After several years and many unsuccessful attempts of trying and failing to lose weight on fad diets, diet pills, and unsustainable programs, John and Sheila Chambers finally found something that worked for them - Nutrisystem. Together, John and Sheila Chambers have lost a total of 85 pounds on Nutrisystem.

Growing up playing football and lacrosse, John had always had an athletic build. As many former athletes can attest to, staying fit after school-age years is much more difficult without the structure of organized sports. Slowly but surely, John gained weight to the point where daily activities like walking up stairs had become laborious. John hit a turning point in his life when he was diagnosed with obesity and prediabetes. On top of this, John had high blood pressure and high cholesterol, as well as a heart condition and kidney function issues. Sheila had her share of health problems as well, being pre-diabetic and on the verge of having cholesterol issues.

For both John and Sheila, their top priority for losing weight was to improve their overall health, and this time, they wanted to find something that would be sustainable for them long term. Before discovering Nutrisystem, they both attest to feeling sluggish, generally lacking energy throughout their day, and not enjoying the things they used to, opting to sit on the couch and watch TV instead.

John said his health issues caused a lot of stress in his life, and his greatest fear was leaving Sheila too soon, or suffering a heart attack or stroke and becoming a burden on her. This was the biggest motivator in getting Sheila and John off of the yo-yo-diets and ineffective miracle products, and taking control of their health with Nutrisystem.

Today, John and Sheila are still enjoying being on Nutrisystem, and have maintained their weight loss. As they say, “it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle.”

Initial impressions of Nutrisystem

John discovered Nutrisystem from a TV commercial that talked about the foods available on the Nutrisystem plan. He was shocked to see traditionally “bad-for-you” foods on it like pizza, ice cream, and burgers on the menu. John was skeptical about being able to eat those foods and still lose weight, but he said, what's there to lose?

Sheila researched Nutrisystem further and found that Nutrisystem's non-restrictive approach to dieting matched up with her philosophy on food - eat what you want, but just not so much of it. She said Nutrisystem's pre-portioned meals made it easy to stay on track. On top of that, the meals are balanced, providing an appropriate amount of protein, fat and carbs, and micronutrients with fruit and vegetables. The Chambers' also found it was economical, saying they spend the same amount of money on Nutrisystem meals as they would regular groceries, but they don't have to go to the store and spend time cooking.

John and Sheila say there are so many things available on the Nutrisystem menu that are just as good as foods that you can find in a restaurant. They love the meals so much that even when they do have a flex meal in their schedule, they sometimes opt to have a Nutrisystem meal instead. However, they say that dining out for their flex meals has been much easier with Nutrisystem - they teach you how to make smarter choices with the foods and portion sizes, so you can still enjoy a meal out without worrying about throwing off your weight loss progress.

Weight loss with a partner

When John and Sheila would attempt to lose weight previously, one of them would come home with an indulgent food, throwing off the others' diet. So for this couple, it made sense for them to be on the Nutrisystem program together. Instead of being bad influences on each other, they now celebrate their weight loss achievements, making it a friendly competition, and playfully stealing each others' snacks. They both love having a weight loss accountability partner and cheering each other on.

“I'm just very proud of her for losing that weight. But I'm very mindful of the fact that I believe she did it for me. She saw that I was the person who was really in need. I was the person who was really struggling. And she came along on this ride with me, knowing that if she was with me, I could do anything.”

Weight loss results with Nutrisystem

John and Sheila say they have so much energy now. Their bodies aren't aching and they're feeling and looking better. John says he's dropped from a size 44 waist to a 36.

John and Sheila have maintained their respective 55 and 30 pound weight losses for over a year and a half with ease. Most importantly, John's blood pressure and cholesterol are much better, and will no longer need to be on medication.

A Typical Day for John & Sheila

The Chambers say that being on Nutrisystem is no different than a normal life. There are no restrictions, you don't feel hungry, and you don't have to work out a lot to see the same weight loss results that they have. This is what a day in their life looks like:

1. Weigh in—John and Sheila love starting their day by seeing how much weight they have lost, and getting to celebrate with each other.
2. Get dressed—Sheila loves fashion and is so happy to be looking and feeling better in her clothes.
3. Eat breakfast—Biscotti bites, muffins and bars are some of their favorite quick breakfasts before starting their day.
4. Telework or an activity on the weekends—John and Sheila are currently working from home. Like many of us with desk jobs, this can be fairly sedentary. On weekends, they enjoy going to the park, fishing, and going crabbing.
5. Lunch—John and Sheila love the soups and sandwiches, even a burger for lunch.
6. Snack—One of their favorite snacks is the chocolate cupcake, and Sheila really enjoys all of the bars.
7. Long walk with the dog—Instead of feeling like a chore, John and Sheila enjoy taking longer walks with their dog. They like to do about 15 or 30 minutes of exercise a day, which is often covered by walking their dog.
8. Dinner—They love Nutrisystem's pasta dishes, especially the chicken parmesan.

In 2014, Lindsay Burns landed her dream job as an international airline pilot. Throughout her career, Lindsay has gotten the chance to explore the world and its cuisine - having schnitzel and beer in Germany, wine and cheese in Paris, and pasta and pizza in Italy. However, always being on the road and indulging during her layovers eventually led to Lindsay gaining about 40 pounds, and six sizes, in the first few years of her career.

After seeing a photo of herself taken on her birthday, she realized the person in the photo wasn't a reflection of her. Lindsay had noted at this point that she felt mentally and physically sluggish, and everyday activities felt more cumbersome than they used to. Lindsay researched the Nutrisystem program, and felt like the convenience of pre-packaged meals could fit her on-the-go lifestyle.

Prior to joining Nutrisystem, Lindsay had tried things like calorie counting, only ordering salads, avoiding certain foods, but nothing seemed to work because of the lack of structure, and even healthy food choices were served in huge portions. She says “I was really discouraged. I was really frustrated with myself and the things that I had tried.” But when she found Nutrisystem, losing weight became easy and effective.

She says “There was definitely a thrill in the success of finally having found something that worked for me.” After so many years of ups and downs and trying different “solutions” that didn't work was extremely discouraging to Lindsay. She says “but finally Nutrisystem got me on track and there was no stopping me from there.”

Hunger levels while on Nutrisystem

Lindsay says she did feel hungry when originally transitioning to Nutrisystem because she was used to eating much larger portion sizes and more frequently than she needed to. Now that her body is used to Nutrisystem's portion-controlled meals, she rarely feels hungry, but will grab a handful of almonds in between meals on days that she has a tough workout.

Lindsay's exercise routine

Because Lindsay's job requires her to sit in one place for several hours at a time, she likes to stay active outside of work. Lindsay has a stationary bike and a treadmill, taking video classes when she's home. Other than that, Lindsay tries to walk about 5 miles a day at home or on layovers, exploring all of the wonderful cities she travels to.