I have started to get some questions about NutriSystem and I wanted to put something together to try and deal with this question fairly. And sort of present what we see from both the experts as well as our members.
What Do PEERtrainer Members Think Of NutriSystem?
The first thing I would observe is that NutriSystem does not appear to have the level of grass roots support that Weight Watchers does. I did a search in our community for threads about WW in doing research for an article on their new Momentum Program. There was a lot out there, all sorts of detailed questions. And a clear level of enthusiasm for what they had done and what they are now doing.
And there was definitely a lot less written about NutriSystem, so I don't have a ton to go on from our community. But one comment that stuck out for me was this one:
"I used NutriSystem (NS) during a period of time that I knew that I would have very little time to prepare or shop for food (because of work). I lost 3 lbs in one week, but this is due to the fact that everything is already measured for you. The food wasn't great (I liked the italian the best), but it helped me learn how to "eyeball" the right portions and to find out what my body needs in order to function every day. If I stayed on NS, I am sure that I would have lost quite a bit of weight in 2 months; but I knew that I needed to have a lifestyle change rather than a quick weight drop, so I started cooking my food again when my schedule allowed for it.
Overall, I think it was a helpful experience seeing what portions sizes were and being on a regimented eating plan. I purchased the food on the Internet (NS website, Amazon, and EBay!). No foods were moldy and there are lot numbers and expiry dates on each box. This doesn't mean the food will taste great, but at least you know when the food officially expires."
There was also a very interesting comment from someone whose husband had used it successfully:
"My husband lost 20 pounds on Nutrisystem and it helped me get him to the next step of eating better. I couldn't get him to make any changes to his diet, but once he got a taste of "success" we were able to build from there. I'd agree that this is a short term thing, but I did want to point out how helpful this was as a first step."
What Does The Medical Community Think Of Nutrisystem?
My search on the site also turned up kudos from a doctor on the subject of WW. But the same doctor did not recommend food delivery based diet plans for the following reason:
"I have avoided recommending diets where one needs to purchase the food from the diet plan. I explain to my patients that it is my belief that this is dieting "in a bubble" and they do not learn how to eat or manage their food choices and portions in their ordinary lives."
This is not a knock on NutriSystem specifically, just the whole idea of delivery services where you don't develop your own coping skills. If you make an effort to address these concerns, you are going to probably do ok.
Using NutriSystem As A Diet Transition Tool?
It is easy to be a critic and hard to do stuff. My thought is that if NutriSystem did work to help you lose a bunch of weight for a couple months that would be a really great thing. You would have to be aware of the weaknesses of the program and find a way to make it work for you. One of the things we talk about and observe in our Tip Of The Day weight loss coaching newsletter is the idea of "Diet Fusion" where you find the things that work for you, and not view dieting as just one tool.
Down the road you could then begin to transition to a nutrient dense diet like those advocated by Fuhrman, McDougall and now Weight Watchers. If you decide to go on NutriSystem, you might want to sign up for our Tip Of The Day email coaching program to give you a level of support so you are not alone. This would also teach you the real fundamentals of truly thin and healthy living.
NutriSystem would sort of function as a set of training wheels to get you on the path to a set of different habits that do take time to develop. Our motto is- whatever works for you.
Does NutriSystem Work?
This is a pretty interesting question given some of the criticism, but the answer is that it seems to, especially in the short run. The TV ads with famous football players seems to speak for itself, and you know those guys really did get helped by the program- you can see it with your own eyes.
Is NutriSystem Really Not That Healthy?
The fact is that they ship foods that are pre-packaged and can sit on a shelf. That limits somewhat their ability to deliver healthy food. And with Weight Watchers moving to a healthier model, they are probably under some pressure to improve the overall health profile of the foods they are shipping out.
This is a common criticism, and I would bet that their management team is smart enough to be working one something right now. Imagine if all of a sudden they launched a special "all natural" program that featured Whole Foods as a co-branding partner- or something like that. These guys are very good marketers, and with the market moving in the direction of more plant-based, nutrient dense foods, they are sure to follow.
But you have to realize that if you lose 20, 30, 50 pounds on NutriSystem you are going to improve your health. If you made sure to start eating a lot of greens and some fruit each day you are going to be in very good shape. We are reaching out to them in hopes of getting some more granularity on these questions and will keep you posted on what they are doing.
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