Nutrisystem

sedwards9999

Has anyone tried it? I'm thinking of doing it for a month just to get started. Any thoughts?

LoraF83

Is there something that would keep you from just logging your calories and keeping a deficit?

bcattoes

I haven't personally tried it, but I know 4 people (all women) who have. They all lost a significant amount of weight and said they weren't hungry while doing so. but, they all also gained it back after they stopped the program.

My thought, based on the experiences of my friends, is that if you want someone to choose and portion your foods for you, it's a good option if you have the money. But you must either stick with it forever, or remember and continue the portions once you stop.

icimani

I did it years ago (18 yrs ?) and lost 100 pounds in a year. And in the following 2 years put it all back on again.
I can't blame it all on Nutrisystem. After all, I was the one who stopped paying attention and went back to eating the way I did before. And that's the inherent problem with being on a "diet".

And last winter when i was recuperating from knee replacement surgery I bought some meals from a friend figuring they would be easy nutritious meals to have on hand. I tried 2 or 3 of them and they were pretty tasteless to me.

IF you use Nutrisystem (or any of those types of plans) to teach yourself portion control and eating a more balanced diet then it can do some good. But I think that's a pretty big IF.

Julem22

I did NS a few years back, lost all my weight.. Here were my issues with NS though:
1. I was hungry, the diet is actually about 1200 or so calories a day
2. The food gives you very bad Gas, sorry TMI, but you really should know this..there are actually blogs on the NS web site that talks about how to deal with it.
3. I got so annoyed with the food that when I stopped I gained all my weight back - YES my fault I know, but it burned me out.

Some people do great on it, it just was not right for me. I find calorie counting the right thing for me, but everyone is different.

ckopeny1

My husband and I did nutrisystem about 6 years ago and lost alot of weight and we were always full. I would never do it now just for the fact that I know I can get the same results by eating balanced meals and excersize but at the time it was perfect for us. It is easy and they do all the calculations for you Just keep in mind that you have to purchase all your veggies/nuts/ect on top of the pricey monthly fee. Good luck to you!

wikitbikit

I used it a few years ago and lost about 30 pounds. It was pretty easy, but it's absolutely NOT as simple as just getting their food and eating it-- you are expected to eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies as well, and I think that's when I discovered Greek yogurt too, as another (required) supplementary food source. I also ate a lot of eggs.

The food is ok, but obviously highly processed (you get hamburger patties that you 'cook' by setting in a tray with hot water--no joke). The gas (so-called NutriToots, lol) is generally actually from eating a TON more fiber than you're probably used to.

It definitely works and is generally quite convenient, but with a little more effort you can enjoy your food more and pay less.

trogalicious

Is there something that would keep you from just logging your calories and keeping a deficit?

exactly this.

sedwards9999

I'm very aware of the threat of gaining it back but I've lost and gained back on just about everything including WW, MFP and dieting on my own.

I actually did NS over 20 years ago and lost a bunch of weight.

I'm the heaviest I've ever been and I feel like I have Mt Everest in front of me and I need a strict regimen to see some progress...

autumndragon22

I tried it a few years ago. I lost some weight but after the first month I couldn't stand it anymore. I was ALWAYS hungry and ALWAYS in a bad mood from being hungry. I would suggest looking elsewhere.

dakitten2

You have got to learn how to eat regular food with a deficit. Even if you do Nutri-System and lose your weight, you will still have to end up learning about portion sizes, calories, exercise, etc. So why not start now doing it the right way.

No one I know personally that has done NS ever kept their weight off. That's why it has to be a lifestyle change and not a diet program.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

Has anyone tried it? I'm thinking of doing it for a month just to get started. Any thoughts?

you could try it but i don't see why you'd want to prolong the inevitable if you're just going to start prepping your own food and counting calories.

Calliope610

Just my personal opinion, for what it's worth.

If I had the money to do the NutriSystem plan for several months (long enough to lose 80+ lbs), I would rather engage the services of a nutritionist and a personal trainer and buy quality foods. That way, I would learn how to do it all myself - for life.

Give a man a fish, he eats for today. Teach a man to fish, he eats for the rest of this life.

Rather than make all my food decisions for me, teach me how to make them for myself, so I can continue to do so - for life.

Colleen1980

I did NS when I was at my highest weight of 254. I felt hopeless and needed a place to start. I got down to about 206 with it, then when I went back to regular food slowly got back to 235, which is when I found and started MFP.

Positives: I did lose weight, I didn't have to think, and it did the work for me when I didn't know how.

Negatives: I was sometimes hungry as it's only 1200 calories, it was super expensive because, as someone else said, you have to buy the NS food PLUS all your produce/dairy etc., I got really bored with the food and bitter that I could never go out with friends to eat or eat in public at all really, and I was putting the weight back on when I stopped because I didn't really understand how to continue in the "real world."

I prefer MFP because you can do the same thing as far as limiting your intake with the help of the MFP tools, but you aren't limited to eating a very specific type of food that you can only eat at home (annoying if you're social!).

Best of luck!! :flowerforyou:

biomancer

I'm very aware of the threat of gaining it back but I've lost and gained back on just about everything including WW, MFP and dieting on my own.

I actually did NS over 20 years ago and lost a bunch of weight.

I'm the heaviest I've ever been and I feel like I have Mt Everest in front of me and I need a strict regimen to see some progress...

I don't mean to harsh your day, but my followup question would be, "What will be different this time?" Obviously it's not your commitment or you wouldn't be here asking. It's not your intention. Unless your doc has told you otherwise, it's not the it's a biological impossibility for you to lose excess fat. Which leaves, skills.

I was in the same place, and finally realized I needed to change my internal conversation. As long as the "solution" is outside of you (e.g. the next diet program, the next fad diet, the next prepared-food scheme) it is very likely you will go down on NS, then creep back up because you haven't yet learned the skills and the mental conversations to control - really control - what you eat and how you burn it off. I don't have a dog in the fight, but I can tell you that the Beck Diet for Life ($16 book) is what did it for me. It's based on learning the skills, making a sustainable plan, figuring out what works and what doesn't and adapting, changing habits one at a time. No doubt other people will have other ideas about other tools like this, but the point is this: as long as the solution is "out there" instead of internal, you are at the whim of whether That Solution is present or not.

sedwards9999

Thanks for the thoughts.

I should add a little more information here. I feel that I have learned portion control and the need to move around. I have remained fairly steady doing MFP for a few months but the weight is not coming off anymore.

I have a pretty severe disability that stems from a neuromuscular disease. This means that I cannot exercise to the point where my muscles are damaged because they will not recover and I can loose what abilities I have.

I'm hoping a strict (crazy) program to get the weight off while doing my moderate exercise will get me where I need to be and I think what I've learned will keep me from gaining all of it back.

As far as the gas goes...not my problem..haha

Mokey41

90% of weight loss is your food intake. You don't have to exercise to lose weight and you don't have to pay someone to bring you food that's had all the fat sucked out of it.

If you are committed to losing the weight you can do it without gimmicks. Plan your meals in advance. Make the best choices. Stick to your calorie budget faithfully. The only reason Nutrisystem will take weight off is because like all the other diet plans, it's a very low calorie diet with fats and sugars removed and replaced by artificial ingredients.

My sister in law has tried every diet plan known to man and always gains it all back because on the diet she can eat Fettucini Alfredo so when she goes off the plan she eats the same foods but the magic fairy hasn't waved her wand over it and taken out all the calories for her.

Eating healthy and in proper proportions isn't rocket science. If your weight loss has stalled then you're doing something wrong. Ask the questions you need to get a proper plan in place and stick to it. There's no magic out there and it will never work or be permanent until you get your mind in the right place.

skylark94

I did it several times. Always gained everything back as soon as I tried to go off program and the food was soooooo boring. Unless you are incapable of smelling your own odor, the "nutri toots" will absolutely be your problem too. It's hideous. Trust me.

KimLizzieEarls

My husband and I are on it right now! I know portion control.. and have lost 100lbs on my own perviously... I just gained so much weight with my pregnancy (hubby too!) and am so busy that its nice to have it all laid out for me. There still is quite a bit of prep involved still though, and my love for vegetables is being renewed. I have no regrets, and will probably stop doing it once I have lost enough weight to really kick up the cardio (old knee and hip injuries).

Ready2Rock206

The photos and descriptions of their food on their website are horrifying. I thought about doing it but it all looked so repulsive I couldn't bring myself to want to actually put that in my mouth.

Alissakae

Years ago my husband did NutriSystem while he was working as a radio DJ. All the on-air staff who were overweight (pretty common with radio people haha) got to do it for free. He did lose a lot of weight, and actually got quite skinny. But of course the weight came back quickly when he returned to "normal" eating. Even with my gym membership and weekly sessions with a personal trainer I spend less than half of what NS would cost every month, and my investment is making me stronger. I think you can count calories, buy good natural food, and hire professionals to help you along the way (if you want) and still come out ahead. And you will have developed a sustainable lifestyle.

savithny

The problem I forsee is this:

You say you're stable right now. That's good - you know what works for where you are nowl.

So: You go on Nutrisystem, eat VLC for however long. Your metabolism slows from the VLC program, meaning that when you finish Nutrisystem and go back on real food .... what *was* balance before NS ... will NOT be balance afterwards. Your BMR will be significantly lower, and it will be easier to put on weight eating the way you used to. You'll have to have the control to slowly ramp your calories back up from nutrisystem levels to wherever maintenance lies. You'll be in uncertain territory, trying to figure out what works now, with real food, not prepacked, measured food.

makena78

I'm using the Nutrisystem diet. I love it. And I personally love the food. It is not for everyone though. I am only doing 1-2 months for a kick start. I would not recommend for long term. Yes, it does teach you portion control. My body is adjusting to the smaller portions and visually I see I am getting less. I add in lean meats, cheese, milk, nuts, veggies, fruits. So I am in no way starving. Plus, I get my desert at the end of the day.
For you out there dissing Nutrisystem, you should stop. Just because, it's not for you doesn't mean it can't be for someone else. And I'm guessing that all those people who gained the weight back would have gained it back anyway. They weren't mentally ready for the change.
You can still be social with friends while eating this way. Pick and choose what will be easy to take out and eat with your friends. I went to Mcdonalds yesterday and had coffee and my powerfuel of healthy nuts. I was not tempted to eat bad.
For a quick start to a long term health change this is good. Again, though it depends on each person.

jstiely

I'm using the Nutrisystem diet. I love it. And I personally love the food. It is not for everyone though. I am only doing 1-2 months for a kick start. I would not recommend for long term. Yes, it does teach you portion control. My body is adjusting to the smaller portions and visually I see I am getting less. I add in lean meats, cheese, milk, nuts, veggies, fruits. So I am in no way starving. Plus, I get my desert at the end of the day.
For you out there dissing Nutrisystem, you should stop. Just because, it's not for you doesn't mean it can't be for someone else. And I'm guessing that all those people who gained the weight back would have gained it back anyway. They weren't mentally ready for the change.
You can still be social with friends while eating this way. Pick and choose what will be easy to take out and eat with your friends. I went to Mcdonalds yesterday and had coffee and my powerfuel of healthy nuts. I was not tempted to eat bad.
For a quick start to a long term health change this is good. Again, though it depends on each person.

AGREED! I'm doing it too and I like the food. I find the few options I like and order just those items. I also order the frozen foods and they give a lot of variety. I did this years ago and the food is WAY better now! My cravings have lowered, I'm not hungry at all, and it is a great jumpstart. Also, regarding price...you can buy 1/2 price gift cards at Costco. It costs me the same as regular groceries or eating out did before. And some nights I go out with my friends and just choose something healthier. Go for it. It's your choice!

icimani

Give a man a fish, he eats for today. Teach a man to fish, he eats for the rest of this life

twoss9112

You have got to learn how to eat regular food with a deficit. Even if you do Nutri-System and lose your weight, you will still have to end up learning about portion sizes, calories, exercise, etc. So why not start now doing it the right way.

No one I know personally that has done NS ever kept their weight off. That's why it has to be a lifestyle change and not a diet program.

Agreed in full. No one I know who has done NS or Jenny Craig or any of these things has been able to keep it off either.

The problem is you do not learn how to do it yourself and you don't get into the habit of doing it for yourself. You learn nothing about calories, BMR, and all the other wonderful numbers. You learn nothing about why you should make a point to eat certain foods, and totally avoid other certain things. You don't learn how to sub out ingredients and make alterations so that you can still enjoy meals that might otherwise be "bad". You just have take what they tell you to eat and you eat it. No thanks.

twoss9112

Rather than make all my food decisions for me, teach me how to make them for myself, so I can continue to do so - for life.

Those weight loss places don't want you to know how to do it yourself.
That's when they stop getting your money. :laugh:

This is not hard to do AT ALL and it's free, and I am in control of what I buy and eat.
Not only that, but I understand how to do things myself, I understand why i can or cannot do other things and I understand more of how this whole process works and how to now KEEP from putting pounds back on.
I wanted to stop putting so much prepackaged garbage into my face, not pay someone to MAKE me do it. LOL