Well, I wasn't about to spend that much money without doing a little research, and not without discussing it with my husband. I went home and posted on message boards asking if people owned a VitaMix, how did they like it. Everyone loved theirs except for one person who had gotten a defective machine. Most people said they've had theirs several years. I found out a dear friend has had one for ten years. They last a long time.
Then I went to the VitaMix website and started reading about it. The testimonials from cancer survivors impressed me, along with those who use it for weight loss. I talked to my husband, and he told me to get it. So I went back to Costco and bought it, still kind of gagging at the price.
I've used it every day since. Most of the fruits I've been using are lower on the glycemic index. Because I'm fixing a lot of smoothies, I'm getting far more fruits and veggies into my diet. I add fresh spinach leaves to the fruit smoothies, which may sound gross, but it doesn't hurt the flavor. I've always struggled with eating enough fruit and vegetables before. One pleasant surprise is that I'm NOT craving refined sugar anymore. And I'm losing weight! I've lost about a pound a week so far. I'm eating healthier all around, too.
Now maybe I could have gotten the same benefit from some other brand for a similar machine and paid less, but I love my new toy! It's super easy to clean, and it's an awesome machine.
Now if I could just get myself to start exercising, I'd probably lose weight even faster. I'm not really fat, but I do weigh more than I ought to, and I once was super skinny. I don't want to be skinny again, but I'd certainly like to slim down a bit, and I'm delighted to be losing at a gentle but steady pace.