People could read this and see that we are honestly reviewing Nutrisystem here. Let’s see if they’re all they are supposed to be and all they’re cracked up to be. This is in opposition to all the glorified sales pitches designed to make you buy into the system blindly that are disguised as reviews. Instead we go about guiding you honestly with facts so you can make your own mind up as to whether you want to try it for yourself or not.
So lets do some research on its good and bad points to offer a fair view on how Nutrisystem really performs and whether it can really help you to lose weight or not.
Nutrisystem Meals
The first one of these details you need to grasp about Nutrisystem is that the whole system revolves around providing the buyer with pre-prepared meals that are eaten instead the meals you’d usually eat. A good point is that Nutrisystem’s set meals are perfectly balanced and contain all the nutrients which your body wants to retain first-class health in addition to being minimal in calories to help you to lose weight. They are smaller than what you’re probably used to, but the idea here is to lose weight and you are not going to do that if you keep eating large meals!
Adding Extra Vegetables
One point that most people don’t realize is that if you want to bulk out the main meals a little to make them more filling, especially if the idea of the small meals is tough on you to begin with, you can prepare and cook some fresh green vegetables to accompany the Nutrisystem meals. This is not just to bulk them out, but also to make them more interesting, otherwise its possible you may end up feeling hungry after consuming one of their ready meals. This is actually one of the recommendations from the company as a way around this.
Yes its a drawback if you are pretty lazy and don’t want to bother with that extra bit of work in the kitchen. You’ll find plenty of folks will complain when they’re hungry well before its time for the next meal. Worse is that might cause them to snack on garbage food like biscuits or potato chips, which utterly negate the reason for eating the diet in the first place. Oh yeah, and if you do that you won’t lose any weight, then complain the system doesn’t work!
Therefore its a good idea to add a little extra and include green vegetables to the base meals. They’re very low calorie and fill you up while being healthy! You have to remember that you’re aiming to drop some weight in the end, and this is a diet, right?
Gas!
The healthy food that is contained in Nutrisystem’s complete meals also contains some additional fiber. Now this might result in producing some flatulence (gas) in some individuals, particularly those dieters who have been used to a truly dreadful diet of processed and junk food. Their bodies need to get used to digesting healthy food and… well, this can create gas. You simply have to live with it and after all, come on its really no big deal!
Okay, there are plenty of encouraging advantages there to see along with the disadvantages. Most so called reviews would probably only harp on about the advantages, don’t forget. This tells it like it is, warts and all!
So, here’s an advantage, especially for the culinary challenged, or those who don’t like to spend too much time in the kitchen! The Nutrisystem meals are simple to get ready, you just get them out of their packaging (or the freezer in the case of fresh frozen meals) and pop them into the microwave. While you‘re doing that, slice off a few broccoli florets and steam them, or try some kale or cabbage cooked with a little grated black pepper! Its pretty effortless and tasty too!
Nutrisystem Cost
Ok, the big downside to any diet system like this is the cash side of things. The Nutrisystem cost can be a little steep when you have to pay it all out in one go. But remember that you’re paying for a whole month’s meals here. So you have to look at the price you pay and then deduct what you’d normally spend on a month’s meals for yourself. Then what’s left is the real Nutrisystem cost. You might be pleasantly surprised to find that the balance isn’t as great as you thought it would be and that’s the true cost of this diet food delivery plan, not the initial price you see advertised on their website.
Note that the author of this article is a paid affiliate of Nutrisystem, which is pretty obvious seen as there is a banner of theirs being displayed here! So anyway, how does our review look? Does it make you want to think for yourself about this? We hope so, because when you come to a decision that you decide and not some salesman, then you have the satisfaction of knowing that you made it, not someone made it for you.
This article was originally posted last year but has been re-published to bring it up to date for 2012. As you will probably already have figured out by the ad image at the top right of this page, the author is a paid affiliate of Nutrisystem Inc. and you can click on that image to learn more about Nutrisystem’s latest deals and special discount offers.
Genuine Customer Reviews:
If you want to add your own Nutrisystem reviews to this article, feel free to leave a comment with your story, good or not so good and we’ll publish it. All comments are moderated to prevent spam, but we usually approve valid ones inside of 48 hours.
September 26th, 2009 at 8:06 am
I have tried the Nutrisystem diet recently and for me it worked extremely well. I was overweight to the tune of 40 pounds and in one month on their diet I actually lost 28 pounds. I waited a while until I saved up some more money and I will get another month soon and I’m sure I will lose the rest.
October 8th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
I started Nutrisystem on August 11. A friend of mine lost over 40lbs in a year of following this program. I need things to be simple and easy to prepare and Nutrisystem is great for people who like convenience. Everything is prepackaged and properly portioned.
You supplement the program with fruits and veg since that wouldn’t be very good prepackaged. You can either order the “Favorites” package or pick your own. I tried the “Favorites” package and found things that I definitely like and also found stuff I will never order again. Everyone has their own preferences but if you are used to frozen meals from Lean Cuisine, Health Choice, etc you should have no trouble finding something you enjoy in NS.
In the first month that I have been on the program I have dropped 24.2 lbs doing some extra exercise on the side which is recommended but not required for success.
I was amazed at the number of people complaining about this program I just don’t understand why it is pretty easy to follow and I don’t feel hungry at all!
February 25th, 2010 at 5:54 pm
Hi there. My teenage son is starting to get very fat and I was wondering what I could do to reverse the trend. I heard about Nutrisystem and it sounds like something he’d probably like to eat. I read your review and now I think it sounds just right for him, so I’m going to give it a try for a month and see if he can stick to it. Thank you!
February 26th, 2010 at 8:13 am
Hello there, I was on the fence about whether to try Nutrisystem to lose some weight but couldn’t find any really useful information online. There are far too many articles that are just lame sales pitches and they are no use to anyone. Glad I found your article, cause it actually told me some things about the product that I wasn’t sure about before. Thanks!
February 27th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Huh that was weird, my comment got eaten. Anyway I had to tell you that it’s good to know that somebody else also touched on this as I had trouble finding the same info elsewhere. This was the first place that shed some light on the whole thing about Nutrisystem and the way its diet plans work for me. Thank you.
March 18th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
Hey, I enjoyed the post on Nutrisystem and how it works. You offer allot of fantastic tips on getting in shape this way. Individuals seeking to shed weight wil gain allot from your tips. Found your website on the internet and have saved it for future reference.
March 29th, 2010 at 8:18 am
I’m working on losing weight right now and it’s pretty challenging. Do you have some suggestions as far as sticking to the Nutrisystem diet? I’ve heard that its important to stick to your diet as best you can without cheating but the temptation is very strong, especially for the fried foods that I love.
March 29th, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Thanks so much for some clear points on the NS plan. I was pretty much sold but there was a little ‘itch’ in the back of my mind because all I could find were glowing ‘sales pitch’ reviews regarding NS. However you helped me tremendously to see what to expect and not expect from the plan. I read a few reviews on another site saying that users felt always hungry with the portion sizes, however I now feel that they most likelye didn’t take the time or advice of NS to supplement their meals with fresh greens, veggies, and fruit… Thank you again for your great article!
April 26th, 2010 at 2:16 am
Thanks lots, I’ve found this very useful as I am considering paying for Nutrisystem to lose some weight. i need to lose about 24 pounds and I hear plenty of people who seem to be able to lose that amount on this diet. I was reading a lot of bad reviews too, some of them just trying to sell it so I hear what your saying on that point. Your review looked pretty honest and I think I trust your judgment more than those hucksters on the other sites I read, so thanks for your integrity!
April 29th, 2010 at 10:28 pm
Hello! So i’m a mother of 2 boys who are about 22 months apart…. so yeah not long after I gave birth to my 1st son I got pregnant again (it was planned-lol). So after 2 pregnancies I weight my heaviest at 156lbs. My husband just left to army bootcamp and well… I will be going to his graduation this coming up June- so long story short I have about 6 weeks to lose weight. My sister used NS and it totally worked for her so I just ordered mine today and I am stoked to start. I will let you guys know how it goes in a few weeks!
May 3rd, 2010 at 10:06 am
It sounds like you’re creating problems yourself by trying to solve this issue instead of looking at why their is a problem in the first place
May 4th, 2010 at 4:39 am
Hello, I have been viewing your site for some time now and read most of your entries. Then I found this great review of Nutrisystem and just had to read it. You see, I tried NS a year ago and I was pretty amazed that I lost almost 15lbs in a month on the diet. Amazed cause I cheated a little in the first week cause I found the meals small and unsatisfying. But in that first week I still lost 2 pounds and that made me feel good. So i tried harder after that and, well the result speaks for itself. Its a pretty good diet and it doesn’t cost so much when you take off what you spend on regular meals. Thanks for the review – i just wish it were there last year!
May 9th, 2010 at 2:55 am
You make some interesting points…I’d like to know what you would recommend in my situation. Right now I’m aiming to shed around 20 pounds, get six pack abs and add muscle mass to my frame. But there are such a huge number of “systems” out there and I have no idea which one to trust. Can somebody point me towards a good plan for burning fat and packing on solid muscle?
June 7th, 2010 at 5:59 am
I have been on Nutrisystem 2 weeks and lost 4 lbs., but the bloating and gas are awful. I called their customer service twice who were going to e-mail the list of foods with high alcohol sugar and also say it was that I was not getting enough fiber before, alcohol sugars, etc.
Some nights (after a day of strict Nutrisystem foods) are very tough with gas, cramping stomach and the funny part is that I ate a lot of fruit and veggies prior to this and the only real things I have given up are choclate and wine. Maybe I am just not used to processed food or sodium????
June 29th, 2010 at 6:30 am
I tried NS for 30 days, have been very strick , have lost less than 4 lbs, (I’m over 60 and tried the plan for senior ladies). There was to much sodium in food, food contained rice, and lots of pasta. Some pasta was mushy, while othere were to hard and not cooked enough, I did follow every direction.
My advice if you want to loose weight don’t get this product.
July 1st, 2010 at 2:05 am
Shirley, I don’t know where you went wrong, maybe you didn’t need to lose much weight cause I hear plenty of thin folks go on diets and wonder why, yet they complain when they don’t lose a load of weight. Or maybe it just wasn’t right for you or maybe you don’t get any exercise. There’s plenty reasons for not losing much weight, but 4 pounds is actually okay. Dietitians recommend only 1-2 pounds a week, so 4 pounds is actually fine.
I also did the Silver plan for 28 days (its not 30 like you said) and lost a total of 7 pounds and I’m really happy about it! Sure, I thought the pasta meals were hit and miss and some were poor while others were really good. I think compared with the processed trash you buy in the supermarket that is also full of sodium and lord knows what other additives, the NS food is more than passable.
Anyway. I would never go so far as to tell folks not to try any diet, cause what works for some don’t work for others so you are wrong to try and ram your opinions down people’s throats like that. Fair play to the author for even publishing your whiny complaint!
July 2nd, 2010 at 6:10 am
I hear some folks say there is a lot of sodium in NS food, but I didn’t find it to be so bad as I was led to believe. I though the food was about on par with processed ready meals you buy in the supermarkets except lower in calories obviously or it wouldn’t be a diet!
I thought it was okay… not gourmet food by a long way, but it was pretty good overall. I stuck to the diet and only added broccoli and kale to the main meals and ate an apple every day cause I heard that they keep the doctor away hehe… Well, I lost 11 pounds over four weeks and to be honest, i never lost anything before on other diets so I was pretty delighted, to say the least.
I guess all diet plans have their complainers, just like most things people will always find something to complain about. But them kind of people probably complain about a lot of things. As for me, you won’t hear anything but praise for Nutrisystem cause it worked for me!
July 5th, 2010 at 10:11 pm
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July 6th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
How many have been able to come off the nutrisystem diet and maintain the weight they lost. This type of diet is a quick weight loss fix but does not teach you how to prepare and portion everyday foods. My experience and the observation of others have been ultimately you need to get off your lazy butt and make a long term life style change. And those of you with blood pressure problems, cardiac issues, etc. have you cleared this with a physician?
I certainly would not want to eat this type of processed food the rest of my life. I don’t spend $350 a month on food for myself. Waste of money, packaging is bad for the environment, another quick fix for lazy individuals.
July 6th, 2010 at 9:17 pm
I totally agree with J Mayer, who said that the bloating and gas might be the processed food and sodium of Nutrisystem. It’s been five days since I started NS; so far it’s all right except for the uncomfortable gas. This reviewer says that someone who is not used to healthy food but processed food suffers bloating and gas. But I don’t think so. I usally don’t eat processed food, and never had this problem.
August 12th, 2010 at 9:06 pm
When I was 15 my mother bought the Nutri System food and at that time I lost 50 lbs. I have kept it off until I was 31. I became pregnant at 31 and gained over 60 lbs. I just ordered the food and I’m waiting for it. If I lost weight when I was 15 I sure can do it better now.
October 2nd, 2010 at 2:04 pm
I was on the Silver plan……Undoubtly the worst food. I stayed on it for about three weeks, canceled the auto ship and was charged for the shipping and whatever the discount was. I complained to customer service and was told that they would wave the charge, I’m disputing the charge to American Express.
Yes you lose weight, the meatless chile really had a bad effect, and all the spicy black beans and rice did a number on me too, thank “God” for Previcid. The meat loaf and mashed potatoes are gross. I’m tempted to take them to our seniors meeting for them to taste.
Their advertising is false. Dan Marino bragging about “Meat Loaf and Pizza” Pizza that is another story. They come out tough.
Most of the food on the first delivery is Itailian and Mexican….. BURP, BURP, This isn’t food for a person on the SILVER PLAN…. and they don’t tell you that…… Marion Young
October 30th, 2010 at 4:07 am
Hey Marion, sounds like you got a bad deal there, but I don’t know why you hated this so much. I also tried the Sliver plan a couple months ago and found the food okay. Sure, it wasn’t wonderful, but not so bad I wanted to stop eating it. I got through and lost weight. Maybe my stomach is better tuned into spicy food as I actually like to eat Mexican dishes — part of the reason I got overweight in the first place! And the pizza wasn’t like you describe. You sure you didn’t overcook it?
Anyway, each to their own. I thought it was very good value for money and would do it again if I had to.
Alison
January 2nd, 2011 at 9:20 am
Hi, just wanted to drop in to say I tried Nutrisystem 2 months ago and pretty much got what I expected, thanks to reading your review. I knew what was coming, knew it would be processed food and I got through it and lost 14 pounds in one month! Sure it didn’t taste so great but it wasn’t so bad either. It did what it promised and I would do it again if I had to.
To all those folks I see writing in an saying they hated it or the food was processed and tasted bad, you should of read and understood what you were buying before you bought it! Then I wouldn’t have to read all the bitching and complaining from people who were expecting quality out of a dam box!
Sorry to put my own feelings in here, but come on people! Nutrisystem is a processed food diet that comes out of packets. What do you truly expect it to taste like?
Personally, I thought the diet lived up to my expectations and for that it was worth every cent I paid for it. Okay, I hijacked your comments you can have them back now, but some things just have to be said. Hope you publish this!
Gary
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:45 am
I just ordered my first 28 days worth of NS food and I must say I am extremely dissapointed. I read TONS of review on the net and found that a huge portion was positive feedback. I have only tried the double chocolate muffin, chocolate chip scone, chocolate cake and black bean soup, I know its a lot of chocolate, but i haven’t even been wanting to try anything else since that stuff was so gross. It tastes like preservatives and chemicals and it’s very dry. Maybe the lunch and dinners aren’t as bad but for the breakfasts and deserts I have ordered it is disgusting.
January 11th, 2011 at 10:05 am
Today is day 7 for me and I have lost 9 pounds. This diet is very easy and the food is good. If there is an item i dont like i simply add fresh salsa to the food and it makes everything taste better. I am excited to see what week 2 brings me. Thank you Nutrisystem.
February 12th, 2011 at 10:54 am
I got my NS order in the mail yesterday and went with the women’s vegetarian plan. I was worried bc I read a lot of complaints that the food was garbage, but it really isn’t that bad to me. It is better than most diets I have been on! Idk why everyone is complaining…but maybe I am just not picky. Plus it is just soooo convenient. I am a busy college student with a job, so my schedule resulted in quick and easy fast food. No matter how healthy you try to be, fast food is still fast food. I am happy so far, while yes, the portions are small (the cinnamon bun was about as big around as a silver dollar), I think that is the point in losing weight. I just make sure to drink a big glass of water BEFORE I eat and one after to help with the hunger. Hopefully I will have some good results
February 12th, 2011 at 11:34 am
Hey mjohn, I think some people complain because its just in their nature to complain. The food is pretty passable, not great but not bad either but I think some people want gourmet food when they pay the the price of a hamburger. Good luck with your diet but I don’t think you need luck cause you have a great attitude and that is what makes people successful!
February 27th, 2011 at 7:42 pm
hi, I am on day 7 of the NS plan. I have tried a few other diets but have never paid for a diet before. Well I have 2lbs and it isn’t the flux of the day. I weigh myself in the mornings before I eat with nothing on. Only in the mornings because that way you get the right readings. Some of the meals are nasty. The pea soup, the alfredo noodle lunch meal, and etc. The frozen are very good. Don’t like dessert. I am not one for snacks. I prefer the dry snacks over the frozen though. But this is really helping me. NS is all about portion control. It’s a 1200 calorie diet for people who won’t want to count the calories themselves. It takes all the guesswork out. Next week, I am adding some exercise into my routine so I can lose more weight.
NS isn’t for everyone I am sure. But the food isnt nasty… well not all of it. Most of it is good with a few nasty things. I just went to my account and delete those meals off my list. Also, I heard once you get to your goal weight you go into maintanence and you start replacing 1 meal a day with regular food. This teaches you how to eat real food instead of being dependent on NS meals for the rest of your life.
Last year I did a 1200 cal diet and lost 10lbs in 1 month alone, but it involved hours of figuring out what 3oz of chicken looked like and etc. This time I wanted something simple. Didn’t notice the sodium in the meals as being any higher than most processed food. I also buy frozen veggies so I can just put them in a bowl, cover them, and set the microwave to 5 mins. Instant steemed veggies.
March 15th, 2011 at 10:06 pm
I’m nearing end of my first month on NS and have lost 4 pounds so far. Before I started the program, I was resigned to the fact (so I thought) that the food would be bad. It isn’t! Certainly better than the junk I was eating before. I just received my second order and it is nice to be able to select the the food, now that I know my preferences. This is only allowed for the non-frozen items.
The website is easy to navigate and I’ve also been pleasantly surprised at how helpful the NS members are. There is a lot of good support and advice out there.
I’ve gained and lost thousands of pounds in my life and this is the first time I’ve tried NS or other food-through-the-mail programs. Definitely worth it so far.
March 29th, 2011 at 3:12 pm
My biggest beef with Nutrisystem is the lack of quality ingredients. The food you get from them have processed components. The best way to lose weight is to cook your food from scratch. You won’t mindlessly snack if everything has to be made from scratch. Skip fad diets like this and take control yourself.
April 4th, 2011 at 11:10 am
I lost weight on this diet several months ago and never did put any back on again. I think maybe it was because I just got used to eating much smaller meals than I did before that made me realize I didn’t need to eat so much to be full up. Its a great diet and I actually liked the food in general. But some of the desserts were really nice and it was at those times when I wished they were bigger
April 26th, 2011 at 2:00 pm
I started the Nutrisystems program 3 weeks ago and have dropped 5.2 pounds so far. I am very pleased with the results I’ve gotten. In the same amount of time, my husband has lost 11 pounds and he is quite pleased with the program. I’ll check in when I’m at the month mark and let you know how I’m doing…..Nutrisystems gets my vote.
May 16th, 2011 at 8:18 am
Nutrisystem will not let you cancel. You are unable to cancel online or by e-mail “to ensure the best service” (though you are able to enroll online – apparently service is not an issue if you are enrolling). Every time I try to cancel my auto-enrollment I am put on hold for 20+ minutes. The only way to speak to an actual person is to call to order and those people say they can only process orders and will not help you cancel. I have spoken to several people that have heard me say I cannot get through on the cancellation line and each one has essentially said, “too bad”. They are trained to reject anyone who wants to cancel. I have even had one rep named Cheryl hang up on me!! I am appalled by this poor customer service. DO NOT use Nutrisystem.
July 17th, 2011 at 11:35 am
I bought Nutrisystem plan sometime ago and the food made me want to vomit. I am an excellent cook and most of the meals I prepare for my family are from scratch and very healthy. this stuff tasted like platic bags. I was lucky I bought it on QVC they have a 30 day money back guarantee at at the time with free shipping. I bought it on flex pay–so I only paid one installment. If you are on the fence try buying it this way to see if you like it.
July 26th, 2011 at 11:28 pm
Jan, if your a good cook, why on earth did you choose to diet with Nutrisystem? Didn’t you know that it is made up of processed meals that are never going to be anything like as good as the ones you make yourself. If you cook healthy meals, they will help you lose weight because you control what goes into them.
I really don’t understand your choice here. Nutrisystem is for people who don’t have time (or just don’t want) to cook. Yet you say you cook for yourself and your family? It doesn’t add up, sorry.
October 5th, 2011 at 11:33 pm
I came on this site to find some tips and some honest answers before I decided to purchase Nutrisystem. I had already called their customer service and found the young man I talked with to be extremely nice, very helpful and explained adding a salad (without gobs of dressing) and/or some fruit with the meals especially in the beginning to become used to portion sizes plus the need to give up my extreme addiction to Dr. Pepper. What I find disturbing are the comments on this site about being too lazy to do it yourself and a few other rather tacky comments. I have been over weight most of my life and struggle daily. Comments like that come from people who have been thin most of their lives and have no clue what it’s like for those of us searching for help. You also have no idea at all what it’s like to be hurt continually and daily by people who are cruel and heartless. I know how to cook healthy but I have a problem with time and convenience. I work 12 hour days. I’m not expecting this to be gourmet meals – it’s packaged, processed food. I also talked with the customer service rep about sodium as that is a concern with my blood pressure. He assured me that the diet was based on the under 2000 mg a day that my own doctor has recommended.
What I expect to get from this is some help. I am hoping that 3-4 months on Nutrisystem will help me gain some idea of portion control so that I can do it myself. I am hoping that I can lose enough weight that exercise doesn’t make me feel like I’m having a heart attack after 2 minutes. I don’t intend to stay on this forever. I just want an effective kick start to motivate me enough to do it myself.
I greatly appreciate the helpful and intelligent comments on this site and the honest overview from those who struggle like I do. I will ignore the skinny people who constantly complain about being fat and don’t have a clue.
November 17th, 2011 at 10:41 am
Love this program and actually love the food!! I’m into my 3rd week, will weigh myself tomorrow.
January 6th, 2012 at 11:04 am
Want to loose 10-15 lb. Been on the plan for 2 weeks – no cheating and NO weight loss! Lots of up and down with weight(like 2 lbs each day) – but I really thought I’d see more effect. I see that kind of fluctuation normally, so if after another week I plan to cancel and try something else. IF anything, it at least is teaching me to eat more salads and smaller portions. The food is OK – and the bloating and gas isn’t from all the extra veggies you may be eating – but from the food its self – look at the ingredients – lots of additives (including fiber and protein) and preservatives they have to put in to assure shelf life..its like astronaut food…wonder if they get the ‘poots’ in space???
January 16th, 2012 at 4:05 pm
I just started the program today. I am pretty stoked. I have no problems with exercising . I love to work out. My issue is with portion control which I hope will help. I workout twice a day – ( I have the time) I work from home.
I also plan to do a cleansing the first two weeks of the program. Hoping this accelerates my results and also helps with the gassiness that I hear some talking about and the bloating.
Will definitely let everyone know what I find. Pretty darn excited.