If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
I’m absolutely riveted by weight-loss infomercials. The testimonials, the amazing before and after pictures, the enthused exhortations of "If I can do it, anyone can!" It's hard not to get caught up in it. The promise of someone finally making it “easy” to lose all that weight is hard to resist, cost be damned.…
Article comments
— go to most recent comments26 - Kitty
okay,I've been reading comments.I'm 5ft. and 1 inch tall.I weigh 175 pounds.will this work for me?I haven't tried it,but I was thinking about it.I need to lose the weight by November 25,2008.there is a wedding.I don't want to be ugly in the pictures.(I'm not the bride,if that is what you are thinking.)someone talk to me!
27 - Jill
Well, Kitty, here's the thing. You will probably lose weight with Nutrisystem. How you lose it is the issue. I had my appetite completely turned off for a week (see my post above about gray mashed potatoes), so I lost weight because I wasn't eating anything. I also felt like a beaten dog most of the time. If it turns out you like the food, then you may be able to follow the program and lose weight (many have been quite successful). Since you are looking at losing weight in a very short and specific time period, I will tell you that you would probably be much better off spending the $300+ on a nutritionist who can tailor something for you that will not only taste a lot better, but teach you long lasting skills to keep the weight off. That is what I am going to do.
28 - kitty
Jill,you're comment is the one that made me think I shouldn't do it.BUT,there is a tea called wu-yi or something like that.I was thinking about trying that.
29 - Jim
After using Nutri-system for 3 months here is what I experienced:
Pro) Easy to use and store, most items were tasty and I lost weight.
Con) Expensive, some items were horrible and I couldn't eat it and I regained most of the weight only after a few months of being off the program.
Would I recommend it: Probably not.
30 - Tony's top fan
TONY HORTON'S 10 MINUTE trainer!TRY IT!my brother is dropping pounds and he isn't dieting!it's only been 5 days for him also!!!I'm going to start it tommorrow!LOOK IT UP ON THE INTERNET!It'll change your LIVE!!!!!!!!
31 - Carolyn
Wow, I'm shocked at so many unhappy people. I went from a size 14 to a size 4, kept it off for over a year and couldn't be happier.
I tried every plan out there and this is the only one that worked for me and I feel great. I only bought the food for about three months and stretched it out by addin my own food.
Just like the commercial said, it's easy and I lost 45 lbs like nothing.
Everyone needs to find what works for them. Best of luck everyone with your dieting endeavors.
32 - jeff
the thing i notice about a lot of folks who want to lose weight is that they can not stay with it for more than a week in general. and much of that is because they do not choose a nutritional lifestyle. instead, they rely on some kind of spartan diet that does not satisfy their hunger, which consists of a very limited kinds of foods. so they just get weaker and hungrier as time goes by until finally they just cant stand it anymore and POOF! so much for that. they dont realize that is not they way to go and its small wonder most that go that route fail. or they try pills, which usually contain a lot of caffiene and are not very effective. the key to weight loss is patience! if you dont get a lot of exercise you can not expect to lose very rapidly.People have expectations that are totally unreasonable. they want to lose a lot and fast. it just does not work that way.for inactive people trying to lose you should expect 3 to 5 pounds per month. thats not a lot when you are extremely overweight and thats why a lot of folks just give up. it will happen but you have to give your body a chance. if you were perfectly lean do you think you could get to being fat in just a few weeks? ok then. you should know what you can eat. knock out the pop, sweets, fried stuff. most diet books can tell you what you should eat. try wheat bread. keep your portions down to one serving. try to get in a walk or some type of exercise. eat good nutritional foods of the right kind and watch your portions. dont starve yourself, just dont over indulge. the key is patience. if you break down and eat a sundae, dont just give up. its not the end of the world.dont worry about the scale or the mirror every day. check your weight twice a month and expect it to take 4 to 5 months to lose 20 to 25 pounds. the more exercise the quicker you will lose.
33 - mike
I have been on the program almost 8 weeks and have dropped 30 pounds...I have been very disciplined with both the program and the addition of exercise. the key is that you don't have to think your way around the diet...you learn portion control and that multiple meals actually speeds up your metabolism. as far as the taste goes...the foods are good....not great...but you can find the ones you prefer and stick with those...also, don't forget this is a diet...we all pigged out to get here...is a diet supposed to be great??...it's not fun...more reason to try and keep the weight off once I hit my goals.
34 - Louise
Hi, Try the vegetarian entrees: Pasta Fagioli, Vegetarian Lasagna, and Cheese Ravioli with Basil Tomatoe Sauce are delish! Eat a huge, fresh salad with it, or sliced cucumber. Not impressed with the vegetarian lunches, except the Fudge Graham bar, which will be morning snack with coffee - unbelievealbe! Rich, chewy chocolaty - a surprise! For breakfasts, I'm sticking with Scrambled eggs, scrambled eggs with veggie sausage crumble, pancakes, and blueberry pancakes. You add your own egg or 1/2 cup egg substitute, so it makes it alot of breakfast - my favorite meal! I'm with you, Melinda, the cookies are outstanding. Did you try the white chocolate chunk? I'm going to order 12 on my next order.
Louise
35 - Randy
I can't agree more. These foods are a scam and just nasty. Plus all the other fruit and veg's you have to buy with it. I saved $127.15 just by buying the LC and other like stouffer's and got the results I needed. Oh lets not forget if you do the Auto delivery plan and cancel, they bill you for the difference of the one time delivery and the auto delivery. About $52 buck's. Overall this was the worst diet ever.
Randy
36 - Brandy
A food bank might be a good place to give extras or leftovers if anyone else has this predicament.
It always strikes me that weight loss pills and programs say "with a good exercise program and proper diet." Seems like one could skip the pill or special meals and just go for the proper diet and exercise, if that's the case. Of course weight loss is often more complicated than that. Unhealthy packaged meals filled with chemicals and preservatives do not address possible underlying health issues or metabolic issues, etc.
As small as those meals are, it would also lower the metabolism I'd think, which can be counter productive. The Zone personal meal plan sounds good but it is very expensive, beyond most people's means. Also, for a picky eater, most of any of these meal plans' menus does not sound good. I'm picky but I do love mac and cheese. Lol =) Sometimes, anyway. As a former vegetarian I almost lived off the stuff at times! And, it's cheap.
37 - lynn washburn
I like most of the food. the white chocolate chip cookies i received were like cardboard, i love this cookies i make it myself with applesauce to lower the fat and calories the black bean and tortilla soup was awful, when i called the customer service they were telling me to add water to the cookie and microwave it,and were nasty when i asked about not sending things out that i do not eat. this type of customer service is not helping people loose weight. when you get discouraged you give up, they should be concerned with the goal of helping the customer and customer satisfaction rather than their free week is what they choose, free is not free if you have to pay to send it back.in reality it cost them and the client more, just give the client what they need to achieve the goal that they set not get them upset and have them give up.
38 - Desiree
I have lost 17 pounds on NutriSystem in two months. Yes some of the food is crapola, but I plan I losing 30 more pounds. The portion control is what I needed to be successful.
39 - Dandy Dan
Total waste. I have been active all my 55 years. I have tried other controlled diets with mixed results. This was a total sham. First, these are not 'meals' -- they are entrees or part entrees. Second, the food was awful -- 'muffins' were like sawdust, pizza was a shmear of ketshup-like sauce on flat bread; hamburgers were like boards. Drink meal substitutes were full of sodium. I was always hungry. The "big names" that 'endorsed' this stuff should re-look at their lives and try to do something respectful. Don't waste your time and money.
40 - Melinda Loomis
Had to pop in here to express my surprise and delight that this article is still generating comments. Especially since my next move is to go check the comments on a politically themed article I posted this morning that I'm expecting to get hammered on. This feels like a safe haven :)
What I've gotten out of all this is that different diet plans work for different people. I maintain that my biggest gripe about NS was the actual quality of the food versus their claims that the food is so incredibly delicious. But if you can eat this stuff, stick with it and lose weight, then good for you. Whatever works.
There is just no magic pill yet and I think that's the problem with the weight loss industry - they promise that in so many words, even though we all know there's really no such thing. What I remember most about the NS infomercials is being hyped that "all you have to do is eat!" It's just not that simple. Weight loss is a tough road.
In defense of NS, there were a couple decent entrees and I'm still tempted to go over to their website and order some of their cookies. It's been a while so I don't really remember which ones I had, but I do remember one of them was peanut butter and it was yummy. If all their food was that good, I'd be their biggest fan.
41 - DJS
Just wanted to share that I am just starting my second month of Nutrisystem, along with my wife, and we think the food is perfectly fine. I have lost 16 pounds and she has lost 8. We have come across 2 people who have told us that they tried NS but could not stand the food. We just scratch our heads, because the food is fine and the program works. We plan on doing 2 or 3 months to get down to target weight and then see if we can use the Flex schedule after that. Yes, I think about food all the time. Yes, I wonder if I can/will ever go back to eating everything within reach, but one step at a time.
Prior to NS, I had tried every 'easy' way to lose weight I could think of; cutting back on foods, eating more salads, jumping-rope, weight-lifting. In every case, the scale didn't budge.
Nutrisystem blew me away because every day I would step on the scale, the needle was going lower (although I think it took a week to get moving).
In summary, unless you are a finicky eater (George Carlin says 'finicky eater' is a nice way of saying 'pain-in-the-ass'), the food is fine and the program works.
Just my 2 cents.
Best of luck to all with whichever program you choose!
42 - Maria
I just ordered the five-day-a-week plan. I am trying it for one month because I know I am not good at portions and have put on about 10 lbs. as a result. I work out regularly and am toning up, but those 10 lbs. have to go. I don't expect dehydrated food to be particularly tasty, but I need that portion control to get me going. I did not pick any beef dishes, because from experience with microwaveable entrees, they always taste bad. So hopefully the veggie, chicken and pasta dishes will be ok. Interesting reading all the comments here. I guess in the end, dieting is a pain and cutting back on what we eat is not easy.
43 - Maria
Just to update - my package arrived yesterday. I had the pasta fagioli for dinner and it was really tasty! Had a bit of spice to it,too. If you eat all the salad, veggies and dairy as well you wind up feeling really full. I think with the Nutrisystem Advanced, the extra fiber they add really helps. I was feeling stuffed until I went to bed. I wasn't hungry, but was curious to try a dessert, so I picked the little chocolate drops. They were sweet and delicious. Breakfast this morning was good, too. So far....I am very impressed with the quality. I also did not receive one substitute in the entire box, I got everything I ordered.
44 - Peter Breyer
Couldn't disagree with the negative comments on Nutrisystem more. I found the food very tasty and lost 25 pounds in two months. In fact I had to stop so as not to lose too much weight. Am 6' 2" and now weight 178 pounds.
45 - Norma
There is nothing "tasty" about the foods. One time was more than enough for me. I tried it and couldn't hack it. Their ad says "Marie Osmond lost 40 lbs." It does not say she lost it all eating NutriSystem food. While Marie was competing in Dancing With The Stars, she alluded to losing weight practicing the dances.
46 - Ruth
Well, I absolutely agree with you. The green pepper steak is what did it to me. On top of that, the "sugar alcohols" in many breakfast, desserts and snacks cause sever explosive diarrhea....
I was very disappointed. About 7 years ago I did the Jenny Craig, and I did love the food, just not the cost :)
Thanks for this article, you took the words out of my mouth!!!
47 - marycarole
Well I was going to order this system, however after reading all about it I believe I shall pass. I have tried and lost 35 pounds on L.A.Weightloss and have put it back on. Iw ish I had read some feed back bbefore I started it. It could have saved me thousands of dollars.
48 - andrea
this is true because i tried it for a month. nutrisystem food is repulsive. i liked maybe aout 3 or 4 things. while i lost about 4 lbs for the month. i was very dissapointed. the n.s. councelors kept telling me that was a normal healthy weight loss. B.S. i wonder how much they pay those skinny women to advertise for them. some of those women are so big and then the after photo shows off a 35 lb weight loss and magically they have a perfect 10 figure. gimmee a break!!!
49 - Brunelleschi
When supermarkets are full and people have to resort to buying pre-packaged diets to try and get over all the crap in the supermarkets and where it led them, what's wrong with this picture?
I don't like blaming weight problems on consumers. People buy what is available. Unfortunately, most of what is available is very unhealthy.
No one is ever going to find good health pre-packaged as a product in a box.
50 - SanDiegoSteve
I am 52, male, diabetic, and way overweight. I started the program on November 12 of this year. In less than two months, my blood sugar levels have completely normalized, no more insulin or pills (which will end up killing you diabetics out there), and I have lost 39 lbs. I can now walk around, climb stairs and exercise a little now without huffing and puffing! Nutrisystem has been a Godsend to me, and is saving my life.
Are all the meals delicious? Uh, no...why would anybody expect them to be. What do you want NS to do in their commercials, say "hey, this stuff tastes like crap?" They have to package it attractively, so people will by it. Taco Bell does it all the time. The burritos and tacos are never stuffed like they show on the commercials. That's life.
There are certainly some really bad tasting meals, but there are many that aren't bad at all, and are truly tasty. But I'm not doing this to eat gourmet food, I'm doing it to lose weight. And if you commit to following the NS program to the letter, drink lots of water, do a little bit of exercise, and don't cheat by pigging out at a fast food restaurant, then I guarantee that you will lose weight on it.
And yes, Dan Marino, Marie Osmond, Larry the Cable Guy, Bob Golic and all the other celebrities really did lose the weight eating the EXACT same meals that everyone else gets. Suggesting that they were given "different" versions of the food is just asinine.
51 - Bill
A lot of good comments have been posted. I agree that the food sure looks a lot better in the advertisements. Nutrisystem has recipies that you can use to make the food look and actually taste better. But that requires work and what I liked second best about this program is it si EASY. What I like best is that it works.
First let me remind everyone that this is a DIET. I am only 53 but I have never heard of a diet tasting good, at least not one that actually works.
Second, if you dont change the behavior that got you looking for a diet plan you will put the weight back on.
Get real, losing weight and keeping it off is not easy. Nutrisystem will get teh weight off. 1/9/2008 I weighed 235 and wore size 42 pants. I started the Nutrisystem program and got down to 185 pounds and size 36 pants by 3/1/2008. I stopped the program but started a regular workout program at a local gym.
The problem I had was all of the lose skin form the weight loss. Going to the gym helped me build and tone muscle and reduce all of the excess skin.
Now I am getting ready to start the program again and get down to a size 34 and a target weight of 170. This should take me about 2 months.
Bottom line, Nutrisystem works, it is not the best food but it is easy to use and it gets results fast if you follow the plan
52 - K
Nutrisystem lies when they say how much food costs, since they neglect the fact that you have to buy milk, bread, vegetables, cheese, etc. Also, the food looks nothing like they show and you can tolerate the taste for about a month, unless they're paying you to make commercials.
53 - Dennis
Well, I don't Recommend them for Most Women..
They really are best for the Men.. It's half way for Men to go with this vs keeping eating at McD's, etc..
One can do about the same or Better just Buying
A. Healthy Choice Frozen Dinners
B. Boston Market Meals
They Deleiver.. that's a Big Key.. You have to get a Seperate Freezer for them and stock them up. You eat them EOD and your Eating the about 50% Less Calories than normally would.. They are good for Fill in Meals..Don't want to Cook or Go out..
I wanted just a 6 mo or EOM program, but they wouldn't do that so...
And Like I said"Not For Most Women", thos that are Cooks or very Health Concious, etc... You probably don't like any Forzen Dinners and you won't like these either..
But, Far to Much emphisis is being Put on Food, with all these Cooking Shows ,e tc.. If one were to spend the time they do on making Meals? You'd need a min. of 2 hrs after comming home from Work to do them and have all the tools and equiptment and facilities..and spend about 50% more on Your Gorcery bills and shopping time..
And I also think Most Women Don't Like All these Fast Food Meals taking over one of their Jobs if you will in the Family..I mean, they would loose that Dependency by their Family to Cook for them and they would have even That Much Less role to play in the family..
And Next? Get a Flash Frozen Freezer... Won't need any Preservatives to keep them fresh... No More added Salt, etc.. thus your Sodium is cut by 75% vs traditional Frozen Dinners..
So, Everything in Perspecitve Ladies, Everything in Perspective..
54 - CareBearry
Nurtisystem is gross. When they have chicken patties that you don't need to refrigerate you know you should run.
I eat Weight Watchers, Healthy Choice and Lean Cusine all resonably good food...
Run far away from these space bars with no taste...Nasty!
55 - Ashley
i tried nutrisystem. the meals werent that bad, but I felt like it was kind of expensive. it probably works for some people, but I found success with another product.
Ashley
56 - Vanessa
I happen to love Nutrisystem. It is teaching me portion control. I think their meals are very good. It is worth the money to me to be healthier and "know" what a portion size is. I admit that you could not stay on this diet for life, but surely you could learn from it.
Vanessa
57 - Christopher Rose
Teaching you portion control? Get a smaller plate!
58 - Jody
You're article just stopped me from even thinking about it anymore!!! Thank goodness I didn't spend the money. For some silly reason I thought it was different. Silly me
59 - Chester in the Desert
I started Nutrisystem on Sept. 16, 2008 and as of today, (January 5, 2009) I have lost 72 lbs. I really think that those who do not like the Nutrisystem Program have missed out on the good things in life. If you don't like the product, then you should use flavors and spices to suit your taste. I am 70 years old. I had thought that my weight lost days were over, but thanks to Nutrisystem I now am a healthier person than I was 14 weeks ago. My vital signs have all come within acceptable ranges. I no longer fear that I am going to have a stroke, and most of all, I am mobile again. Nutrisystem has saved my life.
I only wish that everyone could see Nutrisystem as I see it.
From my world Nutrisystem is a life saver.
Cheers on each of you as you make decisions to live a healthier life.
Chester in the Desert
60 - Andrea in Colorado
I like to use Nutrisystem from time to time. I'll usually split a month with my mother and we'll lose the nasty 5-10 lbs gained over the holidays. I like not having to measure my portions and it helps to "remind" me and my stomach what is a portion.
I think some people forgot that Nutrisystem, along with every diet plan, reminds people to exercise regularly.
Nutrisystem is a great way to lose weight if you're a busy person that has little time to measure and/or cook healthy foods.
This is why a lot of people become overweight. We eat fast, unhealthy, high-calorie triple-portion foods and we rarely make time to exercise.
It's simple and most people get it...Nutrisystem just makes the eating part easier.
61 - D
Nutrisystem and other diets tend to polarize people. Individuals that really want to lose weight have success. Those that don't find reason to fault the diet (seldom themselves).
Everyone's personal tastes are different and I recognize that it is hard to be enthusiastic about weight loss when the food doesn't meet expectations. Nutrisystem isn't about the food alone, its about eating nutritionally balanced meals CONVENIENTLY. Its about breaking habits. Its also about taking control in small steps. Like chosing to eat something for reasons other than taste alone.
Almost anyone willing to spend 6 weeks on the plan will lose enough weight and notice enough of a change to make better choices.
Can you prepare a comparable diet yourself, absolutely. You have to find motivation and determination to stick to it though. Many failures on nutrisystem and other programs demonstrate the loss of those two ingredients which the plans can't provide. They are up to the individual.
If you really READ the success stories with nutrisystem or any other diet program what you will see is that each individual stuck to the program, supplemented the plan provided food with the recommeded add-ins (fruit, vegetable, dairy, protein, etc.)and achieved their goals eating SATISFYING meals. You'll also see that they drank water instead of high calorie beverages and got off the couch for 30 minutes a day or more.
The common element of the detractors is that the entrees looked or tasted terrible, ate one or two meals and were off the plan in less than a week. Not one mention of selecting one full week of entrees that they could tolerate, supplements of fruit and vegetables and actually critiquing the results of working within the plan.
Anyone trying nutrisystem or any plan needs to be prepared to look at the available food items, along with the preparation instructions,the supplements that are not provided, and chose items that they will stick with for one or two weeks before making a decision or writing a negative critque.
62 - Mike in Reno
Look at the sodium count in the food (you can view nutrition labels on their site) and then tell me that food is healthy. Unless you're a high-end athlete, you have no business eating meals with 500+ mg sodium in them. Of course poeple will lose weight eating this food. With all of that sodium, your cells can't absorb any nutrients (good or bad ones), and you'll end up just, quite literally, flushing your food down the toilet.
63 - Debbie
I just finished reading this thread and wanted to add my comments. I started the NS plan in September 07 and lost 30 pounds by December 07. I was rigid in staying on plan and only cheated once on my birthday. When I stopped the plan I did fine for a couple of months and then the weight started to creep back on, a pound here and a pound there and by September 08 I was actually heavier than I started. I still have a box of food that arrived in March of 08 with about 30 days of food, some of it has expired so I have tossed it but the majority is still good. Monday of this week I decided to get back on NS but do it a bit different. I am substituting real food for the food that has gone bad and I guess I will see what happens. I have made tuna salad and chicken salad for lunch and turkey burgers and chicken breast done on the George Foreman grill for dinner. The funny thing is that after being off of NS for over a year it has been easy to get right back to the good habits I had formed. I remembered the menu plan and since I still have access to the website I can use that as well. I created a food chart and have it hung on the fridge so every time I eat something I just check it off. If anyone has any other suggestions for substitutions for the NS meals I would appreicate your suggestions. Also, I absolutely love the NS Maple and Brown Sugar oatmeal and wonder if I can substitue something from the store for that.
64 - jaz
Ok so im going to began the NS diet yesturday and I hope to loose weight...but what I have seen so far is that it shows me what a portion is and how much is healthy...and plus most of the food has low calories..what I've tasted so far is good
65 - DSN
I have to say that I'm a bit shocked at, what I believe is a considerably harsh review, by Melinda Loomis, re:'My Not-So-Great NutriSystem Experiment.' Respectfully, and hopefully, using a bit of anticipated 'common-sense,' one doesn't go to an all American fast-food restaurant, and expect 'chef-prepared cuisine.' Likewise, when one is ordering pre-packaged, portion-controlled food, consistent with diet guidelines, it will hardly taste like 'home-style cooking.' This past week, I received my initial month's worth of food items from Nutrisystem, and am satisfied. I've actually not tried a systemized, dieting plan before, but am grateful/hopeful to be commiting to Nutrisystem. As for the monthly cost, $300.00 per month, is actually a moderate amount to pay for food. I believe any diet plan is going to involve some level of sacrifice, and while I'm new to the Nutrisystem plan, I've not yet felt as if I am sacrificing.
66 - Gloria
Well my situation is somewhat different. Back in the early '90's I started Nutri-system because I had gained alot of weight from being on steroids for an injury. You had to go to a center and pick out your food. I was delightful. I lose the 50lbs with no problem and minimal exercise. Now I'm 60 and menopause just dumped 20lbs on me and had to have surgery,thyroid imbalance(another 18lbs) so I decided I would do the plan again, since I really enjoyed my success before. I started the plan on Jan.5,09 and by that Friday was feeling very strange. My leg muscles started tighening up, my stomach started cramping, I was awakened in the night with a pounding heart,sweating and my blood pressure was higher than normal. I went to my doctor and I took some of the food wrappers with me. He did a couple of test and it came back that I am alleregic to soy. He said it looks like there is more additives and food.He didn't not like that there was so much soy and high fructose corn syrup in most of their items. He also told me there is a hunger suppressent in NS.(which I already knew)Told me to stop. I really hate this cause I really need to loose weight. And to Dennis...I Hate to cook..I HATE TO COOK!! My husband does all the cooking thank god. I don't feel any less the little woman just cause I don't cook. I handle all the finances and I fix the toilet!!ha Everyone know what to eat and what not to eat. It's the fact that the stuff we should eat does not taste like Dorito's. The good stuff just isn't fun. I lost 20lbs once with the 6wk make over of Michael Thurmond. I kept that off until my lovely menopausal event. It is a good plan except you have to cook ick. You only work out 20min. a day with a band and my body really changed. I weighted 158 and wore a size 8. Really gained some muscle back. As bad as I hate to cook this is probably what I'm heading back to. Good luck to all. But just like Oprah...once you get heavy seems like you're fighting it the rest of your life.
67 - jessica
So I am about to order and I have read all these comments and my question is: Are there any side effects? Like long term diareea, headaches or other complications?
68 - c.c.
I didn't have side effects. It's really just low calorie food with some added protein.
I went from a size 16 to a size 4 and have kept it off for two years and counting.
If you really want to lose (and that's what you have to ask yourself) it's fairly easy.
69 - Kimberly
I got some NS meals for free, so figured what the heck let's do this! At first I was thrilled, the food was good, easy, and convieneint. Now comes the "however" ... It caused me abdominal cramps, severe painful eye burning gas, and I felt so hungry and light headed all the time I had to stop. Too bad, because I was actually losing weight.
70 - E. Kelly
Come on, people. The key to weight loss is EXERCISE. No "diet" works in the long run. Change your lifestyle! I lost 60 lbs in 7 months by exercising one hour a day, six days a week. That was over 3 years ago. I'm almost 50. I typically eat six small meals a day, such as fruit or soup or a vegetable plate. I also have no intention of giving up the foods I like, including cake and chocolate. I don't eat 'light' anything. Deprivation does not work! And yes, my cholesterol and sugar levels are normal. My doctor loves me, since sadly he doesn't see many women my age who exercise routinely.
I exercise every day (which is NOT the same as 'being active') and love it. And I don't mean going for a walk at lunch with your co-workers. I mean aerobics, weight training, step, kickboxing, swimming and tennis. I can't live on just 1200 calories a day...my metabolism won't have it. I'm up to about 2500 calories a day and can lose weight if I drop below that (which I don't need to do). Thanks to dedicating myself to working out instead of sitting in front of the TV, I've got the body of a college girl and can wear my daughter's clothes!
The fact is, the only thing standing between most people and weight loss is EXCUSES. Spend your money on the gym, not that nasty food. If you have to deprive yourself of chocolate or ice cream or whatever you really like for the rest of your life, you will FAIL! Just eat less of it, less often, and MOVE YOUR BODY! BREAK A SWEAT!
Yes you can!
By the way, LOVED the NS review. Reconstituted burgers? Powdered eggs? GRAY rice? GROSS!!!! Are you freakin' kidding me? That's no way to live!
71 - Vicki
WOW! Your article just saved me a lot of frustration and expense. It sounds like most of the NS experiences are very similar. I was so drawn by the infomercials and thought I could just try it for a month but not anymore. I am very desperate to lose the weight, and kudos to those of you who are exercising your way to better health and weight loss, but I think I am alergic to exercise:) I will however, take the advice of many of you and try to cut and count calories (hate doing this but would rather do so than eat cardboard) GREAT help- thanks for writing this article.
72 - Tabby
Wow! I was about to order...but no way! I would rather drink a slim fast in the morning, 6 glasses of water, and LC for the rest of the day!
73 - Daisy
My husband and I were talking about signing him up this morning. He is exercising every day but can not seem to lose weight. After reading these posts we are not signing up.
74 - Dinky
I do Nutrisystem whenever I want to lose weight (like after the holidays, hint, hint) and it always works. The secret is not to be a whiner. They add this propietary blend of fibers and oils that tricks your stomach into thinking it's full. If you were to restrict yourself to the Nutrisystem portions on any other diet, then you would still be hungry.
If you whine and complain about having to sacrifice any little thing, then you will get nowhere in life, sorry.
75 - Roguewarrior
I started Nutrisystem 28 days ago and have lost17 pounds...
I was in the military for 25 years and the food reminds me very much of MRE's. I know that a Hollywood girl wouldn't really deign to eat the food that the military likes, but it really isn't that bad.
The trick, as I learned in the Air Force, is to use Frank's Red Hot on many of the entrees. That makes it even better. BUt even without the Red Hot, the flavors are actually more natural than the sauced up creations of a 4-star restaurant.
They add extra protein to give you a sense of fullness after each meal.
Again, you can snivel and Live to Eat, or you can Eat to Live and lose weight.