Starting NutriSystem

Weight Sunday morning (starting weight for NutriSystem): 154

I officially started NutriSystem this morning. Due to eating high-carb yesterday my weight spiked up today. I expected that so it didn't freak me out too much. 154. That leaves me 17 pounds to lose.

After stuffing myself silly yesterday I wasn't hungry for breakfast, so I just had coffee and left for the gym. I did have my protein shake after my workout - 290 calories, 12g fat, 6g carbs, and 35g of protein.

I got an interesting e-mail from someone saying the usual stuff - low-carb diets are unhealthy and she has the science to back it up. Ok...show your science. Post the studies. I post studies on low-carb here frequently. In fact, I've read too many studies to ever do a high-carb diet again. I have done a LOT of reading on nutrition and diet in the last three years and can show study after study that low-carb is healthy, and healthier than a low-fat diet.

This person accused me of not being Christian because I post my opinions here and my opinion of NutriSystem hasn't been 100% positive. She told me I should shut up and stop saying bad things about NutriSystem publicly. The exact quote was If [you are seeking Christian maturity], then I think you should take down your posts about NS, eat your remaining food in question and just go about your life.

*TILT* The brain boggles why stating an opinion on my blog is somehow unchristian. Could someone explain that to me? Maybe the e-mail author could explain in the comments because, frankly, the logic in this escapes me. It's an opinion. We all have one. I don't go around accusing people of being unchristian when I come across anti-low-carb blogs.

I'm glad NutriSystem works for this e-mail author - I'm glad when anyone can lose weight and change their eating style to a healthy one. However, they need to respect that Atkins has worked for me and made me a much healthier person. Considering the standard American diet just about any diet program is going to be an improvement.

I can't stop speaking my mind because God meant us to use our minds, and He made me a writer. (Yes, I have done some professional writing.) To tell a writer to "shut up" is like telling them to die. I can't stop writing anymore than I can stop breathing.

There's a lot of confusion, so, in a nutshell, here's why I'm doing NutriSystem:
I lost 65 pounds on the Atkins diet. I have recently gained about 15 pounds back. The main reason for this, I believe, is simply eating too much. I could try to do a low-calorie approach on my own, but I know that I would cheat. 1200 calories would become 1300 would become 1400 would become 1500 and so on. I am doing NutriSystem because I think a STRUCTURED low-calorie plan will minimize the cheating. That's it. That's the whole reason. When and if I lose this 17 pounds I will go back to Atkins maintenance to keep the weight off.

I received a question about how the food tastes. As I said, I skipped breakfast this morning because I wasn't hungry. For lunch I had the Fudge Graham Bar. Pretty good, but kinda crumbly so I couldn't break off pieces with my fingers to eat it like I like to do. 23g carbs, with 1g fiber. Blood sugar test: 75 before, 104 after. That's a rise of 29 points. Not bad. (I test 45 minutes after because that tends to be when I am highest.)

I'll know more about taste tomorrow when I've eaten more of the food. I think I will probably like the food, but then, I like just about anything.

Technorati tagged: atkins, diet, atkins diet, low carb, weight loss, health, fitness, exercise, obese, overweight, NutriSystem