Sometimes I hear from people who ask me how long a person is supposed to stay on the nutrisystem diet. I have also had people ask me how long a membership is good for. This is one of the common misconceptions surrounding this diet. I find that there are some people who think that you need a prescription or have to pay a membership fee while on this plan. Neither of these assumptions is true. This is a diet for which you order food from the company (and usually on a month-to-month basis). There are no long-term requirements or commitments, and for the most part, how long you stay in it depends on a few factors, which I’ll discuss more in the next article.

Many people stay on Nutrisystem until they see the weight loss goal they have set for themselves: Of course, if you’re thinking of making drastic lifestyle changes, you’ll want to discuss this with your doctor. However, with that said, most people just order food until they’ve lost the right amount of weight for them. Since there is no commitment, you can stop ordering when you are satisfied with the results. And, in general, you can look at your average weekly weight loss to determine how long it will take you to get there.

And with a range of around 2 to 3 pounds per week for many, this is the type of gradual, not drastic, weight loss that is considered optimal and safe by most. I’ve heard people describe Nutrisystem as a fad, crash, or crash diet, but I really disagree. You’re looking at around 1,500 calories per day, which is far less than some of the more drastic or overly restrictive diets. Plus, you add your own fresh foods with each meal, so you’re not just relying on the pre-packaged foods provided. I suspect they ask you for this to make sure you’re getting a good amount of the nutrients and vitamins your body needs from fresh foods.

Shelf Life of Nutrisystem Foods: Sometimes when people ask me how long you are supposed to follow this diet, they actually ask me if the food expires. Most of the foods are soft canned, which means that they do not require refrigeration and this gives them a fairly long shelf life. The nutrisystem select line offers frozen options (delivered to your home) that also have a fairly slow expiration. Of course, you always want to check the expiration date (and you can usually call the number on the box if you’re not sure). But I’ve found that most people eat their groceries within a month of receiving their shipment, so this concern usually doesn’t come into play.

The company offers free advice, so there should always be someone available who can answer these types of questions or concerns. You can usually call, engage in life chat, or contact them online, depending on what works best for you.