Nutrisystem: Diet Review

The Nutrisystem diet plan has been a weight loss option for nearly 30 years. While never clinically proven to be successful, the Nutrisystem plan touts attractive incentives: convenience and lost weight. Essentially, the Nutrisystem plan is centered on its offering of pre-packaged meals, which have been configured to contain the ideal number of calories as corresponds with the plan, low amounts of fat, and low glycemic index levels.
The Glycemic Index was developed by the World Health Organization as a measurement of carbohydrates and their effect on blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates with a low glycemic index break down slowly in the body and promote stable blood sugar levels, while carbohydrates with a high glycemic level cause blood sugar levels to spike and result in feelings of hunger soon after eating. Supposedly, the "good carbs", with their low glycemic levels, promote weight loss.

Eaten 5 times a day, the foods and meals provided by the Nutrisystem plan are designed, supposedly, to make weight loss easy and convenient. There's no calorie counting, portion weighing, or tedious grocery shopping. The non-frozen meals are reconstituted with a little water or squeezed out of a pouch, heated, and eaten. At a cost of nearly $300 for 28 meals, the food isn't cheap either.

The Nutrisystem plan lasts for 28 days, after which, if the weight loss goal has not been met, starts right back up again. That means 28 more days of pre-packaged meals purchased through the Nutrisystem website until the weight comes off.

Is the Nutrisystem plan as good the advertisements suggest, or is it just another weight loss myth? Here's our take on the Nutrisystem plan:

The Nutrisystem Plan

CATEGORYSCORECOMMENTS

COST:* $275 for a 28 meal package which
may need to be purchased again takes a chunk out of the monthly budget.

GETTING STARTED: * * *As easy as getting online and
ordering the meal package, but make
sure you don't let your investment
collect dust in the pantry.

STICKING WITH IT: * * The meals are easy to grab, but
reconstituted packaged food may
soon grow unappetizing (if it ever
was appetizing), and some may not
want to spend nearly $300 again if
their weight loss goal wasn't met
in the first 28 days.

BUSY LIFESTYLE: * * * The meals are easy to prepare,
although not as quick as frozen
foods, and can be stashed or stored
in bags, desks, or cubicles for
convenience. However, fresh
produce and dairy must be stashed
too for nutrition's sake.

FAMILY FRIENDLY: * *You may get more than a few odd
looks or even outbursts of repulsion
as you add water to dry scrambled
eggs or squeeze spaghetti out of a
pouch, and normal family dinners
may be tempting.

POTENTIAL: * *The potential to lose weight is
certainly there, mostly through
reduced portions and calories, but
interest in the diet could soon wane.
Additionally, participants are not
taught to count calories, so they
may not do so once they're off the
diet.

HEALTH and SAFETY: * * The meals offered are some of the
more nutritious pre-packaged meals
available when combined with fresh
produce and dairy products. On the
other hand, caloric intake can dip too
low.

The Nutrisystem plan heavily touts its convenience, but those expecting to pop a meal in the microwave for a few minutes and be ready to go will be disappointed. Almost every food will require the addition of water, or cajoling from a pouch or cardboard container. While it's certainly more convenient than cooking up beef stroganoff, a little more than a toss of container into the microwave is required.
Additionally, the Nutrisystem prides itself on its nutritiously sound meals, which, when combined with fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and whole grains, do make for very nutritious meals. However, the key words here are when combined. Followers who eat their 5 meals a day without adding the necessary produce, dairy, or whole wheat as outlined in the program will be cheating themselves out of vital nutrients the Nutrisystem meals alone simply do not provide. Also, the glycemic index of foods have never been proven to be magic weight loss contributors.

While participants who correctly follow the meal plans and include additional nutritious foods will be eating a sound diet, the amount of food they will be eating raises the same concern that many other diets do: calorie amounts. While many people with inactive desk jobs will be able to do well on 1200 calories a day, the same amount for someone who is active or exercises rigorously everyday is not adequate enough for safety. One of the reasons the diet promotes weight loss is reduced portions and calories. The other should be exercise, which is not heavily promoted by Nutrisystem. The plan also offers a "boost plan" to break a weight loss plateau by consuming only 1,000 calories; a dangerously insufficient amount for anyone.
Additionally, Nutrisystem advertises its convenience by declaring participants do not need to count calories because the meals come in the correct portions and caloric amounts. Once a participant meets their weight loss goal and no longer requires the pre-packaged meals, they may forget that the food they prepare themselves is not correctly portioned for appropriate calorie intake. Nutrisystem fails to teach participants to use the important weight loss maintenance tool of calorie consideration.

Bottom Line:
As long as participants use the meal plans as intended, with the addition of fresh fruits, vegetables, dairies, and whole wheat, and do not allow their caloric intake to dip too low, the Nutrisystem diet may be a relatively safe weight loss program. However, the Nutrisystem meal plan which takes care of everything for the participant makes the potential to regain lost weight high. Always talk to a doctor before attempting to undertake a new diet plan.