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Maintaining
Greatness
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Tammy R. lost 115 lbs.* on
NutriSystem and has kept it off for 3 years! |
I've struggled with my weight on and off my whole life. I was a semi-chubby kid, a bigger teen, and an even bigger adult. I thought I was a happy camper the way I was, but then one morning I really saw inside myself and realized I wasn't living at all, I was just alive.
I would say the turning point for me was about a week before I started NutriSystem. I was having a conversation with my fiancée about wanting to lose weight–we had had those conversations lots of times before (I had talked the talk, but never walked the walk). I looked at him and then went to the mirror and looked at myself and said, "I've had enough." I didn't like, nor was I happy with myself, and couldn't imagine how I could I expect anyone around me to be happy with me, either.
So I started NutriSystem on October 22nd, 2000, weighing 260 lbs., and it took me less than a year to lose 115 lbs. Now, for the first time ever, I can see my collarbone, feel my hips, and wear a two-piece bathing suit out in public! (You just don't know what that can do to a person's self-esteem!) And I am so proud to say that this past October was three years since I lost the weight, and I'm still at my goal weight!
I chose NutriSystem because when I was in high school, my mom had done NutriSystem and lost 50 lbs., so for my prom, as a gift, she put me on the program. I lost 25 lbs. and had the most amazing prom a newly found slender high school girl could have. So, I knew if I could do it then, and with the incentive of the way I was feeling that night, by golly, I could and would do it again, so NutriSystem it was!
At first it was the simplicity and convenience of the program I liked. The fact that everything was all measured out for me was great. It was so easy to pack my breakfast and lunch for work—to have everything all pre-packaged was a huge bonus. Then for it to be able to be stored in cabinets left a lot of room in the fridge for more yogurt and fruit. My favorite meals quickly became the pizza and the spaghetti and meatballs.
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But how have I kept the weight off? To me, the secret is really to remember that every day is a new day. They are NOT always easy days, but you feel strong and you know you can persevere. When you do have those rough patches, just remember you got yourself thinner by being strong minded and strong willed, so whatever may have happened during one of the not-so-easy days (and we all know what those are like), just pick yourself up by the boot straps and start fresh the next minute…or the next hour...or the next day. When you're on NutriSystem, you learn what is wrong and what is right, and on those days when you accidentally (or not so accidentally) do wrong, you just forget about it—it was one time and you can go right back to doing what is best for you now.
Basically, you have to learn to take care of you. Life is so short and so worth living that you just can't sweat the small stuff. You just have to be unafraid and go out there and "apply it" to everyday living. You're tougher and stronger than you think—we all are!
I do have to say, though, without the support of my fiancée, my family, and my best friend, I could have never lost the weight so easily. They were behind me cheering me on 110% and now that it's all off, they still continue to be my rocks. My best friend tells me on a daily basis how inspirational I am, which keeps me motivated to continue to keep the weight off (who wouldn't want to be an inspiration?).
Even after three years, I'm still skinny and I'm happier now than I've ever been. I wish this kind of happiness to all the NutriSystem members out there. If I can do it, trust me, you can, too!
Now, my life is different. I love being able to go into the "little girl" stores (you know the ones I mean), where the clothes look like they fit on Barbie and her best friend. I used to walk by those stores on my way to Lane Bryant—now I go in and try on outfits, right next to Barbie!
—Tammy
*Results not typical.
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