I get a lot of questions about what life is like with Nutrisystem and what results are typical. To that end, I get a lot of questions about how quickly the diet works. People want to know how much weight they will lose in a week, in a month, or in a year. I will try to answer these concerns in the following article.
Nutrisystem Typical Weekly Weight Loss:If you look at the company’s website, you’ll see that they tell you that 2-3 pounds a week is average. However, if you spend any time reading blogs or forums, you’ll see that there is a subset of dieters who lose around 5 pounds per week. So what separates 2-pounders from 5-pounders? I’ll discuss this later, but now I’ll tell you that really how fast the pounds start to melt off is largely dependent on how fast you can get your body into ketosis.
See, actually, Nutrisystem is a kind of low-carb diet. All 120 foods are high in protein and low in carbohydrates. The company calls this “glycemic friendly,” but what it really means is that you’re forcing your body to eat fat instead of carbs. When your body starts to do this, it’s called ketosis and that’s when you start to see fairly rapid weight loss.
Ok, now let’s add this. 2-3 pounds a week many may not sound like much, but they can really add up to 8-12 pounds a month and 96-144 pounds a year. But, if you can get into the five-pound range, you’ll obviously get there in about half the time.
Nutrisystem Accelerate Weight Loss: Many people who want quick results will be tempted to skip meals. This is a serious mistake. I understand why this seems like a good idea. You think you will consume fewer calories and therefore lose weight more quickly. But in reality, you need to eat regularly and often to keep your metabolism going and stay in ketosis. All foods are very “safe” so there is no reason to skip them.
Another thing you can do is really look at what foods and sides you’re adding. The company asks you to add dairy, fruit, or vegetables to each of your meals. They give you very specific instructions for this. But you can do your part by choosing foods that have a very low glycemic index. There are lists you can get on the Internet to help you with this. Try to choose side dishes that are high in high-quality protein and low in sugar. This will ensure that you easily stay in fat burning mode because once you get out of it, it takes about three days to get back in the zone again. (You can validate this with ketone strips.)
Finally, while you don’t want to overdo it while your body is adjusting to the high protein content, you can do moderate exercise. I wouldn’t go crazy, but just walking or cycling will burn a few more calories in a healthy and gentle way. Even 50 to 100 more calories burned per day can make a difference in what the scale says at the end of the week.