Nutrisystem or Medifast?

My husband and I did Nutri-System. He lost 30 pretty quick I lost 15... ugh. It is a bit more expensive than the ads let on. You have to add veggies, fruit and snacks. I like the system, but am much more satisfied with Weight-Watchers. I am prego now so eating what ever I darn well please. However, I will start WW again in Feb. WW allows me to cook for the family while Nutri-System makes it tough if you are the only one on it. WW was easier to manage budget wise too. NS is a good program, but again I had better luck and less stress with WW. Just my 2 cents. (oh, I did WW online, no classes or weighins!)

Hi M.,

I am a exercise and nutrition consultant for Total Health & Fitness and I LOVE this program. My background is Personal Training. Our program educates our clients on food choices that will fuel your body properly and boost your metabolism so you are burning more calories. It's all about the right ratios of carbs/proteins/fats. If you want more information call me at ###-###-#### K.

Hi M. - congrats on the baby on the way! I would recommend Metabolic Research over medi-fast or Nutri-system. I lost 70lbs and 75 inches the first time I did it. I only lost 3 pounds of lean body mass and I hardly exercised at all. I gained a bunch of weight with my 2nd and took it all off on my own just using their menus. I like that I use my own food and so it helped me learn how to eat correctly. I could eat in restaurants and even fast food. No gimmicks or website or points.

No supplements are necessary although it helps to have a 70-100 cal low fat, low sugar (3g carb) high protein supplement for snacks. MRC has them or they are available online. I like how their program is basically lean and green with low glycemic index foods. It is designed to keep blood sugar even so your appetite doesnt spike and it has plenty of protein to retain lean muscle mass.

good luck!!

Hi M.,
I am a certified personal trainer with a degree in Kinesiology. Before I had kids I owned a small Pilates studio. That said...the only weight loss program that has scientifically proven to work long term is Weight Watchers. It teaches you how to eat properly for life. It is all about making lifestyle changes. Other diets or quick fixes can do damage to your metabolism...I wouldn't recommend them. and recent studies have said the it may be more healthy to be a bit overweight than to continuously gain and lose significant weight. As a trainer I would recommend watching what you put into your body and what you put out (activities).
Congratulations on your 4th child!

Good Luck
K.

THIS is what I would do--and Have DONE!!

http://www.cinchplan.com/ReginaGarcia

EASY

I was a surrogate mom for my sister and her husband and delivered their son in July of 2006. I had lost 18lbs by November 2006. I started drinking MonaVie (an antioxidant juice with 19 fruits and berries) in November and lost another 28lbs in the next three months. I have kept it off and continue to drink MonaVie daily. If you would like more information you can e-mail me @ ____@____.com
K.

You might try the Slim4Life program. It has a good, balanced diet and they encourage but do not require exercise. I had good luck losing weight with that program after my baby was born.

Good Luck.

I am a fitness professional - and would not recommend that you exercise all day long. Diet is 80-90% of your weight loss effort, but that being said - quick fix diets are not a recommended route to go. They do not change your behaviour or life-style that got you to where you are now. They might work in the short run, but will not work in the long run to teach you HOW to eat and live. REmember also, exercise in the gym is not necessary to burn calories - get up around the house more, walk while on the phone. You might poo poo these suggestions - but they do work. If you are going to do a diet - weight watchers is the only one I might recommend as it does a better job of teaching you to eat properly (portion size, smart choices). You might also look into getting a body bugg - its a small device you wear on your arm and it tells you how many calories you burn all day in comparison to what you eat. It brings awareness to your actual caloric expenditure and makes you the controller of your diet and movement. This is going to be a lot better in the long run as opposed to crash dieting with pre-prepared meals, and then going back to eating the way that has gotten you to where you are now. I'm sorry if it seems harsh, but it takes a while to put on weight and get out of shape - HOW in the world can it take a short time to take it off???

Hi M.!
I don't know about nutrisystem or medifast, but I do know that I lost 5% in body fat percentage after having my 2 kids on Herbalife. I'm still on Herbalife and now am a Personal Wellness Coach.
I coached a client, Bafi, who's a grad student at U of U and she lost 17 pounds in 2 weeks the healthy way. A business colleague of mine, Rachel, tried all sorts of diets while having her 3 kids. When she got on Herbalife after her 3rd child, she lost 35 pounds and have maintained that now for 8 years. If you'd like to take a look at this, you are welcome to call my phone number is ###-###-#### or email is ____@____.com.
-O.

M.,

My dad did Nutrisystem, and he looked fabulous... for a few months. Then the weight slowly started coming back. When it was all said and done, he gained back more than he had lost. The problem with any program where you eat all their meals and follow their systems is that you don't learn how to eat for the rest of your life. My only advice is this - find some kind of diet that you can see yourself eating for the rest of your life. I have friends who have been quite successful on the Weight Watchers points system. No matter what you choose, remember that it has to be SUSTAINABLE, or your weight will just come back as soon as you go off the diet.

Exercise is a pain, but it is vital, not just for weight loss, but to keep your body healthy. Exercise is what will help you build and tone muscle. Without muscle, you will not get that sleek, toned look. Beyond that, when you build muscle, it helps you burn fat faster. (Basically, muscle needs more calories to function than fat, so as you get more muscle, you burn more calories just doing the same thing.) Beyond that, who cares if you look skinny if your body is weak and you are tired. Exercise is what will strengthen your body and give you the energy to keep up with the daily demands on you. You don't have to exercise all day. Three times a week for 30-40 minutes is the recommendation for building health. If you can add some strength training in their with weights, you will tone and sleek up that much faster.

I have two kids, and my husband is gone for work 60-80 hours per week. I don't have much time to exercise either! I have been jogging 3 times a week for the last few months. Sometimes I get out 4 times a week, sometimes only 2. I do what I can, and don't beat myself up when I can't. In just a few months, I have seen a huge difference in my energy level! I can do so much more now before I feel tired that I am just amazed. Some moms have found gyms with low cost or free childcare. You mentioned that you play racquetball. Maybe you could meet up with a friend and plan on racquetball for 1/2 hour, three times a week. Figuring one exercise time on the weekend when hubby/family/friends are available to watch the kids, that only leaves 2 times during the week to figure out childcare. Depending on how old your kids are, maybe you could even get your younger kids in on the fun. Let the two oldest play a match while the little ones crawl around a nearby court and you play with some friends. Anyway, when you decide that it's really important, you figure out how to make it work.

Best of luck,
S.

I would suggest looking up this website:
www.slimbodycoach.com

It's a wonderful program that is a lifestyle change so that you don't gain your weight back and your whole family can be healthier too.

I was the Round 1 winner in 2007, so I know it works!

Hi M.,
I know how you feel about not being able to excercise all day long... I use Melaleuca products. They have amazing meal replacement bars that work with your stomach and your brain, so you feel full, but also you don't think you are hungry. They also have a great bar that allows your body to loose 4x the fat while you exercise (meaning vacuuming, chasing kids etc... I have NO time for a gym!) One last thing is that they also have a way for you to refer your friends and family to tehm and make a paycheck! It is awesome, and a great opportunity! o my gosh!! your poor babies! two of my kids get eczema, but no where NEAR this bad!! you should try Renew cream by Melaleuca... it is amazing! http://www.freedomunitedteam.com/MC6889

I am not a professional, however have seen so many fad diets or expensive trendy diet ideas fail miserably with friends.
Unless you plan to change your way of life forever with these meal plans, then do not waste your money. Save it for professionals like below, where you can go to a trainer for a workout plan designed just for you and see a nutritionist to help you adjust your meals according to your needs. Going to a nutritionist will help you do things that will benefit your whole family and can be a positive life change and something you can reasonably do daily from now on.

Jenny Craig,Nutrisystems, Weight Watchers are all great, however unless you have hundreds of dollars to throw away and do not plan to do this meal life style then it will be a never ending battle. It is a huge waste of money. Go see a professional trainer and nutritionist even now, to get a plan together and help you start while even being pregnant.

There is no magic meal plan to keep it off, they all promise quick fixes but if you want to do it forever, walk daily, count calories and fat intake, eat healthir choices, let yourself have one day of indulgence, don't label it as a diet at all. You haven't had the baby yet either, so you are talking months down the road where any diet or work out plan is feasible. You can however start walking now and be moderate in your intake of food while pregnant, eat a good number of calories to help the growing baby but make better choices. Start walking now.

Walking, get a pediometer and just take your baby and kids, dog for a walk, walking in the park, around the neighborhood a few times, you would be amazed at the easy results.