I think most people would consider my Nutrisystem journey a success if you look at it in terms of pounds lost, little clothing worn, and lifestyle changes. Most of the weight I wanted to lose, I have lost and kept it off. And, I’m reasonably confident that I’ll be able to maintain it and not gain the weight back. I approach food in a more healthy and less obsessive way.
So, the other day, a coworker asked me what my secret was. Because, she knew someone else who had been on this diet who didn’t have that kind of lasting success. I think she suspected I skipped meals or didn’t add sides with each meal or was exercising in a way that was dangerous or unhealthy. None of these things was true. There may be a few things that have contributed to my success. I’ll let you decide whether you want to call them “mysteries” or not. But, I will share them in the following article.
Is The “Friendly Glycemic Index” Nutrisystem’s Secret?: Most experts will tell you that this diet is effective mostly because the foods they give you have such a ratio of carb to calories and protein that they encourage ketosis. It makes your body burn more fat for fuel because it doesn’t have free reign on constant carbs (which you were provided with before.)
Now, I’ll certainly admit that it definitely helps. I mean, taking in fewer calories and burning more calories in or out is all well and good and I know it works. But, adding in a little extra fat burn can only help and can sometimes lead to faster and better results. This is always a good thing because it’s the results that make you want to keep going. Very few people stick to the diet and when they are not getting paid for the results they tough it out. So yes, the glycemic idea helps. And, I firmly believe it – so much so that in the early stages of the diet I was never without ketone strips to make sure the diet was doing its job and getting me into ketosis.
I think that is the real secret of Nutrisystem (and for those who lose a lot of weight on it 🙂 As I hope you can see, I greatly appreciate the low amount of carbs in these foods, but I think the real key to this diet lies a little deeper. I believe the real secret to success with this diet is that the manufacturers understand the psychological barriers that dieters face. The company really understands the realities that no one wants to talk about.
By this I mean things like this: I am naturally lazy. I don’t want to work too hard for results. Yes, I am ready to change what I eat. I know I won’t be eating my favorite foods at every single meal every day. But, I cannot deny that I want to enjoy what I eat. I wish I could look forward to food from time to time. And, I don’t want to stay away from foods and sweets that I really enjoy. I mean, I don’t want to say goodbye to burgers and chocolate cake forever.
I also don’t want to be a gourmet cook. It shouldn’t be hard to come up with foods that help me lose weight. I remember trying to learn how to make Cheese Cake with Almond Crust for the Zone Diet. The cake was good but it took me about two hours to make and I knew when I was enjoying it I would never put in that much effort again. Working that hard is not sustainable for any length of time.
The company understands this as they do most of the work for you. They provide most of the foods you will consume. They’ve already counted the sugars, carbs, protein, and calories. They’ve got everything listed for you so you don’t have to guess when, how or what to eat. They offer free consultations that only require that you log on to your computer or pick up the phone to access it. In short, they anticipate every objection or difficulty you may have and either eliminate it or address it completely.
Ultimately, if I had to define what I do I would classify as my “mystery,” it would be just a few things. For me, the real key to this whole thing is choosing your foods well. (I always go with custom packages so I can choose what I want.) I know that as long as I’m happily eating foods, I’m not ready to give up my regime. And, sure, Nutrisystem pizza, burgers, and chocolate aren’t exactly what I’m eating on the diet, but they’re acceptable, taste great, and they mean my jeans are getting smaller. I still buy ketone strips because it lets me know that I’m going to be accountable when I cheat.
And finally it dawned on my hardened mind that even a little exercise would make it go much faster. I’ll never like the gym and I probably never will. So, I accept this thing about me the same way I accept laziness in cooking. Instead, I power walk just after dinner or I drop my son off after he gets home from school. It’s five miles and it was tough at first, but now, I really enjoy it and reload my mp3s every weekend in anticipation of the week to come.
