Thinking of starting a diet plan in the new year? You and everyone else. But why put off becoming healthier and feeling good until another day? Consider the benefits of starting a little bit earlier this year. It might sound a little crazy to embark on a fall weight loss plan before the holiday season. We’re here to tell you why it’s the sanest thing you’ll do all year.
Here are seven reasons why Nutrisystem is the perfect fall weight loss plan:
1. You can still indulge in holiday favorites.
If you’re following the Nutrisystem plan, you won’t have to shed all those extra pumpkin pie, Christmas cookie or rugelach pounds you put on in the months before January first. You’ll have three months of learning new eating patterns under your (smaller) belt.
Plus, you won’t have to miss out on any holiday treats. For example, while the fam is eating their traditional pumpkin pie, you’ll be enjoying a delicious lower calorie version.
Are you a Christmas cookie monster? No problem! There are plenty of Nutrisystem snacks like our Lemon Cooler Cookie, Snickerdoodle and Toffee Crunch Cookies to satisfy your sweet tooth.
You can even partake in holiday baking to make your own healthy Christmas treats. Check out this holiday recipe for Chocolate Peppermint Cookies. The Leaf is filled with healthy versions of your holiday favorites. You won’t be missing a thing!
2. You’ll be more mindful during the holidays.
If you’re following a diet plan before the holidays, you’ll be more mindful when you’re faced with the inevitable temptations because you’re actually thinking about what you’re eating.
You might be more likely to take a pass on that second glass of wine (and you may add seltzer water to your first to cut calories). The veggie crudité will call you from across the room instead of the cheese plate or the pigs-in-blankets.
Mindfulness—paying attention to what you’re doing at the moment—can help prevent overeating, according to a study published in Eating Behaviors.
3. You’ll build healthy habits before the new year.
Having two to three months of making new, healthier lifestyle choices increases your odds of turning them into habits by the new year. A study, published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, discovered that it took an average of 66 days to create a new habit—that is, something you do, like brushing your teeth, that you don’t have to consciously remember.
By the holidays, you could automatically be making better food choices, drinking plenty of water and getting in your 30 minutes of exercise each day. In fact, you may be the one who organizes the post-Christmas dinner hike!
4. Our food is convenient and delicious.
With a pantry and freezer full of easy-to-prepare Nutrisystem foods—and access to some great recipes on The Leaf —you don’t have to worry that an extra busy schedule of shopping, cooking, wrapping and shipping will send you directly to the drive-thru. You can whip up your own meals faster than any fast food joint. You can also carry smart snacks with you so that you never get too hungry. Bonus: No waiting in lines!
5. We have never-ending support.
Holiday buffets, work parties and family dinners will always be minefields of excess calories and potential weight gain. But with Nutrisystem, you have plenty of support to get you through it unscathed.
First, you have NuMi, our free app that helps you keep track of your food, water and weight loss. Second, you have access to our Weight Loss Coaching team. Last but certainly not least, you have The Leaf, our weight loss blog where you can find thousands of diet tips, tasty recipes and weight loss success stories that will keep you on track and inspired.
6. We teach you proper portion control.
Most people these days tend to have a skewed vision of food portions. Just about everything is supersized. Dietitians have even invented the phrase “portion distortion” to describe this issue. But when you’re on a diet program that teaches you portion size at every meal, you’re less likely to load up your plate as though you’re feeding a family of four, which is, face it, what we usually do at the holiday feasts.
7. You won’t go hungry.
Many Nutrisystem foods are high in fiber and quality protein which can help control your hunger. Our fall weight loss plan also has you eating six times a day (three meals and three snacks), every two to four hours in order to prevent hunger and fuel your metabolism. Non-starchy vegetables are also unlimited, so you can fill your plate up with as many as you’d like. With all our delicious meals, snacks ideas and recipes, you won’t be inclined to overindulge when eating out or partying over the holidays.
