Hey guys - i'm new to the board!!! I used nutrisystem for longer than I should have and afterwards, i couldn't maintain healthy eating habits without going back to pre-portioned foods. I feel like i'm 'stuck' on this system, which i do not like.

anyone out there with similar experience? what worked for you?

Isn't one of the ideas behind nutrisystem about portion sizes? You have been on it long enough to know what a portion is so using that guideline measure your food.That is what I do.

That's what I thought.

Well, I did NS for about 5 months and to teach myself from it and get away from it, I began writing down what each of their food items for breakfast, lunch, and dinner typically held carb wise, calorie wise, and protein wise. From it, I made a rough sketch of what I was supposed to eat daily, serving wise.

Roughly, it came to this:

4 to 5 carbs
5 to 6 proteins
4 veggies
2 to 3 fruits
3 fats

Now take that and compare it with the NS list of serving sizes and you've got your daily allowance minus the pre-prepared food. If you count calories (as I taught myself how to do from this system), you'll see that eating that way will keep you in the range of anywhere from 1400 to 2200 calories a day, depending on how many you have (4 proteins rather than 6 would make for a lower calorie day) and how lean the food is, etc.

I lost my first 30ish pounds on NS.... I lost another 25ish doing it this way.

How did dairy figure into NS? Did that fall under protein?

Thanks!

Sorry it took so long to respond... I'm currently in the middle of working 20 straight nights (the other shift guy is out of the country getting married! lol!) of work and I've SO not been checking up on 3FC!

And yes.... I do believe dairy figured into protein usually. That's how I do it as well in my own figuring now without NS, but at the same time..... I only have 1 or 2 servings of dairy, max.

Ns gives you the stats so that you can do it on your own without NS food. If you're on the program, you just call one of their counselors to strategize. Here's the NS diet on your own:

FLEX DAY PLAN

dairy/protein=12g carbs, 8g protein, 3g fat, 100 calories
vegetable=5g carbs, 2g protein, 25 calories
fruit=15g carbs, 60 calories
carb=15g carbs, 3g protein, trace of fat, 80 calories
fat=45 calories, 5g fat
lean protein=55 calories, 3g fat (this is what is listed in the grocery items guide)
free food=anything 20 calories or less (you are allowed 3 of these a day)

This is the womens flex. For men add 2 carbs and a fruit serving.

Breakfast
1 Dairy Serving
1 Lean Protein Serving
1 Fruit Serving
1 Low Glycemic Carbohydrate Serving

Lunch
1 Fat Serving
2 Lean Protein Serving
1 Salad Serving 2 Tbsp. Fat Free Dressing (if desired)
1 Low Glycemic Carbohydrate Serving
1 Vegetable Serving

Afternoon Snack
1 Dairy or Protein Serving
1 Fruit Serving

Dinner
2 Fat Serving
3 Lean Protein Serving
1 Salad or Fruit Serving 2 Tbsp. Fat Free Dressing (if desired)
1 Low Glycemic Carbohydrate Serving
2 Vegetable Serving

Dessert
1 Dairy Serving
1 Low Glycemic Carbohydrate Serving



I'm almost to goal and hoping to transition to add some flex days. Have to say I've really liked Nutrisystem. I usually do Weight Watchers, but I needed some structure to get the weight off.