How Does NutriSystem compare with other diet systems

In my weight loss practice and seminars I use hypnosis and common sense to help my clients reduce their weight, have a healthier attitude toward food and exercise. As far as the food I suggest they eat I suggest people drink plenty of plain unadulterated water (ideally hot but preferably not cold) and replace their junk food with good food like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, cold water fish with plenty of omega- 3 fatty acids, non-fat plain yogurt, and of course legumes (specially that wonder of the plant world soya).

I also mention that there is no silver bullet in weight loss and no diet which works for everyone. I tell people that if a certain diet works for them and is healthy (no extremes and gives you a variety of foods) and reduces your weight no more than two pounds a week (maximum weight loss that can be sustainable in the long run without placing your metabolism into the counterproductive starvation mode and eventually get you into the yo-yo syndrome).

Recently, a client who did not have the time and inclination to follow my teachings (takes a little preparation and thinking) desired to get ready for the wedding of her daughter this summer and asked me which commercial program should she follow. So I started to examine some programs.

I knew of Weight Watchers as my wife had been very satisfied with the program and had reduced her weight and basically managed to keep it off afterward. NutriSystem has been used very successfully by a freind and she continues to keep her weight by using some NutriSystem products and the system as guideline. I also looked at Jenny Craig, and LA weight Loss.

The Weight Watchers program my wife had done was the one where you go to the centers and get weighed and support but not the one you get prepackaged foods. This would not work for my client who wanted an easy ("no think") diet.

So I further examined and compared the remaining three programs (NutriSystem, Jenny Craig, and LA weight Loss).

As I studied the prepackaged diet programs I settled between Jenny Craig and NutriSystem. Both were portion controlled and delivered the food to your door. NutriSystem program was based on a low glycemic index principle which made most sense from a scientific point of view. Moreover, it had the lowest overall cost, and there was the real case of my friend who was satisfied with it and manged to first lose weight and now control her weight.

I do prefer a diet based on low glycemic index foods (like NutriSystem) but I think it is better to learn portion control (like NutriSystem) by yourself, and eat more than three meals and snacks each day (like NutriSystem) by yourself on auto-pilot. NutriSystem will hopefully teach you all these and then you can be weaned off the program and follow good eating habits by yourself.

Also the program has a tad too much salt since it is prepackaged and has to be preserved. Recently they have added frozen foods and that should be better. However, many love tha fact that they can take NutriSystem foods to work and whenever away from home.

• Again I wish to reiterate that a weight management regime that you do by yourself by eating well is the best. Once you learn to control your portions and change your weight set point by eating low glycemic foods, like me, you can break your normal eating eating patterns every now and then with out returning to your old habits of over eating the wrong types of food


• There is no diet and/or program which works for everyone. If you have a method which works for you keep to it.


• If you go for a program like NutriSystem, you should have the goal of coming off it from day one but use the program to teach you portion control and right eating


• Every little bit helps. That's to say every little activity when done with the intention of weight loss helps. Every time you eat good food instead of junk helps.


• Enjoy your food and eat slowly. You'll give your brain time to know you are full and you'll feel satsfied with smaller portions.


• Talking about smaller portions - use smaller plates. We use larger plates in the USA than they do in Europe. Also fill you plate a little at a time and then go back for little more if needs be.


• Drink plenty and plenty of water but before the meal and not with the meal. Cold water is bad and especially drinking ice cold water with the meal messes your brain's food satisfaction mechanism.


• Non-fat plain yogurt is the best dairy for health and weight loss.

P.S. using these and other techniques my waist size is today the same as it was forty years ago when I was twenty two. I'll write a lens about that soon...