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When trying to lose weight, you shouldn't overlook the importance of nutrition. Eating right is essential to burning fat and shedding pounds. Even rigorous exercise will only be minimally effective without giving your body the right fuel. Of course, eating fresh and healthy meals takes time, effort, and advanced planning—which is why so many men gravitate toward meal programs like Nutrisystem.
Nutrisystem is a meal delivery service tailored toward helping people achieve their weight loss and overall physique goals. Essentially, it's a subscription service that sends you frozen or ready-made meals every week. All the meals are pre-portioned to ensure weight loss success.
But is Nutrisystem for men all it's cracked up to be?
As a former weight loss coach for Nutrisystem, I tried the Nutrisystem for Men plan and am here to offer my honest assessment. Let’s dive into the Nutrisystem diet plan for men, what it involves, how much it costs, and whether it’s effective for weight loss.
Our Ratings
- Overall: 4/5
- Value/price point: 4/5
- App: 4/5
- Personalization: 5/5
- Convenience: 3/5
What is Nutrisystem for Men?
SPECS
- Starting price: $339.99
- Shipping: Free shipping available
- Delivery area: Continental United States - Locations outside Continental U.S. include AK, HI, Puerto Rico, APO and PO Boxes, military addresses and other U.S. territories and possessions and Canada.
- Food delivered: Fresh/frozen
- Diet types: Paleo, etc.
Nutrisystem is one of the most popular meal delivery services for men who aspire to lose weight. This is especially true if your goal is to jump-start your weight loss quickly. Nutrisystem is a subscription-based service that provides meals directly to your front door. The system offers calorie-controlled eating with the convenience of boxed, ready-made meals.
How Does Nutrisystem for Men Work?
Nutrisystem was designed to promote weight loss through "all-work-done-for-you" meal planning delivered to your front door. You'll have a chance to relay any dietary restrictions, then receive calorie-restricted meals that you can heat and serve or store in your freezer until you need them. When coaching, I spoke with dozens of clients regularly who were diabetic, vegetarian, or over 55 and looking to get to a healthy weight. Nutrisystem has a program for all of these restrictions and more.
A corresponding Nutrisystem app allows you to track some of your fitness metrics and monitor your progress toward meeting your weight-loss goals. Nutrisystem offers a multi-tiered structure, meaning you can opt into the basic plan—also the most affordable option—or elect to receive more frequent meals and snacks to customize your meal plan.
How Much Does Nutrisystem for Men Cost?
The base price for a 30-day plan is $339.99, which includes 20 meals (five breakfasts, five lunches, five dinners, and five snacks). You'll need to cover meals for the remaining two days of the week, either by cooking, eating out, or buying extra Nutrisystem meals. The exception to this is if you sign up for the Uniquely Yours program, which covers all seven days of the week.
Your additional weekly costs will vary based on your choices. I would say that many of the customers I spoke with told me they spent between $30 to $100 per week in additional groceries or meals. I’d estimate that the total monthly cost is around $450 per month, assuming you choose the basic plan, cook most non-Nutrisystem meals, and dine out once per week.
Remember, your expenses will depend on your weekend meal choices and frequency of eating out. Nutrisystem also often features promotions and sales, so look for deals, especially around holidays.
What Can and Can’t You Eat on Nutrisystem for Men?
Nutrisystem makes it a point not to state whether foods are good or bad but that there are better nutritional choices. You will be given an in-depth guide on food choices, substitutes, and even an eating-out guide to help you make better decisions at your favorite restaurants.
Things to Avoid
With that said, there are some categories of foods that customers are encouraged to limit or eliminate to the best of their ability, including the following:
- High-calorie or empty-calorie foods: I always recommend that customers try to stay away from foods high in empty calories and unhealthy fats because they could hinder weight loss progress. Examples include deep-fried dishes and processed foods like deli meats.
- Sugary foods and beverages: A tough one to avoid for customers—and myself—but it’s important to do what you can to keep your sweet tooth in check and minimize sugar-laden foods and drinks. As a coach, I'd help customers choose healthier alternatives instead of candy, pastries, soda, and sweetened fruit juices to prevent weight gain and health issues.
- Excess alcohol consumption: Finally, alcohol intake can become a big issue in achieving your goals on Nutrisystem. Aim to limit your alcohol intake, or avoid it entirely, as it can contribute empty calories and impede your weight loss efforts. I’d always recommend one drink per outing—no more than two. If you do drink, choose low-calorie options like vodka and club soda. Chase your alcoholic beverage with water or a calorie-free beverage.
Favorite Foods on Nutrisystem for Men
Choosing the best-tasting foods from the Nutrisystem menu is subjective, but a few are personal favorites. Customers—and I—enjoyed the buttermilk waffles and breakfast burrito for breakfast. I remember people raving about the grilled chicken sandwich for lunch and the chicken burrito bowl for dinner. For dessert options, I was a fan of the vanilla ice cream sandwich, while customers loved lemon zest cake.
Customer Not-So-Favorites
While there are plenty of great items on the Nutrisystem menu, there are also a few selections that customers constantly complain about. Nutrisystem makes a mushroom risotto that is famously unpopular, and we can see why; it's a little too mushy and bland. The chili-style beans dinner has the lowest rating on the menu, and I’m surprised that they still offer it as customers really didn’t care for it. Finally, the carrot cake cupcake is hit or miss as customer reviews are mixed. When I tried it, I wasn’t very impressed.
The Benefits and Drawbacks of Nutrisystem
Nutrisystem offers a tailored weight loss program for men that features pre-packaged, portion-controlled meals. Let's dive into the benefits and drawbacks of this popular program to help you decide if it's the right choice for you.
The Upside of Nutrisystem for Men
With calorie-controlled meals designed for short-term weight loss, Nutrisystem can help you shed those extra pounds quickly. The meal program's convenience is key because it removes the extra time needed for meal planning and preparation.
For the most part, Nutrisystem takes care of everything, freeing up your time for other activities. And the meals themselves aren’t half bad. They are high-protein, high-fiber meals that cater to your specific goals and dietary restrictions. Given the meal program set up, eating every few hours will help to keep you energized and satisfied.
The Downside of Nutrisystem for Men
With all that said, some customers found the menu somewhat restrictive, which may be a drawback for those who crave variety. While the meals are decent, they are not exceptional. I can attest to this since I tried many of the meals and heard feedback from customers daily. In general, the meals were alright but not good enough to keep someone happy over the long term.
Speaking of which, I always saw Nutrisystem as a short-term solution. While effective for quick weight loss, Nutrisystem may not be the best long-term strategy for maintaining a healthy weight.
What We Like About Nutrisystem for Men
- The calorie-controlled meals are well-suited for short-term weight loss
- There's also the convenience factor; you won't have to worry about cooking or preparing meals
- High-protein, high-fiber meals
- Vegetarian and diabetes-friendly menus are available
- Some of the items, including desserts, are surprisingly good
What We Don't Like About Nutrisystem for Men
- The menu is fairly narrow
- The food quality is decent, but not amazing
- Some athletes may find the system to be a little too calorie-light
- It's effective enough as a short-term solution, but maybe not the best choice for sustained, long-term weight loss
Our Final Takeaway (Is Nutrisystem Worth It?)
Nutrisystem is worth buying if you only plan on using it for a few months. If you want to jump-start your weight loss, losing a decent amount in the first few months while learning how to cook for yourself, then it’s an easy way to get started on a path to fitness. I can’t stress enough that you learn how to cook and prepare meals because once you stop Nutrisystem, you’ll likely fall back into old habits. If you’re serious about your weight loss and beginning lifelong healthy habits, Nutrisystem is a great way to get started.
However, I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone who believes this will replace all eating habits for years to come. Aside from being arguably too low in calories, to begin with, Nutrisystem meals are packed with preservatives, and that’s not conducive to a healthy lifestyle. Again, use it as a “boost,” but don’t look at it like a lifelong solution.
Why Trust Us?
The health and safety of ACTIVE’s readers is of the utmost importance to us. To ensure your well-being when consuming food products, the ACTIVE.com editorial team prioritizes products that rank high in nutritional value. We’ve consulted with a team of nutritionists and dieticians to ensure the products we feature are of the highest standard. This helps us create the most accurate, authentic review content for our readers.
Disclaimer: Always make sure to consult with your doctor before starting a new diet. Any weight loss that totals more than one pound per week over a long period of time is unusual and should be monitored by a doctor.
FAQs About Nutrisystem for Men
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about the Nutrisystem diet plan for men:
How much weight do men lose on Nutrisystem?"
It’s important to remember that weight loss results on Nutrisystem can vary for each individual, depending on factors like starting weight, age, and activity level. As stated in the Nutrisystem literature, on average, men can expect to lose around 0.5 to 2 pounds per week. From chatting with men on the program, most would tend to lose a lot right at the beginning of the program—usually the first month. From there, it would taper off, and they would lose within that average weight loss mentioned above.
How much weight you lose depends on how much you need to lose. If you’re only trying to lose ten pounds, it might take up to four months to accomplish that. If you’re trying to lose 150 pounds, you may lose a lot in the beginning, but your weight loss can slow down as you go. This is to be expected, and it's crucial to keep at it.
How many snacks does a man have on Nutrisystem?
Men are provided more snacks on the program than women because, as Nutrisystem says, the male body has a higher caloric need. With that said, guys get 10 snacks per week, which can be used for the mid-morning, mid-afternoon, or post-dinner snacking opportunities.
Is Nutrisystem Better than Weight Watchers for Men?
It’s tough to say if Nutrisystem is better than Weight Watchers because the two companies approach men's weight loss needs differently. Nutrisystem focuses on portion control and pre-packaged meals, while Weight Watchers promotes healthy eating habits using a point system.
The choice depends on individual preferences, budget, and lifestyle. Both have proven results, but Nutrisystem may be more convenient due to its ready-to-eat meals, while Weight Watchers encourages long-term behavior changes through its flexible approach.
I’d recommend a combination of both so you can begin your weight loss while learning how to properly portion your meals and control your caloric intake each day. This will make the transition off of Nutrisystem for men much easier, and you'll be more likely to maintain your results.
About the Author
David has over a decade of experience as a NASM-certified personal trainer, fitness and nutrition specialist, and sports conditioning specialist. David has written blog posts, e-books, training guides, and online courses that cover a range of health and fitness topics.
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