Nutrisystem...

[ame]

Ok...so the hubby and I are porking up quickly. Since he and I have been together I have put on eat least 40lbs. I broke the 200lb mark recently and Im struggling. I have a bizarre body type...90% of my weight is in my tummy, making me look like I am like 6 months pregnant. It''s so out of control I can hardly suck it in anymore!!!

So..NutriSystem...what are your thoughts? Since we are really getting heavy and we have absolutely no concept of portion control or proper choices, and we eat out WAY too much. It''s about $300 a month for each of us (which is insane..but not out of the question) and the ability for us to choose what we eat in each shipment sounds great to both of us so we don''t end up with stuff we will never eat....

So...what do you think?

 

[aphisiglovessae]

That just seems like a LOT of money to me. Have you thought about LA Weight Loss? I heard it''s only about 7 dollars a week or something. I''m not sure how much Jenny Craig is either. I''ve just never been a big fan of all these diet and weight loss programs. I think as soon as you stop, the weight will come right back. I just say old fashioned exercise and eating healthy small portions multiple times a day would be best for anyone. Just my two cents.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Actually it doesn''t seem like that much money to me. Do you spend more than $10 a day on food? If so you might actually save money this way. I like the idea that the food is delivered to your door. It seems SO easy. I think this is what they used on Celeb Fit Club. Let me know if you try it. I think it might be worth it.

 

[JCJD]

My mom is maybe 10 pounds overweight and my sister is about 25 pounds overweight, and both have been doing Nutrisystem on and off for the past couple months. My mom isn''t as strict, but she''s been maintaining her weight even with lots of eating out. My sister lost almost/about 8 pounds (can''t remember which) on the system in 2 months and even though she had to stop ($$$$$) for a bit, she''s learned how to eat and what to eat from it and has maintained her weight in the weeks since stopping. The plan is expensive, and you still need to buy fruits and vegetables to complete the meal plan. But the portion sizes are correct, it gets you eating good-for-you-food, and it does help you lose weight if you follow the plan correctly, and even if you don''t follow it to a tee, you''ll probably see good results (better habits, no longer gaining weight). Good luck with this ame! HTH!

 

[JCJD]

Date: 2/4/2006 1:48:48 PM
Author: aphisiglovessae
I''ve just never been a big fan of all these diet and weight loss programs. I think as soon as you stop, the weight will come right back. I just say old fashioned exercise and eating healthy small portions multiple times a day would be best for anyone. Just my two cents.

I absolutely agree with you. I lost 20 pounds my freshman year of college by exercising and improving my diet and have kept it off over 6 years later (with some minor ups and downs of course), but I actually like the Nutrisystem program. It worked for my sister, who epitomizes the quick-fix, give-me-a-diet-pill mentality. You eat the provided food along with the required fruit or veggie at every meal, it gives you 2 snacks a day, and it really teaches you what healthy eating patterns are - portions, proportion of carbs, meat, sweets to fruits and veggies, when to stop eating, etc. It also encourages exercise, if I remember correctly.

 

[Momoftwo]

It''s a lot easier to lose 20 lbs at 18 than at 40. The best diet plan I''ve seen is Weight Watchers. I know several people who have lost and kept off weight for years. It teaches you about portions and you learn by using the point system because the higher calorie foods and larger portions have more points. WW is a lot cheaper and there are no meals to buy, just meetings to attend. I need to start going. Although my uncle has lost a lot by meeting with a nutritionist because he had become diabetic and since dropping weight, he isn''t anymore. At ages 18-30 all I had to do was cut one thing out (like cookies) for a week and I''d drop 4 lbs without trying. Even a few years ago, giving up soda, I dropped 7 lbs in one month. At 45, neither of those work anymore. I''m walking 5-7 miles per day now and hopefully that will help along with watching portions. I agree with the fact the meals are expensive and once you stop, it''s too easy to go back and put on the weight. At least with WW or a nutritionist, you''re cooking your own food, or making good restaurant choices. WW has a booklet of fast food and chain restaurants and points for their menu items.

 

[monarch64]

I''m considering buying these portion control bowls:

http://www.studiopanepinto.com/store/mesu.aspx

I have a major prob. with portion control, especially when I eat pasta, rice, cereal, or anything that goes in a bowl...hubby likes huge bowls so when I eat out of the ones I bought for him from C&B I tend to fill them up and being taught that I should clean my plate when I was little (children are starving in other countries!) it seems I always do!

 

[Kaleigh]

Those are really cool Monarch. And a neat design as well.

 

[njc]

I did Weight Watchers several years ago with my mother, I lost a little less than 10 lbs, but i also only did it a month or so. But it really opened my eyes up to correct portion sizes and what eating healthy means. My family has never been an advocate of either being southern and loving what i like to call "real cooking" (think Paula Dean--my hero!

). Its a sin to us to leave any food on the table... no such things as left overs!

Before my wedding, i did a great job of slimming down with casually watching what i ate WW-style and going to the gym religously, so like APhiSig and JC say, it can be done, if you know what to do. But ever since the wedding, and even more so after the honeymoon ive been "rewarding" myself for a job well done and in turn undid everything.

So, about 3 weeks ago i bit the bullet and joined WW again, thinking if i had to pay for it, it would make me more accountable. Before i was very driven by wanting to look good for the wedding, now i have nothing to motivate me. Anyways, ive been doing it and making myself go to the gym at least 3 times a week. Ive lost 5 lbs so far and am happy with my progress. I like WW because i can still eat whatever, you just know that if it isnt so healthy, you eat less or if you know you are going out for wings and beers that night, you are REALLY careful for breakfast and dinner to eat low point items. Works great with DH who doesnt want to diet.

Im doing everything online, so no meetings, but there are chat boards. Before when i went to the meetings i really didnt get much out of them. If you are interested in seeing the set up, I''ll be happy to let you look at mine. The preview they give you doesnt give you a very good idea of how everything is. They also have a guide that teaches you to eye-ball correct portions and other fun things like that.

Anyways, whatever you choose, correct portion sizes is the key, and lots of veggies and other high fiber foods. If buying the NutriSystem food is what is going to work for you, go for it. If you dont mind pulling out the measuring cups (although i just eyeball it), WW may be a choice for you. Whatever you do, you need to approach it as a lifestyle and not just a diet. The only way to keep it off is to continue doing whatever it is.

 

[flutterby]

I dont think that nutrisystem is crazy expensive, as long as its all you eat. If you cheat,then it is a HUGE waste of money. I thinki t might be a good way to really learn portion control. We have talked about doing it, just not sure if we can handle that much dehydrated food.

 

[ame]

See that''s it, exactly, we need to learn what is the right amount to eat. I can eat like a big fat man, which is scary. I can out-eat my husband. That''s not good! I am definitely the give-me-the-diet-pill kinda girl. We just cancelled Gold''sGym which we have paid for for almost 2 years and have visited MAYBE a months worth of times, and most of that was to take showers when our shower was out of commission!!!

I heard that the Jenny Craig food is way tastier, either way, its the portions and the types of foods we should eat and how to make them work. I think the fruit and veggie thing will elude us frankly. They rot in our house before we ever eat them. Other than canned corn...we like that

Those bowls you showed look great!

I am just sick of being asked when Im due and a lot of that is not just really ridiculously bad choices of what to eat, but the amount in which I eat and the fact that I have no time to work out and when I finally have time, Im wrecked and it''s just really too late in the day to do so, because you should not work out 2 hours before bed Im told. And to hell with actually waking up before 7am! haha

I might check out weight watchers..my beef with the meetings is that my mother went to one and was berated so much that she never went back. I don''t particularly need to have someone berate me and the others at the meeting. I don''t get into the major humiliation aspect...but the online option could work.

Thanks for all the input!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Ame- my sister did weight watchers (her own version) and in a year went from a size 14 to a size 4. She went to ONE meeting just to learn the point system and then did it on her own. So she did it for free basically. There is a website that tells you points for popular restaurants like someone else mentioned. I know Apple Bee''s has weight watcher selections. She really likes the points system.

 

[ame]

I am liking that option. I really also like the internet one because I am frequently on the internet (case in point).

 

[Kaleigh]

I think the internet is a great option for you. I also have seen specials on the Nutrisystem foods on QVC believe it or not. Anyway, good luck on whatever route you choose!!!

 

[Mara]

I have a few friends who did WW and LOVED it, one gal lost about 50 lbs and has kept it off for ~4 years now, she really learned about portion control, what is healthy to eat, and what affects her body in positive and negative ways. My other GF has lost about 10-15 lbs on and off but doesn''t stick with it and then goes off and eats whatever so she doesn''t stay consistent with it. But she can LOSE it, she just gains it back.

Bottom line is that regular exercise, even if it''s just walking a mile a day, portion control and eating more healthily will go a LONG way towards helping you drop the weight and keep it off.

Greg and I were just talking the other night about how now that we are married we don''t want to just let ourselves go as the years pass by...we want to stay active and healthy even if we are not always super skinny or thin, it''s just about feeling good about what you do and how you live your life in an active way.

Whatever you do, make sure it''s a life change and not a fad diet or something to just get the weight off....learn about what affects your body and what you can and can''t have (and what you can have in small portions!!) and what works best for your body in terms of exercise and feeling good. I have heard from numerous sources that if you have alot of weight to lose that it is easier to drop it quickly if you do the right things and are consistent, but it''s those last 10 lbs that are the hardest! But it''s changing those eating habits and staying on the wagon which is hard.

And find an exercise you really like! I adore kickboxing because it lets me really release alot of energy and feel strong while doing it, and I like being around the other fit women in the class because I feel inspired. It''s a very taxing class so it''s not just like random people at the gym who want to lose weight for a week, these women are 99% fit and just want to stay strong. Also I found out that I love walking and can do it for 45 minutes and feel good and strong and it seems to be doing good things for how ''lean'' my body ends up being. Kickboxing doesn''t make me leaner, it makes me stronger, the walking leans me out and my diet finishes up the triangle...for me anyway.

Also visiting a nutritionist really wouldn''t hurt either! Good luck.

 

[AndyRosse]

Ame, I think the WW online would be a great option for you!

My mother joined WW and only went to two meetings. I don''t exactly remember what she didn''t like about them, but it really upset her.

Whatever you decide, I wish you luck! I really, really wish I could afford the Nutrisystem myself!

P.S. Portion size, what''s that?!

 

[ame]

I even debated buying a couple months worth and using them for breakfast and lunch and then eating something else for dinner. I figure even then, Im working on my portions, eating properly most of the time and not going out to lunch every day.

I have a feeling your mom didn''t like meetings for the humiliation aspect. They literally work on humiliation and beratement to make you feel HORRIBLE about yourself. Most of the people working there are trained in how to do this so that the motive is to not be publicly teased at the next meeting. I find it destroys motivation. Im ok with the internet version but having someone weigh me around 30 other folks and announce my success and failure aloud does nothing to aid my motivation

 

[AChiOAlumna]

My friends have tried Nutrasystem...one of them hated the food! It didn''t agree with her at all and literally "ran right thru her," and still didn''t lose any weight. My other friend recently started it, but I hadn''t heard back from her recently, so I don''t know how the program is working for her...

 

[moon river]

You could start out with some of the lean quisene or healthy choice meals. They come out about the same price as nutisystem. That way you get the portion control and you can figure out which meals you like and don''t like. I do that because I''m a vegetarian and the nutrisystem meals often have meat or broth in them. This way I get to read the lable and taste them before buying a bunch. The have desserts too.

 

[DonaBella]

Date: 2/4/2006 1:43:50 PM
Author:ame
Ok...so the hubby and I are porking up quickly. Since he and I have been together I have put on eat least 40lbs. I broke the 200lb mark recently and Im struggling. I have a bizarre body type...90% of my weight is in my tummy, making me look like I am like 6 months pregnant. It''s so out of control I can hardly suck it in anymore!!!

So..NutriSystem...what are your thoughts? Since we are really getting heavy and we have absolutely no concept of portion control or proper choices, and we eat out WAY too much. It''s about $300 a month for each of us (which is insane..but not out of the question) and the ability for us to choose what we eat in each shipment sounds great to both of us so we don''t end up with stuff we will never eat....

So...what do you think?

My hubby and I did this for a couple of months and I lost about 17 lbs...for my DH, it has been good and bad. He loved the easy to eat meals that require little to no heating (if you are somewhere there is no microwave, some meals were good at room temp.). The foods actually taste pretty good and my 11 year old, who is self conscious about his weight actually started snitching dinner meals for himself. If it passes the kid test, it must be A-ok...

 

[flutterby]

I was on WW a few years ago and lost 15 pounds that are still off to this day. It really is a good program. It was the meetings that really helped me. I stuck to my points allotment because I weighed in on mondays and didnt want someone else to see that I gained weight. It really was an accountability factor. I think it depends on the group leader, but all I got from meetings was encouragement, never beratement. Its worth looking into, they are also big on portion size and it is significantly cheaper than Nutrisystem.

 

[blodthecat]

Hi there Ame!

I absolutely hate, hate, hate diets.

I have done WW, food combining, Atkins, slimming world etc....and they all seem to amount to basically the same thing. You loose weight initially, but 12-months down the line you have slowly slipped back into your preferred eating habits...and you''ve gained the weight back again.

It is a vicious cycle of deprivation, misery and depression, because you are back where you started.

For me Paul McKenna was the answer. An extremely well known UK hypnotist. He has produced a number of CD''s to correct behavioural problems...i.e. over eating, anxiety, panic attacks etc. It gives you back CONTROL. There is no diet regime or special food involved. You listen to the CD every day, and subconsciously you will adjust your food portions and eat what your body needs. I am 5ft 6" tall and have managed to stay at 120 pounds for the last 5-6 years. It sounds too simple..I know. But with diets only one persons wins...and that''s the diet industry. And who constantly wants to be thinking about food all the time, and what they have to prepare for the next meal.

I don''t know if Paul Mckenna is available in the US, but if not, and you would like to give it a go, then send me an email and I will gladly put my copy of the CD in the post for you.

good luck Blod

 

[blodthecat]

Hi there Ame!

I absolutely hate, hate, hate diets.

I have done WW, food combining, Atkins, slimming world etc....and they all seem to amount to basically the same thing. You loose weight initially, but 12-months down the line you have slowly slipped back into your preferred eating habits...and you''ve gained the weight back again.

It is a vicious cycle of deprivation, misery and depression, because you are back where you started.

For me Paul McKenna was the answer. An extremely well known UK hypnotist. He has produced a number of CD''s to correct behavioural problems...i.e. over eating, anxiety, panic attacks etc. It gives you back CONTROL. There is no diet regime or special food involved. You listen to the CD every day, and subconsciously you will adjust your food portions and eat what your body needs. I am 5ft 6" tall and have managed to stay at 120 pounds for the last 5-6 years. It sounds too simple..I know. But with diets only one persons wins...and that''s the diet industry. And who constantly wants to be thinking about food all the time, and what they have to prepare for the next meal.

I don''t know if Paul Mckenna is available in the US, but if not, and you would like to give it a go, then send me an email and I will gladly put my copy of the CD in the post for you.

good luck Blod

 

[ammayernyc]

Hey there Ame.

I''ve done Jenny Craig and the Zone home delivery service. They''re great... if you eat only their food. They portion out everything for you so it''s super easy, but you don''t live a normal life. You just can''t go out and you don''t really learn anything on your own.

I''m another fan of Weight Watchers. I joined just after the New Year and have lost almost 8 pounds in four weeks. I''m not eating that differently, just less of it. I go out a lot too. I also enjoy some cocktails now and then. You just need to be accountable... you have to write donw every single thing you put in your mouth. It almost embarrasses you to eat less since you don''t want to write down that you ate a whole bag of potato chips... Also, I''ve learned that I can eat a lot of fish or shrimp instead of just a little steak. More is definitely better with me...

The meetings aren''t bad at all. It seems like your mom had a bad experience. I love my leader! Very funny and motivating. It''s almost like group therapy. You get inspired to want to lose weight with everyone. They even make you feel better if you didn''t lose or just lost a little bit.

Portion control is really the key. Learning how to do it for yourself will make your life a lot easier though...

 

[MissAva]

How To Lose Weight neat site with basic info about how to lose weight.
I hope you are able to loose the weight Ame, I have tried WW, E-diets, Camp Shane, and so many others and have not found the perfect fit for me just yet. (Atkins works really well but I cheat too often.) I would also cuation that if you do the points system you need to make sure you balance the points, I know that girls in their 20''s for some reason tend not to do as well on these becuase they save points for a twix bar or a drink. I wish you the very best.
Oh and going to a nutrionist and having them do a 30 day meal plan at your local hospital is only about 40$ (with my insurance it was 15$).

 

[DiaDiva]

We don''t have Nutrisystem in Singapore so I''m not familiar with it. When I need to lose my 4kg (approx 9 pounds), I went on Reductil (precription drug) for a month and it worked.

REDUCTIL does not work in the same way as traditional appetite suppressants. It works by altering the level of two chemicals in the brain, serotonin and noradrenaline, which help regulate energy intake and output.

The result is (1) you will not need to eat as much during your meals before you feel full, and (2) Reductil stops your metabolic rate from falling as much as it normally would. Metabolic rate normally falls during weight loss as you reduce your intake of food, making it harder to keep losing weight. However, there will still be fluctuations in your weight loss as the body uses many mechanisms to maintain your weight. This could be a reason some people do not achieve any benefit from REDUCTIL.

However, after 3 plus weeks, I started experiencing shortness of breath so I stopped taking it on my doctor''s advice and have not taken it since (been almost a year).

Benefit of Reductil for me:
I lost the weight that I wanted to get rid of. My appetite has shrunk (I still love food but I don''t need to stuff my face to be satisfied) and I''ve managed to keep the weight off. I''m 5"5 and 120 pounds and hope to keep it that way.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Date: 2/5/2006 11:38:17 PM
Author: DiaDiva
We don''t have Nutrisystem in Singapore so I''m not familiar with it. When I need to lose my 4kg (approx 9 pounds), I went on Reductil (precription drug) for a month and it worked.

However, after 3 plus weeks, I started experiencing shortness of breath so I stopped taking it on my doctor''s advice and have not taken it since (been almost a year).


Benefit of Reductil for me:

I lost the weight that I wanted to get rid of. My appetite has shrunk (I still love food but I don''t need to stuff my face to be satisfied) and I''ve managed to keep the weight off. I''m 5''5 and 120 pounds and hope to keep it that way.

Sounds kind of scary to me. I think lowering calories and increasing exercise is better than pills. That website that Mata posted is great! I was reading about having better behaving cats

 

[Mara]

I agree Tacori...it is not necessarily HARD to lose 5-10 lbs but doing it in a healthy way and keeping it off to me is not doable with any type of pill or fad. Personally I tend to think if a pill works, it's because it is more mental aka you feel it works so you think it's doing something. But that's just my own experience with all my friends who have tried pill after fad after diet and ended up still struggling. In the end, working out/burning calories and watching your food intake/eating healthily is IMO the only way to keep it off long-term and stay healthy and feel good.

 

[MrsFrk]

Try to eat something green at every meal, and exercise in some fashion every day.
I am not a big fan of processed food. Modern life is full of enough chemicals as it is.
Exercise is absolutely key. You can''t be healthy and fit without exercise.

 

[njc]

Im with MrsFlutter on that when i went to meetings, i only got encouragement. When we weighed in, it was in a private room with no one else but the group leader. During the meetings everyone shared what helped them... i remember one woman saying buying a set of measuring cups to keep in her purse for when she ate out was a big key in her success.

With online WW, you can get as much or as little involved as you want. So far, ive just used it to keep track of my points, which i find easy because im constantly online during the day. Ive looked at the message boards a couple times, but they seem so confusing... not as nice as PS!

And for whoever suggested getting the Lean Cuisines and Healthy Choice meals, that is a great idea. Keep in mind though that *some* of those meals need to be suplimented with other items, or you *will* starve. I read an article once about it and it makes sense... i will try and find it again.