Jenny Craig Weight Loss Program Review

Jenny Craig is a weight loss center where you pay a one-time registration fee where price varies depending on the program you choose. Membership consists of one on one weekly counseling sessions, weigh-ins and materials to help educate you on nutrition and exercise. Based on your age, height, weight and medical history, you will be assigned a certain weekly calorie intake. You are required to follow their diet plan for seven days a week and buy their food. Their meals consist of frozen and non-frozen meals including breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. You are also required to buy some of your own groceries that include vegetables, fruit and yogurt. Most programs include cash rewards when your halfway goal is met and when you reach your goal weight. Some even include food discounts at certain points of the program. 

My Introduction to Jenny Craig

I was first introduced to Jenny Craig Weight Loss Center in 1995. I was getting married in 1996 and I wanted to be thin enough to wear a bikini on my honeymoon. ( I wore one!) My sister and I joined together and signed up for a lifetime membership. Yes, it was costly but very much worth it. I lost fifty pounds in about eight months and for maintaining my weight for a year, I was rewarded by Jenny Craig with a $150 check. Knowing that I was going to get that much money back was a great incentive for me to keep in shape. After having my first son in November of 1997, I had quite a bit of baby weight that I needed to get off. Although I learned what foods that I should eat and how I should exercise, I still needed that jump start. I decided to go back to Jenny Craig and because I had a lifetime membership, all I had to pay for was the food. I still had my measurements taken, my weigh-ins and the support of the counselors. I easily lost the baby weight and kept most of it off until my second son was born in 2001. Again, I gained a lot of weight during this pregnancy and it was not coming off. I headed back to Jenny Craig and lost twenty pounds within a few months. After that last weight loss, I maintained my weight for a few years but little by little I lost my discipline and will power and the pounds started creeping back on.   

My Reintroduction to Jenny Craig in 2008

I was feeling quite down about the weight I had put on over the last couple of years and no matter how many times I tried different diets, I always failed. I just didn't have that will power or time that I needed to prepare the right meals. I had low blood sugar and my cholesterol had reached 300. My doctor was quite concerned and told me that I really needed to start eating better and get some of the excess weight off. This time, it wasn't just a matter of looks, it was now a matter of health. I knew exactly what I needed was that jump start from Jenny Craig again. On my birthday, I decided that the best gift that I could give myself was the gift of a healthier and happier me. My husband supported my decision and that very day I went back to Jenny Craig. The people were different but the concept was the same. After all these years, they still had my file and honored my lifetime membership. They were very enthusiastic about my decision to return and for the first time in a long time, I felt in control and excited because I knew that this was going to work for me. It had never failed me and although it was going to be about $100 a week for the food for the first couple of months, it was worth it. I was worth it.

Taste and Variety of Food  

Right off the top, I will come out and say that the portions are small but I was never hungry because of all the snacks and "free" foods that I was allowed to have. Most of the food is  quite good too. Breakfast choices include French toast with fruit, silver dollar pancakes with turkey sausage, breakfast burritos, cereal, muffins and breakfast bars. Lunches include items such as soups, chili, turkey burgers, chicken or meatball stuffed sandwiches. Daily you can add a salad you make at home to lunch. Dinners include an array of chicken and pasta dishes as well as turkey and meatloaf dinners. Some come with a vegetable and potato, others, you add your own vegetable. Snacks include cheesecake, chocolate and lemon cake, peanut butter bars, chocolate covered pretzels and sour dough bites. There are times when you eat your own snack such as yogurt or fruit. The list is much too long to name them all but I can attest to the fact that most taste really good. Like anything else, some of the food is better than others. It is all personal preference. The great thing about it is, they allow me to substitute what I don't like for something else. I can switch an item or a whole day. If I like a menu from day one but not the menu for day three, they will let me repeat day one and get rid of day three. In the very beginning they prefer you don't alter the menu but once you start seeing results and understanding the program, they are flexible.

My Recent Experience 

I feared that being older than I was when I lost the weight so easily before that this time I would have a really tough time losing weight. I started averaging about one to two pounds a week which I was told was the right amount to be losing. It really gave me the incentive to stick to it. I purchased the Jenny Craig 2 lb. Hand Weights and began a walking routine which not only gave me more energy, it also helped shed those pounds faster. Within about four months, I lost THIRTY pounds. I felt and looked great. My cholesterol went down and the low blood sugar attacks went away. Needless to say, my doctor was very happy with the results. There is a dining out guide that is very helpful while maintaining your weight. It lists many different restaurants and what the best choices are. It's like my bible now.

My Final Viewpoint   

Jenny Craig Weight Loss Center is not a way of life but more of jump start to weight loss. It helps gives you the discipline and knowledge that you need to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. Even with the disciple and knowledge, we all lose our way from time to time. That is where the lifetime membership comes in. I have been able to go to the weight loss center and get back on track and am so thankful for it. I won't lie, the program is pricey but if you stick to the plan, the monetary rewards and food discounts will make it more affordable. The biggest reward is not only looking good but living a healthier lifestyle.