The Jenny Craig Weight Loss system began in 1983. The direct mail program provides weekly phone consultation, and delivers 2 to 4 week supplies of food right to your door. The on-site programs allow members to physically go to the Jenny Craig Center to obtain counseling and the week's supply of food. Jenny Craig foods are prepackaged and include breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack and desserts items. Many of the items are frozen and can be prepared in a microwave oven.
What to Look for
This is a great plan for someone who wants to kick-start a weight loss effort. The meals are well balanced and low in fat and calories, and the diet itself is nutritionally sound. The prepackaged food takes all of the work out of figuring out proper portions and calorie control.
Breakfast items include ready to eat breakfast bars, egg scrambles and wraps, muffins, hot cereal, pancakes with veggie sausage, and French toast. Lunch and dinner items may be a chicken and vegetables stir-fry, tortellini, soup, a chicken sandwich or a turkey burger, lasagna, macaroni and cheese, or turkey with gravy. Snack and dessert items include mini chocolate chip cookies, cheesecake, brownies and popcorn.
The foods may work best for individuals who live alone and do not have the time, skill or initiative to prepare healthy foods.
Common Pitfalls
The cost of the Jenny Craig plan limit it as an option for many people. The initial membership fee is anywhere from $30 to close to $300, depending on which plan you choose, and the foods will cost anywhere from $80 to over $100 weekly. This may be beyond your budget, especially if you need to feed the rest of the family, too. There are other less-expensive packaged meals available in stores, as well as many low-calorie, healthy convenience foods.
Regular support is an important component of a successful weight loss program. However, the counselors are not registered dietitians and may not have any background in dietetics or nutrition, and may lack the expertise to address behavioral issues related to eating.
Very often behaviors are the underlying issue with weight management, not the food choices. Since users are dependent on the packaged foods, it is difficult to learn how to change eating habits or make healthy food choices. It can also be difficult to stick with the plan when traveling on business or vacation, and after several months, meals become repetitious. Choosing a weight loss plan that offers you more flexibility and options for dining out or entertaining is most likely to provide lifelong results.
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