I just started so the jury is still out. So far the food is descent. I went and picked up the 5 day kit at Walmart to try it out. It cost $45.00. That’s $9.00 a day and you get breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 snacks; one in the morning and one on the evening. Not a bad deal being able to eat on roughly 10 bucks a day.
The first week was ROUGH. I was probably eating at least 4,500 calories a day before starting this program. They recommend 1,500 calories a day for men and 1,200 for women. So it was a huge drop for me! I was a VERY tired and lethargic especially at the end of the day. Nearing the end of my second week, I am getting used to it and getting some of my old energy back.
To give them credit… I didn’t do the program exactly right. You are supposed to eat other “real” food thru-out the day, like fruits and vegetables, But I wanted to give it a bit of a boost the first couple weeks.
So if you just eat the food they give you (breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 snacks; one in the morning and one on the evening. ) Here’s a rough breakdown on how many calories and what not you will get; but it depends on your meals.
The Walmart program just kind of reals ya in. If you want more variety you have to then order directly from them. The price per day goes up a bit, but not much maybe $2.00 – $3.00 per day. It depends on if you want to customize your meals, if you have any health problems and if you want to be able to talk to a dietician/nutritionist.
For the first month, I just let them pick and choose. I will def not be doing that again. Their are quite a few items I probably will not like. But it made it easy while I figure the program out. I chose the mid program, so I could customize, talk to people and get some health specific advice.
I was a bit confused with all this talk about extras, free foods, vegetables, starchy food vs non starchy foods, smartcarbs, powerfuels, etc. So I’ll try and explain it a bit for those who were also confused.
What is a SmartCarb?
From the Nutrisystem web site “The term “SmartCarbs” refers to a specific group of carbohydrates that are nutrient-rich and lower on the Glycemic Index. These carbs are packed with fiber so they are digested more slowly, helping you feel fuller longer. Plus, they deliver vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients your body needs. Foods like whole grain rice, pasta and cereals, fresh or frozen fruit, and starchy veggies like beans, peas, corn and sweet potatoes all fall into the SmartCarb category.”
The NutriSystem NutriCURB bars count as one SmartCarb & one PowerFuel NutriSystem Nutri-PRO Shakes count as one SmartCarb & one PowerFuel. They help burn bellyfat & build lean muscle mass.
What is a PowerFuel?
From the NutiSystem website “The foods included in the PowerFuels group include high-quality proteins that contain essential amino acids as well as nuts and nut butters that contain healthy fats. PowerFuels are a great addition to your diet because it takes longer for your body to digest them, so they help keep you feeling full as you go about your day.”
The NutriSystem NutriCURB bars count as one SmartCarb & one PowerFuel TurboShakes are one PowerFuel & help burn bellyfat. NutriSystem Nutri-PRO Shakes count as one SmartCarb & one PowerFuel. They help burn bellyfat & build lean muscle mass.
OK vegetables?
Starchy vegetables like corn, potatoes and peas fall under the SmartCarb category. So those are limited.
The non-starchy vegetable group includes familiar staples like leafy greens, broccoli and tomatoes. You should be eating at least four non-starchy vegetable servings along with your Nutrisystem meals. Many of these veggies you can eat as much as you want! woo hoo 🙂
OK free foods?
“Free Foods are no-calorie or low-calorie optional add-ins that you can use to spice up your Nutrisystem foods or your SmartCarbs, PowerFuels and Vegetables. These optional extras are unlimited when they are less than 10 calories.”
OK Extras?
“Extras are also add-ons you might use to add some flavor to your foods. Extras, however, contain between 11 and 35 calories per serving. To avoid loading up on too many added calories, we recommend limiting your Extras to three servings per day.”
What are FlexMeals?
Haven’t really got to this point yet. I like it easy and just use their meals. 🙂
Water?
They recommend at least 64 ounces day. Any fluid counts, but make sure it doesn’t have calories. Black coffee, Unsweetened Iced Tea, Seltzer, tea; black, green, herbal. They said it helps flush the sodium out of your system so you don’t retain water and are less bloated.
They recommend not drinking at all on the program.
So what’s a typical day look like? For someone with no health issues, they recommend a ratio of 50% carbs, 30% protein & 20% fats. 1,500 calories a day for men and 1,200 for women. If you lift weights make sure to get added protein to keep muscle loss to a minimum.
First thing I do is step on the scale every day after I use the bathroom. I have one of those ones that tells you your weight, fat, muscle, bone, water, body age, etc. I record all the data in a journal. I also took body measurements and will probably remeasure every 2 weeks. I am a data driven kind of guy.
I get up in the morning. I like to have one full squeezed lemon in 16 ounces of water. I usually wait about an hour to have breakfast after the water.
Breakfast: I have my NutriSystem item labeled breakfast & one PowerFuel
AM Snack: NutriSystem provided snack plus one PowerFuel & one SmartCarb
Lunch: NutriSystem provided lunch plus one PowerFuel, one “extra” & two servings of vegetables. I personally go to the gym at lunch. So my powerfuel, I eat half before I go to the gym and half after. That way I have added energy to workout and and the protein and carbs can fuel muscle growth and put energy back in my muscles.
PM Snack: NutriSystem provided snack plus one “extra”
Dinner: NutriSystem provided dinner plus one SmartCarb, one “extra” & two servings of vegetables
1 thought on “NutriSystem Weight Loss Program Reviews”
Leila s pereira February 10, 2018 at 7:41 PM
Very good weight loss program. Thank you Craig Mullins for this helpful information.
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