Have you ever taken “before” and “after” photos? It’s important that the “before” picture brings out the very worst qualities for whatever comparison you are making. Think ex-convict. You want folks to say, “Wow! Look at the change” when they compare the before and after photos. You don’t want people to shrug their shoulders and conclude “I don’t see any change”.
These are my before and after photos from day 1 on the plan to day 168. There’s a 34-pound difference there. That’s two bowling balls and a pair of bowling shoes. A lot of people have lost a lot more than 34 pounds. Good on every one of them. I lost 34 pounds.
BEFORE
AFTER
My newsletter is titled “The Finance, Travel and Everyday Life” newsletter. You’ve been getting a lot of travel news from me lately. You’ll soon get the results of my 20th year of retirement investing. Today’s message falls into the “everyday” life category. For some, it’s a struggle to maintain an ideal weight.
When I last left you I told you my plan was to lose 33 pounds while using the Nutrisystem eating plan. Essentially “Nutrisystem” has you eating their foods 5 days a week and foods you choose for the other two days of the week.
Each month you order 20 days worth of food from NS. You can stop anytime you want. You are allowed to choose from a very wide range of foods for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and three snacks a day. I found all of the NS foods to be very tasty. The portions are small…duh! I was usually hungry when it was time to eat. I was always full when I had finished my meal.
My lifestyle involves a lot of traveling. As you will come to find out it took me 24 weeks (168 days) to meet my goal. Had I really been eating NS food five days a week and not traveling 54% of the time (91 days) I would have lost weight much faster.
As it was I chose to “eat pretty normal” which for me is often “fun” overeating during about 10 weeks of foreign travel to Italy, Scotland, Sweden, Germany, and Canada to name just a few of the countries I’ve visited since I started the NS program.
With all of the above as background check out how the final 12 weeks of my 24-week weight loss journey went. I never really felt as if I were sacrificing at any time during the process.
WEEK 13 It’s Tuesday. It’s a weigh-in day. But I’m not weighing in! I’m in New York heading to Edinburgh, Scotland today. I think I’ve had a good week eating-wise. I plan to stick to my Nutrisystem-themed eating plan while I’m on this trip. That means I’ll be visiting my share of Scotland grocery stores for fruits and vegetables. When I return home in another 10 days or so I hope to be closer to meeting my goal than I was before I left home. I think it’s fair to say that the travel I do makes this weight-loss thing a bit more challenging. Not complaining. Just explaining. Cheers! Weight loss results Week 1 -8.6 lbs. Week 2 -1.8 lbs. Week 3 -3.0 lbs. Week 4 -0.2 lbs. Week 5 -2.0 lbs. Week 6 -3.4 lbs. Week 7 -1.8 lbs. Week 8 -1.6 lbs. Week 9 -2.0 lbs. Week 10 -4.0 lbs. Week 11 – No weigh-in (Italy) Week 12 +5.8 lbs. (Back from Italy) Week 13 – No weigh-in (Scotland) Total – 22.6 lbs. lost Goal – 33 lbs. lost
WEEK 14 It’s Tuesday. It’s weigh-in day. But…no weigh-in for me this week. I’m still in Scotland! I’ve been on the road for 27 of the last 32 days. I have no Nutrisystem food with me. It’s hard to “do Nutrisystem” without Nutrisystem! I’m trying but can’t be perfect. I’m on vacation for gosh sakes. The overall goal during this heavy travel period is just to tread water…until I get home in about five days. Then I can get back into my routine…until the next multi-week trip to Europe comes up in about a month. I think I will have decent news at the next weigh-in but I never really know until I step on the scale. Cheers! Weight loss results Week 1 -8.6 lbs. Week 2 -1.8 lbs. Week 3 -3.0 lbs. Week 4 -0.2 lbs. Week 5 -2.0 lbs. Week 6 -3.4 lbs. Week 7 -1.8 lbs. Week 8 -1.6 lbs. Week 9 -2.0 lbs. Week 10 -4.0 lbs. Week 11 – No weigh-in (Italy) Week 12 +5.8 lbs. (Back from Italy) Week 13 – No weigh-in (Scotland) Week 14 – No weigh-in (Still in Scotland) Total – 22.6 lbs. lost Goal – 33 lbs. lost
WEEK 15 Back from Scotland and other places yesterday. I lost 3.8 pounds since my last weigh-in at week #12. I think that’s sort of a miracle! “Doing” Nutrisystem is best done at home using Nutrisystem foods. Duh. I don’t have Nutrisystem foods for the most part when I’m traveling. I’ve been gone for 17 of the last 21 days for the Scotland trip. I was out of town for 29 of the past 42 days with the Scotland and Italy trips. I’ve been gone for 52 of the past 105 days since I started the Nutrisystem plan on March 1, 2022. In some ways, I’m kinda surprised I’ve lost any weight at all! For the next three weeks, I will be mainly at home (with a bit of time spent in New York City – above). With some luck, I might be able to meet might goal of losing 33 pounds before I leave for Sweden for two weeks. If not when I get back from Sweden, I will be home (sort of) for more than a month before my next trip to Europe. I’m on the case. Thanks for your support! It means a lot. Weight loss results Week 1 -8.6 lbs. Week 2 -1.8 lbs. Week 3 -3.0 lbs. Week 4 -0.2 lbs. Week 5 -2.0 lbs. Week 6 -3.4 lbs. Week 7 -1.8 lbs. Week 8 -1.6 lbs. Week 9 -2.0 lbs. Week 10 -4.0 lbs. Week 11 – No weigh-in (Italy) Week 12 +5.8 lbs. (Back from Italy) Week 13 – No weigh-in (Scotland) Week 14 – No weigh-in (Still in Scotland) Week 15 –3.8 lbs. (Back from Scotland yesterday. First weigh-in since week 12) Total – 25.8 lbs. lost Goal – 33 lbs. lost
WEEK 16 It’s Tuesday…weigh-in day. But…I’m in Canada tonight…so no weigh-in. I am still working hard against my weight loss goal. I’ve got 7.2 pounds to go. The pressure is on! I’ve got to get this done by week 18 because during week 19 and week 20 I’ll be going to Sweden. Next week’s results are crucial. I’m eating food on the road from grocery store visits. I’ve pretty much made that a habit. I’m looking forward to next week, the week 17 weigh-in. I don’t want to be disappointed. Weight loss results Week 1 -8.6 lbs. Week 2 -1.8 lbs. Week 3 -3.0 lbs. Week 4 -0.2 lbs. Week 5 -2.0 lbs. Week 6 -3.4 lbs. Week 7 -1.8 lbs. Week 8 -1.6 lbs. Week 9 -2.0 lbs. Week 10 -4.0 lbs. Week 11 – No weigh-in (Italy) Week 12 +5.8 lbs. (Back from Italy) Week 13 – No weigh-in (Scotland) Week 14 – No weigh-in (Still in Scotland) Week 15 –3.8 lbs. (Back from Scotland yesterday. First weigh-in since week 12) Week 16 – No weigh-in (Ontario, Canada) Total – 25.8 lbs. lost Goal – 33 lbs. lost
WEEK 17 Oh my! I lost 2.4 pounds since my last weekly weigh-in from week 15. Under more normal circumstances I would feel great about that. I was on the road, without any Nutrisystem foods with me for the entire 12-day trip. I was buying food in local grocery stores and often eating it in my hotel room or as I drove up and down our nation’s highways. I traveled more than 9,300 miles by car and air this week. Normally, losing ANY weight on a trip like that would be cause for celebration. Here’s the problem. I have only one more weigh-in (next Tuesday – week 18) before I leave for a two-week trip to Sweden. I probably can’t lose the last 4.8 pounds in a week without going on a starvation diet and that includes the July 4 weekend. I fear Sweden could end up like the two-week Italy trip (gained 5.8 pounds!). So, if I don’t meet my goal by next week and do gain weight in Sweden, I will have a bigger hill to climb after I get back from Sweden. My travel schedule does not help facilitate weight loss, does it? I will still make it. I am not giving up! Weight loss results Week 1 -8.6 lbs. Week 2 -1.8 lbs. Week 3 -3.0 lbs. Week 4 -0.2 lbs. Week 5 -2.0 lbs. Week 6 -3.4 lbs. Week 7 -1.8 lbs. Week 8 -1.6 lbs. Week 9 -2.0 lbs. Week 10 -4.0 lbs. Week 11 – No weigh-in (Italy) Week 12 +5.8 lbs. (Back from Italy) Week 13 – No weigh-in (Scotland) Week 14 – No weigh-in (Still in Scotland) Week 15 –3.8 lbs. (Back from Scotland yesterday. First weigh-in since week 12) Week 16 – No weigh-in (Ontario, Canada) Week 17 –2.4 lbs. Total – 28.2 lbs. lost Goal – 33 lbs. lost
WEEK 18 This week’s weigh-in was terrifying. This particular Tuesday was preceded by July 3 and July 4. What terrible timing. Those days are traditionally BIG eating days at our house. We had a major cookout on the Fourth of July with all kinds of goodies from Jalapeno poppers to burgers to brats to chocolate cake and much more. I did my best. For the week I lost 1.8 pounds. I’ll take it!! Very happy with those results. I am just three pounds from reaching my goal of losing 33 pounds. My travel plan makes meeting that goal extra challenging. In two days, I leave for Sweden for two weeks. I won’t be able to weigh in for the next two Tuesdays. When I went away to Italy for two weeks, I gained 5.8 pounds. I can’t let that result happen again. The good news is that when I get back from Sweden I should have about five weigh-in weeks at home before the next blowout to Europe. I’m close but not quite there yet. I am also patient. Weight loss results Week 1 -8.6 lbs. Week 2 -1.8 lbs. Week 3 -3.0 lbs. Week 4 -0.2 lbs. Week 5 -2.0 lbs. Week 6 -3.4 lbs. Week 7 -1.8 lbs. Week 8 -1.6 lbs. Week 9 -2.0 lbs. Week 10 -4.0 lbs. Week 11 – No weigh-in (Italy) Week 12 +5.8 lbs. (Back from Italy) Week 13 – No weigh-in (Scotland) Week 14 – No weigh-in (Still in Scotland) Week 15 –3.8 lbs. (Back from Scotland yesterday. First weigh-in since week 12) Week 16 – No weigh-in (Ontario, Canada) Week 17 –2.4 lbs. Week 18 -1.8 lbs. Total – 30.0 lbs. lost Goal – 33 lbs. lost
WEEK 19 No weigh-in this Tuesday. I’m in Sweden for a couple of weeks. I guess I didn’t fully realize how much I traveled (even on Tuesdays!) until I began tracking my movement. I won’t be weighing in for two more weeks from today. A lot can happen in two weeks, good and bad. Operating with a nine-hour time zone change, 10-hour flights, and 200-400 mile daily drives makes “eating right” a challenge. Trust me. It’s a lot easier to just sit home and eat Nutrisystem foods than to make my food decisions in the real world. I am happy with having lost 30 pounds but still have three more pounds to go! Talk next week. Weight loss results Week 1 -8.6 lbs. Week 2 -1.8 lbs. Week 3 -3.0 lbs. Week 4 -0.2 lbs. Week 5 -2.0 lbs. Week 6 -3.4 lbs. Week 7 -1.8 lbs. Week 8 -1.6 lbs. Week 9 -2.0 lbs. Week 10 -4.0 lbs. Week 11 – No weigh-in (Italy) Week 12 +5.8 lbs. (Back from Italy) Week 13 – No weigh-in (Scotland) Week 14 – No weigh-in (Still in Scotland) Week 15 –3.8 lbs. (Back from Scotland yesterday. First weigh-in since week 12) Week 16 – No weigh-in (Ontario, Canada) Week 17 –2.4 lbs. Week 18 -1.8 lbs. Week 19 – No weigh-in (Sweden) Total – 30.0 lbs. lost Goal – 33 lbs. lost
WEEK 20
I woke up this morning in Stockholm, Sweden. No weigh-in this Tuesday. I’ve been in Sweden for a couple of weeks. I’ve eaten a Swedish gas station convenience store donut or two during this time. Swedish donuts are not very sweet. I also had some fine dining experiences like the soy-marinated egg yolk in a garlic sauce (above). I don’t think I’ve done as badly eating-wise as I did in Italy earlier… 5.8-pound weight GAIN. I probably haven’t done as well as I did in Scotland after three weeks of no weigh-ins… 3.8-pound weight loss.
In Sweden, none of my hotel rooms had a microwave and only a couple had a refrigerator. This made it nearly impossible to heat up the Nutrisystem meals I brought or to refrigerate fruits and veggies. I did visit a few Swedish grocery stores for bananas and blueberries. I walked more than four miles every day in Sweden. But as my good buddy Andy Beenken from Iowa reminds me that “You can’t outwork your diet”. Profound! This coming week I have only two or three nights of overnight domestic travel and can get back on the Nutrisystem eating plan. I’m just three pounds short of my goal of losing 33 pounds. I don’t go back to Europe for about six weeks so I should (I hope!) be able to reach my goal by then. Thanks for your support. Weight loss results Week 1 -8.6 lbs. Week 2 -1.8 lbs. Week 3 -3.0 lbs. Week 4 -0.2 lbs. Week 5 -2.0 lbs. Week 6 -3.4 lbs. Week 7 -1.8 lbs. Week 8 -1.6 lbs. Week 9 -2.0 lbs. Week 10 -4.0 lbs. Week 11 – No weigh-in (Italy) Week 12 +5.8 lbs. (Back from Italy) Week 13 – No weigh-in (Scotland) Week 14 – No weigh-in (Still in Scotland) Week 15 –3.8 lbs. (Back from Scotland yesterday. First weigh-in since week 12) Week 16 – No weigh-in (Ontario, Canada) Week 17 –2.4 lbs. Week 18 -1.8 lbs. Week 19 – No weigh-in (Sweden) Week 20 – No weigh-in (Still in Sweden)
Total – 30.0 lbs. lost
Goal – 33 lbs. lost
WEEK 21 Oh my! I woke up this morning in Quebec, Canada. No weigh-in this Tuesday. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. I was expecting to be home today. Then an unexpected trackchasing opportunity came up in Quebec. How could I turn that down? By the way, there is some challenge associated with shopping in a French-only language grocery store! This meant I haven’t weighed in since July 5 three weeks ago. Since I started the Nutrisystem eating plan on March 1, 2022 (147 days ago) I have traveled overnight away from home for 84 of those days. I’ve had to make a lot of eating decisions without Nutrisystem foods on those travel days…good and bad. I very much DO expect to be home next Tuesday and will have an official weigh-in after nearly a month. It’s going to be tough stepping on that scale. I will have no idea what to expect. Hang in there with me. It can’t be much longer…or can it? Weight loss results Week 1 -8.6 lbs. Week 2 -1.8 lbs. Week 3 -3.0 lbs. Week 4 -0.2 lbs. Week 5 -2.0 lbs. Week 6 -3.4 lbs. Week 7 -1.8 lbs. Week 8 -1.6 lbs. Week 9 -2.0 lbs. Week 10 -4.0 lbs. Week 11 – No weigh-in (Italy) Week 12 +5.8 lbs. (Back from Italy) Week 13 – No weigh-in (Scotland) Week 14 – No weigh-in (Still in Scotland) Week 15 –3.8 lbs. (Back from Scotland yesterday. First weigh-in since week 12) Week 16 – No weigh-in (Ontario, Canada) Week 17 –2.4 lbs. Week 18 -1.8 lbs. Week 19 – No weigh-in (Sweden) Week 20 – No weigh-in (Still in Sweden) Week 21 – No weigh-in (Quebec, Canada)
Total – 30.0 lbs. lost
Goal – 33 lbs. lost
WEEK 22 I had not weighed in for 28 days because I was not home on Tuesdays! I had no idea what to expect when I stepped on the scale this morning. Good news! I was down 1.6 pounds from my weigh-in four weeks ago. That’s a total weight loss so far of 31.6 pounds. I’m just 1.4 pounds short of my goal of losing 33 pounds. Since my last weigh-in 28 days ago, I have traveled overnight for 21 of those days. I did understand this. It’s NOT as much fun watching other people eat poutine as it is eating it yourself. Most of those travel days included eating exclusively in restaurants. There were some grocery-bought foods during my travels but not much with two of those weeks being in Sweden. I think the really good news is that without eating very much of the Nutrisystem foods for nearly a month I didn’t gain any weight. Now for the next four weeks, I expect to be home on Tuesdays! Each of those weeks will still have 2-3 days of travel. I’ve got to get it done by then…because more international long trips will start again. Close. But no cigar quite yet. Weight loss results Week 1 -8.6 lbs. Week 2 -1.8 lbs. Week 3 -3.0 lbs. Week 4 -0.2 lbs. Week 5 -2.0 lbs. Week 6 -3.4 lbs. Week 7 -1.8 lbs. Week 8 -1.6 lbs. Week 9 -2.0 lbs. Week 10 -4.0 lbs. Week 11 – No weigh-in (Italy) Week 12 +5.8 lbs. (Back from Italy) Week 13 – No weigh-in (Scotland) Week 14 – No weigh-in (Still in Scotland) Week 15 –3.8 lbs. (Back from Scotland yesterday. First weigh-in since week 12) Week 16 – No weigh-in (Ontario, Canada) Week 17 –2.4 lbs. Week 18 -1.8 lbs. Week 19 – No weigh-in (Sweden) Week 20 – No weigh-in (Still in Sweden) Week 21 – No weigh-in (Quebec, Canada) Week 22 -1.6 lbs.
Total – 31.6 lbs. lost
Goal – 33 lbs. lost
WEEK 23 When things don’t go your way, it’s almost human nature to blame someone else, isn’t it? This week I didn’t gain anything but didn’t lose anything. I stayed at a total weight loss of 31.6 pounds…still 1.6 pounds…22 ounces short of my goal. Do I blame Nutrisystem or do I blame myself? Folks, my lack of results is all on me. Remember I am not complaining. I am only explaining. I spent four of the week’s seven days (Fri-Mon) on the road. This is county fair season for my trackchasing hobby. I was with Carol and our nieces and nephew from Wyoming. Whenever I am with OTHER people, I feel the need to entertain them. I did walk more than 30 miles during the week. However, during the four days of being away from home, I ate virtually no Nutrisystem foods. I can vividly recall stopping at McDonald’s to have a chocolate sundae with the kids, eating Milk Duds at the movie theatre with Carol, and eating more kettle corn at the county fair than I should have with everyone. Results? No weight loss! Who’s responsible? Me! This coming week I will also be traveling for four or five days during the week but I will be by myself. I think I will have an easier time of it. As I look back on my results those two weeks in Italy didn’t help much. But…if you go to Venice I recommend, like I did, eating pasta and pizza at every turn! Weight loss results Week 1 -8.6 lbs. Week 2 -1.8 lbs. Week 3 -3.0 lbs. Week 4 -0.2 lbs. Week 5 -2.0 lbs. Week 6 -3.4 lbs. Week 7 -1.8 lbs. Week 8 -1.6 lbs. Week 9 -2.0 lbs. Week 10 -4.0 lbs. Week 11 – No weigh-in (Italy) Week 12 +5.8 lbs. (Back from Italy) Week 13 – No weigh-in (Scotland) Week 14 – No weigh-in (Still in Scotland) Week 15 –3.8 lbs. (Back from Scotland yesterday. First weigh-in since week 12) Week 16 – No weigh-in (Ontario, Canada) Week 17 –2.4 lbs. Week 18 -1.8 lbs. Week 19 – No weigh-in (Sweden) Week 20 – No weigh-in (Still in Sweden) Week 21 – No weigh-in (Quebec, Canada) Week 22 -1.6 lbs. Week 23 -No gain/no loss
Total – 31.6 lbs. lost
Goal – 33 lbs. lost
WEEK 24 I have some good news to report from San Clemente, California this morning. I made my weight loss goal of losing 33 pounds! This past week I lost 3.0 pounds and that brings my total weight loss since I started my Nutrisystem program to 34.4 pounds. That’s 258 to 223.6. At 6’3” tall, I’ll take it! Now that I’ve lost this weight will people begin calling me beanpole? No, I don’t think so. Will people mistake me for Arnold Schwarzenegger? No, I don’t think so. I’ll bet Arnold probably did more than eat Nutrisystem foods every other day. It took me 24 weeks or 168 days to achieve my goal. I could have done it much quicker but I chose to live as close to my normal traveling lifestyle as I could. During those 168 days, I traveled overnight somewhere for 91 days. Most of the time when I was on the road, I didn’t use Nutrisystem foods but made my own personal choices. I can tell you that I absolutely loved the taste of all of the Nutrisystem foods I ate during the program. When I was on the road as well as when I was at home, I discovered that grocery stores exist. When I walked into a grocery store, I learned that I could actually find fresh green beans and blueberries. Anybody who knows me would have thought this to be impossible. I also walked at least four miles every day and covered 825 miles (4.9 miles/day on average) during my journey. I was reminded of something that I would forget from time to time. You can’t outwork your diet! Importantly, I didn’t do it on my own. Carol was the biggest helper anyone could possibly have. She chopped vegetables until her fingers were raw and then she chopped more vegetables for me. I am very lucky to have her support! I also wanna thank all of the people on Facebook who took time out of their busy day to offer me encouragement. That was really important. Of all of my Facebook friends, those folks are the nicest. They took time to say “keep after it” or “good job”.
My next goal, probably just as challenging as losing the weight in the first place, is not to gain it back. I’ve set a goal of not gaining more than 5 pounds over the next six months. I’ll take a look at where I’m at then and set another goal to do something else. Thanks again for all the support. Very much appreciated. Weight loss results Week 1 -8.6 lbs. Week 2 -1.8 lbs. Week 3 -3.0 lbs. Week 4 -0.2 lbs. Week 5 -2.0 lbs. Week 6 -3.4 lbs. Week 7 -1.8 lbs. Week 8 -1.6 lbs. Week 9 -2.0 lbs. Week 10 -4.0 lbs. Week 11 – No weigh-in (Italy) Week 12 +5.8 lbs. (Back from Italy) Week 13 – No weigh-in (Scotland) Week 14 – No weigh-in (Still in Scotland) Week 15 –3.8 lbs. (Back from Scotland yesterday. First weigh-in since week 12) Week 16 – No weigh-in (Ontario, Canada) Week 17 –2.4 lbs. Week 18 -1.8 lbs. Week 19 – No weigh-in (Sweden) Week 20 – No weigh-in (Still in Sweden) Week 21 – No weigh-in (Quebec, Canada) Week 22 -1.6 lbs. Week 23 -No gain/no loss Week 24 -3.0 lbs.
