I’ve been on Nutrisystem for over a month now, and have lost 15 pounds. The food is pretty good (some better than others, some horrible, and some actually decent). The plan is balanced, and I don’t feel hungry. That part is great.
I have been participating in the discussion boards. As is so common with online communication, there are always snakes. There is a ‘band’ of antagonistic members who take posts out of context, and highjack threads with personal attacks and humiliation. And the moderators don’t seem to care. I have no issue with diverse opinions. I have no problem when someone points out something to me that seems unclear. I do have a problem with being quoted, highlighted, and mocked for sport. There are several who are evidently doing this as some sort of hobby. I got more than 20 private messages of encouragement after a pissy bitch kept on and on about something I posted- and it was personal. If it had been related to the actual discussion, that’s one thing, but it was persistent mocking and quoting what she decided was some horrible inconsistency and a ‘rant’. I wasn’t upset when I posted. I had no ‘rant’ in my head when I was typing. I had an opinion. Period. What I posted related to the discussion; what she posted was all about mocking me… and she said she enjoyed it.
I have no recourse (moderators don’t seem to care) on Nutrisystem’s boards, but on my blog, I can write whatever I want to write. Posting there is risky. There are the ‘food police’ who find fault in anything someone else suggests for one of the program requirements (protein and carb choices, mostly). There are the ‘food police groupies’ who chime in to create a virtual mob mentality (and just lower themselves in the process). And there are some great people- but is it worth it to be in such a nasty environment? I have put the main offenders on ‘Ignore’. But they still see if I write. I have no idea if they’ll see this. I don’t care. I’m debating posting their user names, but have to think on that one for a while.
In the meantime, I am still following the Nutrisystem plan. I have been private messaging some of the supportive members. I just don’t understand why people feel it’s OK to be hurtful and so callous. It’s essentially online bullying by adults. I’m so thankful I don’t know them in real life. They’re not the sort of people I’d want taking out my trash. I don’t have room in my life for the negativity. I removed my profile pic, took my page down from public visibility, and changed my user name (though the folks who ‘know’ me know who I am). I wanted to disappear.
But there have also been some amazing outpourings of compassion with gifts of Nutrisystem food to be sure there was no ‘gap’ between the time I ran out of my first box and was waiting for my first order directly from Nutrisystem . One member sent me 2 $100 gift cards for NS and a hand crocheted throw blanket. Someone else sold me 2 $100 cards for what she paid for them, and several people sent me food. There are some great members on that sight.
I’m taking a bit of a break from the boards. With the dysautonomia, I have physical reactions to sudden ‘personal’ attacks. It’s embarrassing, and I hate even mentioning it, but I have to deal with it. It’s the same ‘fight or flight’ reaction that someone may get in a much harsher situation; my reaction has a hair trigger I can’t predict or prevent (other than to remove myself as a target). My heart rate goes bonkers, and if I’m not careful, I start to pass out. It sounds stupid- but it’s my reality.
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