Hooray to the First Nutrisystem Success Story Winners of the New Year!

FORT WASHINGTON, Pa., Jan. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Nutrisystem, the number one home delivery weight loss program, is proud to announce the first new success story contest winners of the New Year. The announcement comes after the Company conducted a national search, receiving hundreds of amazing online entries and then selecting the ten inspirational grand prize winners. Each winner receives a $5,000 grand prize and a chance to star in an upcoming Nutrisystem advertising campaign.

The announcement follows the launch of the "New You Revolution/Hooray You," a national advertising and marketing initiative by Nutrisystem to celebrate and honor the everyday people who have achieved their weight loss goals on Nutrisystem. As part of the initiative, Nutrisystem launched a national advertising campaign featuring raw, unedited flip cam videos of members telling their weight loss success stories in their own words.

"At Nutrisystem, we find motivation and inspiration every day in the successes of our members. By rewarding our most successful members, we're both celebrating their achievements and showcasing great individuals who should serve as role models and sources of inspiration to us all," said Chris Terrill, Chief Marketing Officer of Nutrisystem, Inc. "Our members have told us that nothing inspires them more than to learn about real people who have succeeded on Nutrisystem. The purpose of the 'New You Revolution/Hooray You' initiative and national contest is to shine a light on the remarkable achievements that our members experience every day on Nutrisystem and to share their stories with the world."

These ten everyday heroes were chosen out of hundreds of inspiring contest entries and have lost a combined total of approximately 700 pounds on the Nutrisystem® program.

Here are their stories:

• Tressa Silvey, 40, of Carrollton, TX, lost 19 pounds* -- In her twenties, she was in the best shape of her life, but a demanding job and having two children had taken a toll on her physically. Tressa was in denial about how much she had let herself go until she saw a photo of herself and realized how unhappy she was with her appearance and her health. This was the reality check she needed and soon after placed her first order and hasn't looked back since. Tressa knew Nutrisystem was her answer and in the first time in more than 10 years she is at her goal weight and is now equipped to keep it off with the lessons and knowledge learned from Nutrisystem.
• Sean Conway, 42, of Brockton, MA, lost 18 pounds* -- Over the years he gained weight and didn't notice until one day when he looked in the mirror and it reflected a personal worst of 229 pounds. Sean realized his eating habits were out of control -  eating lots of ice cream and deep bowls of cereal late at night. After seeing a Dan Marino Nutrisystem commercial and the success his wife had on the program, Sean decided to give it a try. He loves how easy Nutrisystem is - just heat the foods, add in your allocated add-in groceries and enjoy! Being on Nutrisystem has shown Sean about portion control and healthy eating and he can't wait to reach his goal weight  - he is on his way to an additional 10 pounds lost. He appreciates all the support he has received from Nutrisystem and is looking forward to a new Sean in the New Year.
• Lori Konzen, 41, of Grimes, IA, lost 40 pounds* -- With working an average of 50 hours week, being a mom of two boys and a loving wife, Lori took care of everyone else except herself. When her weight peaked at 198 pounds she no longer felt good about herself and decided it was time to take care of herself. Lori had tried so many diets, but with no success and really needed something to give her the jumpstart she was looking for. Finally, she decided to join Nutrisystem. Nutrisystem really taught her to eat right and how to get her portion sizes under control. Once she reached her goal weight, she found her energy was back and was able to finally join a fitness program to help her keep the weight off. This weight loss has given her, her health back and a new lease on life.
• Mark Degenkolb, 38, of Torrance, CA, lost 48 pounds* -- Weighing over 250 pounds, Mark had become accustomed to being tired and sluggish. He hardly noticed how difficult simple tasks like walking up stairs had become and even ignored his doctor's warnings about his high blood pressure and cholesterol. His wake-up call came when he was looking at his wedding photos and was shocked at what he saw. Mark hardly recognized himself and knew that had to do something – that's when he saw a Nutrisystem commercial and signed up. After his weight loss, Mark is now in the best shape of my life and now knows about nutrition and portion control. Mark's health, happiness and even his marriage has improved as a result of signing up for the Nutrisystem® program.
• Krista Meyer, 45, of Roscoe, IL, lost 52 pounds* -- Krista never considered herself heavy until she saw a picture of herself following a family vacation to Mexico. As she looked through the pictures, Krista saw a woman that was uncomfortable in her own skin. Having been on Nutrisystem a few years ago, she knew it was the right program for her and her busy lifestyle again. And thanks to Nutrisystem, she is the happiest she has have ever been with her body! During her last doctor's visit, the nurse weighing Krista did a triple take at her chart before asking if she had lost a lot of weight - the nurse didn't think she had the correct patient's chart! Krista is so happy that she made the decision to get healthy and thanks Nutrisystem every day for helping her do it!
• David Wright of Louisa, VA, lost 57 pounds* -- David woke one morning and realized that his life was rapidly slipping through his fingers. He was on insulin and various types of medications for hypertension, and had very little stamina to complete a fitness routine. He felt that it was time to take drastic measures to stop the escalating weight gain and seriously contemplated about having bariatric surgery to reduce his appetite. David's wife, who also was experiencing major weight gain, told him that she was going to try Nutrisystem and that he should join her. After seeing his wife's success on the program, David signed up for the Nutrisystem®D™ program, for type 2 diabetics who need to lose weight, and the weight started falling off him too. After losing weight on Nutrisystem, he now feels like he has successfully turned back the hands of time. He is now able to walk, run, swim and bike. Today, David looks at life differently and thanks Nutrisystem for saving his life.
• Jami Duriga of Virginia Beach, VA, lost 87 pounds* -- Jami had a hard time looking in at the mirror at herself and was disgusted by what she saw. As her husband was preparing to leave for a long deployment the first week of January, her mother surprised her with the Christmas gift of Nutrisystem and with that gift signed up for the program. Throughout her journey, Jami had a great support system from the Nutrisystem team, as well as from her friends and family. Today people tell Jami that she is their inspiration to get healthy, where two of them even signed up for Nutrisystem because of her. By the time her husband returns from his deployment, Jami will be extremely comfortable in her size 8* clothes. She can't believe how happy and healthy she is now and is proud of all that she has accomplished with Nutrisystem. When her husband returns, he will see Jami for the first time as a changed person, inside and out.
• Frank Merino of Miramar, FL, lost 88 pounds* -- Frank was born and raised in a very athletic environment, and had always been involved in some sort of sport. Whether it was swimming, cross country, or even golf, his activity level was always high and he liked it that way. Unfortunately, due to work, Frank's routines had to change, and along with it, his weight increased. When he reached his highest weight of 298 pounds, Frank decided to make a lifestyle change with Nutrisystem. Since losing the weight with Nutrisystem Frank's health has improved and his athleticism has returned. He is now running, cycling, swimming, spinning -- pretty much everything he had trouble doing overweight, Frank can do now. In addition, just a couple of weeks ago, Frank accomplished his goal of completing his first triathlon. Crossing that finish line was one of the best feelings ever, especially knowing how far he had come with all his hard work and dedication. Frank thanks Nutrisystem for taking away his excuses and guiding him towards a new lifestyle that he intends to keep for the rest of his life.
• James Frederick Lane of Richmond, VA, lost 123 pounds* -- In the summer of 2009, James and his wife celebrated the birth of their first child. His son arrived about four weeks earlier than expected and because of this, his lungs were not fully developed. In watching his son fight for his life, James knew that it was time for him to fight for his own life. At 5'11'' and nearly 320 pounds, James was severely overweight and could barely walk down the hallway without losing his breath. One day during one of his routine doctor's appointments, James' doctor told him about Nutrisystem and how it would teach him portion control, nutrition and how to balance meals. That was the turning point for him and now thanks to Nutrisystem, James has a renewed interest in nutrition and healthy eating. James works as the Assistant Superintendent for a school and is hoping to use what he has learned to inspire students as well. He even considered surgery, but he and his wife decided to give it one more chance with Nutrisystem. It was the best decision he ever made.
• Kelly Duffin of Battle Creek, MI, lost 165 pounds* -- She had been overweight her entire adult life and it got to a point where it seriously affected her health and her life. At 329 pounds, Kelly would seclude herself from the world because she was afraid she would run into someone that knew her when was thin. Kelly wanted to avoid the embarrassment of people seeing her now, now that she was obese. As her 40th birthday approached, Kelly finally made the decision to take control of her life and her health. She has seen family members have success with Nutrisystem and decided to give it a try. After starting Nutrisystem herself, she found the food to be absolutely delicious and the program was effortless. After losing the weight, Kelly regained her confidence and self-respect and is no longer hiding from the world. Now when she runs into people that she hasn't seen for a while and who knew her when she was overweight, they all want to know how she lost the weight. Kelly is quick to proudly tell them that she lost half her size on Nutrisystem!

Individuals who lost weight on a Nutrisystem® program at any point in their lives were encouraged to apply on the Company's website, where they filled out an application, shared their weight loss success story and submitted before and after photos that illustrated their transformation. All entries were reviewed by a Nutrisystem panel of judges, who selected one female and one male winner from each of the five different weight loss categories ranging from "0-24" to "more than 100 pounds lost." The next Nutrisystem success stories giveaway is slated to begin in March 2011 on the Company's website.

To join Nutrisystem, visit www.nutrisystem.com/hoorayyou or call 800-891-3215. Who knows, you may just be Nutrisystem's next success story winner.

*Results not typical. On Nutrisystem, you can expect to lose at least 1-2 lbs per week. Individuals are remunerated. On Nutrisystem you add in fresh grocery items.

About Nutrisystem, Inc.

Nutrisystem, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRI) is a leading provider of weight management products and services. Nutrisystem is sold direct to the consumer through nutrisystem.com, by phone, and at select retailers, with convenient home delivery. The Company offers proven nutritionally balanced weight loss programs designed for women, men, and seniors, as well as the clinically tested Nutrisystem® D™ plan, designed to help people with type 2 diabetes who want to lose weight. The Nutrisystem program is based on more than 35 years of nutrition research and the science of the low glycemic index, and offers a variety of great tasting, satisfying high-fiber, good carbohydrate meals that are heart healthy. Nutrisystem was named the "Best Value" of the six most popular commercial diet programs by SmartMoney magazine in January 2010. The program has no membership fees and provides 24/7 weight management support by trained weight loss coaches and online weight management tools free of charge. In 2010 Internet Retailer magazine recognized Nutrisystem as one of the top two overall online retailers in the Food and Drug category, and as number 56 of the top 500 online retailers overall. Nutrisystem proudly supports the American Diabetes Association in its movement to Stop Diabetes and WomenHeart, The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, in its mission to bring about a greater awareness of the link between heart disease and obesity. For more information or to become a customer visit http://www.nutrisystem.com or call 1-800-435-4074. Follow Nutrisystem on Twitter @nutrisystem and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/nutrisystem.

SOURCE Nutrisystem

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