FORT WASHINGTON, Pa., January 21, 2015 – For most of his life, former pro football player, Phil Costa, packed on the pounds to keep up with the competition. After retiring from the game, the young athlete found himself desperate to lose the weight. The 27-year-old bachelor recently revealed that he lost 50 pounds on Nutrisystem (NASDAQ: NTRI), according to the Company’s official Facebook page, where thousands have already made the #pledgetolose. Through social networking channels this morning, Nutrisystem, a leading provider of weight management products and services, shared that the slimmed-down Costa is now appearing in Nutrisystem spots this Diet Season.

Costa began playing football as a child and continued his career into college then eventually joining the pros in 2010. In 2014, Costa retired due to reoccurring physical injuries and walked away from the game of football weighing in at over 300 pounds. Following his retirement, Costa knew he needed to shed the extra pounds he no longer needed and turned to Nutrisystem. Like thousands of men across the U.S., he was inspired to try Nutrisystem by Hall of Fame quarterback, Dan Marino, who lost 22 pounds and has been an ambassador for the men’s program since 2006.

Costa kick-started his weight loss using Nutrisystem® Fast 5™, a one week jumpstart to the Nutrisystem® My Way® program, that guarantees a five pound weight loss in the first week of dieting.

“I simply feel so much better. I have energy again. My back pain and physical injuries have improved. I’m able to exercise and actually enjoy it,” said Costa. “Nutrisystem was simple to follow. Instead of eating massive portions to maintain my game weight, I learned what a portion should look like and the truth is, I was never hungry!”

In addition to Marino, Costa joins a cast of several other aspirational, yet highly relatable brand ambassadors who have successfully lost weight with Nutrisystem including singer and actress, Marie Osmond, who lost 50 pounds; actress and director, Melissa Joan Hart, who lost 40 pounds; soap opera actress, Genie Francis, who lost 30 pounds; actress and entrepreneur, Soleil Moon Frye, who lost 23 pounds; and reality star, Darrell Sheets who lost 40 pounds.

About Nutrisystem, Inc.
Nutrisystem, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRI) is a Philadelphia-based weight loss industry leader, having helped millions of people lose weight over the course of more than 40 years. The company’s weight loss solutions include Nutrisystem® My Way®, a 28-day structured food delivery program, multi-day kits available at select retail outlets and a new free app and digital platform NuMi® by Nutrisystem. In 2014, Nutrisystem debuted its Fast 5™ kit, a one-week kick-start that can help customers lose five pounds plus one inch off their waist in their first week of dieting. Its current product line offers customers the most meal choices, including more than 100 foods containing no artificial preservatives or artificial flavors. Nutrisystem® plans are consistent with national guidelines for dietary intake meeting targets for fat, sodium, sugar, cholesterol, fiber and physical activity and include comprehensive counseling options from trained weight-loss coaches, registered dietitians and certified diabetes educators. Plans can be customized to specific dietary needs and preferences including the Nutrisystem® D® program for people with Type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. For more information, go to NutrisystemNews.com.