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Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,604
Registered: ‎10-25-2010

Re: Nutrisystem TSV

[ Edited ]

I was on the Nutrisystem program right after my youngest son who is now 38 was born.  I had to stop breast feeding to go on it. That should have been a red flag.

 

Back then it was not sold through vendors or Brick and Mortar Stores.  You had to go to their centers.  They took blood work and urine samples every week and dispensed potassium pills...there were nurses there.

 

After your medical tests were done, you would go into the dispensary to buy their food.  Back then, the entrees were mostly sold in cans.  Some items were sold in pouches, like drinks, powered eggs and pancakes. Most of the food was not bad tasting.  The Salisbury steak with mipushrooms was delicious. 

 

I lost weight really, really fast, but Iwould have dizzy episodes.  My blood tests showed that my potassium was too low, so I was told to see my doctor.

 

My doctor ran a series of tests and forced me to go off of the diet.  I didn’t want to because it was working and kept going.

 

my doctor called the center and they would not allow me to go back.  At that time, the diet was very low carb and low fat.  I had to go to a cardiologist because my heart muscle was not working right.  I spent about a year under doctor’s care because of that diet.  I was only 25 years old and healthy before that.

 

Soon after, Nutri System got busted for women having gall bladder problems and other medical issues with it.  They went out of business in my area. I don’t know if they were closed down, or just closed on their own.

 

Years later, I noticed that they were now doing business again with a different diet plan and a different way to dispense it.  So, I tried it again.

 

I ordered a month worth of food and it was awful. Plus, I had to buy food to supplement it.  I was spending way too much money and not enjoying my food at all.

 

The food sat in my pantry for years, until I finally threw it out.  I am not a picky eater and have eaten food I didn’t care for in order to lose weight, but this stuff wasn’t edible, except for a few items.

 

Their diet plan is always changing, but their advertising about how long they have been in business helping people is misleading.  They don’t mention how many people got very sick following their early diet plans.

 

I think I have been on just about every diet plan out there and I would not recommend this one for many reasons.

 

The Nutrisystem company is unethical IMO.  Some of what others experienced is on the internet, but not all of it.  The company is located in PA, where I live.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 23,835
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

How does losing weight on this plan teach you how to eat REAL FOOD that is not out of a box?  It seems to be a crutch of sorts.  Long term I do not think most  people will do very well  unless they stay on the package foods. 

Contributor
Posts: 31
Registered: ‎03-11-2010
I did this last year to lose 10 lbs I had gained since I turned 50. Very difficult to get off. I loved it. You have to eat 4-5 servings of veggies a day and that is the basis of your diet. The Nutrisystem food is supplementary. I like that it taught me to balance protein, carbs etc. It helped me form new habits. Lost the weight and have kept it off. The down side; some of the food is inedible...,,about 10 items I didn't eat. It was kind of baffling to me why they put certain items in there that NOBODY would eat. I would still recommend it though if you follow the plan.
Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,351
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

I truly appreciate all of the reviews on this thread about the food. I have some serious digestive issues, and had hoped that maybe the Vegetarian choice would be something I could try. I’ve tried to watch several presentations since midnight, but there is so much banter between Marie and the hosts, they never really talk about the food. I’ve wanted to hear how to amp up the meals with fresh produce, maybe what each food was....and I do understand they are trying to sell.....but I decided not to buy because I can never get a true idea of what I’m getting. The testimonial calls are wonderful, but by the time they finish with those, and hearing about Marie’s journey with Nutrisystem, I still have limited info about what I’m getting and what to expect. I was so excited to maybe find some food that I could eat, with little prep, and still enjoy eating, but I guess I’ll just try something else. 

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Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,139
Registered: ‎04-16-2010

@grandma petes When you order the TSV, you receive a booklet with the plan. It reminds me of the old WW program when you checked off how each glass of water, each slice of bread/serving of starch, each serving of vegi, etc.; this is what you do with the booklet they provide. It takes you through the entire month.

 

So, you check off each time you consume their food item (you choose which one of the breakfast to have for breakfast, the lunch for lunch, etc) and then you add in your vegi, your salad, your milk, etc. The amount of "extra" food you need to buy is minimal. We're talking either bags of salad or heads of lettuce, milk, OJ, fresh fruits, green beans, etc; my shopping bill is TINY compared to what I would usually buy as I make everything from scratch when I'm not using Nurtrisystem. Those who cook know that it's not cheap to cook; since all you're adding is a few things, it's very affordable. 

 

Any questions, you call the counseling number on the booklet and they'll talk you through anything/answer any questions. Each serving of the food IS the correct amount as per the FDA serving suggestion; it's an eye opener as to what a serving size of many food items actually are. They tell you how much a serving of fresh fruit and vegis to include. Remember, fruit is high in natural sugar and is not calorie free. For this reason, I stick to berries instead of citrus and other fruits and don't drink fruit juice at all. 

 

Drink plenty of water as well (you should no matter what). You wind up eating every 3 hours or so which is good for maintaining your blood sugar level. As to the food working for you....I have no issue with it but everyone is different. The prep is minimal; it's great having everything there for you to choose from and I love NOT having to think about food. As I have to travel with my disabled son to his doctors for stays that often last a week or more out of state, I just pack up everything and take it with me. I can zap stuff in the hospital at the nurses station and pick up extra vegis in the cafeteria. It's easy to adapt to your lifestyle. Good luck!

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,351
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

@SahmIam wrote:

@grandma petes When you order the TSV, you receive a booklet with the plan. It reminds me of the old WW program when you checked off how each glass of water, each slice of bread/serving of starch, each serving of vegi, etc.; this is what you do with the booklet they provide. It takes you through the entire month.

 

So, you check off each time you consume their food item (you choose which one of the breakfast to have for breakfast, the lunch for lunch, etc) and then you add in your vegi, your salad, your milk, etc. The amount of "extra" food you need to buy is minimal. We're talking either bags of salad or heads of lettuce, milk, OJ, fresh fruits, green beans, etc; my shopping bill is TINY compared to what I would usually buy as I make everything from scratch when I'm not using Nurtrisystem. Those who cook know that it's not cheap to cook; since all you're adding is a few things, it's very affordable. 

 

Any questions, you call the counseling number on the booklet and they'll talk you through anything/answer any questions. Each serving of the food IS the correct amount as per the FDA serving suggestion; it's an eye opener as to what a serving size of many food items actually are. They tell you how much a serving of fresh fruit and vegis to include. Remember, fruit is high in natural sugar and is not calorie free. For this reason, I stick to berries instead of citrus and other fruits and don't drink fruit juice at all. 

 

Drink plenty of water as well (you should no matter what). You wind up eating every 3 hours or so which is good for maintaining your blood sugar level. As to the food working for you....I have no issue with it but everyone is different. The prep is minimal; it's great having everything there for you to choose from and I love NOT having to think about food. As I have to travel with my disabled son to his doctors for stays that often last a week or more out of state, I just pack up everything and take it with me. I can zap stuff in the hospital at the nurses station and pick up extra vegis in the cafeteria. It's easy to adapt to your lifestyle. Good luck!


Thank you so much Sahmlam....I truly appreciate your post. I was so frustrated with all of the presentations. I just want to learn how to make it work with my lifestyle. Your insight gives me a new perspective. Thanks so much and Happy New Year.😊

Valued Contributor
Posts: 754
Registered: ‎11-12-2010

About 15 years ago, I used Nutrisystem. Spent $3-400 over several months. It worked, but the food is not such that you can stick with it. You get sick of it after a while. So once off it, I gained the weight back. I lost weight just by watching what I ate. And still re-gain it back. Dieting as such is too much a chore. When someone comes up wth something you don't notice, let me know.

Valued Contributor
Posts: 954
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

I tried this years ago and didn't realize that there is soy in most of the food. Soy does not agree with me at all. It was disappointing. If they could find a way to make their food without soy I might give it a try. Til then, no.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,656
Registered: ‎06-09-2010

@grandma petes wrote:

@SahmIam wrote:

@grandma petes When you order the TSV, you receive a booklet with the plan. It reminds me of the old WW program when you checked off how each glass of water, each slice of bread/serving of starch, each serving of vegi, etc.; this is what you do with the booklet they provide. It takes you through the entire month.

 

So, you check off each time you consume their food item (you choose which one of the breakfast to have for breakfast, the lunch for lunch, etc) and then you add in your vegi, your salad, your milk, etc. The amount of "extra" food you need to buy is minimal. We're talking either bags of salad or heads of lettuce, milk, OJ, fresh fruits, green beans, etc; my shopping bill is TINY compared to what I would usually buy as I make everything from scratch when I'm not using Nurtrisystem. Those who cook know that it's not cheap to cook; since all you're adding is a few things, it's very affordable. 

 

Any questions, you call the counseling number on the booklet and they'll talk you through anything/answer any questions. Each serving of the food IS the correct amount as per the FDA serving suggestion; it's an eye opener as to what a serving size of many food items actually are. They tell you how much a serving of fresh fruit and vegis to include. Remember, fruit is high in natural sugar and is not calorie free. For this reason, I stick to berries instead of citrus and other fruits and don't drink fruit juice at all. 

 

Drink plenty of water as well (you should no matter what). You wind up eating every 3 hours or so which is good for maintaining your blood sugar level. As to the food working for you....I have no issue with it but everyone is different. The prep is minimal; it's great having everything there for you to choose from and I love NOT having to think about food. As I have to travel with my disabled son to his doctors for stays that often last a week or more out of state, I just pack up everything and take it with me. I can zap stuff in the hospital at the nurses station and pick up extra vegis in the cafeteria. It's easy to adapt to your lifestyle. Good luck!


Thank you so much Sahmlam....I truly appreciate your post. I was so frustrated with all of the presentations. I just want to learn how to make it work with my lifestyle. Your insight gives me a new perspective. Thanks so much and Happy New Year.😊


You could go to their website. It will explain the system. It shows what the ingredients are in the meals. My favorite system was Deal A Meal by Richard Simmons. You prepared your own food and moved the cards when you ate. When all of the cards for that day were gone, you were done for the day. I think they still sell his plan. This is the healthiest way to go. It tells you how many ca!ories you need to eat to loose weight. You eat fresh food and learn portion control.

 

 

 

 

 

Contributor
Posts: 25
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Just ordered it for first time paying no attention to the negative, hopng it works for me.  I need something where my choices of what to eat is controlled (including portion size) so this might the answer