Nutrisystem - any comments, hints?

[+ azdr0710]

I really don't like spending time preparing meals and wish I had a cook who could just fix three healthy meals for me every day. I do a lot of cardio and my eating habits are not at all horrible, but, by the end of the day, I can get hungry and that Taco Bell is just around the corner. My weight is stable, but I need to lose 20 lbs. I definitely know what I should do (oatmeal, chicken, vegies, whole grain, etc.), but the prep time is the problem. And things other people make always taste better.

 

I'm thinking of Nutrisystem primarily because the meals are pre-made and that is my main problem (fixing meals). I know preservatives are probably high in them and I know I'm supposed to add store-bought sides to each meal, but I'm OK with that. Just knowing my meals will be already made for days to come will make me feel better. I also know fad diets and all these Nutrisystem/Jenny Craig/Weight Watcher plans are a multi-billion dollar business.

 

Any pros and cons from those of you who have tried Nutrisystem? Thanks

[rossthebosssf]

In the early 90's I lost 120lbs on Nutrisystem when they had actual brick and mortar clinics. Back in the day it was alright. I tried it again last year to lose 20lbs and found that I just couldn't stomach the processed food. After a week I lost interest and went back to eating regular food.

 

Personally I've had a lot of luck with the Amy's Organic Diet Plan:

 

http://www.amyskitchen.com/health/diet-plan

 

The food is all frozen so very convenient, nothing is processed and the meals taste great. I add a couple salads, fruit and almond milk and I'm good to go. I lost about 25lbs since November and still continue to eat the meals for convenience sake.

[OneFinger]

I tried Nutrisystem a couple of times and had some short-term success. But, it was very expensive and I didn't find the food that appealing. As soon as I stopped Nutrisystem, the weight came back on (plus a few extra pounds).

 

You state you need to lose 20 lbs, do a lot of cardio, and your eating habits are normal. Are you sure you want something as drastic as Nutrisystem? I believe you could probably take off the pounds by increasing your protein and the timing of your protein in-take.

 

For example, taking in 30 g of protein within 30 minutes of waking up is a great stimulus to your body. Also getting another 30 g right after a workout will help.

 

I get a lot of protein from powered shakes or the pre-packaged shakes such as EAS or Premier. I've dropped 99 lbs in the past few months. It's been done by eliminating carbs (no bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, etc.) and increasing protein.

 

I also use Myfitnesspal to track my meals, calorie, and protein intake.

 

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

 

I've also downloaded their smartphone app and find that it helps me focus on the types of foods I need to eat to reach my weight goal. I also like the fact that it has pre-stored a lot of pre-packaged food which makes it very easy to input what I'm eating. Even tracks real-time what you had so far and how much more you need through the day.

 

I'd suggest mixing up your food in-take or exercise routine to "shock" your body into weight loss mode. Also, have you tried monitoring your ketosis level?

[seeker630]

I've dropped 99 lbs in the past few months. It's been done by eliminating carbs (no bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, etc.) and increasing protein.

 

 

That's incredible! Congratulations!

 

(Gives me hope!)

[MsGuy]

I've dropped 99 lbs in the past few months.

 

Ditto what Seeker said. Way to go, OneFinger!!

[instudiocity]

I did Nutrisystem for a year back in 2008 - lost about 20 pounds but got totally frustrated at the $300+ expense +$200 grocery bill to eat processed food that eventually got to tasteless and notaste.

 

Last June, a friend gave me a BodyBugg which is a device worn on the left upper arm, and a subscription to the website. The device measures your metabolic rate - my resting burn is 1,800 calories per day. The website has a food diary and coaching system that aids you in determining your caloric intake. My goal became to eat less than 1,800 calories per day and to increase my burn to 2,800 calories which I could do with 2 simple 2-3 mile walks (as a pace of 20 minutes to the mile). I ate what I wanted and soon learned that REFINED SUGAR is an anagram of POISON! I also learned that FRUIT is wonderful. You can eat 1/2 a medium banana with 100 calories and feel more satisfied, and satisfied longer than 400 calories worth of chocolate.

 

Six months of eating anything I wanted, restricting calories to 1,800 calories a day and walking every day, and I lost 45 pounds. Weighing less than 200 pounds for the first time in 20 years. In August I was so motivated, I walked 287 miles in 25 days (5 days I didn't walk).

 

Now, I'm in my 5th month of maintenance - walking 4-5 miles a day, restricting calories and I'm down another 5 pounds. Now that it's warmer, I'm going back to kill off that last 25 pounds with 10 miles a day and strict calorie counting.

[instudiocity]

And Then, There's THIS!

 

From CNN:

For 10 weeks, Mark Haub, a professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University, ate one of these sugary cakelets every three hours, instead of meals. To add variety in his steady stream of Hostess and Little Debbie snacks, Haub munched on Doritos chips, sugary cereals and Oreos, too.

 

His premise: That in weight loss, pure calorie counting is what matters most -- not the nutritional value of the food.

 

The premise held up: On his "convenience store diet," he shed 27 pounds in two months.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/twinkie.diet.professor/index.html

 

So it's not really the old adage, "You ARE what you EAT." but rather, "You can't be BIG unless you EAT BIG!"

[leigh.bess.toad]

I really don't like spending time preparing meals and wish I had a cook who could just fix three healthy meals for me every day. I do a lot of cardio and my eating habits are not at all horrible, but, by the end of the day, I can get hungry and that Taco Bell is just around the corner. My weight is stable, but I need to lose 20 lbs. I definitely know what I should do (oatmeal, chicken, vegies, whole grain, etc.), but the prep time is the problem. And things other people make always taste better.

 

Well one thing I've always done, and what has been counseled over and over and over again is not 3 meals a day, but eating much smaller amounts every few hours. Me, I eat about 300-400 calories every 3 hours. It's amazing how fast you can prep that small amount and as a general rule you can prep it long before hand or only takes a minute or two. I do a lot of my prep on the weekends and store it in baggies and it's ready to roll. And you know what? I'm almost never hungry. Because the body knows it's getting fed in another couple of hours. And when the body knows it's getting fed it doesn't hold onto the fat stores and can burn the fat and the weight loss comes. I've had many times where I know I need to lose some weight I've had to INCREASE my caloric intake because my metabolism was in shutdown mode. Quite often I've lost more weight at 2400 calories a day than 1800. It seems counter-intuitive but that's the way the body works. It defends itself and when it doesn't feel threatened, when you let your metabolism work for you, it'll come off. And that's why most low cal diets don't work and why they are destined to failure eventually.

 

In the long run, there really is only one secret to weight loss: burn more calories than you use.

 

And skip the Taco Bell. Have a banana. It's closer, faster and better for you. But you want a little secret treat I have (and my good friends here know it's my weakness): a McDonald's ice cream cone. Only 150 calories. Actually sometimes I'll have that and a 4 piece McNugget as a quickie meal -- 340 calories total, not too bad distribution of carbs/fat/protein. And I get a treat.

[leigh.bess.toad]

Now, I'm in my 5th month of maintenance - walking 4-5 miles a day, restricting calories and I'm down another 5 pounds. Now that it's warmer, I'm going back to kill off that last 25 pounds with 10 miles a day and strict calorie counting.

 

Gee, that doesn't sound like the guy I heard about in the PM just yesterday morning. Would the real ISC please stand up???

 

 

And I'm betting it's this one.

[Diverdan]

I used Nutrisystem a few years ago with some success, but I would not go back to it. I use Slimfast shakes and bars now when I want to get good protein and keep my calorie intake down. I also have eliminated almost all breads except for an occassional double fiber whole wheat or other whole grain bread that has reduced sugar. Sugar is one of the worst enemies of weight loss, as is alcohol, so I have eliminated most foods that are high sugar, except for fruits that are very loaded with antioccidents (sic?), such as blueberries, rasberries, etc. and have really reduced my alcohol intake. (Sorry guys, but it is a nutritional fact that alcohol is very robust with calories that turn to sugar) I now work out with a personal trainer three days a week and do cardio the other two days. Part of this is for weight loss, part of it is for just good physical conditioning so I can enjoy my "old age". After a heavy workout, I often have a protein shake for the next meal. It has 40% of my daily protein requirement and only 120 calories! Lee, I suspect that your personal trainer can give you some hints, like eating the bananna, which you have already mentioned. There are some other good "energy" bars now available, that have high protein, but make sure you don't get ones that have a lot of sugar in them or a lot of sodium. Both are used to enhance flavor, but they are not healthy. Good luck to all of us who are working to live a leaner, healthier life!

[Poolboy21409]

Three years ago I topped out at 210 and went on Medifast. It is five "package" meals a day and one real "lean and green" meal. The foods are surprisingly good- shakes, puddings, chai tea, cappuccino, scrambled eggs, pancakes, muffins made from the oatmeal which is horrible as oatmeal, and a lot of great soups. Like breakfast would be eggs or muffin, then a chai ta mid morning, soup at lunch, shakle mid afternoon "real meal" at dinner and a pudding for dessert. Their stuff is fortifeid wiht fiber and protein so each of their meals is about 13-15 gms of protein 5 gms fiber. The only cheating I did was my cocktail(s) before dinner. lost 30 pounds in 3 months then noting over the holidays, and another 15 in Jan & Feb. My body fatw as about 23% then and I started working out. Put back on 15 lbs but body fat down to lw teens. Look at it. http://www.medifastdiet.com. Used to be just mail order but there is a store in Annapolis MD now. Don;t know if there are others.

 

Good luck,. But as l.b.t. says, it's calories/in calories out but the discipline and regimen here worked for me.

[instudiocity]

... INCREASE my caloric intake because my metabolism was in shutdown mode. Quite often I've lost more weight at 2400 calories a day than 1800. It seems counter-intuitive but that's the way the body works. It defends itself and when it doesn't feel threatened, when you let your metabolism work for you, it'll come off. And that's why most low cal diets don't work and why they are destined to failure eventually.

 

Lee, I think this is because of what you eat. Some foods require their calories to digest - like fructose sugar in fruits require you to burn calories to breakdown the fructose into simple sugars. Or like broccoli, you can't get enough calories from broccoli to burn that stuff.

 

In the long run, there really is only one secret to weight loss: burn more calories than you use.

The most obvious fact - right there in front of us.

 

And skip the Taco Bell. Have a banana.

Not to mention the ability to work on your gag-reflex while eating.... (Leery look!)

 

Also, in California, the 'fast-food joints' are posting calories in a meal. I NEVER eat more than 500 calories in one sitting, PERIOD. Which puts about 90% of the burger joint's menu off-limits. Try ordering the child or 'regular' burger. That's about 400 calories. The MacWhopper is probably 1,200!

[+ azdr0710]

thanks, all, for the advice....yes, I do know calories in/calories out is obvious and logical advice.....if I can ramp up my cardio to daily >1 hour stuff, I know that can help with the calories-out thing.....may try to get back into protein shakes for breakfast....I can handle making healthy smoothies, but could add protein powder now to them.....yes, preparing a week's worth of food on the weekend is a good idea I've dropped out of the habit of doing lately......re: Taco Bell: for those that know, I do, at least, get the "Fresco" tacos, which have less calories and fat....

 

will abandon the nutrisystem idea....I had a feeling the food was highly processed and would get boring.....those Amy's foods I do see in the store and will try those......want to try chicken breasts for dinner and since I don't have the patience to fix one that tastes good, I'll try the ones I saw at Trader Joe's while being careful about the calories and sodium......

 

thanks again for your time and advice.....appreciate it

[instudiocity]

Trader Joe's stuff should be pretty wholesome.

 

I have an Advantage Oven from GE that's a combo Microwave and Heat oven. I can cook 2 chicken breasts in 20 minutes. It's really good, too.

 

thanks, all, for the advice....yes, I do know calories in/calories out is obvious and logical advice.....if I can ramp up my cardio to daily >1 hour stuff, I know that can help with the calories-out thing.....may try to get back into protein shakes for breakfast....I can handle making healthy smoothies, but could add protein powder now to them.....yes, preparing a week's worth of food on the weekend is a good idea I've dropped out of the habit of doing lately......re: Taco Bell: for those that know, I do, at least, get the "Fresco" tacos, which have less calories and fat....

 

will abandon the nutrisystem idea....I had a feeling the food was highly processed and would get boring.....those Amy's foods I do see in the store and will try those......want to try chicken breasts for dinner and since I don't have the patience to fix one that tastes good, I'll try the ones I saw at Trader Joe's while being careful about the calories and sodium......

 

thanks again for your time and advice.....appreciate it

[fedssocr1]

you don't say where you live. But there is also a program out there called Diet to Go (http://www.diettogo.com) that operates in several locations around the country. You go to a local pick up point and get your meals there twice a week. They keep in the fridge for a few days. It is fresh food, well prepared and tasty. You just have to warm them in the microwave. They have low-fat traditional, vegetarian and atkins style low-carb menus. It operates on a 5 week cycle so there is a good variety. And you can also make substitutions if there are things on the menu that you don't care for. I just started this week so we'll see how it goes. The 1600 calories per day plan I am on now has portions that are too big for me so I am switching to the 1200 calorie plan. It is quite pricey which is the only real drawback.

 

But I agree that it is hard to plan meals and prepare it at the end of the day. It is too easy to fall into eating fast food. I went to see my new doctor about something else last week and he mentioned that I had "put on a little weight" and that I am now technically obese even though I don't think anyone would consider me to be obese (5' 6, 180# 36w). That was a bit of a wake up call. So I am trying this meal plan and started getting some exercise. It really isn't rocket science but getting motivated is the tough part. I was thinking about getting a personal trainer too but that may be a little overboard.

[OneFinger]

Ditto what Seeker said. Way to go, OneFinger!!

 

Thanks Seeker and MsGuy. I spent the last 10 years very overweight and never thought I could drop the pounds. But, changing my eating habits, drinking at least 64 oz of water / day, and walking at least 10,000 steps / day were key elements.

 

It's made a big difference to my health. I'm off all meds (except for my thyroid pill) and no longer use my CPAP. I've dropped 3 shirt sizes and lost 12 inches off my waist.

[leigh.bess.toad]

Thanks Seeker and MsGuy. I spent the last 10 years very overweight and never thought I could drop the pounds. But, changing my eating habits, drinking at least 64 oz of water / day, and walking at least 10,000 steps / day were key elements.

 

It's made a big difference to my health. I'm off all meds (except for my thyroid pill) and no longer use my CPAP. I've dropped 3 shirt sizes and lost 12 inches off my waist.

 

Congrats OneFinger. You should be proud of yourself.

[leigh.bess.toad]

you don't say where you live. But there is also a program out there called Diet to Go (http://www.diettogo.com) that operates in several locations around the country. You go to a local pick up point and get your meals there twice a week. They keep in the fridge for a few days. It is fresh food, well prepared and tasty. You just have to warm them in the microwave. They have low-fat traditional, vegetarian and atkins style low-carb menus. It operates on a 5 week cycle so there is a good variety. And you can also make substitutions if there are things on the menu that you don't care for. I just started this week so we'll see how it goes. The 1600 calories per day plan I am on now has portions that are too big for me so I am switching to the 1200 calorie plan. It is quite pricey which is the only real drawback.

 

But I agree that it is hard to plan meals and prepare it at the end of the day. It is too easy to fall into eating fast food. I went to see my new doctor about something else last week and he mentioned that I had "put on a little weight" and that I am now technically obese even though I don't think anyone would consider me to be obese (5' 6, 180# 36w). That was a bit of a wake up call. So I am trying this meal plan and started getting some exercise. It really isn't rocket science but getting motivated is the tough part. I was thinking about getting a personal trainer too but that may be a little overboard.

 

fedssocr -- just a couple of thoughts. 1200 calories a day? from my experience that'll be putting your body into metabolism shut down mode real fast. yeah you might lose "weight" but it'll be lean muscle not fat. And since it's the lean muscle that burns calories that defeats the purpose. Trust me, I've been there done that so damned many times in spite of the fact I know how the body reacts. I know because I've lost weight when I was at 4500 calories a day because I'd gotten my metabolism so cranked with eating and training. And I've lost weight on an extended 300 calorie a day diet. It's how do you get your body and especially your metabolism going for you. And simply reducing calories isn't it unfortunately. Like I said, I've lost and gained weight at damned near every point on the calorie spectrum. I've lost weight and gained weight at the same calorie counts before depending on how I've got my metabolism and training program going. I've increased caloric intake to gain weight and increased caloric intake to lose weight. It sounds weird. But I've seen it work over and over again.

 

Now as for a personal trainer, that is a personal choice. I don't think it's overboard at all. Especially if you haven't been in the gym for a while. I see so many people in the gym doing so many things that are so wrong -- things that are actually detrimental to themselves -- that I want to scream. I'd been out of the gym for a while and knew I needed a kick so I got a trainer. I asked the club for one. I asked for one who was previously a drill instructor at Parris Island. They didn't have one but they did have one experienced in 3 disciplines of the martial arts. And he's been kicking my ass around the gym for months. And I've never felt better. But you might not want someone as extreme. Think about what might work best with you. Maybe it's someone just to get you started for a few sessions. Maybe it's someone like me who tends to want more hardcore. The operative word in personal trainer is personal. What works for you.

 

Lastly, they wouldn't consider you obese but overweight at 5'6, 180 36". Because they consider me overweight at 5'6 170 33" waist. The "they" are the makers of the BMI charts. BMI is a great guidance tool but it isn't the be all, end all. Body composition plays a big part. How much is lean muscle mass versus body fat. That should determine obesity. Because any competitive bodybuilder is obese by those charts. Guaranteed. Do they look obese? Really? Now I think I'm in pretty good shape. But I've got a BMI of 27.5, smack in the middle of overweight-land. But you know what? It still is a lower number than Sean Knight's number. Sean, who to me has the best body of any escort anywhere, is at 5'8" 185 has a BMI of 28.2. Guess what? I'd kill to have his body. Is he overweight? Not by an ounce. Anywhere. And I've looked. Everywhere.

[leigh.bess.toad]

Trader Joe's stuff should be pretty wholesome.

 

I have an Advantage Oven from GE that's a combo Microwave and Heat oven. I can cook 2 chicken breasts in 20 minutes. It's really good, too.

 

I know the Advantage Oven is great. But for something that works great and I swear by and sits on your counter top, believe it or not, is the Showtime Rotisserie. Yes, that rotisserie with all the infomercials. This time Ron Popeil hit a homer. The thing works great and I've had it for years. The first one broke and I went out and got a new one that day. The only other appliance I would do that for is a microwave. We talked about fixing meals on the weekends. I'll just put an eye of round roast on there and cook it, and slice it for lunch meat during the week. It's a lot leaner than the roast beef you get at the deli counter and cheaper. Chicken breasts, chickens, fish, turkey breasts. That's my weekend prep work. I swear by it and can't and won't live without it.

[Racketjock]

I cannot add to any of the good advice given here already. I too, fell into the obese category. Too much work, too much travel, and too many big meals out with clients led me to where I didn't want to be. As a former chef 20+ yrs ago, I cringe when I see people pay so much for pre-packaged frozen meals with zero taste. The portions are small, the preservatives excessive, and the cost high compared to value of what you are getting. With the great expansive grocery stores out there with busy consumers in mind, I want to offer the suggestion of looking in the produce and deli sections more closely for easy meals that involve little to no prep, have great flavor, and are at a better cost. I don't mean to sound unrealistic, but with the readily available rotisserie whole chickens, pre-cut up veggies, and bags of pre-washed lettuce, you can have a healthy, tasty meal or 3 that would take less time than zapping something in a microwave. Congrats to all on the weight loss and finding what works for a better, healthier you!

[edjames]

I have 2 freinds who are currently on the NutriSystem diet. Both have been very successful at shedding their extra pounds. Their comments regarding the NutriSystem food are (1) the regular food tastes awful, (2) the frozen food is much better and (3) it's an easy way to lose weight.

[jackcali]

It sounds like Nutrisystem works because it's based on the idea that if they give you bad-tasting food, you'll eat less of it. It sounds fool-proof, but there's got to be a better way . . .

[instudiocity]

It sounds like Nutrisystem works because it's based on the idea that if they give you bad-tasting food, you'll eat less of it. It sounds fool-proof, but there's got to be a better way . . .

Actually, it works because they give you a meal plan with portion control and snacks, and because anytime you pay $300/month for something, you better do what it says.

 

It doesn't work because it really doesn't change your behavior - that bad tasting food may teach portion control, but what happens after you stop spending $3,600/year for Nutri-System? You go back to the old behaviors. Better to make a behavioral change in your eating yourself, trial and error creates learning so you eat right for you. Nutri-System, et. al. don't know you.

[jackcali]

Maybe if somebody paid me $300 a month to lose weight, I'd be able to do it.

[nate_sf]

It doesn't work because it really doesn't change your behavior - that bad tasting food may teach portion control, but what happens after you stop spending $3,600/year for Nutri-System? You go back to the old behaviors. Better to make a behavioral change in your eating yourself, trial and error creates learning so you eat right for you. Nutri-System, et. al. don't know you.

 

A few years ago I needed to lose some weight and used the Weight Watchers online tool. I liked it because it emphasized changing behavior... you had a certain number of points each day and it was up to you how to use the points. You'd learn pretty quickly which foods would be most damaging and most beneficial, and then it would give you credits for exercise. So over time you'd start to see how everything fits together. The whole time I never bought any Weight Watchers food and never went to any meetings, I just input the data from the package into the website and it would calculate the points. Not foolproof I'm sure, but I learned better habits that I've retained to this day.

 

It sounds like the Myfitnesspal tool probably works the same way.

 

Depending on where you live, there may be people who provide prepared meals for delivery as well. I've never done it myself, but know people who have. They'll get a pile of little tupperware containers delivered every day or two with all the portions prepared and measured out. It's a cottage industry of sorts.