Jenny Craig, NutriSystem, etc.

pf3855
pf3855 Posts: 31
edited October 3 in Health and Weight Loss
Anyone ever tried one of these and if so how was it in terms of the food?

Replies

  • abbie017
    abbie017 Posts: 410
    I've heard Nutrisystem is jam-packed with sodium, which makes sense, because most of those pre-packaged meals are.
  • missikay1970
    missikay1970 Posts: 588 Member
    my mom is currently doing nutrisystem and has been since january. she said the food was really good at first, but she is getting tired of it. the portions are small (as they should be) but she really got used to that and learned how much to eat when she had a meal off the program food. they are really great about helping her choose which meals she might like, and she has sent back some that tasted horrible and they replaced them with some of her favorites. there are snacks, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, she loves the muffins and popcorn. they even have ice cream, too. i think the pizza is one of her favorites, she uses lots of herbs & spices + garlic to add more flavor. she has lost 60 lbs.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    I did Jenny Craig a long time ago, I actually think their food is pretty good as those types of food go. Nutrisystem I thought was nasty. So bad in fact, that I boxed it up and returned it.
  • Gigi_licious
    Gigi_licious Posts: 1,185 Member
    I tried Jenny Craig about 8 years ago. Very expensive. You have to buy their food, plus fresh produce, plus food for your family if you have to cook for other people. I was starving most of the time, the food was ok, but you're better off buying real food that you like and just watching your portions. It will save your wallet and your taste buds from a lot of misery.
  • Sooznine
    Sooznine Posts: 29 Member
    I did Jenny Craig ~20 years ago and it was pretty good. It's just not sustainable *after* the program.... that's why i like MFP: you eat the real, normal stuff... just less. It is something you can live with. Also, it worked for me then b/c i was single with no kids, i only had to think about myself. Now, it would be me having to make a separate meal for myself and that wouldn't work these days, either.
  • jwaters1006
    jwaters1006 Posts: 136 Member
    I tried Nutrisystem a few years back. The food is decent depending on what you like. The mostly soy based diet wreaked havoc on me emotionally. I lost 25 pounds or so, but I was going to the gym twice a day for 1-2 hours a time 5 days a week. I stopped nutrisystem and the gym and I gained it all back and thensome. For what I was paying for Nutrisystem each month i can feed myself and husband healthy food and still have $ left over and that's not including the extra I would have to put in to buy fresh produce, dairy etc,
  • kmbrooks15
    kmbrooks15 Posts: 941 Member
    My husband did NutriSystem, but I could easily make better meals for a whole lot less money. Yes, they are convenient, but they are REALLY expensive. You'd be better off just making smarter choices in food. A week's worth of their food for one person is twice what my grocery bill is for TWO weeks for THREE people, and you still have to supplement with fruits and veggies. Not worth it in my opinion. I know people have lost weight doing one of those, but for the average American, in this economy, it's not affordable.
  • EverC
    EverC Posts: 2 Member
    My Bff worked at Nutrisystems and regularly got to sample the food. She said the frozen food was very good but that the dry food tasted like cardboard. She did mention that it was certain things. The chocolate was the most cardboard like. But she didn't really go into that much detail.

    My thing is, they always tell you not to deprive yourself of what you want because then you'll only want it more. You'll then be more likely to gorge yourself in it. Everything in moderation, right? If you have to eat something that tastes like cardboard, I think you'll be more likely to grab for that burger the next time you crave it.

    On the flip side, the success stories for things like Nutrisystems and Jenni Craig, are very, very real. If you have the iron-clad will power, then go for it!
  • Wanting2BSkinny
    Wanting2BSkinny Posts: 78
    I have tried Nutri-System and initially the food was okay. Towards the end of my 2 week trial, the breakfast was about the only thing I liked. You have to figure....how good can the food be when you have meals such as roast beef, for example, sitting around in a box that doesn't have to be refrigerated. Anyway, you can go to Wal-Mart in the dept. where the protein shakes, etc. are and purchase a 14 day food card ($150). This way you can try the food first before obligating yourself to their monthly service.
  • BondBomb
    BondBomb Posts: 1,781 Member
    I did Jenny Craig and it helped me start losing weight initially. I tapered off the food which is what they recommend. It gives you a really good idea about portion size. It was kind of an eye opener for me. I have always been in pretty good shape so I never really had to lose weigh until I had a baby. I had no idea what really went into it. Now I am off the Jenny food and doing fine with MFP. For me it worked nicely. The food was good but after about 3 months there is no way I could eat it.
  • cloneme_losehalf
    cloneme_losehalf Posts: 356 Member
    I did not like the flavor of either. But then again I do not think anything tastes as good as freshly prepared. I don't care for the one's in the freezer section either, but do prefer ANY of the frozen brands better than JC or Nutrisystem.
  • catwrangler
    catwrangler Posts: 918 Member
    I've done Nutri-Sys and the food was just tolerable. It is NOTHING like the pictures in mags or on TV so don't expect much. They put beans in everything, even the lasagna! The hamburger is freeze dried, you have to soak it in boiling water. :tongue: You also have to bulk up the menu with fruits and veggies that you buy from the store. I lost about 30 pounds on it, 10 pounds a month for 3 months, no exercise. I started to gain it back so here I am.
  • JNettie73
    JNettie73 Posts: 1,211 Member
    I personally do not have experience with them however I have two friends who have used them. One used Nutri-System and said the food was ok. The other used Jenny Craig and said the food was good. However as soon as both friends stopped the programs and began to eat regular food they both regained the weight that they lost and then some. They also both stopped because of the cost of keeping up with the program.

    Personally, I think you would be better off just preparing your own meals using fresh foods rather than eating prepackaged foods that have a lot of additives in it. Just be aware of portion sizes.

    Good luck with whatever you decide to do. :flowerforyou:
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    I personally do not have experience with them however I have two friends who have used them. One used Nutri-System and said the food was ok. The other used Jenny Craig and said the food was good. However as soon as both friends stopped the programs and began to eat regular food they both regained the weight that they lost and then some. They also both stopped because of the cost of keeping up with the program.

    Personally, I think you would be better off just preparing your own meals using fresh foods rather than eating prepackaged foods that have a lot of additives in it. Just be aware of portion sizes.

    Good luck with whatever you decide to do. :flowerforyou:

    I haven't tried any of the plans, my only concern would be having an exit strategy, you can't stay on a plan like this for the rest of your life, it's just not financially sound.
  • CharlieBarleyMom
    CharlieBarleyMom Posts: 727 Member
    I did Nutri-System about 25 years ago. I lost over 75 pounds on it... but, as everyone else has said, it is not sustainable. As soon as you are back to supermarket food or even any other food, it packs right back on. Also, they don't teach you anything. The dietician is just there to weigh you and make sure that you're healthy overall... nothing about correct eating habits.

    Back then I went to a weekly meeting - and I bought my food for the week. I actually remember liking most of the food (otherwise it wouldn't have worked) - and especially some of the snacks!

    One positive came from that diet - I lost my desire for potato chips. I still have no "need" to eat potato chips and when given the choice, will not eat them. Sure, if they are the only snack around, but they don't really call my name like they do for so many people.

    I tried Jenny Craig about 20 years ago... ick. Hated the food and quit after 1 week.

    Real food. Real life. Real situations. = real life and sustainability. I would even suggest that if this site isn't enough for you to lose weight, that you pick up Weight Watchers instead of any of those other prepackaged meal plans.
  • Tuffjourney
    Tuffjourney Posts: 971
    Co-worker of mine tried Nutrisystem and said the food was not very good at all.
  • mandasimba
    mandasimba Posts: 782 Member
    The boyfriends dad did Nutrisystem for a month. He dropped 10lbs (is very overweight) but then gave up. He gained it all back very quickly because he didn't continue to eat normal amounts of food.

    He gave me the other 2 months of food he got because I'm a garbage disposal and will eat anything, especially if it is free. Most of it is pretty disgusting tasting.

    As an example, they give you a teeny bag of "pretzels" for a snack... higher fat and cals than regular pretzels (though more protein) and they tasted like cardboard. I, the person who would rather suffer than throw away something free, threw them away.
  • BondBomb
    BondBomb Posts: 1,781 Member
    People who gain weight coming off the program simply dont follow the exit program. Its basically a transition into what we do here at MFP. Weighing and measuring food. Counting calories and making healthy choices. The food on JC is not 'diet food'. Its pretty refular food but cut down into the portions you SHOULD be eating if you choose those foods. If I decide I want a piece if cheesecake (which is on JC) it has to be a SLIVER. So you can taste and be satisfied.
    The only difference is they prepare the food for you. In fact I have lost more weight since coming off of Jenny Craig because I eat a lot less 'indulgent' meals. Which means I can eat more. If portion control is an issue for you I would say go for it. But if you can't learn from the system then its pointless.
  • liftingbro
    liftingbro Posts: 2,029 Member
    These things are very, very expensive. It's much easier just to count calories and make your own food for a 10th of the price.
  • sugarnspicere
    sugarnspicere Posts: 45 Member
    To be honest these plans are a waist. They don't teach you how to feed your body properly. They are processed and just terrible for you. The results people see from these diets are temporary because once they come off of them they have no idea how to eat without them.
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