How to Get the Most Out of Your Nutrisystem Weight Loss Program
Article posted in: NutrisystemDoes Nutrisystem really work? It’s a question we get often. Just read all of the amazing Nutrisystem before and after stories on the Success Stories page, and you’ll have your answer.
Nutrisystem has so many success stories in part because the plan is so simple: Portion control, filling nutrients and craving-busting snacks are built right into the Nutrisystem program.
But members get more than just shipments of food and instructions: Nutrisystem is truly a “system” of strategies, support, technology and yes, food, that help guide you along the path to weight loss success. Here’s how to get even more out of your Nutrisystem weight loss plan, so you can reach you goals faster and with even better results:
Connect with a Nutrisystem Weight Loss Coach
Nutrisystem plans are clear and simple, and the foods are easy to use. But even veterans of the program sometimes have questions about the food, their plan, eating out or just how to get themselves motivated again. Fortunately, with Nutrisystem, you’re never alone: Weight Loss Coaches are here for you!
Support is key to weight loss success. In one study, only 25 percent of people who enrolled in a weight loss program by themselves lost weight and kept it off for six months. Those with a support system did much better: Two-thirds were able to lose weight and keep it off.
If you’re a new Nutrisystem member and have a question about how to prepare a certain food, how your meal plan can fit into your every day life, or have a question about your next shipment, connect with a coach to help guide you through all the technical ins and outs of continuing toward your goals.
Even more important, they understand what you’re going through: Many of the coaches have used the program themselves to lose weight, and are there to offer a friendly voice of encouragement, or just someone to talk to about your progress, temptations or even to celebrate your successes. Coaches have talked to thousands members, so there’s no problem they haven’t solved before, and no question too small to be answered. Don’t hesitate to lean on them!
Follow Nutrisystem on Social Media
Another way to stay motivated and get support: Join the Official Nutrisystem® Support Community on Facebook! >
In the group, you can make meaningful connections, share ideas and experiences, learn, connect with Nutrisystem experts, and grow with others who are working towards a common goal. You’ll interact with people who know exactly what you’re going through—other Nutrisystem members. They’re active on almost every post, adding their own tips and tricks, answering questions from fellow members, and offering encouragement and inspiration to help every member reach their goals.
Be sure to also follow Nutrisystem on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. You’ll get daily motivation and recipes, plus you can enter contests to win free stuff!
Download the Nutrisystem App
Keeping a food diary—just writing down what they ate—helped participants in a study lose twice as much weight as those who kept no records of their eating. A pen and pad make a great food log, but that miraculous little phone in your pocket can be even better. In another small study, users of a smartphone app were more than 20 percent more consistent with their food logging and diet tracking over eight weeks versus those who used paper logs.
The Nutrisystem app can make it even simpler. The free app already contains the complete Nutrisystem food database programmed in, and it can be matched to your plan for seamless tracking of your meals.
But the Nutrisystem app has more than just food stuff: it tracks your physical activity and even has places to log your weight loss progress and measurements.
Check out Recipes, Articles and Videos on The Leaf
When you’re looking for more variety in your meals that still keep you on your Nutrisystem plan, The Leaf (Nutrisystem’s official blog) is the place to be. The inspirational and informative weight loss blog is home to thousands of healthy, plan-friendly recipes.
The Leaf also features the Nutrisystem Guides section which gives you access to many Nutrisystem guides and resources, from the Nutrisystem Program Guide and Grocery Guide to our Nutrisystem 101 video series.
Plus, our fun Weight Loss section is packed with simple tips to help make healthy living easy (and fun!). You can read up on scientifically-backed weight loss advice from Nutrisystem experts, and fitness tips to help making moving fun.
Download the Grocery Guide
To round out your Nutrisystem meals, you’ll add in your own fresh vegetables and other grocery foods, and the simple Grocery Guide is your road map to success. If your plan says you can have two SmartCarbs per day, the Grocery Guide can help you know which foods—and how much of those foods—you can eat while staying on your plan.
The Leaf has tons of recipes that can help you use these SmartCarbs, PowerFuels, and Extras in conjunction with your Nutrisystem meals for more variety, more flavor and more filling fiber and nutrients.
But if you’re planning to grab something from the Grocery Guide, make sure you pair it with a measuring cup—the measurements on the guide can help you from accidentally going over your plan. Overestimating your portion sizes can sabotage your progress and results. So when the guide says a PowerFuel serving of peanut butter is one tablespoon, that’s 90 calories. Over-serving yourself by half a tablespoon can increase the calories you’re eating by 50 percent. So use the guide, and measure!
Customize your Nutrisystem Order
If you find there’s a Nutrisystem food you really love—maybe the Blueberry Muffins make your mornings better, or the Dark Chocolaty Sea Salt Nut Square crushes your sweet cravings—you can get more. With Nutrisystem’s customization options, you have complete control of the foods you receive for your plan.
And having your favorites can be a key to satisfying cravings that might otherwise lead to overeating. Because when you’re craving chocolate, Nutrisystem dietitians say that the best way to calm it is to eat chocolate—in a portion-controlled manner that fits your plan.
“If I am craving something, I am eventually going to eat it,” McCormick says. When you want a chocolate chip cookie, all the pretzels in the world won’t fix the craving—and can result in eating more calories than satisfying the real craving would. “Rather than double up on calories by trying to find alternatives, I just eat what I’m craving but make sure to eat it in a mindful way.”
To start customizing, visit My Account on Nutrisystem.com.