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.
Some of you may have noticed that my sidebar now has a button showing that I am a Nutrisystem blogger. My boyfriend Ryan remembered seeing my writer/contributor Laurie have great success on Nutrisystem in the past and was inspired to give it a try for himself. For at least the next 12 weeks we’ll be sharing weekly updates about the program and how he’s doing.
Right now, if you sign up for Nutrisystem you’ll get the Fast 5 program free of charge. This is a 7 day program that you do before beginning the more traditional Nutrisystem program. Today is Ryan’s last day on week one so it’s his last day of Fast 5 and tomorrow he begins the rest of the plan. Here is his last dinner from the Fast 5 plan. Looks pretty good for diet food, right?
The Nutrisystem Fast 5 kit comes with 14 shake mixes and 21 meals (7 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 7 dinners). In addition to what comes in the box, Ryan was supposed to eat 4 servings of vegetables at minimum and drink 64 ounces of water each day. While the plan recommends eating at least 4 servings of veggies per day, he was able to eat as many veggies as he wanted (excluding the starchy veggies such as potatoes and peas) so he never had to “go hungry” while on this plan which made it much easier to sustain than many other diets.
Ryan is a picky eater so it was a bit scary to be sent pre-selected meals, but out of the 21 meals there were only two that he disliked, and even those two he was able to finish eating he just really disliked them. There was a third entre that was a little off for his flavor, but the rest he genuinely liked and some he even loved. There was a white bean chicken chili which he said he never would have thought to pick out for himself but it was his favorite for the entire week.
While it was a great peace of mind to know that he had the ability to consume endless veggies until full, we were both surprised at how full he was able to stay without using those extra veggie servings. Between the three meals each day, he had the shakes provided by Nutrisystem and was pleasantly surprised at how they would take him from peckish to satisfied for a few hours between meals. Plus, the Craving Crusher shakes (which fit in the plan between lunch and dinner each day) were quite tasty and he looked forward to those each day.
The name Fast 5 is based on the guarantee that you’ll lose 5 pounds during your first week. You’re also guaranteed to lose 1 inch off of your waist.
Results:
Ryan’s starting weight last Tuesday was 258.5 lbs.
Today he weighed in at exactly 250lbs, for a loss of 8.5 lbs this week!
His waist measured 41.5 inches last Tuesday.
Today it measured 40.25 inches, meaning a loss of 1.25 inches.
While it wasn’t necessary for the plan, we also measured his chest, hips thigh and arm.
Last week his chest was 47.75 inches, his arm was 14.5 inches and his thigh was 29.5 inches.
Today his chest was 46.75, his arm was 14.5 inches and his thigh was 27 inches.
He lost 1 inch off his chest, his arm stayed the same and he lost 2.5 inches from this thigh.
His total number of inches lost this week was 5.25!
We’be both been surprised with how easily this plan has went for him. When we used to think of diets or lifestyle changes regarding food, we were hesitant to move forward with any changes because we thought it would be hard and would result in discomfort and struggle. So far, Nutrisystem really hasn’t been much of a struggle at all. The only real struggle that Ryan had this week was being tempted with a dessert that a family member had offered him (not knowing he was on a plan). He never considered breaking the plan, but it was a bit of a bummer to be presented with temptation in such a blunt way like that. The main plan that Ryan will be on starting next week includes a Nutrisystem dessert – some of the items that he’s been sent include cake, popcorn, cheese puffs and other yummy treats. If he had been presented with the option of the dessert while on a regular Nutrisystem plan, he could say no thanks and then go home and enjoy a Nutrisystem cake instead. It’s nice to know that this plan allows for limited indulging because I think most of us need to enjoy portion-controlled treats here and there to prevent eventually breaking down and over-indulging. Starting tomorrow Ryan’s plan will expand to include a few more calories per day through PowerFuels, SmartCarbs and dessert, so we suspect things will get a bit easier from here.
Have you tried Nutrisystem before? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below.
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Hi there! I am Emily Evert, the owner of Emily Reviews. I am 28 and live in a small town in Michigan with my boyfriend Ryan and our two pugs. I have a large family and I adore my nieces and nephews. I love reading memoirs, and learning about child development and psychology. I love watching The Game of Thrones, Teen Mom, Sister Wives and Veep. I like listening to Jason Isbell, John Prine, and other alt-country or Americana music. I created Emily Reviews as a creative outlet to share my life and the products that I love with others.
This post currently has 2 responses.
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Deb E
I didn’t know very much about Nutrisystem before I started reading your blog. The Fast 5 kit sounds like it would appeal to many especially around the holiday season, who really want to see results.
My mother in law is on a Nutrisystem plan and she loves it she has lost a good bit of weight and she says the food is really good