with the stove. For a while I was reheating in a pan until yesterday when I decided to take out my NuWave oven (another Nu). I can’t begin to tell you how sooooooo much better this gadget is!!

Unless you make a special request, Nu-Kitchen meals are not delivered on the weekends. Having samples of Nutrisystem’s meals, Saturday’s fare was of the packaged ilk while Sunday’s was from the frozen. Saturday’s lineup? Frosted Cereal for breakfast of which I added frozen blueberries and milk. Ham and bean soup was my lunch. Meatballs and Rotini in a tomato sauce was dinner, adding a cup of asparagus. I chose a brownie as my dessert.
I began with a glass of V-8 juice with Sunday’s breakfast of a turkey and egg salad sandwich. Lunch choice was a chicken fajita melt that I added asparagus and artichoke hearts to (artichokes were frozen and plain). Not wanting to eat too much wheat, I had cooked up some brown rice as a substitute for any bread. Peach crisp and a glass of milk was my dessert.

My concern about the food is the additives and preservatives. I called the company to speak with both a counselor and dietician. All are approved and am told that it doesn’t mount to a great deal. Considering those who eat frozen meals and other foods with this stuff, I don’t think it will affect me.

Nu-Kitchen allows you to choose your meals from a list of what is offered that week. Nutrisystem does the same for a 28-day plan. I asked the counselor to email me a list of those meals that contain a sugar alcohol, which can sometimes bother my tummy. I also asked for a list of those that contain garlic, as my poor tummy does not do well on what I believe to be powered vs fresh garlic. Products that did not contain wheat were also requested.

Next. Nutrisystem has a plan for men and women. The packaged or frozen meals are not of a higher or lower calorie count, nor quantity of food for either. You have to add food to Nutrisystem’s daily plan that includes vegetables, greens, milk, and even protein. Thus a snack may be a salad of greens and vegetables with 2 ounces of tuna. The men’s plan adds more carbohydrates and an extra dessert.

I went back to Nu-Kitchen until Wednesday. The packet for the Nutrisystem’s Women’s Plan arrived with a guide, meal planner to write a daily log and a DVD called Woman’s Walk...”the fun way to walk away the extra weight…at home!”

I’m not going to say that I loved everything I ate so far. I’m out to be the biggest loser and do not want to resort to pills, shakes or going to the gym for that matter. Thursday, the 29th, I will be interviewing a woman who has lost much weight using Nutrisystem on my radio show, Whirl With Merle on www.blogtalkradio.com . Jackson Hole, WY will be the travel topic and NY Sharks owner Andra Douglas will chat about the IWFL partnering with USA Football.