As I’ve mentioned many times on this site before, I fall on the curvier end of the figure spectrum, which can be a real be-yotch when it comes to clothes shopping.  I’ve always been curvy, which I blame on two things:

I grew up playing softball and my body is now shaped like that of a stereotypical softball player.  Unsure what I’m talking about?  Check out this picture of softball players from the University of Michigan {Go Blue!}:

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These girls have hips and butts and they’re proud of it because they’re pure muscle machines.

The second thing I blame my curvy figure on is, unsurprisingly, dessert.

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The only dessert I’ve ever met that I didn’t like was flan.  Otherwise, I consider the day a fail if I haven’t eaten more than one dessert.  However, you can’t eat dessert as often as I do and maintain {acquire?} a svelte figure.  Sadly, it just doesn’t happen.

I was recently contacted by the people over at Nutrisystem with a compelling offer: try out their program for free for four months, and all they ask in return is that I *honestly* blog about the program one time per week.

Prior to receiving my package in the mail, I knew very little about what to expect.  I’d always been a little intrigued because of the celebrities they’re able to get to speak on their behalf.  You know – Dan Marino, Marie Osmond, etc.  Then again, who’s to say those aren’t just paid celebrities that have lost weight another way?  I tend to not believe things until I do it myself, so I immediately agreed.  Four months free is four months free.  If it works – wonderful.  It it doesn’t, well, no harm no foul.

As soon as I was approved for the program I started doing research online and I was a little worried by all of the negative remarks I found.  The complaints online were awful and scary.  Heck, one lady even complained that she needed to have surgery done on her throat after eating the food sent to her by Nutrisystem!  Yikes.  I started second guessing my decision at that point.  I’m a relatively healthy 28-year-old.  I don’t want to do anything that is going to have a negative reaction on my health.

If there is one thing I’ve learned over the years, however, it is this – People rarely take the time to write-in or share their thoughts when they’re happy or the results are good.  Happy people seem to be content with being content.  The people that do write in the most often are the people who are unhappy.  In short, because there seems to be a lack of balanced opinions online I’ve decided to take my chances.

Today I’m beginning the Nutrisystem program, for better or worse.  Don’t worry – this isn’t going to become a health- or Nutrisystem-related blog.  Once a week I’m going to *honestly* tell you about my experience.  I’m not going to try to convince you that Nutrisystem is the way to go, or heck, that Nutrisystem isn’t the way to go.  Everyone’s journey and choices are personal.  What doesn’t work for one person may well work for another.  What you’ll see here from time to time are my honest to goodness experiences – the good, the bad, and hopefully some weight loss in between.

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For those of you that may be more interested in hearing about the day-to-day life {torture?} of being on Nutrisystem, I’ve started a more personal blog, The Thirty Project.  The Thirty Project will document a long to-do list I’ve begun, which includes 30-ish things I’d like to accomplish before hitting the ripe old age of 31.  {Yep, I’m only 28 now.  I want to give myself plenty of time!}  One of my goals, even before I began working with Nutrisystem, was to lose 50 pounds.  Now that I’m following the Nutrisystem plan I’ll include daily reviews and photos of all of the food that I’ll be eating on The Thirty Project, along with lots of other good stuff.  {The blog is brand spanking new.  Lots of content is forthcoming.}

FTC Disclosure – I am not being paid to write about Nutrisystem.  They have provided me with four months of free food in return for my honestly written opinion.