I am debating on NutriSystem or Weight Watchers.  I am really not sure which, if either, of the systems I should do. My initial reason for the NutriSystem weight loss program was mainly because of the NFL commercials I saw.  Kind of a stupid reason huh?  But it was also because I have never tried these and thought it would just be something different and also something useful to share with others.

Last week I wrote that I will begin my weight loss program on March 1st.  This is still my starting date.  I haven't changed on my plan for this.  You can read up on all my posts, as they happen on my diary page .

I thought I'd cover each diet a bit and I sure wish a few readers would tell me their experiences with each.

NutriSystem Advanced

Pros:

•  All the food is done for you - I admit it, I am lazy. This is good :)
  
• Over 120 meals to choose from including burgers, pizza,pasta and chips.  This is on the mens specific plan
  
• Uses the Glycemic Advantage - this measures the quality of carbohydrates and their impact on your blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates that break down slowly, encouraging stable blood sugar levels, rate well or "low" on the Glycemic Index, versus those that rate higher because they break down too quickly and cause your insulin levels to spike and your body to store fat while also leaving you hungry soon after a meal. It's the difference between "good" carbs and "bad" carbs.
• No Counting, Weighing or Measuring - OK I like this
• Mindset Makeover   - This is supposed to help you learn new eating behaviours over a 13 week period in a guide format and done by Gary Foster, Ph.D.
• NutriSol - Soluble fibers in their food, they say their deserts have 3 grams each.
• OmegaSol - Each lunch has 3 grams of NutriSol plus omega-3 fatty acids which apparently is supposed to help you feel full.
• Dan Marion lost 22 lbs - Come on, I had to throw this in! :)  I loved Dan in his playing days.

Cons: 

•  They provide the food.
• You have to eat their food.
• The food you order isn't guaranteed to be what NutriSystem sends you - I find this shocking, but its true!
• Lack of Variety - OK. 120 items sounds like a lot, but after months of it?  Hrmmm.  What about eating out?
• Food Tastes different from month to month - So you find a select group of food you like but then you order the same dish(es) again and it tastes considerably different - NutriSystem has been reported to not have consistency in its food tastes.
• Temporary - No way you will eat their food for the rest of your life.  But lets hope their education on eating right helps.
• Food is expensive.
  

Weight Watchers

Pros:

•  The Weight Watchers Points system makes the process simple.
• Variety is endless, as long as you can get points for the items.
• Help educate you into good eating habits.
• Ongoing Support and Advice Service
• Plenty of Resources from them and on the internet, such as points calculators.
• Allowed to eat all food groups, thus helping stave off cravings.
• 
  

Cons: 

•  The Points System - Just because the points for your daily allowance has not been used, does not mean you are eating healthy.  It has its limits on helping you there.
• Temporary Points System - How long will you count points?  For the rest of your life?
• Class Attendance - I hate the thought of going to a weight watchers class.  Some people may like support groups, but I abhore the thought.
• Costs Money for Classes - OK, so I have to pay for a class I dont want to attend in the first place.

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Comments (5)

1. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , on 29-03-2009 01:24 The food was horrible...after two day I have sent it back after getting an Ra # and address...yesterday it came back to me, with no address available...so whoever gave that address to me expected me to get it returned...It has cost me 34 dollars in postage....the worst food I have ever eaten, and honestly , how could we all be so stupid thinking this is nutrition...shame on you Marie Osmond for promoting this

4. Good luck! Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , on 21-02-2008 16:55 I've done weight watchers since June 5, 2006 and have lost almost 150 pounds. The things that I like about it is that once you get your healthy guidelines in (dairy, whole grains, healthy oils, etc.), you are free to do what you want with the rest of your points. However, though I could eat a bunch of junk with the rest of them, I've found that I've begun eating so much healthier without even realizing it, simply to maximize my points. Healthier foods are worth lower points, so you can eat more. I like that I can eat at restaurants, or with friends without having to worry about getting off plan, like it seems you would with Nutrisystem. I've also done the plan entirely online, without meetings. Like you, I hated the thought of the meeting "support group." They have some fabulous tools on their site and it is only about $17 a month. Also, after a while, counting points becomes almost automatic. You memorize your favorite foods and get to the point where you can automatically figure a rough estimate of what a food will be points-wise just by looking at its NI. Sorry this has become so long, but I just wanted to wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide!

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