Nutrisystem is a commercial weight-loss system that ships frozen and packaged meals to consumers. The meals are designed to be supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables, skim milk and other items from the grocery store. You are supposed to increase you physical activity level as well as follow the dietary guidelines. Several other companies supply diet products similar to those produced by Nutrisystem.
Program Types
As of January 2011, Nutrisystem offers basic meal plans, vegetarian meal plans, diabetic meal plans and meal plans for seniors. These meal plans are further divided by gender. You eat three meals, plus snacks and a dessert, each day. Nutrisystem claims its foods are calorie-controlled and have a low glycemic index, meaning the carbohydrates don't cause a large fluctuation in blood sugar.
Convenience
A possible benefit of using Nutrisystem includes the convenience of not having to count calories. The frozen meals are often quicker and easier to prepare than making a meal from scratch. It also eliminates the need to plan meals and shop for numerous items at the grocery store.
Portion Control
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that Americans who are tying to lose weight limit portion sizes. Accordingly, Nutrisystem meals are portion-controlled, eliminating the possibility of consuming too many calories at one meal, as long as you follow the instructions. Adults who have difficulty eating one serving of a food or snack may benefit from Nutrisystem or a similar diet program.
Nutrisystem D
Nutrisytem D is designed for those with diabetes, pre-diabetes or risk for diabetes. According to the company, a clinical trial was conducted among volunteers with Type 2 diabetes, who had an average loss of 7.1 percent body weight in three months when following the diet plan. The company further claims that millions of customers have lost weight using the various Nutrisystem diet plans. The University of Kentucky is scheduled to begin a 12-week weight loss trial using Nutrisystem products in early 2011.
Expense
Nutrisystem and other similar programs may be more expensive to follow than eating meals made from scratch. Also, you need to supplement the packaged meals with grocery products, adding to the overall cost of following the plan.
Lack of Variety
Some people may be dissatisfied with the lack of variety after eating the frozen and packaged meals for several months. While numerous menu choices are available for each diet plan, they are more restrictive than simply preparing a large variety of meals from scratch.
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