My Sordid Dieting Past: Nutrisystem

This is a series in which I regale you with stories and reviews of diets I've tried first hand.

Part 1: Nutrisystem 

I have a soft spot in my heart for the soft-canned cuisine of Nutrisystem. Why? Because it actually worked for me. I lost 15 pounds in 3 months - at a critical moment in my life: before my wedding (it took awhile to gain it back too). 

The Premise

You order food online (or via various home shopping channels/infomercials), and it's delivered to your door. It's easily stored because, strangely, you don't have to refrigerate. You heard me. Everything is either dry (like soup in a cup, but better) or preserved using soft canning, kind of like stewed tomatoes. I actually liked the food better than frozen meal alternatives (like Lean Cuisine) because you didn't get the frozen sogginess in the veggies. You pick the food, and eat 3 meals and 1 dessert (yay sweets!). Meals are supplemented with salads, fresh fruits, veggies, protein and dairy - good because that means you're not strictly chowing on pre-packaged foods. This creates some opportunity for culinary creativity, but it's limited. 

The Fantastic

No muss, no fuss. It's a great diet for the super-busy since there's no cooking. The food is good, and you get to make the picks (so when you encounter something you deem unacceptable, you never have to see it again). There's an auto-delivery service that increases your discount with every order; but it's flexible enough that you can delay the order easily. If you stay on the plan, weight loss is steady, but slow. I had a consistent 5 pound per month loss (and that was with 1 dinner out a week). Since it was slow and steady, it stayed off longer (despite my unconscious attempts to the contrary). 

I was forced to feel the portions too. So when I went out or when off plan, my stomach was already accustomed to eating less, and in turn my food intake was reduced. 

Don't forget dessert. Nutrisystem has some really satisfying little sweets that are not only good, but required. If you're not into sweets, there are some pretty good savory snacks too. I like snacks, so this was the clincher for me.

The Faults

After awhile, I got tired of the food. I got in a groove with it, but eventually I missed cooking. I tried to doctor up some of the dishes with spices, cooking in a stir-fry style, adding cheeses, but it wasn't the same as actually creating something.  The good part is that Nutrisystem updates their meal choices on a regular basis, so there's something new to try. But the soft textures and certain odd flavors from the preservation process become hard prices to pay for sweet, succulent convenience. Also, it's expensive, and difficult to maintain when your family - or even significant other - is eating normal food. Jealousy sets in, small forkfuls of food start sneaking into your mouth, and eventually you find yourself forgoing the micro-meal in favor of "real" food.

The Bottom Line

Nutrisystem is good for busy people with small families. It's easy to stick to...but only if you dig the food. You still get fresh fruits and vegetables, in fact including them is pretty critical to continuing weight-loss. In addition, you've got to be in the right state of mind and have a superhuman sense of willpower - temptation is all or nothing. Sure you can hop back on plan, but there is no leeway. You're either cheating, or you're on plan. It makes eating at restaurants into guilt-ridden splurges, since the workaround isn't really there. 

Like I love to say: The best diet is something YOU can stick with. I'm just here to help you weigh the options.