Nutrisystem Review

Overview

For anyone that has struggled with weight loss, navigating the various diet plan options can be extremely overwhelming. Trying to decide which diet works best, shopping for approved ingredients, attempting to remember what you cannot eat, and then having to cook everything can be not only time consuming but costly as well. 

Options such as Nutrisystem are a way of focusing on eating properly and losing weight in a healthy and safe manner. There is no need to make endless do and do not lists, and there is no hours spent slaving away in the kitchen. Instead, Nutrisystem supplies all of your meals to you for one low cost price.

Always having to count calories or weigh our portions can end up being very off-putting, and are some of the first things people stop doing when dieting. Nutrisystem removes all the hassle, and will ship you breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even a snack for each day of the week. All you need to do is eat what you are sent, avoid adding much else to your diet, and when followed correctly, you can lose up to 7lbs in just 7 days*.

The focus just isn’t on losing weight quickly, however, and your overall health is equally important. That is why each plan is customized to meet your specific dietary, health, and bodily needs based on a quiz that you take before registering. Depending on your responses, Nutrisystem will provide you with a 28 day meal plan that is meant to kick-start weight loss and keep you feeling great.

Meals

One of the best things about Nutrisystem is you no longer have to worry about what you can and cannot eat. All of your meals are pre-packaged and delivered to you, so you can be confident that everything you consume is approved. You’ll also want to pair your foods with at least four servings of non-starchy veggies each day. Other than at least 64 ounces of water, that’s the only thing you need to add in during your first week on Nutrisystem.

Menu items are varied, and include many favorites and “cheat foods” that people love to indulge in. Below we will break down some of the most popular items, as well as the nutritional information behind them.

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Snacks

Diet Maintenance

With Nutrisystem you basically are avoiding anything that doesn’t come inside your delivery. While some added in fruits and vegetables are acceptable, any types of snacks, treats, or take out meals are forbidden.

For the first month, Nutrisystem delivers all of your meals, but following that 28 day period it is then up to you to maintain those results. This means learning how to eat healthy, avoid certain foods, and make better choices when at restaurants. 

Some of the things that should always be avoided are items such as alcoholic beverages, as well as carbohydrates that are high on the glycemic index. Whole wheats are allowed and acceptable, but white bread, white rice, and super sweet fruits are banned.

As for extras, you are limited to a maximum of three per day, but what exactly are considered extras? Well, anything that has 10 to 35 calories per serving and isn’t included in your meal plan is an extra, while anything under 10 calories is considered a freebie. This means, if you sneak a chocolate chip, have a few grapes, enjoy a dill pickle with lunch, or even sprinkle some parmesan cheese on your supper, you haven’t ruined your diet. Just make sure you don’t do more than 3 of these things per day, and limit them as frequently as possible.

Beverages that have calories should always be avoided, which includes things such as soda pop, custom coffee drinks like lattes, and even sports drinks. Instead, focus on drinking large quantities of water and enjoying your morning coffee black.

Health & Nutritional Facts

Nutrisystem is designed to meet all of your nutritional needs while providing you with 1,200 to 1,500 calories per day. This is a safe number to help you lose weight, which still ensuring your body is getting the fuel it needs to function accordingly. 

All of the meals are portioned so that they fall within a certain caloric range, are comprised of about 50% carbs, 25% protein and 25% fat, and do not contain large quantities of sodium. 

The plan is safe for most individuals, and they even have specialized options for those who suffer from diabetes. If you are diabetic, you can not only mention that when you sign up, but all items are listed with a clear note on whether or not they are diabetic friendly. This ensures you don’t accidentally order something that could cause you harm.

Each plan is designed so that you do not exceed 2,000mg of sodium per day, which is how much the World Health Organization sets as the maximum. There is still enough salt so that food is tasty, but not enough to cause your heart any harm. 

While most people are safe to participate in the Nutrisystem diet, there are a few people who should not sign up or who should talk with their doctor beforehand. This includes anyone under the age of 14, women who are pregnant and/or breastfeeding, as well as anyone with chronic kidney disease. If you suffer from food allergies, dietary restrictions, or conditions such as diabetes, you should discuss the plan with your doctor beforehand and ensure you read all labels before ordering.

Is Nutrisystem Effective?

Because the Nutrisystem pre-packages all your meals for you, the first 28 days of the plan are actually extremely effective. Caloric intake is monitored and restricted with no involvement from the individual, meaning they can’t fudge the numbers in any way or forget to count what they eat. Instead, so long as they only eat what they are served, it would be nearly impossible not to lose weight in that first month, and you can lose up to 7lbs in the first 7 days with Nutrisystem.

The problem with plans such as Nutrisystem, however, is that after the 28 days are up individuals are mostly on their own and this is where the weight can be gained back quite quickly. Once people have to create their own meals, count their calories, and portion out their own items, there is far less restriction and adherence to the rules. 

There is an online community for support, and the company also offers transitional plans and information, but it is up to the person on whether or not they follow it. For those who do stick to the plan after the 28 days are up, the weight should remain off and they will see great results. 

Once a person hits their weight loss goal with Nutrisystem, they will actually be contacted by a counselor in order to help set them up with the best transitional plan that suits their needs. This direct process really does help keep many people on track, but again, it is up to the person whether or not they take what they learned and apply it going forward.

Plans & Pricing

One of the best things with Nutrisystem is that there are a variety of plans available, making customization easy. There are also different plans for men than for women, playing into the fact that men require higher calorie intakes per day than women. Men’s plans focus on eating 6 times per day, and include foods that help build muscle while reducing fat. 

Costs per plan are wide-ranging, and there is a big difference in price for those who choose auto-delivery versus those who chose the one-time option. With auto-delivery, you will be sent food every 4 weeks and be automatically billed. One-time delivery is for anyone who is only looking to do a total of 28 days, and who is not wanting to continue ordering food following that first month.

Regardless of which standard plan you select, your subscription will also include added benefits such as:

• Specialized options for men and women
• 5 or 7 days of coverage
• Challenges and food-logging through the top-rated Numi app
• 1-on-1 support from weight loss coaches. Free shipping every 4 weeks

Those who are interested in the diabetes-specific plans will be happy to learn that each option has been specially designed to help you lose weight and manage your Type 2 diabetes safely. This is done by providing you with:

• The proper balance of nutrients including protein, low-glycemic whole-grain carbs, fiber and healthy fats
• Enough meals and snacks for you to consume every 2 – 3 hours which helps keep your blood sugar levels steady
• Approximately 1,200 – 1,500 calories a day made up of nutrient-dense food that will keep you fuller for longer

How Does It Compare?

There are virtually endless diets that are promoted nowadays, but many are not pre-packaged systems that deliver all of your food for you. In order to compare diets fairly, we looked for similar options that delivered meals directly to your door. 

One of the first things people want to look at when comparing plans is how much each one costs. Many are charged on either a weekly or monthly basis, but the overall cost can change wildly depending on what plan you opt for. In order to be able to compare, we took the average costs and looked at the most popular plans, in order to see how each company stacked up against one another. 

So long as you are doing auto-delivery, Nutrisystem is easily one of the cheapest options available, with the South Beach Diet coming in second. While the two may look very close in cost, however, it is important to note that there is a $4 a week extra charge on top of it in order to have access to the website and any support. Nutrisystem includes this in their monthly price, meaning you are getting a much cheaper overall cost, as well as more value for what you are spending.

Bottom Line

Nutrisystem may not offer quite as many specialized options as some of the competitors, but overall they truly do offer the best value for the lowest cost. Anyone who is on a budget, but really wanting to lose some of that extra weight, will benefit greatly from taking the time to really look into what Nutrisystem is offering. 

All of the food comes ready to eat, and at most all you have to do is simply heat it up. There are over 130 recipes to choose from, giving you a wide variety of food to pick each and every week. This helps prevent the diet from becoming boring, bland, or repetitive, and offers up enough selection to suit most people’s taste preferences.

Not every meal that Nutrisystem offers is rated highly, but the reviews are displayed with full transparency on the site. You can see exactly what people like and dislike about each item, and then make your selection based on that. Of course, there is less fat, fewer calories, and less sodium so ordering a pizza from Nutrisystem will not taste the same as ordering from your local pizza joint. However, the fact that you can still eat similar things to what you may be craving help to reduce the chances that you will cheat.

Overall, Nutrisystem diet is best suited for individuals who are struggling to lose weight and find it difficult to count calories or control their portions on their own. It will help those who tend to cheat frequently, or who end up quitting because the cooking and prepping is simply too much work. Nutrisystem will keep you on track, is hassle-free, and is truly not much more expensive than what people end up spending each month via groceries and eating out. 

With full support and transitional plans offered, Nutrisystem is a fantastic option when it comes to pre-made diet delivery systems.

*In a study, avg weight loss was 5.1 pounds in one week.