Image of Emily
By Emily

September 17th, 2015

I have been provided with a Nutrisystem plan in exchange for sharing my honest experience and results on my blog. All opinions are my own.

Ryan just ended his 9th week on Nutrisystem. This week he is down an additional 2 pounds, bringing his total weight loss to 27.5 pounds! Ryan’s Nutrisystem food shipment came and it included two teddy bears, one for his 10 pound loss and another for his 20 pound loss. They are a cute reminder of how much work he’s done in the past 2 months!

Now that Ryan is really comfortable with Nutrisystem, I thought it would be a good time to share his advice for people just starting out on Nutrisystem.

Nutrisystem advice for newbies

Top 5 tips for newbies on Nutrisystem.

1. Take advantage of the unlimited veggies. Before you start Nutrisystem, take a trip to your local grocery store and pick up a bunch of veggies. For Ryan, Nutrisystem hasn’t left him feeling hungry most of the time but you might. I can only imagine that a diet that leaves you hungry all the time would increase your chances of giving up, which is why it’s great that you can have unlimited veggies (excluding the starchy ones like potatoes, corn and peas). Don’t let yourself get super hungry and your chance of sticking to it will be much higher.

2. Don’t be afraid of the entrees that don’t seem like foods you would normally buy. Some of Ryan’s favorite Nutrisystem meals are ones that he didn’t think he would like at all, such as the mushroom stuffed chicken breast. His willingness to try each entree that he was sent introduced him to new foods which is a good thing.

3. Don’t be afraid of the “bars”. When you look at a little four inch long bar it seems more like a snack than a breakfast or lunch, and early on Ryan was afraid to eat them as an entree because he thought he would be left hungry. Ryan has found that the bars are surprisingly filling and several of the bars have become his favorite options from Nutrisystem.

4. Use your Nutrisystem meal plan strategically. Certain meals require a microwave, while others require an oven – others yet require no prep at all. When we are at home during meals Ryan tries to eat the ones that require a microwave or oven to prepare, so he will have the bars left for days when he needs to eat while we are running errands or are visiting with friends or family at their houses.

5. Weigh weekly, not daily. Losing weight quickly at the beginning of Nutrisystem was really exciting. It was SO exciting that Ryan was tempted to keep weighing himself everyday, or even more than once in a day. However, our weight naturally fluctuates a little bit throughout the day and weighing yourself too often cna get you worried about a few ounces of “gained” weight when in reality it’s just the time of day. Weighing weekly will give you a much less biased view of your weight loss results.

If you’re considering Nutrisstem but are worried about the food, consider trying a starter kit. These are available in the pharmacy area at stores like Walmart and CVS, or even on Amazon. It lets you try Nutrisystem for 5 days, to get a ‘taste’ of some of the foods.
 

signature

DISCLAIMER

This post currently has 14 responses.

  • Dandi D

    I need to lose some baby weight, so this would be great for me!

  • Deb E

    Way to go Ryan! I just love these bears too. I imagine the guys don’t go as crazy about them as the girls but they represent such a milestone and are a motivator. I’d add along with the filling veggies, if you can tolerate psylliym or any similar fiber, bulking agent, it really helps keep you full. Works for me but I used to counsel nutrition before I went into nursing, so I have my bag of tricks, ha ha.

  • Lisa

    I hate this little facebook/pinterest/etc. popup on the side of your post. It is very distracting and won’t go away when you hit the arrow.

  • Diane

    I lost 6 pounds in one week. I am trying to stay on it until I loose all the weight I want, then I will manage it the rest of my life. I let my self get 50 pounds over weight. I think most the food taste okay, not like the best I have ever had, but not bad either.

  • Mary

    Hi
    My name is Mary I am a New member to nutrisystem
    What I need to know is when it’s time to reorder food
    How does it work…………
    Mary Fl.

  • Vivian

    Thanks for tips. I’m just starting my journey with Nutrisystem. I need to lose 50 lbs. I’m wondering how the food taste? Also, I’m a coffee fanatic. Is it allowed on the program?

    • My boyfriend considers himself to be a picky eater and he’s been on Nutrisystem 18 months now. He did try a few entrees from Nutrisystem that he didn’t care for, but the majority he did. The reality is that the Nutrisystem version of certain foods aren’t quite the same as what you would make at home or buy at a restaurant but they are still yummy in his opinion.

      Coffee can be fine on Nutrisystem depending on how you make it. If you’re used to adding high calorie sweeteners or creamer then you’d have to switch to a low-calorie sweetener such as splenda and a low calorie creamer as well.

  • Pattii

    Trying the Walmart Nutri-systems to see if I would like the meals. So far so good, but it’s only day 2.

  • Amy

    Thank you for the review Emily. I started the Walmart box yesterday. So far so good. Food doesn’t taste too bad. I have started making a list of what I like so when and if I reorder I will know what to get. Does the program introduce fruits?
    Fyi-I am a pug lover too. I have a black girl named Scarlett.

    • Hi Amy. Glad it was helpful! Yes, the program includes “SmartCarbs” which includes fruits and whole grain bread products. It also includes “PowerFuels” which adds in protein sources like cheese, yogurt or lean meats.

  • GiGi

    Would love to hear from someone with just 10 pounds to lose. I started 2 weeks ago and lost 4.6 the 1st week! Wow, right! But the second week has got me stalled. Bouncing around up and down with the same 1/2 pound. I am following the plan religiously and and exercising an hour everyday (Gym x5 plus walking and biking on weekends). Hoping I will start to see more downward movement on the scale soon….as I know the last 5-6 pounds are the hardest to lose but I am trying!

  • Doug

    Does Nutrisystem have a guide for fast food restaurants by name to help you eat out on flex meals?

  • Gwen Leslie

    can you drink diet soda?

Leave a Reply

*
* Your email address will not be published.