The other day, I got an email from someone saying, “Tell me the whole truth about Nutrisystem. Does it really work? Is the food really good? Can you really eat pizza and comfort foods? Was Jillian Barberie really ever fat?” ?” Or is this all a scam?” This email had a lot of questions, but I’ll try to answer them all in the next article.
My truth about Nutrisystem. The reality as I know it: In my experience with this diet, it more or less does what it says on the tin. You can eat tacos, ravioli, pizza, burgers, chocolate cake and cookies, etc. The company has really put a lot of effort into taking the comfort foods most people love (macaroni and cheese, fajitas, etc.) and making them low calorie, low carb, and high in protein and fiber. And this is the mechanism by which the diet really works for most dieters. This combination encourages your body to move towards a metabolic state called ketosis where you burn body fat. You just don’t have the excess carbs to burn anymore, so your body has to make do with what’s available: fat.
As for the taste of the food, no, the burgers aren’t going to be exactly like a Big Mac, whopper, or in and out burger and the pizza is on a flatbread instead of the skillet variety, but for the most part it’s pretty decent and i appreciate having these options because most diets don’t allow it. There’s no frosting on the cakes, but hey, at least it’s cake and satisfies your sweet tooth while keeping you in the ketosis safe zone.
Does Nutrisystem really work?: It does (in my opinion) if you follow the instructions and get into ketosis. (You can test to see if you’ve reached this goal with strips called ketone strips that are available at the drugstore with diabetic supplies.) I think some people get stuck adding their fresh sides. They ask you to add fruits, vegetables or dairy to your meals, but you must use common sense with this. If you add a side that’s packed with carbs or high in calories, you’re not doing yourself a favor.
Was Jillian Barberie ever really fat?: There is a lot of controversy surrounding the Nutrisystem ad showing Jillian in a fat dress. In truth, Jillian was “fat” or had gained a little weight because she had given birth. Does this make her less overweight because she was postpartum? Your opinion on that is up to you, but she lost 40 pounds. We’ll never know if she could have done this without Nutrisystem, though.
I’m more likely to find Marie Osmond’s weight loss on this diet more believable, since she was actually quite chubby even before the spotlight. There are several photos of her where she is much bigger than she is now. Granted, dancing with the stars it probably helped, but he managed to keep the weight off.
So, is Nutrisystem a scam?: I have people ask me this from time to time and the answer to this question is a resounding no. You’re basically paying $10 a day (and that’s before coupons) and getting enough food for 5 meals. $2 per meal is extremely reasonable. Special offers and discounts can reduce this further. And, if you eat the food and are smart with your sides, I am a firm believer that you will get into ketosis and therefore lose weight. The company does not require you to count calories or carbs and provides the food for you. They have done most of the work. The rest is up to you.