Once you are 50 or more pounds overweight, I think it’s a little harder because you probably have worse habits. I know my eating habits had become horrible. At slightly over 200#, I was the highest weight I had ever been in my life. Most of my life I’d been anywhere from thin to chubby, but this was just flat out really big for me and it was affecting my health. My blood pressure was borderline high and I was starting to develop other issues.
I couldn’t even blame it on baby weight. Because of health issues, I actually weighed 17# less when he was born than when I got pregnant. However, as soon as he came home and I started eating to supplement lack of sleep. Because I hadn’t been allowed to breastfeed in the hospital, the weight started to pile on.
I’d tried Jenny Craig in the past and loved their food, but I find their “hands on weight coach” feature irritating. Plus, picking up the food at their store is a pain in the butt – unless you’re single and don’t have to go to the grocery store too. If you don’t mind those things – their food is delicious!
So, Nutrisystem was the only logical second choice for me.
I decided that I’d be safest trying the program through Amazon and bought the Nutrisystem® 14 Day Everyday Kit
Amazon delivered faster, plus I knew that by being a Prime member I’d be able to return it with no hassle if it didn’t work out. If you aren’t a Prime member, you can Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial
This particular box doesn’t include dinners, which worked for me since we have family dinners at night. I really needed during the day and late evening support.
Day 1
Day 1 went pretty easy. I was excited about the food and didn’t really get hungry. If you are curious about each item inside, I have a breakdown and review of the contents.
Day 2
Definitely not as good as Day 1. My body had realized that I was shorting it on calories so I was a bit more tired. The plan is designed to keep you fueled all day long and you do learn to eat “right” but when you’ve been eating enough to sustain over 200 pounds, 1200 calories is a noticeable drop. I muddled through it. I am, however, one of those chubby girls that get cranky when she’s hungry.
Day 3
The worst day. I had a disappointing lunch and at this point, I knew that I was either going to be hungry early in the day or later in the day. This was mostly because I was psyching myself out and thinking too much about it. My biggest realization was that I needed to get “safe” snacks in the house, because Nutrisystem does have free foods and I had almost none of them.
I also noticed one other important thing: Some of my health issues were already gone. Even though I hadn’t (probably) lost any real weight, the reflux and post nasal drip that I had been experiencing at night that made me cough and gag and have breathing issues had vanished the night after I had started the program.
Day 4
This day went much better. I planned everything out ahead because it was Sunday, which is when we go to my Mom’s where there are tons of fattening foods for whatever sports events we are watching. To my great surprise, I was able to make choices that fit into the plan without going over the calorie limit. Even BETTER was the fact I was satisfied with a much smaller portion than I had previously been eating because my body was adjusting its concept of portion size.
Day 5
At this point, the program was starting to become a habit. I started looking forward to the simplicity of the program. I was a little hungry after dinner, so I had my bedtime snack early, but the day went pretty well overall.
Day 6
We ate dinner out and I was (again) shocked that I was satisfied with a smaller portion and actually felt like the portion I was given at Panera was way too large. It was Day 6 that I had completed adjusted to the plan and stopped feeling hungry really at any point in the day. If I was hungry, I could eat.
Day 7
By this day I realized that part of the reason I was hungry was because I had totally “winged it.” I hadn’t actually followed the rules and gotten prepared before diving in. I’d skipped most of the “4 vegetables” that you were supposed to eat each day because of this and I didn’t have “good” choices for the snacks I was allowed. I had, however, already lost 4 1/2 pounds. I had lost 17# in two months.
So, yes, I’m happy with the program. Not all of the food is “great” though some of it is delicious. You just have to choose the things you like. For example, I don’t really like tomatoes. A lot of the dishes taste similar to whole tomato sauces, so I don’t like them, but you might.
Update: I’ve been on and off of the program from over a year and I’d still recommend it to anyone. The reason I go on and off is that the program is great at teaching you “how” to eat (portion control, small meals, types of foods). However, gradually it’s easy to go back to your old eating habits, especially after a holiday or a week-long vacation where you binge on buffet-style tourist food. Going back on the program gets you back on track. Even when off the program, I still enjoy most of their breakfast foods and am still losing weight.
Tips for Success and Savings:
- Do use “Numi” their calorie/water/weight/exercise tracking app. It’s easy to use and they constantly have contests on there that are easy to win. It makes it fun. I’ve won plush bears, meal prep kits, various food samples, and more.
- Budget your day ahead of time. If you have already planned your meals and snacks and added them to the app, then you know what’s leftover for calories.
- Shop for extra stuff during their special Numi sales. Sometimes they offer 50% off a la carte and that’s when I stock up.
Nutrisystem discount codes:
If you decide you want to take the plunge and sign up for Nutrisystem, they gave me a code for $30 off your first order
HOWEVER, before you use it, please just go to their main page because often there will be a much better deal available for you. They “may” let you stack the $30 on top of it, but do check for a better deal beforehand. I just put that one up in case there were no others available. Yes, I do get a discount if you order with my code, but I’d rather you get a better deal if one is available.
TIP: The best time to get discounts on Nutrisystem is around the holidays – especially summer holidays like Memorial Day and the 4th of July.