Packaged Meals and Clinics - Nutrisystem, Medifast, Jenny Craig, EtcFor support and questions about diet meal delivery programs, or weight loss clinics that offer prepackaged meals and products.
I am contemplating ordering nutrisystem to aid my weight loss but am skeptical. Does the food keep you satisfied? Does it taste like real food? Is it worth the money? I don't know anyone that has done either of these plans but it seems like it would be convenient.
I lost weight on Jenny Craig but I didn't transition to real food correctly and I regained it all. I think a lot depends on your counselor and how you transition into maintenance. Also, it helps if you don't like cooking anyway.
I started on Jenny and lost 20lbs. I loved it, it was soooo easy. The food was actually very good and I lost a steady 2 lbs/wk. But it is pricey! If you can afford it, of course it is worth it
I bought nutrisystem earlier this month and was really excited for it but was soooooooooooooo disappointed. i thought the food was absolutely disgusting. It had a horrible chemical taste and almost seemed stale, like nothing had flavor. I sent it all back and am waiting for my refund
Years ago, I did Jenny Craig and lost about 70 pounds in five months, taking me to 125 pounds. The food was mostly good with a few meals that were great (I still miss a couple of my favorites and wish I could buy them separately), but it was quite costly. I liked that I got to plan out my weekly menu and choose the foods I liked most.
I kept the weight off for four years and didn't gain significantly until I started a desk job (I had worked retail and was on my feet all day), during which I gained 60 pounds the first year. JC offers a lot of life-training classes for when you're on maintenance, but clearly I didn't attend enough of them or I wouldn't be here now.
If you have the money, I highly recommend JC. I would gladly do it again if I had the cash. I can't afford it right now, but I'm applying a lot of the Jenny lessons to what I'm doing now--eating smaller, but more frequent meals that make my hunger rare and fleeting, for instance.
I posted yesterday to the other Nutrisytem thread, but thought I'd post it here to:
I'm on my 3rd week of Nutrisystem. I really l like almost all of the food. The frozen foods are made and delivered by Schwans, very good!. It's important to add things to the foods, spices, veggies, etc. and to read the NS boards so that you can see what folks are making as far as recipes and so you can pick the best foods. I've lost 2 pounds a week, so far so good.
I had done Jenny Craig a few years ago to lose 10 pounds before a vacation. It's basically the same as Nutrisystem to me, except maybe a little more expensive, and you have to go to the center to get your food. My counselor their didn't really seem to know a lot about nutrition or anything.
I typically try to live by weight watchers, but I really needed something to "make" me get back on track and the NS plan is doing it. I'll probably stick to the "plan" even when I no longer eat the food.
Here's a sample menu I'll have today:
Breakfast:
Blueberry pancakes (NS), low cal syrup, scrambled egg, fruit (or)
Breakfast Burrito (NS), Non-fat Latte, banana
All of these programs really have an acquired taste in my opinion. When you realize you're not eating them for the flavor, you will start to grow accustom and eventually even like some of it. Just don't forget that you can always add flavor to them with outside seasonings and do not have to eat them as they come.
I did jenny for a while. The food is awesome and there will be many items you will fall in love with. I lost 25lbs and as of now ive gained 23 of them back. I have a very busy lifestyle and poor eating habits because I go for what's fast and conveient. Thats why Jenny worked so well for me! I didn't have to think about it and just ate what the menu said and it was ready in 2-3 mins. But when I got off of it my habits never changed. The reason I got off cause it was TOO DARN EXPENSIVE. In Canada here I was paying $150 a week minimum. That was $600 a month! So I heard about nutrisystem at half the cost. So I jumped on that. The food was discusting. Maybe it was because I was comparing it to JC. Everything had sucralose in it and it was all freeze dried crap. I got my money back.
It really depends on your situation and habits that determines which weight loss solution would be best. Now looking back something like weight watchers or herbal Magic (not sure if they have those in the states) would have been better for me cause it would have taught me how to prepare healthy meals for myself and not look for the easy convenient way out.
I'd choose Jenny over Nurtisystem any day. I think to maintain, you'd have to work super hard to follow the ways of healthy eating.
I had a friend who did Nutrisystem.....got the food, tried 2 different dinners, then called them and told them she is shipping it back, it was horrible. Yes, Jenny Craig can be expensive but I look at it this way......I was ready to shell our $10,500 for lapband.......this is a fraction of that and at least I can stick with it.
I got to my halfway point last Monday. Today, I lost another 3.8 lbs for a total of 35.2. I'm happy with JC and it will work, if you committ to it.
And I agree, it really does depend on your situation - both financially and where you live - (Weight Watcher's worked for me many years ago) - The reason I am back AGAIN is because although I am great at losing weight, I really suck at maintaining. I'm determined to MAINTAIN this time!
We have a guy where I work who is on Nutrisystem and (to be honest) the food doesn't look so good. Nor does it smell very good when he takes it out of the microwave. He told me that most of the meals have been OK, but a few are are almost inedible. But at least it's fairly expensive so if you're really worried about cost that would probably be the best. I don't think I could stick with it though.
I was on Jenny Craig about 8 years ago and I stayed on it and lost most of the weight I wanted to; But I remember towards the end, I felt really really sick of the same food all the time. They try to wean you into real food, but I unfortunately binged on my "off" days. They also got some new people at the Center I was going to and we didn't connect so well. One lady there was very condescending and I finally stopped going. I did like my first diet counselor I had with them - she really kept me motivated. I guess now you can order food directly - without seeing one of their diet counselor ladies. But I wouldn't order anything that requires a long commitment - at least not until you've tried most of the food and know you like it.
As far as cost is concerned, you really get what you pay for I believe. Someday, when you're not on a diet, add up how much you are paying for food for a week and see what the real cost is. I did it and I was shocked - between my almost daily Starbucks addiction and various restaurants and junk food I was averaging maybe $35-$40 per day. Higher than that on certain days. Yikes! Also, I have been reading a lot of books about nutrition and health and taking some DVD courses (from The Teaching Company), and now I am really into reading labels and trying to eat as unprocessed and fresh food as possible. I did the Amy's Vegetarian plan (not a delivery service) for awhile. Now I'm on Freshology, which is very good food but pricey (they do have good "specials" every now and again). I haven't tried Bistro MD or the e-diets "Fresh" yet - they may be my next.
Anyway, I would say don't commit to anything long-term unless you've tried the food and KNOW you like it. Otherwise you'll get disgusted, lose your motivation and binge.
Have you tried Nutrisystem, Jenny?
ZOE 
Also, I have been reading a lot of books about nutrition and health and taking some DVD courses (from The Teaching Company), and now I am really into reading labels and trying to eat as unprocessed and fresh food as possible. I did the Amy's Vegetarian plan (not a delivery service) for awhile. Now I'm on Freshology, which is very good food but pricey (they do have good "specials" every now and again). I haven't tried Bistro MD or the e-diets "Fresh" yet - they may be my next.
