Nutrisystem Returns
Written: May 17 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Portion control
Cons: Taste
The Bottom Line: I would recommend the program for someone who needs to gain control of their eating habits. The taste of the food needs definite improvement.
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| azirish's Full Review: NutriSystem Weight Loss Program |
I decided to go back and take a look at some of my first Epinion ratings. I will have to admit I came down too hard on Nutrisystem in one of my first ratings. Nutrisystem was one of the first organized program diets I tried and I had great success the first time. I believe when someone gets to the end of their rope on self-attempts to diet an organized program can help. I will now give a fair and not hurried opinion of Nutrisystem.
Joining the Program:
Nutrisystem has a toll free number you can contact to find the program location nearest you. For folks nearest to the east coast 1-888-2496616. For those of you who live near the west coast 1-888-296-5379.
Your First Visit:
When you arrive at the Nutrisystem office nearest you they will have you fill out forms dealing with your health and personal information. You will then meet with one of their counselors and discuss what weight goal is recommended by their computer program and what weight you have in mind. The computer will then generate a weight loss plan for you and tell you how long it will take to accomplish this goal.
If you have any medical conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure you should discuss this with the nurse who you will see next. Your blood pressure and pulse will be taken and you will be weighed and measured. Finally a picture will be taken to put in your file.
The Menu:
Following your discussion and check-up by the nurse you will return to the counselor who will discuss the different price plans and memberships. They have all types of plans. One plan is a maintenance agreement that allows you to continue with a modified program after you reach your goal. The counselor will discuss the foods on the Nutrisystem menu and make suggestions if you have any medical conditions. Any new products offerred that have been developed will be discussed also. The entire first day at the program lasts approximately one hour so allow yourself that much time for your visit at minimum.
You are presented a menu and the counselor will go over it with you. All the food items are packaged in small lean cuisine type containers. Other items such as soups are in small cans or envelopes. The extra food items that are not part of your standard program such as snack bars or lemonade are priced on the menu.
Each week you will return for a weigh in and you will be given a new menu. There are meat, chicken, and vegatarian meals. The menu allows breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks. You have several choices for each meal on the menu. During your first consultation with your counselor he or she will go through the menu and tell you what your first week choices are. This is because Nutrisystem wants you to try varied products in your first week. The following weeks the choices will be yours. There are no health risks with the program due to the balanced meal suggestions and products.
I found the beef stew to be my main staple. The taste was tolerable and it filled me up. The packaged cereal was fairly good and you added your own milk and fruit. For lunch I stuck to the ham and split pea soup in a small can. All of the food items are convenient and most are microwaveable. Now if we discuss taste, I will be fair this time and say it is tolerable. It depends on how badly you want to leave your pizza and devote yourself to the program and dump the big tush. Some of the items on the menu are not great. Taste is different in everyone. For every person who says In and Out Hamburgers are the best hamburgers in the civilized world there is someone who says they arent any better than McDonald's. What I mean by this is you need to try the product and make your decision as far as taste goes. My opinion was that most of the food did not impress me. In fact I still have a box full of
Nutrisystem at home after a year.
The Program Summary:
Portion control is a big problem with anyone that has a weight problem. You sit down to the table with a bowl of onion dip and a bag of Lays potatoe chips and say you are just going to have a couple and all of a sudden your crumpling the sack and throwing it into the trash. Nutrisystem gives you a weekly menu and you choose the foods you eat for the week. You are only allowed to add milk (skim or low-fat) fruits and vegatables and plenty of water. The portions seem small at first but you adjust and before you know it the weight begins falling off. Exercise of course is recommended and the counselor helps you get on an exercise program. They even have program tapes for exercise.
Cost: There are always specials for Nutrisystem. Such as ten dollars to sign up with your groceries extra, etc. If you call the toll-free number they can hook you up with the latest special. The cost is not cheap. Your grocery bill, depending on the plan you sign up with is usually around, ball park, $65.00. The initial program fee varies and you will need to check with Nutrisystem for their recent price plan or special. I paid $165.00 on my first visit and I paid approximately $50.00 to $70.00 a week for my groceries.
If you catch a special it helps. Herbal diet products are offerred for an extra price. You will want to talk those products over with the nurse, especially if you have high blood pressure.
I lost 25 lbs. on my first program with Nutrisystem in approximately two and a half months. I went back more than five times over the years with less successful results. My last visit was a year ago. As I said I still have groceries left over. I never got back the same dedication I had the first time and I got tired of the food taste.
Recommendation: I am not going to recommend this diet for anyone who is not totally committed to losing weight because it will be a waste of your money. You will miss good tasting food too much. If you are at the end of your rope and you definetly need portion control, go for it. You can get use to the taste and after some switching to different items on the menu you can find what tastes best for you. Like I said the beef stew over an allowed baked potatoe from Wendy's worked for me. You can also have a salad with their fat free dressings (extra price)
I lost weight with the program, I did not like the food yet I did like the structured program.
Recommended:
Yes
Approximate Monthly Cost (US$) 55.00-65.00
Food Variety Restrictions A wide variety of allowed foods
Restrictiveness of Portions Satisfying
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Epinions.com ID:
azirish
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Location: Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Reviews written: 38
Trusted by: 17 members
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