I have a confession - Started Nutrisystem

I have started losing weight again after not losing for months.  I know that there are many people against following any commercial diet plans after WLS.  But I don't view it any different than evaluating the right foods to eat when I make selections at the grocery store.  The trick is that you need to customize your plan to pick the best products for you.  I don't dump but I limit my  carbs to less than 30 carbs at any 1 meal, less than 10 for snacks.  The Nutrisystem web site lists all of the nutrients for all the foods.  The plan calls for you to add dairy, fresh fruit and vegetables plus extra lean proteing.  So I also still do 2 lowcarb protein shakes (30 g protein each, 6 carbs) a day for my dairy and fruit requirement.  I add a couple of chunks of frozen fruit to blend with my shake.  I do one when I get up in the morning and 1 at night after I exercise.  I also have a Burger King side salad everyday with lowfat italian dressing.  Burger King salads are made with Romaine lettuce.  It has been a convenient way to get follow a regiment of low glycemic, low sodium and low fat.  My protein intake from the meals is about 55 and I get another 60 from my shakes for a total of 115 g protein per day.  The ideal situation is of course to prepare all of your foods yourself in the kitchen from scratch but after working all day, helping my child with homework in the evening, setting some time aside for my husband and for my exercise, it was just too difficult to do it on my own.  Its not for everyone but so far I am loving the convenience and the fact that I am exercising more because I spend less time in the kitchen.  I don't see this as a conflict with WLS.  If I had not had the WLS, I would never have been satisfied with the tiny servings of food.  I tried a similar plan years before my WLS and I would eat the food and then eat a whole other meal because the portions were not enough for my large stomach.  After WLS, the portions are just the right size.  I do 3 meals, 2 shakes, 1 -2 salads and another vegetable if I only had 1 salad for the day plus 2 nutrisystem snakes (1 salty and 1 sweet - the snacks are high in protein as well).  So although the servings are small, you eat several times a day.  I am not encouraging anyone else to follow suite, I just wanted to let people know what seems to be working for me.  Take care and I will keep you posted.

I am 3 1/2 years out and didn't get to my goal weight.  I got pregnant and gained some back too.  I've thought of trying something like this so I'll be interested to see how you do.  I figure it's fairly expensive (I'm married and have 2 young kids so I'd still have to buy groceries) and I've wondered how it tastes.  The stuff you can buy in the store is never that great. Best of luck to you!!! Laina Lap RNY 9/9/03

The food is suprising good.  It has changed over the years.  I cheat and go to the website and read the reviews from others following the programs on the different foods.  I've only been on for 2 days and have lost 3 pounds.  I am trying to do a different food at every meal so that I will no what I want to re-order for next time and what I don't want to re-order.   I struggled with paying the cost for this program because I have to buy food for my family as well.  I have 60 pounds to lose, I am hoping to be in maintenance by then.  If you want to try a smaller portions of foods you can order foods Ala Carte on the Nutrisystem Website and Amazon sells smaller sampler packages.  My email is [email protected] if you every want to ask me questions about the program or my progress.  Good luck in getting to your goal.   

Are you still insulin-resistant?  If so, the amount of carbs you are ingesting (whether they be LG, or not) can be very detrimental to weight loss.  I know...I am insulin-resistant, as well.  I take oral meds for it, control the amount of carbs and still have not made it to *my personal* goal weight at over three years post-op. Not being judgmental, derogatory...whatever...just letting you in on what my Endocrinologist (very well renowned for her work with PCOS w/ or w/o insulin resistance) has been working with me on for the past ten years (along with my nutritionist).  :-) ~~Sherry

Hi Sherry, Since I am a type 2 Diabetic your post interested me.  Please explain some of the terms and acronyms you used as I'm not sure I understand them --  insulin-resistant?   (do you mean type 2?) (whether they be LG, (??) her work with PCOS (??) You mention that your nutritionist has been working with you on this.  Do you consume any carbs or just certain ones? Thanks,

Sherry, I believe that I am insulin resistant as well judging by the way by body reacts to carbs.  My primary care physician says that I don't have PCOS and that I am not insulin resistance.  She is not an Endrocrinologist so I am leery of her diagnosis or misdiagnosis.  What I have found is that when I keep the carbs low and stick to low glycemic carbs, I lose.  No saying that this will work for everyone but it works for me.   Nutrisystem is low glycemic however some of the foods are too high in carbs for me.  To do a lower carb version, you have to customize your order and all of the nutrient information is available on their website.  The oatmeal for example has 30 g of carbs.  My oatmeal I buy from the health food store has 6 g of carbs so I use mine when I want oatmeal.  Instead of ordering their oatmeal, I pick the egg dishes or other low carb selections.  The breakfast muffins are whole grain and only 16 carbs for 2 small ones so I order those as well.  This plan is something you can do at home.  I have low glycemic cookbooks but I was finding that I did not have time to prepare the meals to keep me on track the majority of the time.  I was probably sticking to it about 30% of the tme.  Now I am doing it 100%  of the time.  What I also discovered is that the sodium and fat contents affect my weight loss as well.  I am simply trying to eat the way my body seems to respond the best which is different for each person. 

I forgot to mention that I have lost 80 pounds from my highest weight which I am very happy with.  I have about 60 pounds more to lose.  Some may say just except where I am but I can't because I still have a hip problem that has gotten way better but taking off the extra weight  is the best thing for my joints.   I am happy that the weight loss has started moving again.  The other benefit is that my stomach seems to like the low glycemic, low carb foods.  I have bloating and gas pains when I venture away from low glycemic.  If you are truly following a Low glycemic diet, you are doing low carb as well (not zero carb but low carb).  If you eat too many carbs, even the low glycemic type carbs, your blood sugar will swing out of control.  I don't eat anything with high fructose corn syrup in it as well, even if the carb count is low.  The whole theory behind low glycemic is to keep your blood sugar steady and stable.  When I do low glycemic 100%, I never even get hungry but I try very hard to stay on the recommended eating schedule to keep my insulin levels steady.  I can easily stay on schedule with pre-packaged foods low glycemic foods.

Divine, please keep us posted. I have been wanting to do NutriSystem just so I don't make wrong decisions. I am totally not interested in food and hate thinking about what is right and then make sure I have all necessary in the house to prepare when I do make a decision. Very interested in keeping within range with my choices and have been tosses this around for a few months. I have been at goal for a long time and some times I think maybe a cookie won't kill me but the next day I am up a pound. I would like to  hear how you do so it will give me some hopes it works. I like the structure of having it planned out. Good luck .

Divine-Congrats on taking CONTROL--I've thought about trying Nutrisytem several times, but keep telling myself I can "do it" without spending all that money--But, now, you have inspired me--and you KNOW we're gonna be watching to see how it works for YOU..lol...Kudos to you, girl!! Btw, I did see alot of Nutrisystem products on ebay-you might want to check it out and maybe save a little money

Congratulations on taking control !  Use whatever tools that are out there as long as you are doing the "healthy choices!" Keep up the great work and please be sure to keep us updated.  -Terri