If you’ve watched TV for any amount of time, you probably know that a lot of athletes love NutriSystem. From Dan Marino to John Kruk to Don Shula, retired athletes are lining up to promote NutriSystem to get rid of that permanent post-season weight they’ve put on over the past few years. Is Nutri-System really the solution to weight loss that grown men have been looking for?
Well, let’s break it down. What is NutriSystem? It’s a pre-packaged diet plan designed to help you lose weight by providing you with the meals you’ll eat for however long you’re on the program. Food comes delivered to your door, and your daily diet will consist of 3 meals plus snacks.
NutriSystem will average out to about $10 bucks a day, so that’s probably cheaper than what you’re paying now for food.
Why does NutriSystem work?
There are two underlying philosophies behind NutriSystem that allows it to work well for most people. Portion control and the glycemic index.
Portion Control – Regular-Size Me
Everybody knows Americans are fat. The rest of the world is getting fatter right along with us. Everything from viruses to genetics to financial income has been blamed. Truth is that there are a lot of things to blame. But in my humble opinion, portion control is one of the main causes of obesity.
Portions are out of control everywhere we go. Your average “Value Meal” at any fast food joint will run 500-1,000 calories. With the recommended daily value of calories being 2,000 for the average person, you can see why we’re on the brink of 3 out of 4 Americans being overweight.
The NutriSystem diet plan gives you controlled portions. All you have to do is add yogurts, salads, cheeses, or other low GI carbs, depending on the meal of the day. Even by adding your own food, your portions should remain controlled, yet sufficient.
By training you for even a month of portion controlled eating, you should pick up of the habit of staying in control of your diet. And that’s a fundamental fact of eating healthy, no matter what your diet consists of.
Glycemic index – Good Carbs and Bad Carbs
The Glycemic Index measures the quality of the carbohydrates you eat and their impact on your blood sugar levels. Foods low on the GI scale break down into insulin slowly and keep your blood sugar relatively level. Avoiding high GI foods, like simple sugars (candy, anything with a lot of high-fructose corn syrup), will keep you from experiencing routine insulin spikes.
Now if you’re a moderately educated athlete, you know the occasional insulin spike is good for you. If its right when you wake up, or right after a workout, then a properly timed insulin spike will bring glucose to your muscle cells and allow for greater uptake of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.
The problem comes in when you have insulin spikes many times throughout the day by eating simple carbs and sugars. More fat is stored when it shouldn’t be, and some studies show that you can feel hungry even though you’ve just ate.
The NutriSystem plan gets rid of those unintentional insulin spikes by providing you with “good carbs,” or foods low on the GI scale. Some of you will ask, “but I thought carbs were bad for you?” Well, if you’ve ever been on the Atkins diet, you know that you need carbohydrates to function properly. NutriSystem has simply figured out which foods to provide you by basing them their glycemic index load. While it’s far from perfect, it’s better than 98% of diets you’ll read about.
Why try NutriSystem now?
NutriSystem isn’t a permanent diet plan. It just wouldn’t be practical to eat NutriSystem food for an extended period of time (like a year.) But if used as a tool to get you to “jump-start” getting into shape, there probably isn’t anything better out there for you.
Many people have reported success with NutriSystem, and that’s good because it’s not a diet that requires you to make any major sacrifices. It’s also great for those busy folks who just don’t have time to cook.
Right now, NutriSystem is running a pretty good deal by giving away 2 weeks of food free with your order. That should be enough reason to at least give it a try if you’re looking for a sure-fire way stick with a diet.
Have you tried Nutri-System? We’d like to hear you comments. Drop us a line below:
December 8th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
I am just starting Nutrisystem and for the most part the food is tasty. You get to eat pretty much everything including pizza, pasta, chocolate and even pudding. Eating something every few hours makes it easier. I never feel hungry.
The portions are not bad either. So far I am happy.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Interesting post. I have seen 8 people succeed on the Nutri System plan to reach a healthy goal weight. What all of them commented on the most was the fact that they didn’t have to worry about cooking special meals.
December 25th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
I am on Day 15 using Nutri System and I have lost 10 pounds. The draw backs on Nutrisystem are that I rarely go to the bathroom like I used too daily. One draw back is the amount of semi headaches you will get with the system. I talked with my doctor and she said with all the protein comes headaches. I still love it because it is training me to eat 6 small deals a day, plus exercising 20 to 30 minutes a day and the amount of water your supposed to drink daily.
February 1st, 2008 at 2:17 am
It is so true. I firmly believe in follwing a weightloss food program such as the nutrisystem.
Also worth mentioning – if you want to lose weight – focus on your mind set first.
If your attitude towards losing weight is set correctly, you can lose weight following the weirdest diets.
The best I will recommend after that is to follow a weight loss food program that you can comfortably marry with your lifestyle.
The less your current lifestyle needs to change to accommodate the weight loss food program, the better the chance that you will stick to the diet.
And let us be frank – the biggest problem lies with the food we eat. Although we can blame lack of exercise, we eventually gets to be what we eat.
I say – exercise burns fat but eating food that burns fat, is breading a lifestyle.
February 3rd, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Hi – just wanted to say good design and blog – cu
February 4th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
NutriSystem provides people with the information and details that people need to actually succeed in permanent weight loss, however you don’t have to pay people for this information, you can learn what it actually takes to lose weight the safe, correct and most efficient way by doing research yourself, on my website (http://bestweightloss4u.net) I provide people with the essential information they need to lose weight in the best way possible for free. With all the problems we have nowadays with obesity, I hope to help as many people as possible lose weight and get healthy.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Though a good diet should be moderate balanced and personal I agree that most of us can follow any crazy diet program if we just set our mind to it .The fighting is within us and it can pull us anywhere.I believe one of the keys for success is focus.Focus on a driving force. One needs a driving force, a reason to go on a diet, a reason to go changing ones routines .Every reason is good as long as it can hold for a while. It should be strong enough to hold a period of time in which you can start seeing results & be happy about them. Then you can go on, relying on other reasons you create to help you walk through the valley of diet.NutriSystem sounds like a good beginning for some .
May 19th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
I guess Nutri System works if people lack self control or knowledge of proper eating. My Best friend did weight watchers and dropped 40lb but it was 40lb she had gained in a year from poor diet and no exercise. I find these types of diets work if you need the help learning about proper portions. For me a diet similar to south beach is what I follow regularly and do not struggle with my weight in doing so. Its difficult to break bad habits but once you do you’ll be on the road to a new you! Its about focus and keeping your goals in mind. Dont beat yourself up if u fall off the wagon…just dont allow it to be routine or you’ll find your weight just stands still.
http://www.UsHealthFoodStores.com
July 20th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Many programs emphasize diet instead of diet AND exercise. To be successful you need to balance both!
December 31st, 2008 at 9:51 am
I started Nutrisystem just a week ago. I feel “not as puffy” already! I have been working out almost continually for a year with little results. Why? Because I still ate like it’s always my last meal on earth. This diet is a no brainer. I make a huge salad twice a week and put in a huge container and take from that each day for work. I grab my breakfast, a snack, and lunch and dash out the door. I’ve tried Weight Watchers and lost little or no weight also, I hated the meetings and getting on that damn scale each week ( and spent all my time at the grocery store) and chopping, chopping, and weighing food. Who has time for all that nonsense? Not me. So, far I am loving this diet. As always it’s what you put into it: is what you get out of it>