Healthy weight loss is slow and gradual, allowing your body and mind to adjust to a new way of eating and an improved relationship with food. The Nutrisystem diet is designed to help users achieve healthy weight loss, but you may be wondering what that rate of weight loss is. Understanding the Nutrisystem diet and the science of weight loss can assist you in determining this figure. Consult your physician prior to starting the Nutrisystem diet or any other weight loss plan.
How Weight Loss Works
An understanding of calories is required to understand how and why weight loss occurs. Calories are units of energy. Your body burns calories doing absolutely everything, including sleeping, walking, eating and exercising. Fat contains 3,500 calories per pound. Therefore, to lose 1 lb. of fat in one week you must burn 500 calories per day more than you consume. According to "Handbook of Obesity Treatment," reducing daily calorie consumption by 250 to 500 calories and exercising to burn 250 to 500 calories per day is the ideal way to lose 1 lb. to 2 lbs. per week.
Individual Factors of Weight Loss
No one can predict your personal weight loss on any diet, including Nutrisystem. A variety of factors play into the amount of weight you lose, including your age, gender, weight, exercise routine and medical conditions. As a general rule, younger males in good health who partake in regular exercise tend to have the highest metabolic rates and therefore lose weight the fastest, according to "Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies."
Nutrisystem Weight Loss
The Nutrisystem diet provides men approximately 1,800 calories per day and women approximately 1,400 calories per day, according to "Nutrisystem Nourish: The Revolutionary New Weight-Loss Program." This meal plan is designed to produce a weekly weight loss of 1 lb. to 2 lbs. per week for most dieters. People who exercise or have a high metabolic rate are likely to lose closer to 2 lbs. per week whereas those who live a sedentary lifestyle or slow metabolic rate are likely to lose closer to 1 lb. per week.
Considerations
Successful weight loss on the Nutrisystem program requires compliance with the program. Dieters are required to eat only prepackaged meals and snacks coupled with yogurt, fruits and vegetables. According to "Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies," many people find the prepackaged foods too restrictive to stick to long-term, resulting in slowed or nonexistent weight loss. Consult a dietitian if you need assistance building a balanced meal plan with a variety of meals and snacks.
References
- "Handbook of Obesity Treatment"; Thomas A. Wadden PhD, et al.; 2004
- "Nutrisystem Nourish: The Revolutionary New Weight-Loss Program"; Dr. James Rouse, et al.; 2004
- "Contemporary Nutrition"; Gordon M. Wardlaw, et al.; 2007
- "Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies"; Frances Sizer; 2008
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