Nutrisystem

Nutrisystem is one of the most popular weight loss plans around.  One can hardly have missed one of their many television commercials with plenty of smiling Nutrisystem customers who’ve found weight loss success.  The program is fairly simple and easy to follow, since it follows the prepared meals idea of weight loss.

Nutrisystem touts their program as a way to lose weight in a healthy and low-cost way.  Indeed, a 2008 Forbes.com article asking “How Expensive Is Your Diet?” found that Nutrisystem bested other national weight loss chains in a comparison of overall first-week costs.

While price is an important aspect of a weight loss program, many are more concerned with, first, whether the diet works, and two, if the diet is healthy.  On this, we must take a closer look at how the Nutrisystem program works.

Customers order pre-packaged meals online or over the phone.  Though Nutrisystem used to maintain storefronts nationwide, in recent years they’ve sold their plan direct to consumers.  Nutrisystem has programs specifically designed for men and women, and 4 types of plans for each.  There is the basic plan, the “silver” plan for those over-65, the diabetic plan, and the vegetarian plan.

Nutrisystem uses portion control, a low-glycemic index menu of foods, and the convenience of prepackaged meals to meet users’ goals.  This makes the pain of weight loss easier for those who have trouble dealing with the stress of making their own meals.

Some debate whether it is worthwhile to take part in a weight loss program that doesn’t encourage dieters to prepare their own meals.  After all, one can’t live on diet food forever; at some point dieters must learn to live in the “real world.”  However, the argument for prepared meals is simple:  take what is most difficult about weight loss out of the equation until the weight is gone.  That’s when it is time to start learning to prepare ones’ own healthy meals.

For those who like the idea of prepackaged meals once can hardly choose better than Nutrisystem.  A look at the menu options on the website show some truly delicious looking meals.  Plenty of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options abound, as well as an impressive array of desserts.  Prepared foods rarely taste as good as home-cooked, but for those who eat and enjoy frozen foods from the grocer, they should enjoy Nutrisystem options.

All in all, Nutrisystem is a low-cost program worth considering.  For those going the prepackaged, portion-controlled meal route, Nutrisystem is an attractive option.  Nutrisystem offers a wide variety of food choices combined with a program with a demonstrated history of user success.