Nutrisystem or Eat Clean Diet??? Who has best success?

I won't deny that nutrisystem works. I tried it for a while and did lose some weight but it became clear to me somewhat early on that I couldnt stick with it. The sodium content in them is outrageous so your constantly feeling bloated and even though you lose weight you still feel giant because of all the salt. My face was always swollen and if I stood up too fast I could feel the blood pulsing through everything. I am convinced their meals are made of two major ingredients, beans and salt, neither of which are that great for you in giant doses and both of which leave some gross side effects. After a few weeks I noticed all the food started tasting exactly the same, that's because they use beans in and to make just about everything. While I did lose weight, I have also never been so hungry in my entire life. I would go home and rip open my cabinets because I was starving. It was a good way to teach me what hunger really felt like I suppose but I never had that issue before nutri system.

If you feel you need to stick to a portioned meal plan, you are probably better off hitting the frozen foods section and checking out boxes with lower sodium content and mixing them with some fresh veggies. But if you can easily eat clean then eat clean, you wont feel half as miserable and you will be doing your blood pressure a huge favor.

i dont do nutrisystem, however, i eat the same type of meals pretty much. im a mother of 5, a wife, a full time college student, and 4 of my daughters are softball players... i never have free time!!! thats why i always failed at my weight loss attempts in the past, it was so much easier for me to grab fast food on my way to where i was going. this time around, starting in spetember, i decided i would buy whatever meals were on sale for that week. its easy for me, pre packaged, pre portioned, and ready to eat in minutes. wether its smart ones, lean cuisine, healthy choice, or whatever... i buy whats on sale. i do like to spruce them up a bit. for example, the smart ones sesame seed chicken meal, i add in 2 cups fresh spinach, omg!!! so good! i also add in steamed veggies to alot of the meals... the sante fe rice and beans meal i serve on top of a huge bed of lettuce and other greens, top with tapatio, and make a huge tostada salad... ive gone from 246 in sept to 196 currently eating these foods. dont get me wrong, i do cook when i can, such as tonight, im making spagetti with fresh sauce and spagetti squash, or sometimes i make huge turkey meatballs stuffed full of fresh diced veggies... i also make a really good veggie pizzza for 250-ish calories, and its so awesome!!! anyways, i do what works for me, and so far, my progress has been good. if you can cook, im sure its always best, but if you are a busy person with a hectic lifestyle... i feel like this is the way to go! good luck to you! remember, you will get all sorts of opinions on here, and in the end, you have to do what works for you, in order to stick with it and stay motivated! GOD bless!

^This is a sensible approach. She uses certain products as they fit her lifestyle and calorie goals. Totally cool.

I agree with all the other people who said "I eat whatever I want, in moderation." Because that fits my lifestyle and it will be long term. People who want to eat clean as a lifestyle? Good for them.

The whole thing about Nutrisystem is that it's not "magic" - if you want to spend the money for the convienence, go for it. But there's nothing about it that will cause you to lose weight....except the calorie deficit. And that can be achieved with a variety of meal plans and foods.

I am currently on Nutrisystem for my third month. I was on it for one month and had major success, lost 10 lbs. I forgot to delay my order and they sent me another months worth, so I said screw it and did it for another month but stopped liking some of the food choices I'd previously liked. I have IBS and have cut out red meat, tomato sauce, oil, yogurt, etc. Finding food at the market is tough for me bc I feel so constricted that trying to buy ingredients for separate meals is just annoying and overwhelming. I totally dislike any of those lean cuisines or microwaveable meals bc they are SOOO high in sodium and I always have stomach issues from them. They are also pretty $$, though I saw someone say they buy them on sale. I decided on Nutrisystem bc I do not like to cook every meal everyday of my life and the combination of my diet restrictions and distaste for lean cruise type things, I felt it was a great decision. I got it during their anniversary thing so it was like $100 cheaper than usual. It comes out to like 9$ a day. I get breakfast lunch dinner and two snacks for $9!? Uh yes please. I love that I get to mix my own vegetables into the food, it gives me the sense that I'm cooking without really having to cook. Nutrisystem food is real food, contrary to popular belief. They just use powdered dairy, or dehydrate the food to last longer. Like freeze drying, as opposed to just freezing, which they also do if you choose that plan. I love their food, I look fwd to it. Someone said that it doesn't teach you anything about how to eat after you stop the plan, but I disagree. If you really follow the plan the way you're supposed to, and get involved with their online community, you'll see that there is a method to the madness. It's intended to be a gradual training process, and they have maintenance plans available as well. It's all about portion control and a good ratio of fat-carb-protein. In conjunction with exercise, the "daily 3" as they call it, the plan really is a more well rounded approach to appetite maintenance and physical activity. Most of us are weak when it comes to food, myself being a number 1 culprit, and I know myself well enough to know that I need the structure of a plan like Nutrisystem. It's not for everyone, but neither is anything, And, to connect this to myfitnesspal, I love that nearly every single thing on Nutrisystem is already in the choices! I was so happy to discover that back when I first started. I'm not trying to make this a "go on Nutrisystem," infomercial, I just happened to really enjoy it... To the point that my mom now does it and my boyfriend is considering it. Different strokes for different folks, I guess!

It is not teaching you how to eat properly in my opinion. My whole life has been one diet like this after another thanks to my mom. Best to eat clean and learn proper nutrition with real food. Your body will thank you. Plus boxed and processed food is nasty. lol

I can tell you that I am 100% any plan that supplies all the nutrients and calories you need to be a success and while I never have tried Nutrisystem, I know many people who jumpstart their diet with such plans.

That being said, once I took ownership of my eating, logging and following a medically sound plan that helped me with my work and family and recreational lifestyle, it got really easy to follow a new lifestyle. I have to eat out 5-14 meals a week for work and family. I really had to watch what was on my plate and make wise choices at each and every meal. And sometimes that means leaving hungry and catching up on my calorie needs for the day later. Seriously, it is ok to feel hungry if you to a client breakfast and all they have is fried flour and sugar. Drink some water and coffee and make up some calories with almonds and an apple for a snack and double down on protein and veggies at lunch.

I think the issue I always had with looking into the prepackaged meal plans is that I would lucky to consistently eat one meal a day ....

Why spend money on either "diet"? Why not just use some common sense and buy whole, natural foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, and lean meats and avoid all of that processed, pre-packaged stuff?
Gee, it's almost too easy...

Diets don't work, as soon as you come off you gain it back. *my experience * But I have read a few different ones, which helped me to learn how to read labels correctly and begin a lifestyle of healthy eating. I need to get back on track, but the books I had we're super restrictive in the beginning of most (eg. South Beach-no fruit first two weeks.....I love fruit, k?). So I did order the Eat Clean Diet book, not really for the diet itself, but to help get on track and to get clean recipes. That's my best bet. If I smell sugar or even look at a cookie, I can feel the weight piling on. Lol.

For many of you that are slamming the Eat Clean Diet simply because "diet" is in the title, clearly you have not read the books. One of the frist things the author says is that this is not a fad diet but a lifestyle. Diet first and foremoset means "food and drink regularly provided and consumed." When someone says diet it doesn't necerraliry mean cutting things out to lose weight. Her whole idea is to eat clean (if you can't pronounce/read something don't even buy it, put it back on the shelf) and never have to count calories ever again.

ANY PROGRAM works if you follow it..........................................including a program of eating a moderate calorie deficit consistently.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition