Nutrisystem

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One day in 2010 as I was feeling particularly fat and unhappy, I saw an enticing commercial from Nutrisystem. It seemed like serendipity at the time because I had just heard that same suggestion from my doctor. Also around this time, I asked my doctor about bariatric surgery, which I had recently heard about. He immediately scorned the idea and cited a few unpleasant statistics and questioned the success with the surgery. I quickly dismissed it as an option, and Nutrisystem sounded like a good weight loss strategy to attempt.

Me holding my newborn second daughter in 2010. I weighed close to 275 pounds in this picture.

I contacted Nutrisystem and started the plan. I was quickly unhappy with the fact that they advertise the simplicity of the program, when it’s actually far less simple. Based on the commercials, I had the impression that they should send me all the food I needed to survive and lose weight, and I just had to eat their food. Wrong! They provide food, but what they don’t advertise is that you still have to go to the store and buy fruit and other perishable to eat in addition to their packaged food. I remember buying and eating rolls, apples, grapes, tomatoes and other similar things. Also they would provide portion amounts for these foods so I still found myself packaging food into plastic bags and accounting for it in a daily planner.

The Nutrisystem food, I’ll admit, was rather tasty. I have a very non-picky palate, so that’s a factor, but it was delicious even by anyone’s standards, in my opinion. I had no issue eating it and there was enough variety where I didn’t get sick of it. What led me astray from this diet was the fact that I was limited to a select few types of food (theirs) and the few things I had to buy and prepare for myself. It did not accommodate going out to eat with friends and family. It did not accommodate eating on the run or spontaneous meal preparation. There was a lot of preparation time each week for sorting out what I was eating on which day, and that sort of thing. And, as a carry over from the (wannabe) Weight Watcher’s program I did, I despised logging my meals.

Me during the Nutrisystem diet. I weighed 258 pounds in this picture, and was probably less happy than I looked.

I managed to lose 27 pounds over the course of approximately two months, and then quickly went back to my old ways. I missed normal food so much, that I was glad to be done with Nutrisystem. I will say that if you’re an apocalypse prepper, consider getting a box of Nutrisystem food. That stuff lasts for years, apparently. After I fell off the program, I was snacking on the leftovers for a year or so, and it remained good.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this blog is based entirely upon my experiences and observations. I am not a medical professional and you must do your own research and consult your doctor before making any changes to your eating, fitness, medication, or supplements. This general information is not intended to diagnose any medical condition or to replace your healthcare professional.

NUTRISYSTEM and related trademarks are registered trademarks and trademarks in the United States and/or other countries, used under license from Nutri/System IPHC, Inc.

WEIGHT WATCHERS Is the registered trademark of Weight Watchers International, Inc.