mikemchargue.com

I've been on 3 diets in my life.  I originally porked up while Jenny was pregnant with Madison.  I joined WeightWatchers and lost it all--getting to the thinnest point of my adult life.  Then Jenny got pregnant with Macey and I porked up again.  I decided to try NutriSystem and got intense migraine headaches for my troubles.  NutriSystem did not work for me.

I'm fat again. After I lost 54 pounds via Weight Watchers after Madison was born, I managed to gain most of it back while Jenny was pregnant with Macey. I'm at 239 pounds now, and I was at 200 when Jenny got pregnant.

You'd think I was carrying the baby.

Anyway, I'm doing trying Nutrisystem this time. Weight Watchers was all well and good, but I don't know if I have the time or energy to plan my meals and measure my food with two kids and a very demanding job. Nutrisystem seems to be a bit easier since they just ship you food.

I'll admit that as I unpacked the crate containing one month's rations I began to lose hope. These are seriously small portions. I'm a lover of good food and I like to eat a lot of it. The entree containers were smaller than a side dish at a normal meal for me. Plus, you call an 800 number for "important information" before you start. This turns out to be a collection of testimonials that are supposed to help you believe you can change.

I think I'm an abnormal fat person. All the weight loss solutions seem to assume that you are unhappy with who you are and how you look. The spend a great deal on energy trying to help you love yourself and believe you are worth the effort to live a healthier life. To that end Nutrisystem has councilors, websites, pamphlets and all kinds of resources to help you with the mental part of weight loss.

This all seems silly to me. Let's look at the facts. I'm overweight, and I know it. When I look in the mirror I do see I could stand to lose some pounds, but I still think I look fine. I'm not ashamed of my body, or my physique. My wife and daughters love me the way I am. So, I'm fat not because of some inner turmoil or emotional duress.

Instead, my main problem is I really love food. All kinds of food. Combine that with a busy lifestyle, a bit of laziness and add a smattering of stress and you get one dumpling of a dude.

I'm rambling. Back on track. I started this morning with my first meal. It was a tiny little bowl of cereal, but it was suplimented with a banana, cheese toast and a 8 oz glass of water. The shocker here is that made me feel really stuffed. i don't think it's just a psychological thing, I think eating multiple, smaller but dissimilar items is more filling than my normal tendancy to pig out on one thing.

We'll see.