8 Common Myths About Nutrisystem—Busted!

Article posted in: Diet & Nutrition

What’s keeping you from pulling the trigger and signing up to become a brand new you with Nutrisystem? If it’s any of these eight common myths, be prepared to lose your last excuse. That’s right: We caught up with Dietary Supervisor Kristin Flynn to find out the most common misconceptions she hears about Nutrisystem, and why these myths are just that… myths.

1.“The food is so high in sodium!”

Not so fast. All of the Nutrisystem programs are designed to align with the USDA’s recommended daily intake of 2,300 mg of sodium or less for the general adult population (Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020 – 2025).

While your actual sodium intake will vary based on the program you choose and the grocery food items you add, you can easily slash the sodium intake of your grocery additions by reading labels and choosing lower sodium choices. So instead of opting for canned veggies, you can choose fresh or frozen produce. And instead of sprinkling salt on everything, try flavoring your foods with herbs and spices.

If you would like to reduce your sodium intake, please contact your health care provider to determine if an adjusted meal plan is required.  You can choose ‘Lower Sodium’ from our ‘Filter By’ menu option when customizing your Nutrisystem meal plan.

2. “Nutrisystem is SO expensive!”

This literally doesn’t add up. The cost of Nutrisystem is actually less expensive than many of its competitors, in part because you’re not paying membership or meeting fees, auto-delivery shipping costs or Weight Loss Coaching support fees.

With Nutrisystem, you can pay less than $13 a day for a four week meal plan delivered to your door (and shipping is free!). The cost depends on the specific program you select. Our four-week programs provide you with breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks. You also get a simple meal plan to follow and an amazing support system to help you reach your goals. Considering that the average restaurant menu item ranges from $8.82 to $13 for just one meal, this is a definite savings compared to that takeout!

3. “There are too many sweets and carbs on this plan.”

The Nutrisystem weight loss program delivers a balanced approach to nutrition. Nutrisystem plans are designed to meet, or exceed, the Healthy US-Style Dietary Pattern for Adults set forth by the government in the 2020 – 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Nutrisystem also integrates the science of the Glycemic Index, which measures the quality of carbohydrates and how they impact your blood sugar levels. The plan features “good carbs” (low to medium glycemic grocery items), but it is not a low carb diet. We take a balanced approach to macronutrients.

The Nutrisystem Diabetes Plan, intended for those with Type 2 Diabetes, is designed to be a nutritionally balanced, lower-glycemic program to help people living with Type 2 diabetes lose weight to manage their blood sugar. This plan aligns with national dietary guidelines that encourage a healthy eating pattern; one that limits added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium, while including adequate fiber from slow digesting “smart” carbs, healthy fats and protein to help you feel fuller and more satisfied.

Meals available on the diabetes plan will contain no more than 12 grams of total sugar, with most meals delivering far less than this 12 g maximum. The Nutrisystem® D® plan aligns with the latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations for daily added sugar intake, delivering on average less than 10% of total calories coming from added sugars. Learn more here! >

4. “I didn’t think I’d have to count calories on this plan.”

The truth is, Nutrisystem does most of the calorie-counting for you. The weight loss plans are designed by nutrition experts, and provide you with the right balance of nutrients and the right amount of calories to help you lose weight safely.

When it comes to your PowerFuel and SmartCarb grocery add-ins, we recommend choosing whole food options most of the time and sticking to the serving sizes listed in the Grocery Guide. They are often healthier choices and cut down on label reading. This makes it easier to identify if a food is a PowerFuel or SmartCarb.

But because we’ve found that some of our customers actually enjoy keeping track of their calories, Nutrisystem offers NuMi, a free online tracker that lets you easily log your daily intake, weight, activity and more. This can be particularly helpful if you’re tailoring the plan to your own individual food preferences and eating habits, as many of our members do. Plus, many customers who have met their weight goal have found NuMi to be the very thing that keeps them there, since it holds them accountable during life after weight loss.

5. “Nutrisystem foods are full of chemicals and additives.”

Nutrisystem provides a wide variety of pantry-friendly and frozen  foods, so it’s a common misconception that our entrees are “full of chemicals.” If that’s what you think, it might surprise you to learn that you’d be hard-pressed to find anything on the list of ingredients in our foods that looks like it belongs in a science project.

Preservatives are not required in most of the Nutrisystem foods due to the type of processing methods used. Any preservatives that are used are FDA approved or meet FDA Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) criteria and can be found in many grocery store foods; these include BHT, potassium sorbate, calcium propionate, and sodium benzoate.

Nutrisystem foods don’t contain any artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners or monosodium glutamate (MSG). Learn more here! >

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6. “I can’t lose weight eating  pizza and pasta!”

Who said pizza and pasta can’t be weight loss-friendly? On Nutrisystem, you can enjoy both, whether it’s our perfectly portioned meals or a healthy recipe on The Leaf.

Keep in mind we aren’t sending you any deep dish, cheese-in-crust, meat-lover’s pizzas, or the three-foot mountain of pasta smothered in butter and garlic dishes you’re used to getting in restaurants. Our pizza and pasta dishes are perfectly portioned and developed to keep you satisfied and on the weight loss track.

Our portions are smaller in size, lower in calories but, most important, they’re higher in protein and fiber and lower in sodium than typical restaurant (and, let’s face it, homemade) entrees. This way, you can still enjoy the foods you love. So you’ll lose weight without feeling like you’re sacrificing your favorite foods. Our customers, in their Nutrisystem reviews, often tell us that this is the very reason they were able to achieve weight loss success.

7. “I’ll never be able to lose weight on this program because I’m not able to exercise.”

You don’t need to exercise to lose weight on the Nutrisystem plan. In fact, studies have found that you’re more likely to lose weight by cutting calories than increasing exercise. (To lose one pound of fat, say Harvard experts, you’d have to run five miles a day!) So don’t worry that your physical limitations are going to stand in the way of your weight loss goals.

That said, if you can exercise, you should… even if it’s just doing chair exercises. And here’s why: Exercising regularly can help preserve lean body mass and also helps prevent your metabolism from slowing. A sluggish metabolism means you’ll be burning fewer calories, even at rest. Exercise can help boost the rate at which you burn calories, even when you’re sleeping (yes, you burn calories while you’re tucked in!).

At Nutrisystem, we encourage members to get 150 minutes of moderately intense physical activity a week (think brisk walking or aerobics class). To help you do this, we have created the My Daily 3® activity plan, which focuses on achieving 30 minutes of physical activity per day. Start small if you can, and work your way up to doing more. As always, make sure to consult with your physician before including any type of physical activity.

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8. “The Flex meals will make me want to eat off the program/have a cheat day/cause cravings.”

If we insisted that you stick to just Nutrisystem foods while you lose weight, you might never become confident that you can achieve healthy weight management on your own. Flex meals help you learn to serve healthy portions and nutritionally balanced meals.

Flex meals also give you the freedom to enjoy dining out at your favorite restaurants or cooking up a favorite recipe, things you shouldn’t have to give up when you’re trying to lose weight. The fact is, no foods are off limits on Nutrisystem. The key is sticking to healthy portion sizes.