I'd be lying if I said Dan and Don's endorsement didn't partially affect my decision to start this weight loss program. Anybody else here ever try this? I'm in my first week on the flex plan which means I eat the Nutrisystem food during the week and make my own meals during the weekend. Since I only want to lose about 20 lbs (190 -> 170) I don't plan on being very strict on the weekends. I'll probably eat whatever the hell I want but in less quantities. I've lost 5lbs so far in 2 1/2 days, but I'm guessing most of that is water weight. I understand these types of diets are notorious for being effective at getting the weight off, but not keeping it off. I'm hoping it helps me have a better idea of portion sizes as my problem as of late has been consuming ridiculous amounts of food and not knowing when I'm full. Here's my assessment of the plan so far - Pros: Easy to implement - The food comes shipped and ready to go. No refrigeration necessary. Planning your meals is easy with the meal planner they send. Don't feel hungry - While I have been craving some of my favorite bad foods, I haven't had any problems with hunger. While the nutrisystem meals themselves are very small portions, you can add a lot of fresh vegetables, whole wheat bread, fruits, and other approved foods. You can prepare a small feast for dinner as long as it's all on the list. The plan encourages you to not skip any of the add ons. Some of the food is tasty - I haven't had a chance to try all of my choices yet, but some of the food is good. Especially the breakfast and dessert items. Flexibility - I like the fact that I can take any two days out of the week off. Makes it easier if you have a midweek lunch function at work or a midweek trip. Also the ability to take weekends off means I'll be able to stick to the plan longer, and also makes it a cheaper option in terms of $$$. Cons - Some of the food is awful - I mentioned some was good, but some is awful. There are some foods that come in cups that you add boiling water too. The noodles in these tend to not fully cook, and they are extremely lacking in flavor. Some of these meals tend to leave behind horrible aftertastes. I tried the microwaveable chocolate cake yesterday and it was hideous. It had the consistency of tofu and didn't taste much better. It also caused me to completely evacuate my bowels not 5 minutes later. Pricey - At $230 a month for the flex plan, the initial cost didn't seem that bad considering I usually spend 80 - 100 bucks for 2 weeks worth of groceries. But when I realized I would also need $30 - 40 a week in fruits and vegetables to add on, the cost gets a little steep. Cravings - While hunger isn't a problem, I've had some intense cravings for fast food, fried chicken, etc. The plan is supposed to offer some choices that will curb these cravings, but no luck so far. Roller Coaster Diet? - Like I said, I'm hoping being on the plan will teach me something about portions and get me accustomed to eating some healthier foods, but the fact remains that after I'm done with the plan I'll be on my own. Will the weight come back? TBD... Anyway, that's the story so far. Figured I'd share with anyone who was maybe thinking about this as a weight loss plan. I'll update thread with progress.
1 IMO: This is by far the most important. Healthy diet, discipline and a good routine is what it is going to teach you. If you come out of it understanding these things, I think it is well worth the money spent. If not, well at least you spent that money to have something in common with two legends
I've thought about trying Nutrisystem, but the main thing for me is the cost ... I've found that the best solution, for me anyway, is moderation and exercise ... but I hope it works out for you bro ... if you have good results this is something I may give a shot at some point.
My boss used it and dropped some weight but he still isn't 'healthy' Personally I'm not into plans and products, I've dropped 23 pounds with myself as my guide, and it seems much cheaper than that.
Thanks for the support everyone. Down 6 pounds so far after 4 days. But these are the easy lbs. Over the past 2-3 years I've fluctuated between 185 - 190. I just happened to be at 190 when I started. So breaking into the 170's will be the real milestone. And not going completely crazy with the food this weekend will be tough. I should also add I'm already learning what kinds of meals I could make myself without the expense of the Nutrisystem plan if I wanted to continue this. I'm also really enjoying the fresh fruits and vegetables I'm adding to the meals. I always have enjoyed this kind of food, I just avoid them out of laziness in shopping and preparation. It will be a gametime decision whether to re-up for another month with Nutrisystem, or go it alone.
I've done Nutrisystem three times in the last few years when I needed to drop a few pounds. It works amazingly well. As for the cost Odin, $350 for a month's worth of food isn't bad at all when you think about it. But it did help me regulate portions, which keeps me fit when I eat normally now. Hell...I'm 47 and I have a 30 inch waist thanks to Nutrisystem. Rock on!
I've had some friends do this program and it did work well for them. Be aware going in though that for OVERALL health it's not the best option at all. Those foods that come in a box not needing refrigeration........ ummm can you say MASS amounts of preservatives that have very questionable safety concerns tied to them. Just sayin. If you really want to be healthy there are sources that offer printed recipes for healthy carb, fat and protein ratio meals just like Nutrisystem offers. You can make them at home for yourself with fresh and healthy food. Problem there is that it does take more of a time commitment.
You make a good point. But it couldn't be any worse than the food I've been eating that has gotten me to the point where I need Nutrisystem. My plan is to use Nutrisystem as training wheels for a couple of months until I can get used to the portions and type of meals I should be eating and then either prepare my own food, or buy the better tasting frozen low fat meals that you can get an any grocery store.
I lost 35 lbs on it, but it just got to be too expensive and the food too gross after awhile of eating the same stuff so I quit, and as soon as I did, I put all the weight back on...
Sorry to hear that. I'm worried the same could happen to me. But in a wierd way, I'm ok with that. The last time I went on a roller coaster diet, it was Slim Fast. That one was easy for me because for some reason I love the taste of those shakes. Anyway, I went from about 180 -> 165. That was almost 8 years ago. So I put the weight back on gradually. I play a game of brinkmanship with myself. I start getting too heavy and I get disgusted and lose some weight. I imagine next round, 200lbs will be my new point of revulsion. Also I'm older now, and I'm guessing the weight will start to come off slower and come back quicker...
Best diet that I have found I just went to a nutritionist and created one myself. Now I have never had serious weight problems since HS over a decade ago but my weight has always fluctuated between 190-200. Then I started going over 200 to 205 and 210 and I didnt like that. The main reason I went the nutritionist route was because I was apprehensive about being reliant on a product instead of being able to create the discipline myself. For a while it was a chore like doing homework or taking out garbage but when you start seeing results and feel better, you actually want to do it. So what I do now is: -No fried foods. -No potato chips (this includes cheese doodles, and other assorted crap). Sub in Goldfish crackers or some find of baked cracker/Granola bar. Just not baked Lays. The main ingredient in there will give you the runs. -Less red meat. I used to eat it 4-5x a week now its 1-2x. More fish (Salmon, Fillet of sole, Flounder, Swordfish-great steak substitute) and roasted chicken. -6 servings of fruit/veggies a day. -A lot of water and low carb juices. No soda. Limited amount of juices with high fructose/corn syrup which you body doesnt break down properly. -Cut down the deli meat. Tuna fish and grilled chicken is fine but the processed meats are not good. Actually, Tuna and Salmon are two of the healthiest foods you will find so if you like fish youre in luck. -Eat wheat bread instead of white, its incredibly more healthy. Basically your main meals should be lean or at least semi lean protein like chicken and fish...eggs are alright a couple times a week but not with heavy butter/margarine or high fat cheeses. Get rid of The Waffle House/McDonalds diet as well, you may as well just scrape the grease off a frying pan...at least you know where that grease came from. Eating healthier generally costs more but its a service you're doing to yourself and your body. In a different thread I also mentioned how effective colon cleansers are. That is an easy 10-15lbs you will probably drop over a couple weeks. Its gross but hey, that is what slow weekends are for. Mix this stuff in with exercise (weight, pick up hoops, racquetball/tennis, jogging, whatever) and you'll be good. I also have a trick I like...on my days off Ill take my laptop outside and post outside instead of inside. Being inside youre always close to the fridge/kitchen area. Being outside, well not so much
Actually I weighed a little over 190 at the start. That was 8 years ago when I was worried about being at 180. I weighed 155 starting college and that was a gain of 25 lbs in 3 years. The point I get disgusted with myself keeps going up. For the record, I'm 5'9, and 190 gives me a pretty size-able gut!
Gotcha bro I am about 1" taller but close to the same size. I will throw this out there. At 190 lbs, I also have a noticeable gut. At 180, it is just as noticeably not there, if that makes sense. I was able to recently lose 12 lbs (From 192-180) in about 1 month. I feel better and have more energy. Two things have helped. Much more cardio, and a diet. One seems to go with the other, afte running or walking for lengths, a good diet just tastes AND feels better.... So, where am I going with this? First thing is your diet, and I think you are on a good track with Nutri-systems. Just like anything, it is an educational thing. Once you realize what is working and why (Smaller meals more often during the day is a great thing) and less fatty foods on a strict schedule, you will lose weight. To help keep with it, I strongly suggest Cardio: None of us have enough hours in the day, and this can seem tough, but the easiest way to start? Park farther away from work ... I am totally serious too. Even if you have to walk an extra 1/4 (Roundtrip) that is a start. Make extra trips back to you car if you can. This 1/4 mile just turned into 1/2 mile..and it wont cost you but minutes out of your day.....
I've always ran / jogged 2 miles a night either outside or on treadmill 3 - 4 nights a week. Problem is I out eat that level of excercise. But that is some great advice and funny you mention it because a couple months before I started nutrisystem I began parking in the far lot of my work as opposed to the parking garage and taking the stairs (8 flights) instead of elevator.
I won't be sticking any tubes up my *** but I did try the salt cleanse this weekend. It wasn't pretty, but pretty effective at getting a lot of foul stuff out of my system. It looked like a nuclear bomb went off in my toilet afterwards. Diet update: So after the cleanse I was at 183 lbs. Then I went a little overboard during the weekend eating some junk. Korean Fried chicken (most amazing thing ever), a corned beef sub, some sugar cookies, and a couple other not so healthy things. This morning I checked back in at 188lbs for a net loss of 2 so far. I realized I'm going to have to take it easy on the weekends or this diet will take much too long to be effective.
