NutriSystem Weight Loss Program Review

I started on the Nutrisystem plan in May of '06.  By July of '07, I had lost 90 pounds -- from 320 to 230.  I had set a goal of 170, but often thought I might change my goal to 160 so I could one day say that I had lost half of myself.

BUT.....then I started to eat a bit of this and a bit of that, so (like all my previous weight loss attempts) I started to regain the weight I had lost.  It was my own fault.  I'm one of those people who eat for taste rather than for nourishment.  By December of '08, I had regained 72 pounds.

I'm back on the plan and have lost -- or I should say RE-lost -- 10 and a half pounds. 

If you stay with the plan, you WILL lose weight.  If you eat all that's allowed, you will NOT be hungry.  To me, hunger and appetite are two different things.  If I can manage to control my appetite for sweets, I know I'll lose the weight again. 

The food itself is pretty good, but after 13 months, I got burnt out on it.  There were several items that I had tried, but didn't like, so I was ordering only 5 or 6 different dinner entrees.  I realize that I was causing my own burnout by limiting myself to those few dishes.  I did learn that there are entrees available in supermarkets that very closely equal the Nutrisystem items in calories, total carbs, fat, etc.  For example, several of the Hormel Compleat entrees fit in really well and were a tasty alternative.  Some people follow the NS plan but don't buy the NS food.  The NS website is a wealth of information that includes recipes.  I recently tried one for a crustless pumpkin pie -- 1/6 of which counted as one protein.  And it was quite tasty. 

I found that I did best when I ate at regular intervals.  I'd have breakfast at 10, lunch at 1, snack at 4, dinner at 7, and dessert at 10.  I frequently stuck to that schedule by reminding myself that I wasn't going to starve in the next hour, or 2 hours.  I know that schedule won't work for everyone.  I'm retired and am pretty much a homebody, so that worked for me.

Final thought -- Nutrisystem is a nutritionally sound diet plan that will work if you follow the guidelines and don't cheat.  I realize now that I was mainly cheating myself.