Nutrisystem Diet is a weight loss plan offering portion and calorie controlled prepackaged foods as well as food suggestions. It claims to be backed by 40 years of customer approved weight loss results.
The diet also is claimed to offer up to 5 pounds of weight loss within the first week. The company delivers their own meals and provides select portion sizes. Suggestions are offered as to what foods to prepare, but the majority of what’s eaten will be Nutrisystem meals. Our experts have reviewed several diet plans and have found the Nutrisystem Diet to be the most effective. Click on this link to gain 40% off Nutrisystem.
Here are some common ingredients added to Nutrisystem's prepackaged meals:
Carrageenan
Xanthan Gum
Flaxseed
Natural Flavor
Calcium Carbonate
Vitamin A Palminate
Riboflavin
Thiamin Mononitrate
Salt
Folic Acid
Ferric Phosphate
Niacinamide
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
Canola Oil
Beta Carotene
Carrageenan: Thickener extracted from seaweeds which is added to thicken and bind ingredients. This additive is often found in many kinds of foods, and is an easy way for ingredients to bind together. It can also help liquids and oils bind better so there’s an enhanced consistency.
Xanthan Gum: Thickener and binder added to help provide an easier consistency to foods. It is known to help gel and add a better consistency to foods.
Beta Carotene: An organic pigment found in many kinds of plants and fruits. This is a form of vitamin A that gives foods a unique, bold orange color. Vitamin A is important for overall health and it can provide antioxidant benefits, improve skin health, reduce inflammation, and help keep eyesight healthy.
Niacinamide: B vitamin which is found naturally in many foods such as grains, milk, eggs, vegetables, and much more. This is good for treating cholesterol, and aiding overall digestion. It can also protect against any toxins and dangerous pollutants.
Ferric Phosphate: Source of iron which is important for proper blood health and energy. This is found naturally in red meat, and when the body is deficient in iron it can lead to unwanted side effects. This is the most common of all worldwide deficiencies, and it can contribute to illness.
Flaxseed: High fiber food which is also rich in amino acids. This is one of the few vegetable based foods which have omega 3 fatty acids. This can be used to aid digestion, and it also contains a rich source of protein and fiber. Also found in this are trace minerals and vitamins such as vitamin B1, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, vitamin b6, and much more. To gain 40% off the Nutrisystem Diet, follow the link provided.
There are 3 unique plans offered by Nutrisystem as well:
Basic: Begins at $9.82 per day. Certain foods are preselected, support tools and online tracking is offered. Complemented by a 4 week turbo plan which claims to offer 10 pounds of weight loss in a month. This involves being allowed only 1,000 calories a day maximum. This is the simplest offering at the lowest cost. Advised mostly for people who only need basic support, and already are used to dieting.
Core: Begins at $10.54 a day. You get to select from 100 different foods, as well as everything offered in the basic plan but with added dieticians and counselors support.
Uniquely Yours: For around $11.96 a day, 150 different food options are offered. One can order as much of the frozen food items as one wants. All the other features from the core and basic are offered. This is the best-rounded offering that the system offers.
The company offers different varieties of pre-packed foods which contain fiber and protein to suppress appetite. An additional benefit is that the nutrition is well-balanced, and has a correct balance of nutrients the body requires to maintain optimal health.
They have also mentioned that they do not use 4 unwanted ingredients which can be unsafe when eaten. This includes MSG, the artificial sweetener known as aspartame, hydrogenated oils which contain trans fats, and high fructose corn syrup, a cheap sweetener which can lead to tooth decay as well as metabolism disorders.
It’s clear by avoiding the use of these additives that they’ve done research on what ingredients are best avoided.
Many different kinds of ingredients are inside Nutrisystem’s prepackaged foods. Since the majority of foods eaten will be actual meals, this gives the diet plan enough variety to maintain unique.
They have also made sure to provide customers with a wide array of nutrients which is beneficial for not just weight loss, but overall health as well. It’s not just a low calorie plan, they ensure that each meal can suppress appetite, and give the body the nutrients it needs to thrive. There are low-glycemic options offered, and their foods are free from artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners.
Pricing varies both on the plan chosen and the kinds of foods one makes at home. They offer simply plans based on selections of foods one is looking for.
Web MD has described the company as:
“the ultimate in convenience”
They also add how the ease of making foods makes the diet plan an effective solution for people who want their dieting needs catered to. It takes away the difficulty of having to plan in advance, and of possibly losing one’s diet by eating foods which are rich in calories. Overall it gives one the ability to diet while enjoying many foods such as muffins, ice cream, brownies, and much more.
Business of Nutrisystem Diet
The company is owned by the Nutrisystem, Inc. group, and they can be contacted via the following:
Phone Number: (800) 585-5483
Address: 600 Office Center Dr.
Washington, PA 19034
The company as a whole has been widely regarded for its great customer service. When looking at their Consumer Affairs page you can see a dialogue that the customer service team has with any and all kinds of opinions and concerns.
For any questions there is a comment listed where a representative asks the person involved to contact them directly, either via an email correspondence or via phone. They also assure users that they will further investigate any and all inquiries, so it’s clear they offer a lot of dedicated support. Overall it appears the company is effective at handling any customer questions quickly.
Customer reviews for the diets can be found online, here are some select quotes:
“used it before and I can truly say it helped me lose weight”
“Nutrisystem has worked for my needs simply because it is very easy to follow and it offers enough variety in food options”
“It will help you make changes to your life, it worked for me”
“Wasn’t confident that it would work at first, but after a week I saw I lost a ton of weight I couldn’t lose previously”
Overall there are many reviews online from satisfied users. On Consumer Affairs they have a total of 2,089 reviews currently, with many giving a satisfactory rating.
When researching the Nutrisystem Diet it’s important to look at the customer reviews, quality of ingredients, and the science behind the weight loss. The strategy is fairly simple, as pre-packaged meals are offered which are lower in calories. This makes it easy to diet without having to meal prep and count calories. This simplifies eating which is the most important part of a diet.
The value of this system is that it’s all in place with enough variety to ensure customers won’t be bored, having to eat the same kinds of bland foods. There are many kinds of snacks, full meals, beverages, and more.
Diet programs are different from each other in terms of the style or approach that it takes to lose weight, the phases of the program and the types of food included in the diet.
posted Dec 27th, 2011 4:22 pm
John
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I've tried Nutrisystem but I was very unsatisfied with it. Yes, you can lose weight but anytime you cut back on calories you're going to lose weight. My main beef is that some of the meals was an overpriced version of Chef-Boyardee spaghetti since they both tasted exactly alike. The pizza & desserts were best tasting but most of the meals were pretty tasteless in my opinion.
When I cancelled my automatic shipment the customer service rep was quite nasty and started arguing with me so instead of making it easy to do it turned into a nightmare. Not only that but the discounted price I was getting because of automatic shipments, they charged my credit card for full price. If I would have known this company was not very reputable I would have cancelled my credit card before they would have had the chance to cheat me out of more money.
I lost 50 lbs. and counting by buying convenience foods at my local supermarket and most are quite tasty and a lot more variety.
posted Dec 26th, 2011 5:38 pm
greta
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Started NS the end of Sept '11. Then the month of Dec they came out with a new plan but are not being truthful or honest with their current members. They have lost a lot of their loyal members and will be loosing many many more.
posted Dec 18th, 2011 7:50 am
Jenn
I am currently on the NS meal plan - 28 days of food with 10 days of that being their new frozen menu. I am at odds with it, so I'll explain.
I was impressed with the taste of most of the foods but I didn't go into it with any expectations, being a diet and all I figured the food would taste like cardboardbox. Most of it was ok for my palate though so that was a plus. The frozen meals tasted even better, BUT...lets get to the Cons..
Cons - I call it false advertising, what you see on the box is DEFINATLY NOT what your getting in most cases - mostly in the ready to go items. One example I have is with the 'Homestyle Beef with Mashed Potatoes' while the flavor is good, what they give you is not. One big scoop of mashed potatoes on one side and a pile of gravy on the other. There is supposed to be some beef and vegetables in this, right? Well so far, not really..one or two nickle sized niblets of beef if your lucky and if you dip around in the gravy a bit maybe you can find a vegetable or two. The ala carte price of this is 6 bucks, thats a lot of money for a scoop of mashed potatoes with gravy, IMO.
Cons - Gas, a horrible, horrible amount of gas. I get this on most of the meals I eat with limits me to what I will choose, unless I want to be a stinky mess of course. Nothing I do helps, nothing I take helps..it's sad and really puts a damper on what I can and cannot eat, which is a shame because I like a lot of what I can't eat because of it. Be prepaired for this just incase..
Cons - Hot months - be prepaired for any of your ready to go items that you may get with stuff like chocolate on it to be melted, they don't put your chocolate items in the frozen box so..squishy mess. This can be remedied by putting the item in the fridge and letting it harden again, but then I find the chocolate sticks to the wrappers and shreds away when opening it...open over a sink to avoid thin shards of chocolate falling all over the place. What most people do is stock up in the colder months..
Cons - The frozen meals are yummy - but one thing tweeked me, it's a personal thing of course some people might not mind it..when I get the chicken alfrado (so yummy) the downside to that is most of the nibblets of chicken I get are hard fatty grissle, to me that just ruins my entire meal. It's a head thing of course I have the same problem when I eat a steak and bite into hard fat like that..but regardless it would be nice if they cleaned the chicken a bit more, or not used the bad parts for it (it's wierd but when I order the chicken breast, I havent found fatty grissle on that yet...STESSING YET) I wonder if they use the fat parts they cut off the chicken from other meals and throw it into that..BAD BAD BAD BAD
Cons - they need to hire a whole new packaging department - when I get my order my stuff is crushed, which isnt the worst it's still edible EXCEPT the frozen, this time I had 2 of my breakfast omlete packages that were opened, I don't know about you but I refuse to eat opened food and a couple of my ice cream tops were off..wonderful, Im down two meals 3 desserts and they are frozen, Im waiting back to see what they say, not sure how the hell Im going to send that back for a refund/exchange.
Cons - to some, they are just supplying you with 3 meals and a dessert a day, you supply the rest. Which IMO is a lot. You'll be supplying fruits, vegetables and protien/diary. Typical day starts with you eating one of their breakfast meals, then you have to add to it a protien/dairy serving and 1 fruit and 1 vegetable serving - and maybe a carb if you have enough to lose, then for lunch same deal and also dinner, minus the protien serving...that to me is a lot of food your supplying on your own. Check the packages of what you order also, your not always getting what you think (Like the hotdog doesnt come with a bun, nor does the hamburg or chicken breast, and one or two of the wraps) So, the plan overall is priced cheaply as compaired to most plans BUT you are supplying a ton of food on the side, so how much are you really saving? perhaps a little..
Pros - its convientent, its all pre-packaged and all you need to do most times is heat it up and you can use the microwave, some have small cook times so it might be ok to bring these items to work with you (just have to package up any fruits/vegetables and protien you need to supply on the side beforehand)
Pros - its cheaper them most plans - though you do get what you pay for. The taste IMO is not bad, but I cant compair it to the other plans as they are to expensive for me to try - one of these days I'll have to track what I send and compaire to other plans and see if I am actually saving in the long run.
Pros - Delivery wasn't to bad, they once left my box out by my garbage box in the rain, I complained and got a nice little discount, now they leave it at my door..but the delivery problem isnt a fault on NS side, its the driver that deliverys your food (ups, I think) so if you have problems make sure to complain to Ns about it, maybe they can forward it onto the company to keep the drivers in check.
Pros - The food really isnt bad tasting considering its a 'diet', it's one of those you can have your cake and eat it to, literally...just keep in mind the portion sizes are normal portion sizes, I think over time the US serving size got so skewered we just don't know what the real size is and when we see it, WOW its small, also its a diet...it isn't supposed to be like eating at your Italian grannies house. I was fine with the sizes of the meals (it was just all the additions you have to buy yourself on the side I had a problem with) and with all these sides your actually eating a lot, like I said.
Over all, I am at odds - I want to stay on it, I know it works and the food taste is ok BUT with the gas I get from the majority of the meals and the fat/grissle in the meats if your lucky enough to find any I am just teetering on wether I'll continue. I really hope they fix the food quality, and stop adding all the crap that is giving everyone gas..=/
This is just my opinion - others will have their own thoughts/opinions and feelings about the program and I figured I would share what little I could from my own experience. Just keep in mind that your experience could be totally different!
posted Dec 9th, 2011 7:13 pm
Amy
The food was awful!! Half of it was bad; there vacum seal's would blow up indicating gases being released inside. Very hard to get your money back for the bad food. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!
posted Dec 9th, 2011 12:46 am
Emily
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I've been on Nutrisystem for about 4 months now, I've lost 20lbs so far. I've got 30 lbs to go and I'm picking up a circuit training class to push me along for the rest of my program.
NS works by providing your breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert every day, and you add in your fresh dairy, veggies, fruits and carbs (for some plans).
The hardest part of NS, for me, is eating every meal when I'm supposed to - I'm very disposed towards skipping meals due to my busy schedule. It is, however, very filling and I've never felt hungry in-between meals.
Breakfasts and Desserts are awesome. Dinners are alright but I think their biggest weakness is their lunches. I will usually order a lot of chicken salad and pour it over my veggies and call it a day.
I do get their frozen food, which used to be a disaster in delivery but they're fixed all the melting problems by dumping Schwan's and getting UPS to get their act together. The frozen portion of my order now comes in a huge Styrofoam container with lots of dry ice - no more ruined food.
My motivation is intermediate. I do get tired of the food and eat normal meals for a couple of days, before getting back on plan. If I did NS 100%, water and all, I would be off it by now :P and cooking my own meals.
NS isn't designed to be your plan forever, but it does work.
My calls to talk to NS counselors and customer service reps have always been pleasant and informative. I don't understand why the other reviewers have had problems. I understood my contract and no surprises there.
posted Nov 10th, 2011 8:11 pm
BowTay
it's cool they have so many options. definitely seems like it could help portion control, and i never knew it came with workout DVDs. that's a plus.
I tried this diet for approx two months. At the end I was so low in energy that I got worn out just going upstairs In my own house! I soon found out that I had become very anemic. Must have been due to the wheat and dairy in the food. As soon as I quit their food, I started to feel better.
posted Sep 5th, 2011 4:06 pm
Donna
Got the 5 day on, weekend off...from QVC. It's called Marie's favorites (marie osmond). So far today is my 5th day. I am down 4 pounds. I can say the breakfasts are fine, As for the lunches and dinners, some of them are gross, and some are tolerable. I do believe it works... I just have to try to stay on it for at least a month and see my results. I think it is going to be hard, but I am determined! lol
posted Sep 4th, 2011 4:47 pm
Melissa
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This has been a life saver! I LOVE nutrisystem and when I started i was READY to shed the weight i gained after college and quitting smoking! I absolutely love this; it's helping me with portion control, the food is delicious, and it's SOO Convenient for planning in my busy schedule. i love it. in one week, i am down 11 lbs, and it's teaching me about portion control, and keeping my glycemic index level. i highly recommend it, and it's SOO simple and you get the food delivered to your home. a NO brainer!!!
posted Sep 1st, 2011 9:28 pm
mcsheffler
Is it possible to return the unopened, untouched box of food that I absolutely cannot use.
posted Aug 17th, 2011 2:26 pm
Darlene
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Probably I won't hear from anyone but you need to know that I am very angry. When I signed up I said I wanted my delivery left on my porch. It was not. I asked for that because I am 74, disabled and walk with a cane. I cannot carry a box that weighs more than 30 pounds and right now it is sitting in the back seat of my car where someone placed it for me. It will stay there until someone comes by that can bring it in my house. I did try to scoot it off of my back seat and on to a rug so I could drag it into the house and I ended up wrenching my shoulder. It is of course my right arm the one that I use to walk with the cane.
To make matters even worse, for something that isn't even my fault because you can't follow instructions you took back the 10% and then charged me $52 something for shipping. Its quite clear that you don't really care about your customers you only care about the money.
I wouldn't sign up with you again if you were the only food supply in the world.
posted Aug 10th, 2011 7:57 pm
ann
i started out on ns for a week but the food was so awful that I could only eat it once per day. but the good thing that resulted from eating the foods from ns is that i came to know what was a portion size. when i wasn't eating ns i measured and weighed my foods. In the first month along with an hour of excercise per day I lost 20 lbs. in four months i was down 80lbs. I then had the lap band put on and continued to eat small portions and two snacks per day and i have kept if off for four years now. with a mini face lift to help with the excess skin on my face I look and feel so much better. without ns giving me an idea as to how much is a normal portion I would still be over weight. i am 5.5 and 115. no more back pains. i can buckle my shoes, i can run around the block. i can run up the stairs without being out of breath. i can put on my necklace without assistance. simple things that people who are not over weight takes for granted
posted Jul 25th, 2011 12:49 am
Cathy
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Order was all wrong more trouble than it is worth to send it all back. Customer service was no help at all!!!!!
posted Jul 21st, 2011 10:45 am
Anne
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I got 3 different quotes from 3 different people. I really wanted to get started so I ordered a with I higher price than I was originally told. They assured me that they would replace food for items I was allergic to. When I got my shipment, it was 1/3 food that I was allergic to. When I called they told me they would have to charge me for any replacements. I was so frustrated that I cancelled the entire order. Nikea gave me a cancellation confirmation number so I thought it was taken care of. A month later and Still have not seen the refund. I called again and was told it was never entered. We will see. I never even tried the food, but based on the horrible experience I had with the sales people and customer service, I would never recommend this company. Did try Jenny Craig instead and have been thrilled with their customer service. It is definitely more expensive, but tastes pretty good and I am not usually hungry.
posted Jul 1st, 2011 1:32 pm
Lori
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I tried nutrisystem in 2008 and lost 28 pounds. It was the only diet I ever went on that actually worked,yes it is a little expensive, with the veggies and dairy but if you stick to it it works, I dont think the food was horrible unless it changed that much. I am reordering today, i hope it works again for me.
posted Jun 28th, 2011 3:09 pm
holly
Do not use this company, all they want is your money they do not care about anything else. our food was del. and left up by the door on a hot humid day for about 9 hours, when i got home i called because everthing had melted, she said leave it outside and ups will pick it up with in five day's, well poured that night and the whole box fell apart. well i put it in the trash now they say they can not refund me, i will go on fighting this.
posted Jun 23rd, 2011 9:54 am
Betty
I've been on NS, the diabetic program, for 3 months. I've lost 35 pounds and my blood sugar has come WAY down (from mid 200's to low 100's). And I don't find the food unpalatable at all. You can customize your order, so anything I don't like I just don't order again, and anything I like I order more off on the next shipment. Customer service has been excellent, and there is a huge member support that is extremely helpful. Plus, I AM learning how to eat properly to keep the weight off when I reach goal. Yay, Nutrisystem!
posted Jun 16th, 2011 3:00 pm
Amber
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Their online support was horrible! I got on with two different people, the second guy didn't help at all, after back and forth and telling him nevermind, he kept trying to say there was a plan for me, which in fact, there wasn't within my budget and what I wanted to do. So I was irritated for staying on. They haven't stopped calling me either, they keep calling to leave msgs, after emails, chats and calls saying to stop. Horrible, horrible customer service. I realize this was probably just one of very few bad experiences, but their customer service has made me terribly angry.
posted Jun 6th, 2011 1:07 am
Bonnie Haas
Tried this diet and religiously followed it but after two weeks of this horrible food (except for my own fresh supplements) I didn't lose anything. The counselor was kind but the scale didn't budge even after her counseling. Decided to quit but the rep I called kept trying to find ways to keep me on the program. THEN he said I owe another $62.00 because I didn't follow through in the "two month" special...which wasn't made clear to me in the beginning. Very disappointing results. Shame on you, Marie Osmand!!
Nutrisystem is one of the most recognizable names in weight loss and has rightly earned its place among the top diets. Founded in 1972, Nutrisystem has helped millions of people lose weight on its convenient portion-controlled meals. This program takes the guesswork out of dieting and many people find it to be an easy approach to healthy weight loss.
The brand is one of the first diets to earn its marks by offering a hassle-free way to lose weight with its meal delivery service. The diet plan takes care of the majority of grocery shopping, cooking and portioning by delivering meals and snacks that are calorie-controlled and pre-prepared. All you have to do is heat and enjoy, supplementing with a few fresh grocery store items. Nutrisystem originally offered only pantry-ready foods, but in 2009 added a frozen line of meals; combined the two lines offer more than 150 menu options.
In 2014, the company unveiled Nutrisystem My Way, its new, customized plan for each individual’s metabolism. All new Nutrisystem customers will be enrolled in this personalized program, which calculates a person's metabolic rate by taking into account a variety of factors including age, sex, weight, and level of physical activity. (Prior to this program, the diet had two levels—one for men and one for women.) As part of the new My Way plan, Nutrisystem is also offering a one-week plan called Fast 5, which is being marketed as a low-calorie (1,000 a day) weeklong “jumpstart” to the program that guarantees a weight loss of 5 pounds in the first week. These results were confirmed in a clinical study.
In January 2016, Nutrisystem launched Turbo10, a clinically tested program that promises up to a 10-pound weight loss and an overall reduction of five inches from the waist, hips, thighs, chest, and arms in just the first month. In a clinical study sponsored by Nutrisystem, those who followed Turbo10 lost 3x more weight, 3x more total body inches and 3x more body fat in the first month compared to those who followed a do-it-yourself weight loss plan. In addition to weight loss, those on Turbo 10 also significantly reduced their systolic blood pressure after the first month.
The Nutrisystem diet is personalized to meet individual health goals and consistent with national guidelines for dietary intake meeting targets for fat, sodium, sugar, cholesterol and fiber as well as national guidelines for physical activity. All the foods are portion controlled and rely on a balanced approach by offering low glycemic index eating, to control blood sugar, that is high in protein and fiber, for satiety.
There are a range of plans at varying price points that are tailored to suit different nutritional needs, with those specifically for men, women, teens, people with diabetes and vegetarians.
Plans and meals are selected and ordered from Nutrisystem's website or by phone. You'll receive 28 days worth of food that comes in pantry-ready and or frozen containers that you simply heat before eating. Some grocery purchases will need to be made for items like fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grain bread, fish, and more.
When you sign up with Nutrisystem, you'll also receive access to a Mindset Makeover behavioral guide, a 13-week online plan to help you better understand your relationship with food. It provides steps for taking control of your eating habits. Nutrisystem customers also have online access to health information, community support, weekly newsletters, smart phone applications, and tracking tools. Additionally, you receive complimentary, optional counseling from trained weight-loss coaches, registered dietitians and certified diabetes educators.
Limited flexibility for eating off plan (i.e. restaurants)
USER REVIEWS
A sampling of feedback and experiences shared by our community.
I tried nutrisystem in 2008 and lost 28 pounds.It was the only diet I ever went on that actually worked,yes it is a little expensive, with the veggies and dairy but if you stick to it it works. - Lori 6/28/11
I've been on NS, the diabetic program, for 3 months. I've lost 35 pounds and my blood sugar has come WAY down(from mid 200's to low 100's). And I don't find the food unpalatable at all. You can customize your order, so anything I don't like I just don't order again, and anything I like I order more off on the next shipment. Customer service has been excellent, and there is a huge member support that is extremely helpful. Plus, I AM learning how to eat properly to keep the weight off when I reach goal. Yay, Nutrisystem! - Betty 6/16/11
it absolutely works if you follow it correctly. It is easy to follow as well, but the food is horrible!!!There are only a few things that are tolerable, and even if you customize your order you will get extremely tired of eating those same things over and over. They have a plan where you get these other foods added that are frozen. They are WAY better, but you only get a couple of weeks worth of it then your back to eating the other horrible food. Totally not worth it. I've tried it three times because I did lose the weight, but I couldn't handle the food. - Whitney 5/17/11
The portion sizes are sooo small. It's not possible to just grab and go. To feel satisfied you have to add fruits and lots of vegetables. It's not as mindless as I thought it was going to be.Fruits and vegetables are expensive. Overall it works because your fat/calories are so restricted and because no one wants to wstet all the money they spent on the program. I didn't mind the food. I have don't have gourmet taste or anything. No worse than the frozen/dried meals in stores now. I will probably not buy another month worth of food. Could have probably lost weigt eating lean cuisines, protein bars etc. I think nutrisystem is a good jump start to a diet and healthier eating. - TB 1/21/11
Whenever people sign up for a meal delivery diet, the big question is "What can I eat?". With Nutrisystem, there are more than 150 meal and snack options to choose from, to include pantry-ready and frozen meals. Muffins, roasted vegetable pizza, stuffed shells, macaroni and cheese, chicken noodle soup, chicken parmesan, and tacos are just a few of the entrees, while snacks include bars and pretzels. Dessert isn't out of the picture with options like oatmeal raisin cookies, chocolate, ice cream and whoopee pies. All of this is complemented by a few grocery purchases, including fresh fruits and vegetables. Each Nutrisystem meal is pre-packaged and prepared to the appropriate portion size. Many items are ready-to-eat but some require heating.
All of the Nutrisystem meals are low on the glycemic index and contain a balanced proportion of quality carbohydrates (50%), good fats (25%) and protein (25%). Meals are also low in sodium and trans fat. All of this allows customers to maintain blood sugar while maintaining a feeling of fullness, or satiety, between meals.
The women’s program contains about 1,200 calories and the men’s contains about 1,500 calories per day, but these numbers may change depending on your current weight, age, and activity level. Each day you’ll eat three meals and and two snacks with the addition of six servings of fresh fruits and vegetables. You can either custom select your own meals or choose an automated favorites meal and snack menu. Pantry-ready foods do not need to be refrigerated; however, fresh-frozen meals ship in a cooler and must be frozen until ready to prepare.
A typical day on the Nutrisystem SUCCESS program includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, one snack and a dessert. Below is a sample menu from the Nutrisystem Select option, which features some fresh-frozen items:
Breakfast: Granola Cereal or Honey Wheat Bagel
Snack: Hummus or an orange
Lunch: Red Beans and Rice or Chicken Tacos
Dinner: Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes or Sweet and Sour Chicken
Dessert: Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies or Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
In December 2012, Nutrisystem announced the addition of two dozen new and improved meal options to their menu.
Chicken Pot Pie
Stuffed Egg
Cheesecake Bar
Spicy Kung Pao
Margarita Pizza
Chicken Pot Pie
Cinnamon Streusel Muffin
Chicken Parmesan Melt
Stuffed Apple Pie
White Chocolate Chunk Cookies
In 2016, Nutrisystem has reformulated more than 50% of the Nutrisystem menu items to contain no artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners. Whole grains were also increased in a large number of their foods with the goal to have at least 50% of the grains coming from whole grain sources while still meeting the USDA guidelines for fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, fiber, and protein.
In an effort to keep with customer demand for more fresh-frozen selections, Nutrisystem unveiled Uniquely Yours, which allows for ultimate flexibility in your food choices, allowing consumers to choose between ready to eat and fresh frozen menu options, with no restrictions, from more than 150 menu items.
As part of the Turbo10 program, Nutrisystem also introduced Turboshakes, the company’s first ever line of shakes with protein and probiotics to support digestive and immune health and help reduce belly bloat.
EXERCISE
Nutrisystem sees exercise as an important component to lifelong weight management and encourages members to get 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week (or 30 minutes five days a week).
The addition of the “My Daily 3” program has helped users achieve their workout goals. The program is made up of three 10-minute interval activities each day, allowing even the busiest of schedules to easily make fitness a priority. Nutrisystem customizes a fitness plan for each customer, based on an assessment taken online, and encourages your doctor to sign off on it. An example plan for a woman looks like this:
Members receive a two-week personalized fitness plan with guidance on how to increase their activity as fitness level improves and the weight loss journey progresses.
When you eat Nutrisystem's meals, you will lose weight without exercise. However, your weight loss will be more effective and sustainable if you incorporate a consistent exercise regimen. You will see faster results, have less trouble keeping the weight off, and enjoy better overall health. Find an activity you enjoy and that interests you. This will keep you motivated and looking forward to your workouts. There are online forums available to dieters for tips and suggestions from other members. Below are just a few examples of some popular choices:
Zumba
Aerobics classes
Walking with a buddy
Kickboxing
Yoga
Pilates
Biking
Swimming
Jogging
Fitness video games (example Nintendo Wii Fit)
NUTRISYSTEM FAQ
Common questions asked about the NutriSystem program by our community. Click each to see the full answer.
Nutrisystem is a well-recognized and successful weight loss program that has helped millions of people lose weight and improve their health. It’s been calculated that in the past ten years, Nutrisystem has helped people shed more than 71 million pounds. Its convenience and portion-controlled meals are delivered to your door every month making it easy to eat healthy as you lose weight. The company has implemented many ways for members to gain support as they lose, transition, and maintain. Members are also being taught how to cook for themselves throughout the process and have access to support at all stages of the process. Exercise components to aid in faster loss and maintenance have also been added to make the program more well-rounded and allow for long-term success. While weight gain after ending a diet is common, Nutrisystem puts a lot of components in place to ensure customers have as much success during as they do after.
Nutrisystem has added many support elements so that individuals will feel comfortable to seek advice and assistance once they are past the pre-made meal stage. All variations of the Nutrisystem plans fall under the SUCCESS program and tailored to each individual, whether that be diabetes, vegetarian, men’s needs, women’s needs, budget needs, or any other issues.
User Feedback
(Page 7 of 15, 298 total comments)melissa
+Diet programs are different from each other in terms of the style or approach that it takes to lose weight, the phases of the program and the types of food included in the diet.
posted Dec 27th, 2011 4:22 pmJohn
-I've tried Nutrisystem but I was very unsatisfied with it. Yes, you can lose weight but anytime you cut back on calories you're going to lose weight. My main beef is that some of the meals was an overpriced version of Chef-Boyardee spaghetti since they both tasted exactly alike. The pizza & desserts were best tasting but most of the meals were pretty tasteless in my opinion.
posted Dec 26th, 2011 5:38 pmWhen I cancelled my automatic shipment the customer service rep was quite nasty and started arguing with me so instead of making it easy to do it turned into a nightmare. Not only that but the discounted price I was getting because of automatic shipments, they charged my credit card for full price. If I would have known this company was not very reputable I would have cancelled my credit card before they would have had the chance to cheat me out of more money.
I lost 50 lbs. and counting by buying convenience foods at my local supermarket and most are quite tasty and a lot more variety.
greta
-Started NS the end of Sept '11. Then the month of Dec they came out with a new plan but are not being truthful or honest with their current members. They have lost a lot of their loyal members and will be loosing many many more.
posted Dec 18th, 2011 7:50 amJenn
I am currently on the NS meal plan - 28 days of food with 10 days of that being their new frozen menu. I am at odds with it, so I'll explain.
posted Dec 9th, 2011 7:13 pmI was impressed with the taste of most of the foods but I didn't go into it with any expectations, being a diet and all I figured the food would taste like cardboardbox. Most of it was ok for my palate though so that was a plus. The frozen meals tasted even better, BUT...lets get to the Cons..
Cons - I call it false advertising, what you see on the box is DEFINATLY NOT what your getting in most cases - mostly in the ready to go items. One example I have is with the 'Homestyle Beef with Mashed Potatoes' while the flavor is good, what they give you is not. One big scoop of mashed potatoes on one side and a pile of gravy on the other. There is supposed to be some beef and vegetables in this, right? Well so far, not really..one or two nickle sized niblets of beef if your lucky and if you dip around in the gravy a bit maybe you can find a vegetable or two. The ala carte price of this is 6 bucks, thats a lot of money for a scoop of mashed potatoes with gravy, IMO.
Cons - Gas, a horrible, horrible amount of gas. I get this on most of the meals I eat with limits me to what I will choose, unless I want to be a stinky mess of course. Nothing I do helps, nothing I take helps..it's sad and really puts a damper on what I can and cannot eat, which is a shame because I like a lot of what I can't eat because of it. Be prepaired for this just incase..
Cons - Hot months - be prepaired for any of your ready to go items that you may get with stuff like chocolate on it to be melted, they don't put your chocolate items in the frozen box so..squishy mess. This can be remedied by putting the item in the fridge and letting it harden again, but then I find the chocolate sticks to the wrappers and shreds away when opening it...open over a sink to avoid thin shards of chocolate falling all over the place. What most people do is stock up in the colder months..
Cons - The frozen meals are yummy - but one thing tweeked me, it's a personal thing of course some people might not mind it..when I get the chicken alfrado (so yummy) the downside to that is most of the nibblets of chicken I get are hard fatty grissle, to me that just ruins my entire meal. It's a head thing of course I have the same problem when I eat a steak and bite into hard fat like that..but regardless it would be nice if they cleaned the chicken a bit more, or not used the bad parts for it (it's wierd but when I order the chicken breast, I havent found fatty grissle on that yet...STESSING YET) I wonder if they use the fat parts they cut off the chicken from other meals and throw it into that..BAD BAD BAD BAD
Cons - they need to hire a whole new packaging department - when I get my order my stuff is crushed, which isnt the worst it's still edible EXCEPT the frozen, this time I had 2 of my breakfast omlete packages that were opened, I don't know about you but I refuse to eat opened food and a couple of my ice cream tops were off..wonderful, Im down two meals 3 desserts and they are frozen, Im waiting back to see what they say, not sure how the hell Im going to send that back for a refund/exchange.
Cons - to some, they are just supplying you with 3 meals and a dessert a day, you supply the rest. Which IMO is a lot. You'll be supplying fruits, vegetables and protien/diary. Typical day starts with you eating one of their breakfast meals, then you have to add to it a protien/dairy serving and 1 fruit and 1 vegetable serving - and maybe a carb if you have enough to lose, then for lunch same deal and also dinner, minus the protien serving...that to me is a lot of food your supplying on your own. Check the packages of what you order also, your not always getting what you think (Like the hotdog doesnt come with a bun, nor does the hamburg or chicken breast, and one or two of the wraps) So, the plan overall is priced cheaply as compaired to most plans BUT you are supplying a ton of food on the side, so how much are you really saving? perhaps a little..
Pros - its convientent, its all pre-packaged and all you need to do most times is heat it up and you can use the microwave, some have small cook times so it might be ok to bring these items to work with you (just have to package up any fruits/vegetables and protien you need to supply on the side beforehand)
Pros - its cheaper them most plans - though you do get what you pay for. The taste IMO is not bad, but I cant compair it to the other plans as they are to expensive for me to try - one of these days I'll have to track what I send and compaire to other plans and see if I am actually saving in the long run.
Pros - Delivery wasn't to bad, they once left my box out by my garbage box in the rain, I complained and got a nice little discount, now they leave it at my door..but the delivery problem isnt a fault on NS side, its the driver that deliverys your food (ups, I think) so if you have problems make sure to complain to Ns about it, maybe they can forward it onto the company to keep the drivers in check.
Pros - The food really isnt bad tasting considering its a 'diet', it's one of those you can have your cake and eat it to, literally...just keep in mind the portion sizes are normal portion sizes, I think over time the US serving size got so skewered we just don't know what the real size is and when we see it, WOW its small, also its a diet...it isn't supposed to be like eating at your Italian grannies house. I was fine with the sizes of the meals (it was just all the additions you have to buy yourself on the side I had a problem with) and with all these sides your actually eating a lot, like I said.
Over all, I am at odds - I want to stay on it, I know it works and the food taste is ok BUT with the gas I get from the majority of the meals and the fat/grissle in the meats if your lucky enough to find any I am just teetering on wether I'll continue. I really hope they fix the food quality, and stop adding all the crap that is giving everyone gas..=/
This is just my opinion - others will have their own thoughts/opinions and feelings about the program and I figured I would share what little I could from my own experience. Just keep in mind that your experience could be totally different!
Amy
The food was awful!! Half of it was bad; there vacum seal's would blow up indicating gases being released inside. Very hard to get your money back for the bad food. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!
posted Dec 9th, 2011 12:46 amEmily
+I've been on Nutrisystem for about 4 months now, I've lost 20lbs so far. I've got 30 lbs to go and I'm picking up a circuit training class to push me along for the rest of my program.
posted Nov 10th, 2011 8:11 pmNS works by providing your breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert every day, and you add in your fresh dairy, veggies, fruits and carbs (for some plans).
The hardest part of NS, for me, is eating every meal when I'm supposed to - I'm very disposed towards skipping meals due to my busy schedule. It is, however, very filling and I've never felt hungry in-between meals.
Breakfasts and Desserts are awesome. Dinners are alright but I think their biggest weakness is their lunches. I will usually order a lot of chicken salad and pour it over my veggies and call it a day.
I do get their frozen food, which used to be a disaster in delivery but they're fixed all the melting problems by dumping Schwan's and getting UPS to get their act together. The frozen portion of my order now comes in a huge Styrofoam container with lots of dry ice - no more ruined food.
My motivation is intermediate. I do get tired of the food and eat normal meals for a couple of days, before getting back on plan. If I did NS 100%, water and all, I would be off it by now :P and cooking my own meals.
NS isn't designed to be your plan forever, but it does work.
My calls to talk to NS counselors and customer service reps have always been pleasant and informative. I don't understand why the other reviewers have had problems. I understood my contract and no surprises there.
BowTay
it's cool they have so many options. definitely seems like it could help portion control, and i never knew it came with workout DVDs. that's a plus.
posted Oct 14th, 2011 4:26 pmKim
-I tried this diet for approx two months. At the end I was so low in energy that I got worn out just going upstairs In my own house! I soon found out that I had become very anemic. Must have been due to the wheat and dairy in the food. As soon as I quit their food, I started to feel better.
posted Sep 5th, 2011 4:06 pmDonna
Got the 5 day on, weekend off...from QVC. It's called Marie's favorites (marie osmond). So far today is my 5th day. I am down 4 pounds. I can say the breakfasts are fine, As for the lunches and dinners, some of them are gross, and some are tolerable. I do believe it works... I just have to try to stay on it for at least a month and see my results. I think it is going to be hard, but I am determined! lol
posted Sep 4th, 2011 4:47 pmMelissa
+This has been a life saver! I LOVE nutrisystem and when I started i was READY to shed the weight i gained after college and quitting smoking! I absolutely love this; it's helping me with portion control, the food is delicious, and it's SOO Convenient for planning in my busy schedule. i love it. in one week, i am down 11 lbs, and it's teaching me about portion control, and keeping my glycemic index level. i highly recommend it, and it's SOO simple and you get the food delivered to your home. a NO brainer!!!
posted Sep 1st, 2011 9:28 pmmcsheffler
Is it possible to return the unopened, untouched box of food that I absolutely cannot use.
posted Aug 17th, 2011 2:26 pmDarlene
-Probably I won't hear from anyone but you need to know that I am very angry. When I signed up I said I wanted my delivery left on my porch. It was not. I asked for that because I am 74, disabled and walk with a cane. I cannot carry a box that weighs more than 30 pounds and right now it is sitting in the back seat of my car where someone placed it for me. It will stay there until someone comes by that can bring it in my house. I did try to scoot it off of my back seat and on to a rug so I could drag it into the house and I ended up wrenching my shoulder. It is of course my right arm the one that I use to walk with the cane.
posted Aug 10th, 2011 7:57 pmTo make matters even worse, for something that isn't even my fault because you can't follow instructions you took back the 10% and then charged me $52 something for shipping. Its quite clear that you don't really care about your customers you only care about the money.
I wouldn't sign up with you again if you were the only food supply in the world.
ann
i started out on ns for a week but the food was so awful that I could only eat it once per day. but the good thing that resulted from eating the foods from ns is that i came to know what was a portion size. when i wasn't eating ns i measured and weighed my foods. In the first month along with an hour of excercise per day I lost 20 lbs. in four months i was down 80lbs. I then had the lap band put on and continued to eat small portions and two snacks per day and i have kept if off for four years now. with a mini face lift to help with the excess skin on my face I look and feel so much better. without ns giving me an idea as to how much is a normal portion I would still be over weight. i am 5.5 and 115. no more back pains. i can buckle my shoes, i can run around the block. i can run up the stairs without being out of breath. i can put on my necklace without assistance. simple things that people who are not over weight takes for granted
posted Jul 25th, 2011 12:49 amCathy
-Order was all wrong more trouble than it is worth to send it all back. Customer service was no help at all!!!!!
posted Jul 21st, 2011 10:45 amAnne
-I got 3 different quotes from 3 different people. I really wanted to get started so I ordered a with I higher price than I was originally told. They assured me that they would replace food for items I was allergic to. When I got my shipment, it was 1/3 food that I was allergic to. When I called they told me they would have to charge me for any replacements. I was so frustrated that I cancelled the entire order. Nikea gave me a cancellation confirmation number so I thought it was taken care of. A month later and Still have not seen the refund. I called again and was told it was never entered. We will see. I never even tried the food, but based on the horrible experience I had with the sales people and customer service, I would never recommend this company. Did try Jenny Craig instead and have been thrilled with their customer service. It is definitely more expensive, but tastes pretty good and I am not usually hungry.
posted Jul 1st, 2011 1:32 pmLori
+I tried nutrisystem in 2008 and lost 28 pounds. It was the only diet I ever went on that actually worked,yes it is a little expensive, with the veggies and dairy but if you stick to it it works, I dont think the food was horrible unless it changed that much. I am reordering today, i hope it works again for me.
posted Jun 28th, 2011 3:09 pmholly
Do not use this company, all they want is your money they do not care about anything else. our food was del. and left up by the door on a hot humid day for about 9 hours, when i got home i called because everthing had melted, she said leave it outside and ups will pick it up with in five day's, well poured that night and the whole box fell apart. well i put it in the trash now they say they can not refund me, i will go on fighting this.
posted Jun 23rd, 2011 9:54 amBetty
I've been on NS, the diabetic program, for 3 months. I've lost 35 pounds and my blood sugar has come WAY down (from mid 200's to low 100's). And I don't find the food unpalatable at all. You can customize your order, so anything I don't like I just don't order again, and anything I like I order more off on the next shipment. Customer service has been excellent, and there is a huge member support that is extremely helpful. Plus, I AM learning how to eat properly to keep the weight off when I reach goal. Yay, Nutrisystem!
posted Jun 16th, 2011 3:00 pmAmber
-Their online support was horrible! I got on with two different people, the second guy didn't help at all, after back and forth and telling him nevermind, he kept trying to say there was a plan for me, which in fact, there wasn't within my budget and what I wanted to do. So I was irritated for staying on. They haven't stopped calling me either, they keep calling to leave msgs, after emails, chats and calls saying to stop. Horrible, horrible customer service. I realize this was probably just one of very few bad experiences, but their customer service has made me terribly angry.
posted Jun 6th, 2011 1:07 amBonnie Haas
Tried this diet and religiously followed it but after two weeks of this horrible food (except for my own fresh supplements) I didn't lose anything. The counselor was kind but the scale didn't budge even after her counseling. Decided to quit but the rep I called kept trying to find ways to keep me on the program. THEN he said I owe another $62.00 because I didn't follow through in the "two month" special...which wasn't made clear to me in the beginning. Very disappointing results. Shame on you, Marie Osmand!!
posted Jun 5th, 2011 12:54 pm