Back in 1999, Nutrisystem launched their website for a brand new program that gave client meals delivered right to their door that guaranteed weight loss, if you ate what they gave you. The meals offered, then and now, were mac and cheese, italiaItaliann dishes, pizza burgers, and more. So, are meal delivery services helpful with weight loss? Many things women usually swear off when they are focusing on losing weight. Their marketing, still today, was that you CAN eat these foods and lose weight when you're getting them from Nutrisystem.
While you absolutely can eat burgers, mac and cheese, Italian food, and more and still reach your goals, which is something we preach inside the Signature Nutrition Coaching Program, meal order companies often have a way of changing the recipe of the portion size for you to enjoy them and lose weight. Mail-order programs like Nutrisystem, Factor, and more, give you ready-to-heat meals that can help with losing weight, more on how in a minute, but it may not be what you're looking for in the long run.
Nutrisystem, and other major companies that offer similar experiences aren't telling you the whole truth about what you're getting. Yes they are portion controlled meals, however, they are usually VERY small portions you're eating and then supplementing with shakes and bars to kep you full throughout the day. The average plate of a meal you would eat and build yourself will be about 8 ounces of food consumed. These mail ordered meals are usually 4 ounces or less, so you're getting smaller portions, which will help with weight loss but not so much with fullness.
These programs do win for convenience because you don't have to cook, however, how do they hold up to the test of you achieving your goals long term. Plenty of people can lose weight from being given smaller portions and being told not to eat anything else, however, once you reach your goals and you stop using the products what happens?
For many, it's weight gain. See, these programs are helpful with getting you to eat less. However, they don't TEACH you anything AND they don't erase some of the bad habits you've formed like late night binge eating or going back for seconds even though your full and the food tasted good. Meals being delivered can be great for when you don't have time and can't cook, however, they aren't the key to long term success for us.
These programs also don't teach you WHY we pair certain foods together or what you should look for when you're building a meal. What happens after you're done and you're trying to make a meal plan for the week so you make a similar meal to what was provided BUT you don't know their ingredients and portions. What you were told was perfect for you ended up being something that left you so full and wondering why you weren't able to continue the weight loss.
Meal delivery services are great, they can take away the decision of what I am making and eating tonight. However, they aren't you're end all be all answer to how to lose the weight and keep it off for good.
Our Signature Nutrition Coaching Program and our 8 week small group program, Building Blocks to a Healthier You, are both now enrolling. Fill out an application today and let's set up a time to talk more about your goals: nourishedwithemily.com/1-1-nutrition-coaching