Jenny Craig
With its small army of celeb success stories in tow, Jenny Craig shows off its effectiveness.
BACKGROUND
With more than 640 centers around the globe and thousands of female followers, Jenny Craig has established itself as a leader in the weight-loss industry since 1983.
The Jenny Craig approach is built on three tenets: food, body and mind. The food element focuses on healthy eating and portion control and also teaches you how to eat the foods you love in moderation, the body element focuses on exercise and overcoming barriers to being physically active. The mind element focuses on positive thinking and getting the support you need to reach your weight loss goals.
The program is most known for its pre-packaged and portion-controlled meals. But Jenny Craig sets itself apart from other meal-delivery diets because as you reach your goal weight, you work closely with Jenny Craig counselors to learn about portion control, healthy cooking and eating at home or while dining out.
After an in-depth interview with a Jenny Craig representative, you are given a personalized meal and fitness plan. The two basic programs are the In-Person Support and Jenny Direct programs. With the former, you attend weekly meetings, consultations and food pick-up at your local Jenny Craig center and the latter gives you the same support over the phone and delivers food to your door.
In addition, there are five Jenny Craig plans: Jenny Craig for Women, Jenny Craig for Men, Jenny Craig for Teens, Jenny Craig for Spouses and Jenny Craig for Seniors.
Famous Jenny Craig spokespersons include Kirstie Alley, Joy Behar, Valerie Bertinelli and Queen Latifah.
PRO
- Features a one-on-one relationship with counselor
- Menu includes a wide-variety of foods
- Program has a long history and is a trusted brand in weight loss programs
- Prepackaged foods offer convenience
CON
- May be a challenge to transition from the company's prepackaged meals to "real" food
- Low-calorie diet may be too strict
- Weekly in-person meetings can sometimes be inconvenient
- Financial responsibility of prepacked meals may not be a long-term healthy eating solution
DIET and NUTRITION
The program's success is in the Jenny Craig food, which offers convenience with portioned and calorie-controlled pre-packaged meals. The Jenny Craig plan has a daily caloric intake of 1,200-1,300 and contains 50% to 60% carbohydrate, 20% to 25% protein, and 20% to 25% fat. Three meals and one snack are allowed each day.
Meals are either picked up at Jenny Craig centers or delivered straight to your door. There are four different menu options with Jenny Craig. You can customize your own meals, order pre-planned meals, enjoy an all-vegetarian menu or select a menu specifically designed for adolescents.
A sample day might look like banana nut cereal for breakfast, a turkey burger for lunch, chicken fettuccine for dinner and chocolate cake for dessert.
You also supplement your Jenny Craig diet with fresh fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy and whole grains. Low glycemic veggies can eaten in limitless portions.
A dining out guide is also included so that you can eat out without sabotaging your weight loss goals. No foods are off limits on the Jenny Craig program. You work with a counselor to learn how to safely incorporate your favorite foods into your healthy eating plan.
EXERCISE
On Jenny Craig you are given a personalized activity and motivational plan to get you moving more.
The Jenny Craig activity plan centers around three kinds of activities. The first are natural activities like house cleaning, shopping and gardening. Next are planned activities such as doing cardio at the gym or taking a yoga or aerobics class. Last are fun activities like taking a dance class or playing football with your kids.
Over time you gradually increase your activity through these three elements and you learn how to incorporate more movement into your day.
CONCLUSION
With its focus on food, body and mind, Jenny Craig is a well-rounded weight loss program that offers the training and support you need to achieve your weight loss goals. Its varied programs and pre-packaged meals and snacks offers the convenience of healthy eating in combination with a personalized plan that fits your lifestyle.
While most pre-packaged meal weight loss programs don't provide you with any information on how to prepare and eat healthy meals on your own, Jenny Craig offers support that educates you on healthy cooking and eating.
Common Misspellings
JennyCraig, Jenny Criag, Jennie Craig, Jenny Craig deit, Jenny Craig diet, Jennie Craig diet, Jennie Craig deit, jennycraig.com
Related Diets: Volumetrics, Weight Watchers, Weight Watchers Online for Men, Jen4Men, Jenny Craig for Men, Jenny Direct, NutriSystem
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I just joined Jennie Craig. I have my fingers crossed! Everyone Wish me luck!!
I tried Jenny, unfortunately it's not something that can be easily adjusted, particulary if you don't like half the food. I'm sure there are some good consultants out there but I found mine to be just a textbook case spewing out what she learned in school and what head office has told her. In all honsty, weight loss is personal and each person is very different, a single militant approach (at least at the centre I went to) will not work on everyone because everyone is different. Personally, I'm glad I can claim mine back through work so I really didn't spend my money on it as I was disappointed with what I got.
Honestly, Jenny Craig does not set you up for success. They teach nothing about real nutrition and diet. They want you to buy their meals, books, DVDs, CD's for as long as you can. The sodium content of the meals alone knocked me off my feet. It's really simple to lose weight, cut your portion sizes, eat healthy and exercise. Period. You can't find salvation in a box.
this will really help me lose weight thank you for this wonderful review i will call jenny
I too am totally loving Jenny. I joined on October 9th and have lost 24 lbs which is a few lbs. past my halfway mark. I love most of the food and receive great tips and such motivation from my counselor Vanessa.
I like Jenny Craig. I have read the reviews and find that many peple ar not taking full advantage of the program. You start out with a personalized program depend on your weight and activity level. It can be anywhere from 1200-2300 calories depending on the person. I enjoy most of the food. They teach you how to plan a meal out if you need to dine out. Once you get to the halfway point they start teaching you how to plan your own food choices. Once you get to the maintenance you can eat Jenny food if you want or go on your own. Consultants can be different so find a consultant that fits your personality and needs. You can ask the center manager for another consultant if you are not happy. I am well on my way to losing 40 lbs. The Triple chocolate cheesecake is awesome!
I've lost 200 pounds and now I'm in the learning process of the maintenance stage. I'm loving this stage i get to cook again but healthy. I have the GREATEST consultant Heather in Napa CA really knows what she's doing and really cares about all her clients. I feel this program can work for anyone as long as you give it a chance and you find your match in a consultant. I know that they make next to nothing and it is a commission based job. I went to her and told her I needed to take a break due to money problems and I said I should be back in a couple of months. She reminded me of my goals sent me home to see what I could manage weekly. I felt so bad going back with a $50 budget her responce was "lets make it work". After about a month and a half of budgeting I was back on and eating some of the meals I missed. When I reached my goal she presented me with a spa day. We cried I took my goal picture and started my maintence program. My family also started eating healthier and my husband lost 15 pounds as well (he didn't really need to lose any). I learned alot in my 18 months and i'm not done. Oh and to answer the question I would always here "how much is the food" in the begining the food was about $115 a week but they have this greats discount program they saved me alot. Now at goal I get 35% off any food I want to buy. Good luck to all of you in reaching your goals.
I tried Jenny Craig for two months. Yes, the package food is very good to delicious (surprisingly) but depending on the center and who you speak with, Jenny Craig does not really teach you how to re-eat say like WW's does. It's also pretty damn expensive shopping JC foods. My average bill varied from $125 to $140 per week on JC foods alone.
I have done Jenny Craig in the past and I just rejoined again to finally finish losing the weight that I want to lose. Jenny does work and I do think that I have learned the most valuable lesson in weight loss and every day eating. That is portion control. No matter what you eat it is all in the amount that you eat. Jenny has taught me that. Thanks Jenny! And even more importantly thats to my personal consultant Kathy at Jenny Craig in Grande Prairie Alberta Canada.
Was just recently on Jenny from June - Oct 07. Lost a total of 27 lbs. Loved the program, the food and my counselor. Always received great support and never pressured into anything. I have incorporated my own food and feel great. The prepared meals were great for me--with working full time and having teenagers in the house it was very easy staying on the diet. I would recommend it to anyone.
I've just joined Jenny, but am most impressed so far. The food is okay and the system is one that works for me, but what really impressed me is the utter absence of pressure to purchase anything and the enthusiastic flexibility to make the program fit my needs rather than make me fit into the program. I've tried a few other programs, but they all just seemed to want to get as much money as possible up front, which doesn't inspire much faith in the programs success rate. One of Jenny's programs allows for a low-cost, no-risk trial -- how can you go wrong?
Well I have to say that for me, a full time mom & wife and a business owner, Jenny Craig just makes sense. The meals are DELICIOUS! I have yet to eat something that is tasteless. I've tried everything short of surgery and Jenny Craig's food keeps me satisfied and full. I never starve like other diets and what's insane is that I get to eat Pizza & Chocolate!! My 2 indulgences. I am learning to eat to live and not live to eat. I highly recommend trying it. Just try the 8 week program to start. You really will not regret it!
I tried and am still trying Jenny Craig. It is working for me! I love the food, my consultant is amazing. I have never been pressured into buying anything that I did not need. It can get a bit pricey, but really, how much is it worth to you to be able to lose weight. Portion control is the biggest thing that I am learning!
Thank you so much for the nicest post C.N. I've enjoyed the chance to meet with you weekly and help you reach each of your goals. When another client of mine told me to go look at this page and look for your post I started to cry this is why I'm here. This program has helped me lose 240 pounds as well as keep it off now for 7 years. This program may not work for all of you out there but something will I promise. Don't give up on your goals. Happy New year and good luck to all of you.
I Love Jenny! The program has helped me learn many elements in portion control, working out and having healthier foods. My consultant is great! She has motivated me every step of the way! Thanks Darcy!!
tastes good
i love it i have been on it for 2 months and it has been great to me. if you want to lose weight JC is what you should get.
Are you kidding me? I started out going to the local center. I was pushed from the beginning to buy their food which, I knew was part of the program so in the beginning I understood. However I was also pushed to buy capsules and anti-oxidents and my counselor, over and over suggested I buy the cookbook which I had already bought. So much for remembering "me"! I kept a menu journal vigilantly and yet it was never looked at once. I was kept waiting at the center while the office manager (mycounselor for that day) unloaded a truck of food!!!! each time I went they were at least 20 minutes late with my appt. I lost 17 lbs and then hit a roadblock -- I couldn't stomach any more of their food. Most of their food is more of what I call "West Coast" recipes. Nothing that resembles anything that I grew up with from Philadelphia. Everything tasted over-spiced or heavily "herbed". And have you checked out the list of ingredients on the back of the packages???? Are you telling me that's healthier than a plain meal that I cook at home? What is all that stuff anyway? Then I switched to Jenny Direct -- only to find that my counselor didn't call me for 4 weeks over the holidays! Isn't that her responsibility in an effort to keep me on track?? Also I called in the other day to talk to the counselor in an effort to get back on track. The first question I was asked is what food I wanted to order!!! No pressure there - not!!!! I told the counselor I had plenty of food and needed to get back in the game. But there a few things I needed to replace to make complete meals. placed an order the other day in an effort to get back on track only to find that the cost of my food was around $40 - (only a few items that I needed) while the cost of shipping was $70!!!!!! Are you kidding me???? This is a big rip-off just like any other fad diet. Oh and did I mention that the first representative I talked to when I switched to Direct automatically increased my membership without telling me? And the shipping on that order was $85!!!! Unbelievable! My suggestion is make an appointment with a real, certified nutritionist. Learn how many fat grams and carbohydrates a day you should consume. Then learn to cut your portions. Oh! And, really -- Valerie Bertinelli?? I would like to know how much she was paid -- and she was PAID -- to lose weight. Hmmm would that make a difference? If Jenny paid me instead of me getting rocked???
1st time 75lbs and anything that I liked food wise tked off the roster. 2 counselor's that time. I hit long "roadblocks" but worked through. And by the way kept it off for almost 10yrs. 2nd time 55lbs. The food gets old, somethings don't taste too great, find what you do like. I took control each time. Hey we got this way, don't whine tke control we can, that is what they teach. Years ago there were classes 2xwk you had to show up for and books of "homework lessons" people did not like that system JC changed to they way it is today due to that. To make the price better after you get some weight off drop to 5 days or only do self stable foods they are less costly. Then the few things that are frozen you like won't break the bank. My bills ran $75-85 week. The the market. Eat your veggies and such. It works not every part is perfect and wonderful my counselors shake their heads at me I would still eat candy ,ice cream and eat out sushi. But I also told on myself, I never felt badly, and I either stayed the same or lost weight. Be honest. It is what you make it! Take control. (And BTW I have tried WW NS JC foods and system is better. I am more honest and eat better with this than the others.)
As a women who works two jobs, I find the Jenny Craig system really works for me. On other diet programs I obsessed over my food, weighing and measuring to make sure that I got every last ounce. On JC I just don't worry about it. I'm learning to eat to live instead of live to eat. I declined to purchase the vitamens and other non-food products and my counselor has not pressured me about it.
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