Are you wondering if NutriSystem is a low carb diet? Considering what buzzwords "low carb" became a few years ago, it's no wonder this question comes up among those interested in trying the NutriSystem diet.
The effects that carbs can have on weight loss have been a hot topic for a while now.
And there is plenty of evidence that eating fewer carbohydrates can help you lose weight.
However, many people find these kinds of diets restrictive because they aren't allowed to eat some of their favorite foods.
Low carb diets also are not always the healthiest dieting plans around, since they tend to be loaded with fat.
So the question is not as easy to answer as it seems because it is a little bit more complicated than a strict yes or no.
The people at NutriSystem have done a lot of research into the effect different nutritional elements have on weight loss.
And they have found that you don't have to cut starches out of your diet completely.
In fact, eating certain kinds of carbs can actually help you to lose weight faster and more effectively.
The NutriSystem diet separates carbohydrates into two categories, good carbs and bad carbs.
The good ones are foods that have a low value on the Glycemic Index.
What is the Glycemic Index? It measures the quality of carbohydrates, and how fast they break down in your body.
Carbohydrates that break down too fast are the bad ones.
These foods have high ratings on the Glycemic index.
Not only do they leave you feeling hungry again soon after you have eaten, they also cause your body to store, rather than burn off, more fat.
Good carbs are another story.
These foods break down more slowly in the body.
After eating "good" carbs, you won't feel hungry again so soon after eating.
They also help your body burn fat more effectively.
So is NutriSystem a low carb diet? No.
Instead, it is a diet that allows you to still eat some starchy foods.
But the carbohydrates you eat will actually help you to lose weight.