Nutrisystem Review: Online Diet Program

The food is also color-coded, which makes it easy to pick breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. All you need to do is find the packages with the correct color, pick a meal, and then either manually write it down in the included Meal Planner or use the online tools to keep track of what you're eating each day.

Our dieter particularly appreciated this system because it created a streamlined, and intuitive experience. There was no wondering what to eat when, but at the same time you can create your own meal plans based on what you feel like eating that day.

In terms of satiety, our individual diet participant did not feel hungry while she was eating the Nutrisystem program. Because you include your own vegetables, fruits and dairy, it allows for a greater range of food. Additionally, eating 5 times a day helped control our taster's hunger. Overall our taster thought Nutrisystem was an easy to use and convenient choice for busy people who need a simple diet plan. She also felt it would be convenient for travelers and people on the go, as the meals are shelf stable and easily transportable.

Support

Nutrisystem provides strong online and phone support, freeing you from meetings and weekly group weigh-ins. Their website also offers motivational messages, a newsletter, online classes, bulletin boards and chatrooms, along with weight loss and fitness diaries.

The site is easy to access and navigate, and can be used without purchasing any Nutrisystem meals, although without the meals you won't be able use the pre-calculated food diary tool. Instead you'll have to manually enter every item you eat. The food interface is easy to use and convenient. Once you enter what you choose to eat each day, it displays the total calorie and fat content.

The Nutrisystem plan includes Mindset Makeover, a free online guide that completes the Nutrisystem offering. Mindset Makeover is intended to help participants lose the weight and keep it off. It's a guided, interactive, 12-week program that teaches users core skills and walks them through how to use them. Mindset Makeover is actually fun to use and features a slick interface with videos, quizzes, tools and downloads.

Fitness

Nutrisystem provides an online Fitness Diary, where you can log what type of exercise you did each day.

It then automatically calculates your calorie burn, based on the measurements you've entered and the amount of time you did each activity. It's a nice feature for keeping track of your workouts, and also as a motivational tool.

The only disappointment we had was that they didn't offer live support from fitness professionals. The fitness program is more of a do-it-yourself routine without additional guidance.

Pricing

Nutrisystem offers several different meal plans, priced accordingly. Note that in addition to their meal plan costs, you will need to buy your own fruit, vegetables, and dairy to supplement the Nutrisystem meals. Based on our food costs, we estimated this to be approximately $60 per week. However, San Francisco food prices are notoriously high, so it's likely your supplemental food cost will be less expensive.

Bottom Line

Overall, Nutrisystem is a well-rounded program that encourages a healthy attitude about your body while providing an easy-to-follow routine for busy people. Though the food's taste rated lower than average in our taste test, the online tools were easy to use and practical. We particularly recommend it for on-the-go people who want a practical way to lose weight without meetings or guidance.

NextAdvisor.com is a paid affiliate of Nutrisystem, Inc.

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