Are any programs worth it??
crystalcassarah315
Posts: 48 Member
Hi, I'm here to ask if anyone has had any experience with NutriSystem, WeightWatchers or any other program.. And to ask if they are even worth spending the money on?? Do they come out with good results?? I'm new to this eating healthier, so right now I'm stuck to tuna, salad and Subway.. can someone give me other ideas, I'm not sure what to eat (frozen entrees would be good for lunch). And if possible, I'm also having trouble eating 6 meals a day and when to eat them.. please help
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Well for starters you don't have to eat 6 meals a day, but you can if that works best for you.
As far as frozen meals use the search tool...I started a thread on that a little while back...just search "frozen".
A lot of people have had success with Weight Watchers, but the current version doesn't seem to be as well liked.
And eating healthier isn't necessary to lose weight. If you are trying to lose weight then enter your info and stay within your calorie goal. Eating less calorie dense foods can help with satiety.0 -
Maybe but MFP is free. Track what you eat now and see if you can make any small changes.0
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My food diary is open and I know other peoples' are as well. Browse through them and I'm sure you'll get some ideas for yourself.
My current favorite snack: chop up and freeze a banana and about 4 strawberries in the morning (100 cals), at night I add 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (10 cals) and frozen stuff into a food processor and BAM ice cream substitute....and not like a spoonful an actual bowl of sweet frozen goodness.0 -
I thought you should eat 6 meals a day to boost your metabolism..??So what's tje basics if my goal is to lose weight??Well for starters you don't have to eat 6 meals a day, but you can if that works best for you.
As far as frozen meals use the search tool...I started a thread on that a little while back...just search "frozen".
A lot of people have had success with Weight Watchers, but the current version doesn't seem to be as well liked.
And eating healthier isn't necessary to lose weight. If you are trying to lose weight then enter your info and stay within your calorie goal. Eating less calorie dense foods can help with satiety.
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Really that sounds amazing!! Ima have to go look! But what about meals? What do you eat throughout the days and how do you space them??My food diary is open and I know other peoples' are as well. Browse through them and I'm sure you'll get some ideas for yourself.
My current favorite snack: chop up and freeze a banana and about 4 strawberries in the morning (100 cals), at night I add 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (10 cals) and frozen stuff into a food processor and BAM ice cream substitute....and not like a spoonful an actual bowl of sweet frozen goodness.
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Well, MFP is free, and it works. Why don't you try that?0
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All you need is a calorie deficit.0
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I've always been a one big meal a day person, going back to when I was a kid. It works for me. It doesn't for most people. But for example today I had coffee in the morning, 1 muffin about noon, and then potatoes/broccoli/mushroom/chicken/Alfredo sauce for dinner at 4:30 (656 cals), oatmeal and a banana (7pm) with an almond milk and banana smoothie (8pm) as a snack. Total Calories 1274
On days I exercise my noon meal/snack is larger.
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crystalcassarah315 wrote: »Hi, I'm here to ask if anyone has had any experience with NutriSystem, WeightWatchers or any other program.. And to ask if they are even worth spending the money on?? Do they come out with good results?? I'm new to this eating healthier, so right now I'm stuck to tuna, salad and Subway.. can someone give me other ideas, I'm not sure what to eat (frozen entrees would be good for lunch). And if possible, I'm also having trouble eating 6 meals a day and when to eat them.. please help
I think for someone starting with very little diet knowledge, WW can be good. It's not expensive, it's sensible, it teaches factual info (unlike "you must eat 6 times a day"), it has accountability and a structured plan with a lot of flexibility.
BUT if money is tight or you like a DIY approach, there are really a lot of good diet books out there that also teach good info and have solid plans. You have to choose what appeals to you.
Using MFP's plan is fine, too (and free) and you can learn a lot here but you're kind of on your own to learn the basics that any other sensible plan will start you off with. I mean, "eat under 1500" is great but you have to learn how to estimate your intake calories, how to fill up on less food, how to deal with what exercise, etc. It's not rocket science but it can be tricky and get overwhelming and the forums can sometimes just muddy the water more.0 -
I worked with a woman years ago who did Weight Watchers and she lost over 60 lbs. She also kept the weight the weight off. Honestly, besides CICO, Weight Watchers is probably best.0
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Which is better proportions for tje price do you think?? And did she have to keep on the plan or she learned to eat healthy on her own?? And What is CICO??strong_curves wrote: »I worked with a woman years ago who did Weight Watchers and she lost over 60 lbs. She also kept the weight the weight off. Honestly, besides CICO, Weight Watchers is probably best.
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CI=Calories In
CO=Calories Out
Eat less than you burn.
This isn't a program. It's as simple as eating all the foods you are used to but less of them.
A food scale, weighing and logging your foods, can be enlightening all by itself.0 -
I've been on Weight Watchers before with good success.
My doctor-sister has said that Nutrisystem works well if you are single. Of you are feeding a family it just gets expensive and complicated.0 -
Yesss! I just started with this app and all I've been doing is scratching my head in confusion lolWalkingAlong wrote: »crystalcassarah315 wrote: »Hi, I'm here to ask if anyone has had any experience with NutriSystem, WeightWatchers or any other program.. And to ask if they are even worth spending the money on?? Do they come out with good results?? I'm new to this eating healthier, so right now I'm stuck to tuna, salad and Subway.. can someone give me other ideas, I'm not sure what to eat (frozen entrees would be good for lunch). And if possible, I'm also having trouble eating 6 meals a day and when to eat them.. please help
I think for someone starting with very little diet knowledge, WW can be good. It's not expensive, it's sensible, it teaches factual info (unlike "you must eat 6 times a day"), it has accountability and a structured plan with a lot of flexibility.
BUT if money is tight or you like a DIY approach, there are really a lot of good diet books out there that also teach good info and have solid plans. You have to choose what appeals to you.
Using MFP's plan is fine, too (and free) and you can learn a lot here but you're kind of on your own to learn the basics that any other sensible plan will start you off with. I mean, "eat under 1500" is great but you have to learn how to estimate your intake calories, how to fill up on less food, how to deal with what exercise, etc. It's not rocket science but it can be tricky and get overwhelming and the forums can sometimes just muddy the water more.
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crystalcassarah315 wrote: »Which is better proportions for tje price do you think?? And did she have to keep on the plan or she learned to eat healthy on her own?? And What is CICO??strong_curves wrote: »I worked with a woman years ago who did Weight Watchers and she lost over 60 lbs. She also kept the weight the weight off. Honestly, besides CICO, Weight Watchers is probably best.
It up to you whichever "program" you choose. My opinion on whats better? Educating yourself on a realistic, sustainable weight loss plan.
Maybe you're thinking weight watchers is some type of miracle weight loss plan where you'll lose weight quickly and have the body you've always dreamed of... It's not. Just like with any other "diet plan" out there it all really boils down to Calories in vs Calories out. If you eat more calories than you burn you will gain weight, if you eat less calories than you burn you will lose weight.
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Nutrisystem was expensive, the portions were tiny and unsatisfying, and the flavor wasn't very good on most of what I tried. I lost nothing.
Weight Watchers was good as PointsPlus. I lost 40 pounds, but then I came up on money trouble and had to let it go. Since I had no idea what my calorie intake was, only the points, I gained it all back and then some. I've heard many, many complaints about the new point system.
MFP is free and you're not estimating anything if you weigh and measure, then log, as accurately as you're able. It's working wonderfully for me. Started at 261.2 on 4/19/15. Was 193.8 this morning. I have a long way to go, but I know I can get there because I don't feel deprived or frustrated doing it this way. It works into my lifestyle 99.9% of the time (got pizza the other night from a place that had no nutrition info so I ended up choosing something else for my dinner). Plus I confirmed with hubs the other day that how I look now at this weight vs how I looked at this weight when I lost really fast on a liquid diet (that I gained all back and then some for the same reason as WW), it's better now. Now I'm losing slowly enough for my body to adjust as I go and the exercise is making me stronger. Win/win!0 -
Here's the "stickie" from the top of the forum. Sit back and get ready for some knowledge. It has a lot of helpful basics to help you.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest0 -
I thought Nutrisystem's food was good, but it gets boring really fast. There just isn't enough to choose from, and sometimes they remove certain foods and replace them with others. That was really frustrating. Their program is made for women, not men. Their food tracker also sucks bad compared to MFP.
On the plus side, it was very convenient. Packing food to take to work was very easy.0 -
Is it the better of the programs?? In your opinion.. And i heard with Nutrisystem you have to buy some of your own ingredients..?I thought Nutrisystem's food was good, but it gets boring really fast. There just isn't enough to choose from, and sometimes they remove certain foods and replace them with others. That was really frustrating. Their program is made for women, not men. Their food tracker also sucks bad compared to MFP.
On the plus side, it was very convenient. Packing food to take to work was very easy.
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I haven't done Nutrisystem but it's expensive and you eat their food. I'm not sure how you transition off, I'm sure there's a plan, but I figure if I'm going to eat frozen dinners I can do that without the high price tag easy enough.
WW or any plan has a long-term maintenance plan but those are a whole other skill to learn. There is not a plan that if you lose on that plan, you're home free. You have to have a maintenance plan. It doesn't have to be "weigh all my food forever" or even log forever but no one ever goes back to the way they ate before without also going back to the size they were before, unless they made some big changes in their activity level.
I'm not sure about Nutrisystem but WW does let you go free indefinitely in maintenance, and have access to their e-tools.0 -
What about jenny craig? Anyone ever tried it? Or know anyone who did?0
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Do you know any good frozen food or even what to eat during the day that's really healthy and will help to lose weight and keep it off..??WalkingAlong wrote: »I haven't done Nutrisystem but it's expensive and you eat their food. I'm not sure how you transition off, I'm sure there's a plan, but I figure if I'm going to eat frozen dinners I can do that without the high price tag easy enough.
WW or any plan has a long-term maintenance plan but those are a whole other skill to learn. There is not a plan that if you lose on that plan, you're home free. You have to have a maintenance plan. It doesn't have to be "weigh all my food forever" or even log forever but no one ever goes back to the way they ate before without also going back to the size they were before, unless they made some big changes in their activity level.
I'm not sure about Nutrisystem but WW does let you go free indefinitely in maintenance, and have access to their e-tools.
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I did Nutrisystem after my son was born. Boring food, expensive, and I didn't learn how to keep it off. Gained it all back plus more.0
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Sorry to hear that.. did you try any other program afterwards??CrazyMermaid1 wrote: »I did Nutrisystem after my son was born. Boring food, expensive, and I didn't learn how to keep it off. Gained it all back plus.
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Losing weight is as simple as calories in / calories out. Eat at a deficit, exercise to burn calories, be disciplined to track every calorie you put in your body. Save your money to by good food and a membership to a gym.0
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michaelallanson wrote: »Losing weight is as simple as calories in / calories out. Eat at a deficit, exercise to burn calories, be disciplined to track every calorie you put in your body. Save your money to by good food and a membership to a gym.
This. Weight loss isn't complicated. It might not be easy but it's not complicated. If a diet program like WW helps you keep within your daily calories and it works, go for it. I personally would be starving after eating one of those tiny things.
Also, you the only thing that "boosts your metabolism" is exersise, and only while you're performing it. Eating more or less meals each day, meal timing and what you eat makes no difference to your body, as far as losing fat is concerned.
Eat at a calorie deficit for weight loss. Exercise and eat a variety of food for health.0 -
I've had success in the past with both Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig. I got sick of the Jenny Craig food after a few months though. I think a Weight Watchers is a great program for someone trying to lose weight for the first time and for the long term. I'd only recommend Jenny Craig to someone with a small amount of weight to lose.0
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Nutrisystem was expensive, the portions were tiny and unsatisfying, and the flavor wasn't very good on most of what I tried. I lost nothing.
Weight Watchers was good as PointsPlus. I lost 40 pounds, but then I came up on money trouble and had to let it go. Since I had no idea what my calorie intake was, only the points, I gained it all back and then some. I've heard many, many complaints about the new point system.
MFP is free and you're not estimating anything if you weigh and measure, then log, as accurately as you're able. It's working wonderfully for me. Started at 261.2 on 4/19/15. Was 193.8 this morning. I have a long way to go, but I know I can get there because I don't feel deprived or frustrated doing it this way. It works into my lifestyle 99.9% of the time (got pizza the other night from a place that had no nutrition info so I ended up choosing something else for my dinner). Plus I confirmed with hubs the other day that how I look now at this weight vs how I looked at this weight when I lost really fast on a liquid diet (that I gained all back and then some for the same reason as WW), it's better now. Now I'm losing slowly enough for my body to adjust as I go and the exercise is making me stronger. Win/win!
Sound, solid advice.
You're much better learning about nutrition, how the body works and how to feed it than you are just signing up and following a program.
Btw, the six meals a day thing is a total myth. Your metabolism doesn't slow down between meals.
"Starvation mode" or metabolic adaptation doesn't occur until after multiple days of fasting or an extended period of a very low calorie diet (VLCD) and ends as soon as you return to normal eating.0 -
Here's the "stickie" from the top of the forum. Sit back and get ready for some knowledge. It has a lot of helpful basics to help you.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10300319/most-helpful-posts-general-diet-and-weight-loss-help-must-reads#latest
Yes!! Read these posts.
You will be much better off by arming yourself with good information than you will be by signing up for some program or buying a meal plan.0
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