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Product: Nutrisystem
Model: Women's Basic Plan
Manufacturer: Nutrisystem
Cost: approx. $300 per month
This is a good jump start for a dieter. I enjoyed the foods, which were easy to prepare and tasted reasonably good. There were a few exceptions. The spaghetti and meatballs had an unpleasant tangy taste, as though a sweet vinegar salad dressing were added to the sauce. If you like Prego, you would like it. The other pastas were fine.
I like the barbecued beef and brown rice so much, I will learn to make it on my own. A lot of the breakfast foods, scones and muffins, are quick and good; think Vitamuffin. I have since learned to bake these high fiber/protein pastries and freeze them until needed. I did lose over ten pounds and they sent me a cute bear with a ten on it, making it fun for me.
Drawbacks:
This is easier to follow if you are single. I can't imagine making full course meals for a family and not indulging beyond this meal plan. This is easier when it isn't the holiday season with so many goodies and special family and co-worker meals.
It takes considerable planning to have all of the necessary fruits/veggies/dairy on hand, especially at work. You can't use corn or peas as a veggie; they are counted as carbs. Your applesauce shouldn't have sugar added, etc. You really have to focus to shop and eat according to the plan, including measuring everything.
Conclusion:
It works great if you can focus and be faithful to the plan. You will be ready for different food in a month or two, but it is a good diet start. You learn about portion control. The sodium wasn't an issue because I am not on a salt-free diet. I will take what I learned and adapt it to my own diet meals. It made dieting fun and it didn't cost much because of the grocery bill reduction.
By Susannl from St. Cloud, FL
I did Nutrisystem years ago and am now trying it again. It does work, but you have to follow it. Some food is better than others, the new frozen stuff is an improvement. What I like is that you can now track your daily intake online. It makes it alot easier, which is the reason for doing Nutrisystem. It also shows the appropriate portions online. I like that since I am online all day at my job. I can just jump to their website for any update or to obtain information. No diet is perfect, but neither is life. It does train you to eat smaller portions and to ensure your diet is balanced.
It is cheaper than Jenny Craig and easier than Weight Watchers, which I hate and never do well on that plan. In the end, you have to take the initiative and maintain the weight loss, which is the real challenge!
I started 3 weeks ago and already lost 8 pounds. It works. Yes, the food might suck, but that's what you get when paying for pre-packaged meals. Former military so the taste didn't really bother me that much, just added ketchup. lol. Losing weight is not easy. Just stay on the plan, drink a ton of water and have physical activity even if its just a brisk walk.
Hey, gaining weight is easy, losing it is the hard part and it sucks, but stick to it , follow the plan and you will see results. simple as that!! and I'm single so the prepackaged meals work great. Change your mindset about food, it something that you need to do to survive, not enjoy. =P
A relaltive was an area counseling manager for Nutrisystem back when they had meetings for dieters. They closed these places and now just sell food. I have a problem with anything that has so many chemical additives. Better to just to eat sensibly, get enough exercise and have some will power. Talk to your doctor first. I imagine Jenny Craig is the same as Nutrisystem.
Thanks for taking the time to review this product for us; I have always wondered how it works. I had already decided that it wasn't for me, for several reasons. The main reason being, I don't usually keep to the standard "breakfast foods for breakfast", and so forth and so on. I'd rather have a classic meat, pasta, veggies, etc. Which probably means that that kind of diet wouldn't work for me, sigh... It's nice to get to hear from people who have actually used the product, that are not being paid by the company to say wonderful things about the product. LOL.
I have a friend who did Nutri-System It cost her over $1000.00 several years ago and as soon as she stopped she started gaining her weight back. I think WW is better. I did that until I had to cut back on my budget when hours at work got cut. I did super with it. Go to WW meetings and learn what they teach you and then you can stop going and do it by yourself at home. WW uses regular food that your whole family can eat and you don't have to spend extra on foods for you!
I did pretty much the same thing only with Jenny Craig. I started out for a month or so but found I didn't like all the food and it is so expensive. Nowadays with the internet and all you can get great recipes online and find ways to cut calories and fat. Just suit things to your taste. I have lost 60 pounds this past year and the best advice is not to eat very heavy after 3pm. This has been very helpful to me.
Check out ebay under nutri system. They are selling the meals like hot cakes. 4-5 Weeks worth of meals for around 170.00 I have seen people get them even cheaper and with good expiration dates on them. Breakfasts, lunches, dinners and desserts and big big savings. Just add a little exercise.
Got to ebay and look under nutri system. You can get 4-5 weeks of meals for about 170.00 Then alls you add is a little exercise. I read when people go to the nutri system office they continually bill your credit card for anything. These meals are selling like hot cakes. I also read that some of their meals weren't that tasty but no pain..no gain. It includes all breakfasts, lunches, dinners and desserts. Check it out and save.
Below you can read previous posts and comments about this topic. The discussions on this page have been archived 2 times. Select a discussion and read the feedback here.
(Archived Jan 14, 2010)NutriSystem Reviews
SusannL from St. Cloud, FL
Feedback:
By Beverly
By SusannL
I need things to be simple and easy to prepare and Nutrisystem is great for people who like convenience. Everything is prepackaged and properly portioned. You supplement the program with Fruits and Veggies since that wouldn't be very good prepackaged. You can either order the 'Favorites' package or pick your own. I tried the 'Favorites' package and found things that I definitely like and also found stuff I will never order again. Everyone has their own preferences but if you are used to frozen meals from Lean Cuisine, Health Choice, etc, you should have no trouble finding something you enjoy in NS.
I was amazed at the number of people complaining about this program. I just don't understand why, it is pretty easy to follow and I don't feel hungry at all! (01/01/2010)
By kerswe
(Archived Oct 01, 2009)NutriSystem Reviews
I lost 30 pounds last summer from using the Dance Dance Revolution program on our Playstation 2. That was definitely worth the investment. I would still like to lose 5-10 pounds.
SusannL from St. Cloud, FL
Feedback:
By Erin
By michawnpita
It's perfect for me because my main problem was portioning out food. NS does it for me. I chose my own food instead of letting NS pick and so far the foods that have been really good are the cheese tortellini, pizza, ham, oatmeal cookie, granola bars, and grilled chicken. Those are some off the top of my head. The only food I have regretted buying is the scrambled eggs, not very good. The cereal is fine, same goes for the chocolate drink. That is pretty much all I have had in 8 days.(maybe forgetting a few things)
As for buying additional food, this is the stuff that a normal person should have on their shelves in the first place if they want to live a healthy life so I don't see what's the big deal about having stuff like peanut butter, bread, salad, fruits, spinach, cheese, etc.
And the time is the best part, another perk for a lazy college student like me. It's a little pricey, but consider this I have followed the diet for 8 days and am working out daily and I have about 400 percent more energy and have dropped 11 of the 25 pounds I hope to lose already. I'm serious, this could be exactly what you are looking for if you have some cash to spend. (04/19/2007)
By royboy8
I have never been full in my life, and can eat tons of pasta. Lately, I can hardly finish the "small" NS portions. A nice salad and the meal is surprisingly filling. Hope I lose weight. (09/12/2007)
By Lisa
By sorryIordered
If you decide to join, make sure that you clearly specify which foods you like and which foods you don't. Nutrisystem, tends to ship you some items that you did not order. Next, keep in mind that all the foods have a high sodium level (salt). Make sure you check with your doctor, before you proceed with this program. Remember, when it comes down to the nitty gritty, it's all about a matter of taste, convenience, and saving money. Good luck to all. Neil, Vancouver, BC (10/29/2007)
By Neil from Vancouver, BC
WW teaches you how to eat real food. They also have a separate "core" plan if you don't like the points, under which you can eat certain healthy foods until you are satisfied, for those who don't like counting points. All you pay if you choose the monthly program is about 40 bucks a month, and that covers meetings and access to the online site where you can keep track of your points and exercise and find recipes, points values, etc. That beats hundreds per month for Nutrisystem food that I didn't want to eat half of the time.
The only foods I liked of the Nutrisystem offerings were the Italian style foods, as it's tough to mess up tomato sauce. The tuna tasted like cat food, and the Thai food was atrocious. Most of the lunches were like cup a soup, where you add water and wait for dehydrated noodles to get soft. The pizza is tiny, the burgers and chicken dehydrated, and you add boiling water. I did lose some weight fast on NS, because you are eating so few calories, but ultimately, I couldn't eat that food for long, so it was pretty much a waste of time. (01/03/2008)
By Minamu
I am never craving something more, I am always full and find that I can't eat everything I am supposed to in a day. I have a hard time getting over 900 calories, because I get full. But, I eat a lot of veggies and some fat free cheese. The one hard part is the no alcohol, but that is how it is with any diet. I would definitely recommend this diet to anyone that usually loves junk food, because you can still eat cheesy pasta and potatoes, chocolate, etc.
Here is a sample day in the life of my diet:
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Snack:
Dinner:
Dessert:
Keep in mind, this is barely 850 calories, so in theory you need to add more fats to this plan, but I am having a hard time. (01/12/2008)
By Lindsay
By Carrie
I have always been a very healthy eater who sought guidance with respect to portion control and balancing protein, fat and carbohydrates. Prior to NS, thoughts of food would consume me at times. In retrospect, I would attribute these thoughts to the fact that I was not eating balanced portions (too small, too large, not enough fat, too many carbs, etc.). Often I'd have too much of one (protein or carbs) and not enough of the other in my diet.
Nutrisystem was an attractive choice for me. I thought this program would help me achieve balance and train my eye to recognize proper portions. As a busy professional, I find the meals to be convenient and satisfying when supplemented with the suggested vegetables/fruits. I'm very satiated after every meal (likely due to the fibre, protein and fat), and find the fruit and dairy servings tide me over until the next meal. This is quite a feat for someone who felt hungry all of the time.
I wonder about those persons who say the food tastes very bad it makes me curious about what you normally eat on a daily basis. I eat dinner out only about 5 times per year. I'm not a fast-foodie.
I've lost just about 2 pounds in 4 days on the plan. That's not much, I know, but I've been trying to do this for months. I do know this plan is right for me.
Best Regards. (01/27/2008)
By No Longer Ravenous in Saskatoon, SK
By not important
It also allows caffeine and diet soda which was never aloud on Atkins. If I continue to lose weight as I have been, then this may be a diet for life for me. Oh and consequently, I'm saving money because I don't eat out. It seems expensive, but compared to Chili's and the Olive Garden about 10 times a month, it's alright. (10/22/2008)
By Monrie
Even though I took the survey about what I can and can't eat, they would send beef when I said I don't eat beef, things with nuts, which I am allergic to. They were good about switching out the mistakes, but that always meant sending their food back and waiting. Also, they choose the free week's food and you must take what they send you whether you like it or not. Yes, you can often exchange for something better, but the phone operators would take my order and then disregard most of what I ordered and send me the wrong items again. It is very expensive, and the individual entrees and 5 and up are double in-store diet entrees. It's a great scam, but like any diet, if you eat less and exercise, it works.
Bottom line, if you eat a controlled diet, when you switch back to normal eating, your old habits kick right back in and you fail. If you can change your old habits, with a program like Weightwatchers, your chances for success are immeasurably improved.
Just one side note, Nutrisystem sponsors a review page, but it is impossible to access and write your own review. (12/31/2008)
By Michael
And last but not least, people have issues with buying fresh fruits and vegetables, saying it is "extra". News Flash: any decent program will advice you to do that anyway. If not, you do not want to be associated with it (01/15/2009)
By papa
So, today I went online and ordered Nutrisystem again. The decision to order is the motivation I need, so tonight I will begin regular exercise and I will be ready to lose the weight when my Nutrisystem arrives in a few days. I am confident that I will be back at my slim weight within two months. I recommend Nutrisystem. Some of us need the motivation that committing to purchase a diet system brings. (02/18/2009)
By Bergie