My Nutrisystem Diet Review. Does it Really Work?

In this article I will explain what Nutrisystem Diet is and how it works.

I will also share my experience and what kind of results I was able to achieve.

If you’d like to know my opinion right away, you can scroll to the bottom of this page or click this link.

To sum up, I was able to lose 30 pounds in 2 months and keep it off.

It has been 6 months since I stopped Nutrisystem Diet and not only I was able to keep it off, I lost additional 15 pounds during this time.

Now lets get into details of Nutrisystem Diet.

Struggling with your weight is mentally and physically challenging.

You feel insecure, lack confidence in yourself and your body, and constantly feel as though you should change your appearance.

It is especially difficult when you have struggled with your weight for most of your life, or have recently started this struggle after a pregnancy.

When starting your weight loss journey, you can often feel alone and discouraged with yourself.

Having a degree as a nutritionist, I’ve constantly heard stories of women choosing not to peruse weight loss because they were too overwhelmed with all the options.

It can feel very difficult to know where to start.

There are so many weight loss plans, diets, trends, and companies to choose from.

So how do you pick the right plan for you?

There are many factors to consider, such as price, meal options, and type of exercise.

You also need to know if a system will really help you lose the weight you so badly want to drop.

In this review, we will explore the good and the bad of the Nutrisystem Diet.

It includes what you can expect as far cost, what the meal options are, and what actual users of the Nutrisystem Diet think.

 

What is the Nutrisystem Diet?

 

The Nutrisystem Diet is a food plan that consists of prepackaged meals, snacks, and drinks.

The main goal of this dietary system is to offer a complete calorie-controlled food plan that limits the need to prepare meals and count calories and eliminates any guesswork about what and how much you should eat.

Nutrisystem is meant to simplify weight loss, especially for those who do not have the time to carefully count calories and cook traditional meals.

Busy moms are often drawn to the Nutrisystem Diet due to its affordability, as well as the small amount of effort it takes to stick with the plan.

There is no deciding what to eat, counting carbs or fat, preparing most of your meals, or guessing what portions you should eat.

Everything is taken care of for you.

With their new and improved weight loss plan “Lean 13,” women can lose up to 13 pounds (or 7 inches) within the first month.

 

How does it Work?

 

Nutrisystem ships prepared, prepackaged meals right to your doorstep.

Often, it is challenging to stick to a diet when the rest of your family, including your husband and kids, are not sticking to a specific one.

It’s challenging to go grocery shopping and buy foods for your family, and have a completely separate food list for yourself.

Nutrisystem allows you to easily stick to your diet plan since you are not responsible for making a separate shopping list for yourself for most of your meals.

Breakfasts, lunches, dinners and desserts are all prepared and prepackaged.

Many of those meals are frozen, so they just need to be warmed in the microwave or oven.

You are encouraged to eat fresh fruits and veggies for snacks in between your designated meals.

Nutrisystem also has many snack bars and other items available for purchase in most grocery stores.

There is no shortage of food options for you to choose from.

Nutrisystem is a 28-day program. Within those 28 days, you stick to the meals you are provided.

You are discouraged from eating out and are advised to avoid any alcohol consumption.

But you have the ability to order your monthly meals.

They can either be completely constructed by Nutrisystem experts, or you can choose from 150 options to create your own customized plan.

This customizable plan is called “Uniquely Yours”.

With this plan, you can choose whatever prepared meals they have, and you can also buy your own foods and ingredients at the grocery store, such as fruits and veggies.

They provide dieters with an approved list of extras you can buy at grocery stores, which you can incorporate into your meals and snacks.

The plan starts with your jumpstart into weight loss – “Turbo Takeoff Week”.

During this week, the plan has you eating about 1,000 calories per day, which is significantly less than most people eat on a daily basis — even those on different diets and weight-loss plans.

It may be quite challenging to stick with it at first, so you may feel deprived and sluggish during the first week.

In order to combat some of those issues, the meals are filled with entrees, shakes, fiber, protein, and healthy probiotics to support digestive health and reduce uncomfortable bloating.

You then transition into a higher calorie intake, including more meal options from Nutrisystem and fruits, veggies, dairy products, and other items that you purchase from the grocery store.

You will receive a pamphlet to help guide you on what extras you should buy from the grocery store, and how to incorporate them into your meal plan.

If you ever have any questions, Nutrisystem specialists are always there to help you with any questions or concerns.

Nutrisystem has meal plans specifically designed for women, men, vegetarians, individuals over 60, and those who suffer from diabetes.

However, this system does not include meal-plan options for vegans, people with food allergies such as soy or peanuts, or people who require a gluten-free diet.

If you have any of these dietary needs, you will need to look elsewhere for a diet plan.

As far as exercise, Nutrisystem suggests 30 minutes of physical exercise per day, but it is not required to see results.

If it is difficult to work out for a consecutive 30 minutes, you can split your workout routine into three 10-minute sessions.

Overall, 30 minutes of exercise per day is minimal, and even the busiest moms can find that much time to work out.

All it takes to get your daily exercise is fitting in some time at the gym, leaving the house for a quick walk, or finding an at-home no-equipment workout video.

You can get creative with your exercise plan by taking your baby for a walk in the park or doing a mommy-and-baby workout class.

If you have older kids, take them to the park after school, and use the playground to do stair climbs, pushups, pullups, and squats.

 

Nutrisystem Diet Meal Plan

 

Your meal plan will consist of breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and snacks throughout the course of the day.

You will eat about 5 smaller meals per day, without too much time between eating periods.

Breakfast can include pancakes, oatmeal, granola, and muffins.

Lunch and dinner may include tacos, soups, stews, pizza, chicken, pasta, chili, and much more.

You will be drooling over your dessert options, which feature cookies, cakes, and delicious gooey brownies.

These food selections are often so popular because it does not feel like you are depriving yourself.

You still get to enjoy some of your favorite foods and eat “bad” foods, such as pizza and pasta.

But the system controls the portions and calorie content for you, which makes sure you do not overeat and consume too much fat, calories, and carbs.

Aside from these delicious meal options, you get to break free from some of the prepared, prepackaged meals.

You may get tired of only eating frozen and microwave meals.

Therefore, you are able to add fresh fruit, veggies, seeds, nuts, fresh meat, fresh fish, and dairy products to your plan.

Of course, these additions will require a trip to the grocery store, but it’s easily accomplished by just adding a few more items to your weekly family shopping trip.

Meals aim to include a variety of healthy nutrients to your diet.

Overall, half of your specified calorie intake comes from carbs, 25% of calories from lean proteins, and the remaining 25% from healthy fats.

Their healthy carbs list aims to keep blood-sugar levels optimal, so they’re not spiking.

For example, you will need to eliminate white bread, white rice, and fruits dense in calories and sugar.

Nutrisystem also focuses on keeping your sodium intake at bay.

The diet keeps your sodium intake at around 2,000 mg per day.

However, it is important to note that any extra foods and snacks you add will up the limit.

As far as daily calorie intake goes, a woman will stick to approximately 1,200 calories per day, whereas men have 1,500 calories allotted per day.

Below is an example meal plan for a woman’s daily menu:

Breakfast

Nutrisystem Oatmeal Cranberry Bites

1 cup low-fat yogurt

Snack

2 tablespoons almonds

1 cup sliced bell peppers

Lunch

Grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomato

2 cups salad with dressing

Snack

1 low-fat string cheese

1 cup of berries

Dinner

Nutrisystem chicken parmesan

1 cup cooked broccoli

Dessert

Chocolate chip cookies

 

Nutrisystem Diet Cost

 

The cost will vary from person to person.

It’s dependent on which meal plan you choose, and if you add any extras (like extra shakes).

Additionally, the foods you choose to buy at the supermarket will up the cost of the monthly total.

All meats and some fruits and veggies can be a bit on the expensive side, so you should consider this extra cost when deciding if you can fit the cost of Nutrisystem into your budget.

Generally speaking, most people will pay anywhere from $250 to $350 each month.

When adding the cost of additional grocery items for you and the rest of your family, it may be too expensive for many people.

It is important to weigh the drawbacks and benefits of the price of this program.

You may be able to justify the cost if you can lose your desired amount of weight after a few months.

You can look at the cost as an investment in your health and body, which may balance out the cost.

 

How is Nutrisystem Diet Unique Compared to Other Diet Systems?

 

Nutrisystem is different from other diet plans for a few reasons, including meal options, menu sizes, and plan accountability.

Let’s take a look at some different examples.

 

Nutrisystem Compared to Medifast

 

There are a few distinct differences.

Nutrisystem has a very large menu of 150+ different meal options, whereas Medifast has less than 70 meal options.

Nutrisystem’s menu has top-rated frozen meal selections and prepackaged foods, so you can lose weight without feeling deprived of yummy, delicious meals.

Medifast’s menu has options like powered soups and instant potatoes, making it much harder to stick to and see real sustainable weight loss.

Additionally, Nutrisystem promises no artificial flavors, colors, and 120+ foods without preservatives, whereas Medifast does not.

Furthermore, with Medifast, you have to cook most of your meals from scratch every day, which can be a benefit or setback for certain individuals.

For busy moms, not having to prepare all meals from scratch may be more convenient.

 

Nutrisystem Compared to Jenny Craig

 

One of the main differences between these two diet plans is that Jenny Craig has actual locations where you can go for advice and support, but Nutrisystem does not.

With Nutrisystem, everything is done online.

Jenny Craig requires a contract between the company and the dieter/participant.

They like for users to provide them with the length of time they plan to use the program, which can be difficult for busy moms (particularly if you find the plan is not working for you).

With Nutrisystem, you can stop the program at any time.

Jenny Craig only offers 80 different menu options.

If you require a diabetic or vegetarian diet plan, you must go into an actual location to speak with someone about your special dietary needs.

Both Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig have 5 meals per day, but many participants claim that Nutrisystem offers better-tasting food, which has more variety.

 

Nutrisystem Compared to Weight Watchers

 

The biggest difference between these two programs is that Weight Waters does not provide its dieters with food, whereas Nutrisystem does.

All foods on WW are designated a point value, so you count points instead of calories, carbs, and fat.

In WW, you make all of your own food choices, which many women tend to like.

It allows more flexibility, eating out, and cooking your own food.

Additionally, in WW, you must attend weekly weigh-ins to track your progress, with each weigh-in costing $13.

There are specific locations you go to weigh-in.

With Nutrisystem, you are completely accountable for yourself, not required to weigh-in, and don’t have as much control over the foods you eat.

 

Nutrisystem Diet Reviews

 

Actual users of the diet love how easy it is to follow.

It gives them structure and a specific meal plan to follow.

So there is little room for error if they precisely stick to the plan.

Users believe that having such a solid plan to follow helped them keep on track with their individual weight loss goals.

It completely takes the guesswork out of how many calories you need to eat, how much fat you are allowed to have, and how much you should limit carbs.

Counting calories can be time-consuming and challenging, especially when you have a family to take care of.

Therefore, Nutrisystem is great for a busy, on-the-go lifestyle.

Users also loved how they did not feel deprived of the foods they loved.

Oftentimes, one of the most challenging parts of sticking to a diet plan is feeling like you have to give up pizza, pasta, carbs, and delicious desserts.

Luckily, Nutrisystem has created a plan that still allows you to indulge in your favorite treats and foods, but in a guilt-free and portion-controlled way.

Most new users have noted that it does take some time to get used to the meal plans and sizes.

When you first begin your weight-loss journey, you may feel as though the meal sizes are not filling you up and satisfying your hunger.

Generally, that is because you have become so accustomed to overeating at each meal, so it does not feel like you are getting enough food to sustain your body throughout the day.

However, as you keep following the system, your body will adjust to the amount of food you are consuming, and you will get full and feel even more satisfied with the meals.

As with all diets, it will take some time for your body to adjust, which is not necessarily something unique to Nutrisystem.

Furthermore, many people find Nutrisystem challenging when they eat out or are dinner guests.

Overall, Nutrisystem is not flexible when it comes to dining out, so people feel a bit discouraged since they are not able to enjoy time out with others.

For the best results, Nutrisystem wants you to stick very closely to their prepackaged meals.

If you are considering Nutrisystem, you must be prepared for the prospect of not dining in restaurants or at other people’s houses for the duration of your Nutrisystem Diet.

 

 

Precautions

 

As with any diet program, especially those with prepackaged foods, there are always risks and precautions.

Many of Nutrisystem’s foods have added ingredients that aren’t as wholesome and natural as some may hope for.

Perhaps you prefer to stick to fresh foods, stay away from processed foods, and try to avoid fillers, chemicals, and unnatural additives.

If so, Nutrisystem may not be the best diet plan for you.

Even though Nutrisystem does pledge to avoid some preservatives and artificial flavors and colors, Nutrisystem’s meals are still highly processed foods, which are filled with many unnecessary, unnatural ingredients.

For instance, their chicken parm contains some of the following ingredients, plus many more chemicals not listed below:

• Sodium phosphate – linked to heart disease and harmful for people who suffer from kidney disease.
• Calcium chloride – used in place of salt. This additive can cause heart damage.
• Modified food starch – likely from GMO sources, although completely unspecified.
• Methylcellulose – laxative.
• Maltodextrin – a highly processed chemical, potentially from GMO corn, which can cause digestive issues.
• Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate – a processed chemical produced by bacteria.

As you can see, there are ingredients in their food that you may be concerned about.

And there more of their prepared, prepackaged foods have even more additives.

It is imperative that you do your research about all of the food additives that Nutrisystem puts into their foods.

Whether or not you want to take into account these food additives is a personal decision, but it is beneficial to know what is in the food you eat, and if you feel comfortable consuming any unnatural additives.

There are benefits and drawbacks to the Nutrisystem diet, and you must decide which factors are most important to you.

 

Conclusion

 

Long-term weight loss and maintenance can get a bit challenging with Nutrisystem.

Once you get used to solely eating prepackaged meals and perfectly portioned foods (without having to think about fat, calories, and carbs), it can be challenging for many people to wean themselves back into a normal eating plan and lifestyle.

You have to be very cautious about learning portion control after stopping, including how to incorporate the right kinds of homemade meals back into your diet.

If you feel confident you can master the transition back into normal eating, this diet may be a great way to jumpstart the weight loss you’re looking for.

The great thing about Nutrisystem is that you can stay on the plan for a short or as long as you would like.

You can also use Nutrisystem for a couple of months, lose some of the weight you’re looking to lose, then continue on your diet and exercise plan.

On the other hand, you can also use Nutrisystem for the long haul (to lose all the weight), then transition back into normal life — eating and cooking when your goals have been achieved.

Despite some of the challenges you may face with eating additives, paying the price, eating different foods than your family, and weaning yourself off of the diet, Nutrisystem will work.

However, you must make sure are you are precisely sticking to the diet plan.

Otherwise, you will not get the results you are looking for.

You can expect to lose one to two pounds per week on the diet if you follow it correctly.

Overall, you will likely see fantastic results if you completely stick to the Nutrisystem Diet.

My Experience with Nutrisystem Diet

I’ve followed Nutrisystem diet for 2 months and I did lose 30 pounds.

The challenge is to keep this weight off.

So after I lost 30 pounds I started thinking what should I do next and my conclusion was to continue watching my nutrition intake, so it is similar to nutrients I would get from Nutrisystem but without paying them every month.

I came up with my own list of acceptable and not acceptable foods.

I also continued doing some exercise at home.

The results were very good. It has been 6 months since I stopped paying for Nutrisystem and I lost additional 15 pounds during this time.

My conclusion based on my experience is that if you really serious about losing weight, Nutrisystem diet is a great way to get started.

It will provide you with great food and support to achieve your goals.

If you’ll follow through with it for few months, you will see great results.

However, after that you will need to be careful about what you eat and what you do in your life.

So far I’m VERY happy with the results that Nutrisystem helped me to achieve and I would recommend it to anybody who is serious about weight loss.