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
76 - Joannescacci
When I signed up for Nutrisystem, I told the counselor I had food allergies and she assured me that would not be a problem as I could choose my food. When my food arrived half of my order was a "substitute due to shortages". I called and asked if I could return the food I was allergic to and was told there was no guarantee that I wouldn't receive more "substitutes due to shortages". I ate three meals and threw out the rest. What a waste of food and money! If only they had been truthful when I mentioned my food allergies. You really can't choose which food you want.
My story does have a happy ending. I lost the weight on my own by bicycling every day and portion control. I use South Beach and Lean Cuisine meals and am able to choose foods I am not allergic to (and like the taste).
77 - Cruz
I'll have to agree with Roguewarrior. Being prior-Army myself, I am kind of reminded of good ol' MRE's when eating some of the NS dinners although NS is still better.
Additionally, I have had success with NS before. I did it for only 3 weeks one time and had already lost 12 lbs (I had to stop early that month when I came down with a stomach virus...not related to the NS food BTW).
I have very recently started NS again (I am on day two) and just tonight had the green pepper steak with rice for dinner so I laughed out loud when I found this article ripping apart that very meal. BTW, while the rice in that dish is a bit pathetic-looking, it still tastes fine, sheesh! I understand and can sympathize with some of the complaints people have had but I am surprised at some of the comments saying that people were "on their way" to order but changed their mind after reading these reviews. Why not try it for yourself and decide instead of being so easily swayed by other people's opinions?
78 - Monica
I have been on NS since 01 Feb 2009. My daughter and I both got it through Costco's offer. I decided to only weigh myself on Mondays. The first monday I weighed (after being on it for 9 days) I had lost 6 pounds. I am going to the gym 3-4 times a week and have worked up to 35 minutes on the elyptical and treadmill.
I packed on 55 lbs in 5 months, then found out I had 2 types of cancer. Chemo and Radiation gave me diabetes and arthritis. That was 4 years ago.
I had never had to worry about my weight in my entire life. Though I am just happy to still be here, I got tired of feeling depressed about my weight, and feeling sick (from the diabetes) if I didn't eat every 3-4 hours. I haven't had that feeling with NS because it follows the Glycemic Index. My sugar levels are very good too.
The food isn't THAT bad. Add veggies and spices and it's better.
I'm going to try it for 3 months and see how I do. I am feeling very encouraged so far.
79 - Ken
I am doing well with NS and the meals aren't bad at all. Some Quite good
80 - Eva
NS does work, but it takes patience - and masking the taste sometimes.
Don't order the eggs or sloppy joe - its powder.
Don't order the shakes, even with milk they are gross.
The blueberry pancakes are good.
The chocolates are good.
The beef patty was weird in pouring boiling water on it. But I thought it was good.
I first tried NS in 2006.
I ordered 15 lasagna's for the dinner. LOL. I lost 9 lbs in 3 weeks.
If the meal was not tasty, I'd add some cheese or pepper to it. I will admit, I got tired of all the gluten type sauces in alot of the foods. Which is why I ordered multiple lasagna's.
I recently joined again and lost 3 lbs my first week. I even drink a soda with my breakfast's still. And thats without exercising.
But I plan to slowly start adding that in.
My fav breakfast item is the cranberry muffin.
The ham is nasty.
Its not for everyone...but can work. Prolly safer than those Hydroxycut pills.
81 - linda
My husband and I both wanted to lose a few pounds and decided that maybe NS was the way to go! I can't stand Marie Osmond so that wasn't the selling factor - but when she holds those plates of "delicious" food in our TV face (false advertising) it is hard to resist. Of course she gets paid to be on this diet and what all NS ads don't say is that the delicious food vegetables, fruit etc. we buy and add to the "meal!!" Our first order - of course we got sucked into buying the "Advanced" and if we did we had to buy for two months and get two weeks of "free" food. We were not told that we could buy any other way or even try a weeks supply! Boy what a scam they have! We found the food was hardly edible. Then all the corn syrup and sugar in the items and beans, beans beans! I called NS and was told we could send back the items that we don't eat. We followed instructions and sent them back.We were never given a deadline at anytime. Our next order arrived with the same itmes in the order that we had returned. "Call your counselors they are available 24 hours a day!" The counselors are salespeople that is all! Finally on the second order I called and told them that we were through with NS and their promise was very mileading! We couldn't eat that junk! I have to wonder what people were eating before NS to say that food is delicious! I called several times to return the items and was told both times that someone would get back to me. They stretched that over a three week period with still no return call. When I finally got through I was told that it was to late that I could not return items because we had passed the deadline for returns and furthermore I would not get credit for the returned items on the first order (we paid for the shipping and they sent us back exactly what we had returned!) because I had also returned them late - which was untrue! What a sham! How can these people remain in business using such a sham and who can afford this junk in this economy? We are going to stop payment on our credit card and fight them from there. My next call is to the clinic that suggested Nutri-System they need to be aware.
82 - jerry
Any doctor will tell you "if it taste good, spit it out" that being said I dont think any of it is to bad and some of it I enjoy. I have lost 17lbs in 6 weeks and have not been hungry.(not to confuse with cravings)7 weeks and 13 lbs to go,NO PROBLEM!
83 - sharon and brent
BUYER BEWARE. Don't do it...trust us. We are just normal people wanting to lose some weight..busy with work and thought Nutrasytem was the answer....we were overtly lied to....we ordered the "locked in fee" for a year....only to find that our SECOND order raised 60 dollars. We called, were put on hold 30 min and finally spoke with a rep. Needless to say, the conversation was not pleasant. They lied. And, to top it off, they are charging us to quit. It's a shame because we would have been very loyal customers. We are very close to suing them for not really knowing what was in the foods and having reactions. I work in the PR field and believe me, this is America and I WILL speak my mind......it's all about the buck for them....don't do it. We regret it. Sharon
84 - PAT
I just got off the phone with NutriSystem.
Dumb me - I was thinking about going back to them because I have so bought into their "promise" of weight loss AND delicious food - they have not changed in the year I quit because of the unappetizing food and the high sodium content. The condesending young man on the phone this morning tried to tell me their diet is 2/3 recommended amount of sodium. That is so so too high for high blood pressure victims - and NutriSystem does not have a low sodium diet YET - AND SAY THEY DO !!!! I AM SCREAMING !!!!!!
Thank you for this post - I will refer back to it when I get weak again.
85 - sharon and brent
Good for you, Pat!!!....I am convinced that NS does not care about the health or financial "promises" of their customers. LINDA>>number #81...if you and your husband ever want to consider taking this farther, ie, a class action thing,(for overt lies and hidden ingredients in the meals) we are so angry, we would be a part of it...sharon number 83 comment.
86 - sharon and brent
ps and, not to be gross but I agree with the above indivuduals that experienced "explosive diahreaa"....all from the food. Not plesant.
87 - Crystal
I found your review very typical. I am personally not an infomercial watcher. I don't have the time. I am seriously considering going on Nutrisystem. I tallied up my grocery bill and the amount spend eating out (including fast-food) and it was over $400 in the last 30 days. I had no idea I spent that much on food. The biggest reason I am looking into this program is for the convenience. Currently I eat a yogurt and granola bar for breakfast, some sort of fast food for lunch and lately my dinners consist of a frozen pizza, mac & cheese, Chinese or some other fast food. This diet sounds perfect for people like me. Eating has become a chore in my life. Frozen meals aren't that good, so I am expecting about the same from Nutrisystem, but at least I will be eating healthier and more than the 10 things I eat a week now.
88 - Fernando
It's very simple, if you expect to loose weight, you have to in some way sacrifice taste, it's that simple, irregardless of the way the food looks in the commercials. Go to McDonald's, see if the Big Mac looks like it does in their commercials. There are people that make a living making food look good. This food costs about 10 bucks a day, what do you expect?
89 - Jackie
I posted the URL of another review site that has some helpful info on it.
I have not tried the program yet but plan to and will come back and post my opinion. Wish me luck!!!
90 - Hadley C.
Everyone has different tastes, so it's unfair to shove the entire Nutrisystem program under the rug just because one person can't tolerate the food. Give it a chance. If you don't like it, that's okay. There are other methods of losing weight (like good, old-fashioned exercise, for example). If you do like it, that's great! Stick with it! Nutrisystem doesn't work for everybody- but then again, nothing really does. It all depends on the individual.
91 - Fernando
Be patient, follow the program, use supplements like fruits and veggies to fill in the small portions, exorcise, write a log of the items you like and dislike so that you can re-order the items you like and stay away from those that you don't (Soy chips for me). You have gone through the time and expense for a reason, stick with it. I started 1 week ago and am down 8 pounds. Good luck.
92 - Dana
I found this while searching for people's opinions about NutriSystem. I must admit that having my meals planned and prepped for me would sure make my life easier, but I can't eat like this with a four-year-old around (she will want the food, and the site says not to skip any meals), and I probably can't afford it in the long run.
The comments make me LOL. I'm about a hundred pounds overweight, but I didn't get fat til I was in my early to mid twenties. Two pregnancies and eating a grain-based diet did me in. (So much for the food pyramid.) I'm one to prefer whole grains over refined so this was surprising. I even got fat eating vegan.
Low-carbing works best for me, low-carb with high fat in particular. I'm looking now into the role that fat-soluble vitamins play in human health and I'm appalled at the horrific advice people are given for "healthy eating." Fat-free salad dressing, really? Never mind that people often have trouble converting beta carotene and that they typically eat no other possible sources of vitamin A (there is no A in plant food!), or that we're not getting enough sun to make D, or that we're completely unaware that vitamin K is important for something besides blood clotting.
Basically I want to eat real food, and my body likes me to eat real food. I get sidetracked because I'm used to processed food and old habits die hard. I also don't have enough support from people I know--I would love it if they'd stop bringing over junk "for my daughter," like she needs that crap either. (She's not fat, by the way, and she eats veggies and fruits for snacks, willingly.) But I'm not going to follow the official dogma on this. If you have to eat crappy food, starve yourself, malnourish yourself and work yourself to death, you are doing something wrong. The sad part is we've got folks out there with alphabet soups after their names and a sheepskin hanging up in the office, telling us to do all the wrong stuff.
Quit eating soy, quit eating so much grain (you can cut it completely out and if you get the other food groups, you will be fine), quit eating sugar. Quit thinking of weight loss as going on a temporary eating plan and then going back to eating crap. That doesn't work. I should know.
93 - Christine
My sister used Nutrisystems and the program was successful for her. I thought I would give it a try. The first order I let the company pick and found that I could not eat more than half the food. After having to call back several times due to the lengthy wait time, I discussed my problems with the consultant. The consultant suggested I order the things I like ala carte and stopped the auto order. As the website is not user friendly, he directed me as to where to go and how to place the order. I received a notice that my auto shipment was being shipped 1 week after I received the ala carte order. After waiting for over 10 minutes then being transferred 6 times in an attempt to try and straighten my account (total phone time over 1 hour), I am canceling everying. This company is the absolute worst company I have ever dealt with via web or the phone.
94 - Debra
My husband and I did the NutriSystem thing for almost 3 months. My husband lost almost 30 lbs, but I only lost 8 lbs. After 3 months of food that wasn't that desirable, we decided to opt out of the program, especially since most of the food is VERY high in sodium - which isn't good for someone with high blood pressure. At that point, we had learned enough about portion control that we figure we can do this on our own now. The representative that I dealt with was great. She listened to my comments and concerns, offered several different order options, and then cancelled our membership without making me feel bad. That was 2 months ago and we are doing great on our own plan. Good Luck to all who need to lose weight.
95 - Tampa Real Estate
I've been on Nutrisystem for 2 months now and I LOVE it. I personally think the food is good...much better than the frozen meals I was eating from weight watchers and healthy choice. There are items I like more than others but that's just human nature.
I like the fact that nothing has to be frozen or refrigerated so it travels easily with my busy schedule.
Also, I used to get headaches every day and now with the balance diet, I never get a headache (unless I miss eating during the day). I think the protien they put in every entree including the desserts is the reason for this.
Sandra
96 - Jeff
I just bought this Nutrisystem and now I don't know what to do with it, it was a bunch of micro ware food that you can found in 99 cent store, the food is nasty, the lunch is a small can of food cost one dollar if you buy it form any super market, the dinner is just some low end tv dinner you can find in super market too, if you buy the same stuff in the super market, breakfast, lunch, dinner, it will only cost you around 5 dollars and you will get better food. You can lose weight by eating less. Cause the food they give you is just normal food.
97 - Kay
I have struggled with my weight since forever. I went on NutriSystem when I was 12. I'm 30 now. I lost 80 pounds as a 12 year old on this program. The food was amazing years ago when they had their clinics. Unfortunately, getting older and being diagnosed with PCOS, I've gained all the weight back. I just placed my order and received my months worth this morning. I don't know why they don't go back to the stuff they used to have. I haven't eaten any of it yet, but I can tell everything is different. And from the sound of it, so is the taste. I was excited to get to do this program again, but the excitement might give way to hurling. This is a very expensive plan. My family spent thousands, and I'm not talking about a couple. I'm talking about a mortgage loan. I'm willing to do the program and pay them money, because I KNOW it works. But if all they can sell is crap, then it's a no go. I'd rather check myself in to a fat camp lol
98 - donna
I am a nutrisystem fan...I lost almost 50 pounds in one year and I have kept it off ...yes some of the food is awful but you learn through trial and error...plus my counseler taught me how to transition to table food
99 - Julie
I tried nutrisystem after my friend raved about it and honetsly the food- lunch and dinnners were gross. Some of the breakfast and snacks were ok- I'm still eating those (working them in with the WW plan).
The lunch and dinner's were very bad. I either got sick eating them or happened to have a virus either way about 2 weeks into the plan I was having major stomach problems. Missed the deadline to return the food cause I was sick and have two boxes of food in the car. But I have no idea what to do with it.
100 - Riann
I used nutrisystem for a couple of weeks and I did lose weight but the food got pretty grose so I quite.
101 - Nicole
Hi I am getting my shippment soon.....I got on this because my Cholesterol is super high and my good HDL are really low.....so I hope this well help in becoming more healthy and eating better.
So, alot of people say the food is bad but to be honest i dont care ill get it if i am hungry enough....i am 27 with 3 kids with some big time health concerns so i have to do it. Wish me luck!
102 - Carol
I did NutriSystem back in the early 90's (went to their Center), and it was great.... I lost a lot of weight, fairly easily, and the food tasted good. I never got hungry, and I have always had a huge appetite. So, thinking it would be the same, I ordered the food feeling certain it would be a great experience. Was I surprised or what! The food is nothing like it used to be.... it tastes horrible... and I mean EVERYTHING tastes horrible. The portions are so small, it is unbelievable. I stayed hungry all the time. The food arrived with a lot of it in bad shape... bags opened and contents spilled all over the bottom of the box.... chocolate drops smashed to smithereens, etc. Regretfully, I had to call and cancel my next box. Why in the world can't NS have the same food they once had?!? I just don't understand it. To those who say we should not expect to eat food that tastes good if we want to lose weight... that isn't true.... we will stay on a diet if we at least find the food minimally pleasant tasting, but how long can we stand to eat food that is disgustingly horrible?
103 - Jess
I lost 40 pounds in 3 months on Nutrisystem. I found a lot of the foods that weren't so bad. I enjoy the mac n cheese and chocolate. If you stick to their diet, you will lose weight and feel awesome. I'm sorry you didn't like it.
104 - Steve Ireland
I tried NS, tasted very bad. Shelf stable food are full of presevatives they should be illegal.
I lost 42 pound on the smart for life plan. they use natural and organics ingredients, less choice during the day than NS, but better taste. Your evening meal is wide open.
105 - theMezz
I agree with most of this. It IS processed food, but on the other hand - you only eat it 2-3 months .. and yes some of the items suck. Just don't choose those. Yup. chocolate things taste like crap - BUT the chocolate BARS are excellent and the desert bars taste like SNICKERS. Their is more good stuff than bad AND it really teaches you portion control.
By the way .. I love the pancakes! The writer of this article hates them. The trick is to use EXACTLY 4 oz of skim milk.. a little more or less and they come out bad.
For some peope (me) the choices are to stay 20 over weight or each SOME processed food for 3 months.
As far as processed food - it's less than 25% of what you eat... the rest is all good fresh food that you buy yourself ina local store. I bet most people eat LESS processsed food on NS than eating normal.
106 - sburnett
a friend of mine got some from a food bank and passed them on to me. I googled it to see if it was mistakenly not frozen, and now that I see the consensus here is they suck, it will probably end up in my suv as emergency road fare!
107 - alejandro
I just started it this week. So far, the chocolate chip cookie is pretty good. The apple streudal/scone was kinda doughy and dry. The choco peanut butter bar was really good! Spaghetti with meat sauce was tasty and a touch spicy even, but I do see where the previous commenters got the "chef boyardee" taste from. It's actually better than "CB." The soy chips--nacho--were very crisp and nicely spiced. The chocolate brownie was ok, but the yellow pound cake was great. The thick crust pizza was interesting--a flat pita-like bread on which you pour the sauce and top with cheese. The sauce is spicy and a bit like canned pizza sauce. The cheese was fine. The toaster did the best job and it tasted like any of those processed stouffer's-like pizzas at the grocery. All in all, the entrees and snacks/desserts are filling. Surpisingly so.
Now for the bad. Beyond some of the avg to sub-avg foods, I was shocked to learn that I needed to add veggies, carbs, proteins and fruits to each meal. And for people w/over 100lbs of desired weight loss, you need to add even more! So, this was a bummer for someone like me who has no patience for shopping, prepping or real cooking ...and as thought I was good to go with these packaged meals--quick and easy. Not so fast! I'm not sure how I'm gonna get around this obvious prep/grocery/cooking thing for the carbs/proteins/fruits/dairys...becuz I think you really need to add these to consume enough calories and to round-out the nutrition component.
Oh well. I'll keep u posted.
108 - Sandy
I actually had a good experience with NS and would order it again if needed. I lost 20 pounds when I was only trying to lose 15 and found most of the meals pretty good. Truthfully the only foods that most people who need to lose weight think are really good are the ones that are terrible for you. It's all in whether you want to sacrifice the taste to lose the weight. It worked great for me.
I also don't know why but I had to take Prilosec for heartburn for months prior to NS - the heartburn quit during the two months I was on it and came back as soon as I started eating regular food. Don't know why but definitely felt better on the food. If I could afford to stay on longer I would.
109 - Shawn
1. I started Nutrisystem on August 11th. A friend of mine lost over 40lbs in a year of following the program. Back in 2005-2006 I lost 80lbs following the South Beach program overtime I drifted from those habits and gain back 70 of that in the last few years. I decided I should get back on a program since what I was doing wasn't working.
I need things to be simple and easy to prepare and Nutrisystem is great for people who like convience. 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 definately 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.
In the 18 days that I have been on the program I have dropped 18.7 lbs doing some extra exercise on the side which is recommended but not required for success.
For those of you wanting to get an extra discount I can provide you a referral code at it will entitle you to $30 off your first order. If you are new to Nutrisystem it should work just fine. If you are coming back to the program and have been inactive for more than 4 months it should also work for you too. Here's all that you need to do:
[personal contact info deleted]
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!
110 - Ashley
I have been dying to try nutrisystem for a while now I actually just googled it to finally place an order when I saw the link for this review I have to say I feel like a child who has just found out that santa claus doesn't exist.I was so convinced by the testemonials on tv which is surprising because usually when it comes to paid programming i'm the worlds largest sceptic but there was something about nutrisystem that lured me in and gave me hope that I had never experienced, for the first time I felt confident that I would say goodbye to the 60 lbs that goes on vacation but always returns.My weight has been like a yo yo for as long as I can recall but ever since my beautiful daugther was born in 2004 the weight is more stubborn than ever my 5yr old has never seen me under 200lbs I don't want to be the "fat mom".I'm so torn by the comments the only thing I'm sure of is the food stinks which I figured it would but to tell you the truth that's the least important factor to me because I'm desperate but now after hearing the less than impressive results the majority has had being a single parent I don't know if hoping that I'm one of the lucky ones who actully gets results is worth the financial risk. does anybody have any advice to help me come to a decision? please
111 - Christopher
For anyone wanting to try it out I suggest checking your local Big Lots. I found some for very cheap, warming up the black beans and rice now.
I did try the Balsamic Vinaigrette and Turkey dressing last night, it tasted like cat food. Good thing it only cost me $2.50.
112 - Lakshmi-Toron
I just tried nutrisystem for the first time and sent it back after 7 days. It is awful, gross, nothing like the photos on the food boxes and nothing like their advertisements.
I think dog food is better than this and I can’t imagine that Jenny Craig is any better.
There is far too much sodium and sugar in their meals and snacks and for breakfast mostly you get granola type bars that you can get in the store for cheaper and bran flake cereal and cake loaf that is just gross compared to store bought.
I highly suggest you save your money and just start cooking good quality food in the correct amounts!