NutriSystem: Why You Need To Learn Portion Control and Get Social Support To Make It A Long Term Success

I was talking to Dr. Laurie Rothman at a party recently, and we were discussing NutriSystem. We talk about all sorts of diets, because as a women's health doctor, she sees first hand the impact and results of all these diets. Her observation about NutriSystem is that she sees people lose weight on this consistently, but that people often gain it back.

So we started talking about things people could do to ensure greater odds of long term success on that diet. If there is one thing we have learned at PEERtrainer, it is that support works. And a recent trip to the NutriSystem website showed that they place a very heavy emphasis on support and teaching people fundamentals. It would be interesting to hear from the company itself on the impact of social support on the success rate of NutriSystem.

Learning portion control on your own can also be a challenge, but there are people who have done this. I found this great example in the PEERtrainer community:

"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."

This is an interesting observation- there is an element of personal responsibility involved. It might be that something like NutriSystem is so easy that it can lull people into complacency. There was another comment in the same thread in the PT community and someone pointed out that people on Weight Watchers can have the same problems with portion size. Once you stop counting points, you can have a tough time with portion control:

"You get out of it what you put into it. My husband was on Nutrisystem for a while and he lost weight. He has been off it for almost 4 months and he hasn't gained an ounce back. I have been eating some of the leftover stuff and I've never had a problem with moldy food. Some items are really tasty, too.

You don't have to stick with them forever but you MUST learn about portion control and making healthy choices. If you can't go out to a restaurant and order something appropriate and not overeat, you will probably have a problem when you go off the program.

The same goes for every other 'diet' program out there, food-included or not. If you don't change your bad habits forever, you will gain. Every single person I have known that has followed WW and it's point system has gained all of their weight back because they stopped paying attention after they reached their goals."

NutriSystem For Men: How It Works, Price, Features And Benefits

The Glycemic Index And NutriSystem: A Look At The Fundamentals and Science Of The Diet

Beyond The Glycemic Index: Some Observations On How To Improve Upon This Proven Tool

NutriSystem Success Story: What Kinds Of People Do Well On This Diet

Weight Watchers New Momentum Program: Some Thoughts On The NutriSystem vs. WW Debate