Profile by Sanford, Nutrisystem, Optifast, etc.

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jae41
jae41 Posts: 9 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My husband is really pushing me to do a more "formal, supervised" plan as mentioned above. Since weight lose is a matter of CICO I feel like MFP is a fine option that allows me to make my own choices (maybe I only eat salad for dinner if I splurged on ice cream for lunch) and own meals and not rely on buying expensive, highly processed food. Has anyone here had success using on of these or another similar plan? I can see the benefit in not having to think about what to eat for a period of time, but that's the only upside I can think of right now. I thought I'd see if anyone has any good experiences before I completely blow it off. Thanks!

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  • rsj7799
    rsj7799 Posts: 74 Member
    edited August 2018
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    The only current supervised plan I have any experience with is weight watchers. I go to weight watchers to have the accountability of a weekly weigh in and dual track with MFP to make sure I get enough protein, etc. and don't under or overeat the "zero point" foods. I told my group leader I was doing that and she was totally cool with it (IMO the current weight watchers system is great until you get close to goal, then I think you really need to count some calories or you will make yourself crazy.) My mother is also a member and has been consistently losing weight just using their plan alone. Its ultimately a CICO system but it tries to steer you away from unhealthy food through its points system.
    Personally I can't see any system where you have to eat a bunch of frozen dinners as being sustainable in the long run (or tolerable in the short run). But any plan that gives you an overall strategy for healthy eating (and lets you eat actual food) and some level of accountability and support is a good one.
    If you are losing weight and eating healthy just using MFP, stick with it. If you need to get your husband off your back, WW is not a bad choice.
  • happytree923
    happytree923 Posts: 463 Member
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    This is 100% anecdotal but I’ve heard of people getting moldy food from nutrisystem. I’d rather buy my own food that I can inspect before buying. Plus, let’s say you lose a bunch of weight on a premade meal plan. Then what? You can’t keep buying that stuff forever.
  • jae41
    jae41 Posts: 9 Member
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    Thanks for the replies, it's helpful.
  • JBApplebee
    JBApplebee Posts: 481 Member
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    I'm a profile by sanford guy, personally. I love their bars & shakes, & the shakes are delicious just mixed with water. Finding shakes that taste good with water is sometimes tough. I've lost 55 pounds since the end of January. Well, at least I did before vacation & my birthday in the last 2 weeks. My goal is to get to the 60 pound loss by September 1st, the first Husker tailgate of the season. GBR!
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    It's personal preference - some people prefer supervised plans that take out the guesswork, others like more flexibility. There's no one-size-fits-all approach to weight loss.

    The chances of regaining are pretty much the same across the board no matter what approach you choose. If you start eating more calories than you burn, you regain.
  • tbright1965
    tbright1965 Posts: 852 Member
    edited August 2018
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    jae41 wrote: »
    My husband is really pushing me to do a more "formal, supervised" plan as mentioned above. Since weight lose is a matter of CICO I feel like MFP is a fine option that allows me to make my own choices (maybe I only eat salad for dinner if I splurged on ice cream for lunch) and own meals and not rely on buying expensive, highly processed food. Has anyone here had success using on of these or another similar plan? I can see the benefit in not having to think about what to eat for a period of time, but that's the only upside I can think of right now. I thought I'd see if anyone has any good experiences before I completely blow it off. Thanks!

    This is like the opposite of my home.

    My wife is on some plan where she eats one lean and green meal each day, no exercise allowed, and packaged food items show up on the porch every so often.

    I've learned to keep my mouth shut and let her do her thing.

    I think she's coming around. I've lost close to ~45 pounds since Valentines Day by using MFP ( used another app for about a month before going with MFP on the advice of my Joslin Diabetes Coach/Dietitian.}

    My concerns about some of the plans, especially the one she's on, is that they don't want her to exercise. That's asking for muscle loss. Sure, the weight drops, but how much is fat or water?

    Meanwhile, after a few weeks stalled, 6-7 pounds finally fell off of me last week, pushing me just briefly below 220. Added the water weight back today as 65 miles of cycling did my legs in...

    Still ate in a deficit, but rebuilding muscle requires water, so my legs are full of it right now :)

    Anyway, as others have alluded to, the pre-packaged meals may help you lose weight, but don't teach you how to construct or track what you are eating.

    Meanwhile, with no heroic efforts and just following the advice by my coach which started at 225g/day carbohydrates and 2250 calories/day, and not more than 60g carbs/meal and 45g/day in snacks, I was able to drop ~45 pounds in just under 6 months, moved my A1C from 7.3% to a normal range 5.4% and my fasting BG levels have gone from 180 mg/dL to mid-80s the past 10 days.

    I was already exercising, but one cannot outrun or outwork their fork, so it took paying attention to what I eat to make a real difference.

    I still have pork steaks or BBQ ribs. But I'll have slaw or a salad instead of more carb laden sides. The food scale is my new friend.

    I did have a waffle yesterday, but I rode 25 miles before church, so a waffle with a measured portion of syrup, some fruit and a coffee was perfectly reasonable.

    I even had a chocolate milk on Saturday after my 40 mile ride as a recovery drink. But I chose the 250 calorie bottle, not the 440 calorie bottle to go with my, well it's a packaged item, an Atkins Caramel Chocolate Nut Roll Bar. A good mix of fat and protein for the post workout recovery snack.

    Well, then ribs and slaw for lunch at a local BBQ place...

    Dinner was a chicken breast and veggies, IIRC.

    Sorry for the ramble. I hope it works for her in spite of my concerns. But if it doesn't, I hope that she will look to me as an example of success and follows my example. I do know that unsolicited offers of help or advice will only end badly, so she has to want my advice to actually be willing to take it and possibly follow it.

  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
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    You could always come to a middle ground. While i am no expert, I suggest "real" whole foods. That said, it might not be a bad idea to have some pre measured food available if you get busy and can't prep. I personally rarely use protein shakes or bars, they have little satiety for me, but will use them in a pinch to meet my goals. Best of luck.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,564 Member
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    I think there's one distinct disadvantage packaged plans: One of the most challenging parts of weight loss, if you believe the statistics, is maintaining a reduced weight after the loss. Doing so depends on having new habits that keep one in a healthy range permanently.

    Unless you propose to stay on the packaged plan permanently, you reach the end of using it . . . then what? You need to figure out some new habits, and the packaged plan may or may not have helped you to do that.

    Personally, I thought of the weight loss process as a way to find permanent new habits that would help me meet and maintain my weight goals. It was a chance to experiment with what kept me happy, full and well-nourished. That meant new habits for shopping, cooking, snacking, social events, and more. During weight loss, I tried to do nothing that I wasn't willing to continue forever - other than a sensibly moderate calorie deficit.

    Achieving satiation, nutrition, and happiness via new habits on a reduced calorie goal (below maintenance calories) suggested that it would be even easier to stick with those new habits at the slightly increased calories of maintenance. When I reached goal weight, I just gradually increased calories until my weight stabilized at a lower level. I'm going into year 3 of maintaining a healthy weight after losing 50+ pounds (nearly 1/3 of my body weight) at age 59-60 (while hypothyroid). I think it worked reasonably well. :)

    It sounds like you're happy doing what you're doing. As long as you're also finding success, I think you should blow off the alternatives. Pocket the saved $$, spend it on yourself when you reach goal. ;)
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
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    JBApplebee wrote: »
    I'm a profile by sanford guy, personally. I love their bars & shakes, & the shakes are delicious just mixed with water. Finding shakes that taste good with water is sometimes tough. I've lost 55 pounds since the end of January. Well, at least I did before vacation & my birthday in the last 2 weeks. My goal is to get to the 60 pound loss by September 1st, the first Husker tailgate of the season. GBR!

    Best of luck.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    gebeziseva wrote: »
    You need to learn how to eat for when you reach your goal. Getting ready meals planned by someone else will not let you do this and you risk regaining.

    You risk regaining by ignoring your weight. This is done by plenty of people who have lost weight on every diet in existence. There is also more than one way to maintain weight. I know a person who lost his weight using meal replacement shakes that has continued to use them in maintenance for a few years now. I wouldn't want to do it but it works for him.

    Diligence seems to be the thing you need to learn to maintain more than anything else.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    I think a key reason why these sorts of plans make it difficult to maintain is the cost. People can reconcile the cost in their head to "this is to help me lose weight". But once they reach goal, the cost doesn't seem so worth it any more and they cancel. And now they don't have that structure that they became used to and slip back into old habits. It's the slipping back into old habits that is the problem, not the program itself, but IMHO it is more likely.

    I suppose a workaround is to sort of taper off as you approach goal weight. But as others have said, different things work for different people, and if what you are currently doing is working I would hesitate to switch!
  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
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    jae41 wrote: »
    My husband is really pushing me to do a more "formal, supervised" plan as mentioned above. Since weight lose is a matter of CICO I feel like MFP is a fine option that allows me to make my own choices (maybe I only eat salad for dinner if I splurged on ice cream for lunch) and own meals and not rely on buying expensive, highly processed food. Has anyone here had success using on of these or another similar plan? I can see the benefit in not having to think about what to eat for a period of time, but that's the only upside I can think of right now. I thought I'd see if anyone has any good experiences before I completely blow it off. Thanks!

    My guess is that you weren't thinking about what you ate when you put on weight, so I'd consider that a BIG down side. The reality is that you need to think about what you're eating. These plans will deprive you of that mental exercise. I don't see how that can help you in the long run.

    Remember, there's losing weight and there's maintaining that weight loss. Which are you really wanting to achieve? That should give you your answer.

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