#nsnation - You asked, they answered! Q & A w/ Meredith B.

BLOGGER QUESTIONS:

Answered by: Meredith Bandy, Public relations Manager at Nutrisystem with the consultation of mary gregg r.d., Director of nutrition and dietary services

·            100% would recommend as it provides a nutritious well-balanced meal plan that meets the Dietary Guidelines

·                              It’s shipped to your home for convenient delivery. Don’t have to do as much cooking or grocery shopping.

·                              If you don’t need to lose weight but you want to use the Nutrisystem Program, you would add-in a few additional grocery foods to increase your calories. To determine what to add, we advise contacting our counseling staff to determine the best program for you.

·         Nutrisystem provides a protein and fiber-rich meal plan, which keeps you feeling fuller longer. In addition to our satisfying entrees and snacks, you can add unlimited vegetables, along with fruit and whole grains which will satisfy your appetite. 

·         On the Nutrisystem, you eat small meals throughout the day – this way you never have to go long periods without eating and you will not be tempted to eat the wrong thing.

·         With Nutrisystem SUCCESS, we introduced an optimized nutrition profile with added protein in the form of protein shakes (4 flavors: chocolate, vanilla, coffee & strawberry).  These high-protein shakes help to keep your appetite under control longer.

·            At Nutrisystem, we offer our Core Program of ready-to-go foods (pantry meals) as well as our Select program which includes fresh-frozen and ready-to-go foods.  We also have a Weekends Off program and a la carte options.

·         You do not have to order Select, our fresh-frozen & pantry ready meal combination program.  You can stick with the Core program if you desire.

·         Once you reach goal, we offer maintenance and transition plans that utilize our At Home Tool Kit, which includes various tools such as the Low-GI Cookbook, Nutrisystem Edition.

·          We do have an online tracker available (also available in hard copy which is included in the program meal planner). To access our complimentary online tools and support, please go to nutrisystem.com and click in the upper left hand corner “Join for Free.” Sign-up and then you’ll have access J

·         In addition, with Nutrisystem you can connect, share and track anywhere with applications for the iPhone, Android & Blackberry

·                              Please know that almost all foods today are processed in some way, whether its milk, bread, juice, cookies, ice cream etc. Being processed doesn’t necessarily means it’s unhealthy – it’s all about the ingredients and how they are prepared

·            All ingredients utilized in our Nutrisystem entrees are GRAS – generally recognized as safe

·         At Nutrisystem we are always brainstorming and developing new products based on the feedback/suggestions we receive from our customers

·         We also provide complimentary online support and tools (via nutrisystem.com, Nutrisystem Twitter & Nutrisystem Facebook), where we have message boards and recipe centers to teach customers how to “change up” a Nutrisystem meal to keep it interesting, while simultaneously still adhering to the program guidelines

·            Our new Chef’s Table Collection  - part of our fresh-frozen meal offerings

·         Entrees include Citrus Barbeque Glazed Pork, Whole Wheat Ricotta Crepes, Steak Tagliata, Arroz Con Pollo and Moroccan Inspired Chicken.

·         Created by our esteemed Celebrity Chef Culinary Council to develop this exclusive line of Chef’s Table dinner entrees using a patented new microwaveable steamer bag technology. These signature dishes carry the name of the Chef who created the recipe.  Presently, the Celebrity Chef Culinary Council includes: Kent Rathbun, Michael Solomonov, Mark Estee, Carmen Gonzalez and Tony Mantuano.

1.   Does Nutisystem offer Gluten free products?

·         Currently, we do not offer Gluten free products

2.   I'm thinking of trying Nutrisystem out but before I pay for a supply do they offer a sample trial?

·         Yes, we have many options under a la carte ordering 

·         Online you can view sampler packages under a la carte options, as well as order items you may want to try before ordering the entire program. You can order online or by calling one of our call center representatives

3.   How is Nutrisystem different from Weight Watchers?

·         With Nutrisystem there is no counting points, attending meetings or going to weigh-ins

·         Nutrisystem also offers 7-day a week complimentary support from our Counseling team either online and over the phone. We also have registered dietitians on staff to help with support.

·         On Nutrisystem we also offer free shipping on auto-delivery.  The food is shipped right to your door for convenient home delivery.

4.   Does Nutrisystem have drinks if so what kind?

·         With the launch of our SUCCESS program, we introduced an optimized nutrition profile which includes whey protein shakes – available in 4 flavors: chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and coffee. Each SUCCESS order comes with the protein shakes, as well as a Nutrisystem shaker bottle for the protein shakes

5. Is Nutrisystem carried in grocery stores or is it only through mail order offered?

·         Nutrisystem is offered online at nutrisystem.com, as well as by phone via the Nutrisystem call center.

6.   I have a friend who has diabetes, would Nutrisystem be a good option or diabetes friendly?

·         Yes, Nutrisystem D, our diabetic program for people with diabetes who want to lose weight and manage their diabetes

·         Nutrisystem proudly supports the American Diabetes Association in its movement to Stop Diabetes^TM, as well as to help in increasing awareness of the correlation between weight loss and improvements in diabetes control

7.  How many different meal options are available?

·         At Nutrisystem, we have over 130 meal options which include gourmet fresh-frozen meals, as well as convenient pantry-ready meals.

·         In addition to the meal options, we also have the following Nutrisystem Programs: Women, Men, Diabetic (for men and women with diabetes who want to lose weight and manage their diabetes), Silver (for older adults) & Vegetarian

·         Breakfast à    Blueberry muffin   (pantry ready);     Breakfast burrito (frozen)

·                              Lunch à     Fudge Graham Bar  (pantry ready);     Margherita Pizza   (frozen)

·                              Dinner à     Thick Crust Pizza  (pantry ready);     Turkey Pepperoni Pizza   (frozen)

·         Dessert à     Chocolately Nougat Bar with Peanuts and Caramel   (pantry ready);     Creamy Fudge Bar   (frozen)

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• ·         On Nutrisystem, you add-in fresh vegetables, fruits and other grocery additions. The foods we recommend as add-ins are low GI foods.

·         Pantry ready meals (aka shelf stable) and frozen don’t have to be high in carbs, sodium and preservatives.

·         All of our meals are customized and designed to adhere to the Nutrisystem program guidelines for optimized nutrition during losing weight.

·         In regard to recommending our program for someone with high BP, yes, we definitely would recommend it. Weight loss has been shown to improve health and lower blood pressure. If you know someone who wants to lose weight, but has high BP or any medical condition, we advise consulting one’s doctor before starting.  We can customize the menu for anyone with specific dietary restrictions, such as low sodium.

Additional Questions by blogger Casey Colette of Locomotion of Expressions:

Answered by: Meredith Bandy,  Public Relations Manager at Nutrisystem

#1 - How long have you worked for Nutrisystem, and what is your favorite part about it?

·         I have been at Nutrisystem for about 4 years

·         I love everything about it, but especially having the opportunity to work with such a great team in helping to improve the lives of so many. Being able to work with success stories every day like you, whether it’s for our blogger program or pitching stories for the media or working with success stories for special events, you all make me smile each day and inspire me.

#2 - What is your favorite food item in each category of the Nutrisystem food, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Dessert/Snack.

·         This is a tough one because losing weight and getting healthy never tasted so good! But, I’ll do my best to narrow it down as best as I can. My favorites are:

-          Breakfast à Golden French Toast (fresh-frozen), Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bar (pantry ready) & our new Chocolate Frosted Donut (pantry ready)

-          Lunch à Roasted Vegetable Pizza (fresh frozen), Magherita Pizza (fresh frozen) & Chocolate Peanut Butter Lunch Bar (pantry ready)

-          Dinner à Spinach Stuffed Shells (fresh frozen), Butternut Squash Ravioli (fresh frozen – part of our new Chef’s Table Collection), Moroccan Inspired Chicken (fresh frozen – part of our new Chef’s Table Collection),  & Vegetable Lasagna (pantry ready)

-          Dessert/Snack à Chewy Peanut Bar (new- pantry ready) , Buttered Popcorn (pantry ready), Peppermint Cookie Patty (pantry ready), Ice Cream Sandwich (fresh frozen) & Orange Crème Bar (fresh frozen)

#3 - What is your one fitness tip and diet advice for staying slender?

-          I have a few J

-          It’s all about learning what foods are good & nutritious for you, as well as not depriving yourself of the foods you love. While on program you get to eat the foods you love while losing weight, but when out and about, you may come across a food you just have to have -- my best advice with that is everything in moderation. Share with your family and have a couple bites. Lastly, it’s all about being active. It doesn’t mean you have to participate in a marathon, but add in small various physical activities throughout the day – a lot of little things add up to a great benefit ( for example: take the stairs instead of the elevator; when at a store park farther away from the entrance so you get a little walk in; during a work break go on a little walk with your co-workers – the possibilities are endless!)

#4 - Have you met any of the Celebrities that endorse the brand? Have any funny stories you'd share about that?

-          I have had the pleasure to work with all of our celebrity success stories, but there are no funny stories to tell. What we have to always remember is that they are real people too, who decided to make the change to get healthy and lose weight with Nutrisystem -- just like you. Whether you are a celebrity or not, we’re just so happy to have everyone be a part of our Nutrisystem family.

 That's all the questions we came up with for the interview submission period. If you have any more, feel free to ask on any of my blog posts and I will try to give you an answer from them the next week. my Nutrisystem posts are the beginning of each week, no later than Wednesday. Please follow my progress with Nutrisystem, and challenge yourself to be a better you everyday! If you have questions for me about my experiences I would love to answer them! if you have questions about Nutrisystem that you want to ask  Meredith Bandy on Twitter, shoot her a DM!

Thanks for reading this, please stay tuned for next weeks weigh in/progress check!

~Xo!~

Want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling Phone: 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog.

 *Disclaimer*  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” The opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own. Your experience with the product may differ from mine.