Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem are diet delivery programs that may help you lose about 1 to 2 lbs. per week. Both emphasize a balanced diet with low-glycemic index carbohydrates and small, frequent meals and snacks to help control your blood-sugar levels. If you are overweight and are considering a weight-loss diet, consult your doctor to be sure you are following the healthiest plan for your situation.
Program Background
The Jenny Craig diet delivers your meals and snacks once every two or four weeks, and Nutrisystem makes a weekly delivery. You get a prepared breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack on each diet, and you can choose your specific meals and snacks or use the suggested ones from Jenny Craig. A sample day of Nutrisystem meals might include apple-cinnamon oatmeal, black beans and rice, chicken with dumplings and nacho crisps. Meals from Jenny Craig include apple-cinnamon waffles, clam chowder, sesame chicken and lemon cakes.
Other Foods
Each day, on both Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem, you eat foods that you need to purchase at the grocery store. Examples include fruit, vegetables, whole-grain carbohydrates, lean protein sources and reduced-fat dairy products. As you make progress toward your goal weight on Jenny Craig, your program begins to include days without Jenny Craig meals, so you learn to prepare your own foods. You start by cooking for yourself one day per week and increase from there.
Program Customization
When you order each shipment from Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem, you can either accept the default menu or you can choose each individual meal and snack. Jenny Craig has over 80 options, and Nutrisystem has 150 options, including over 80 vegetarian choices. On Jenny Craig, you develop your individual meal plan with your personal consultant. On Nutrisystem, you can ask a weight-loss consultant for advice if you want to make substitutions for certain foods in your plan.
Support
Signing up for Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem allows you to create a free online account where you can keep track of your orders, monitor your weight-loss goals and progress, and plan your meals and physical activity. Both programs also have community forums where you can interact with other customers who are also trying to lose weight. You can contact a Nutrisystem weight-loss counselor or a Jenny Craig consultant 24 hours a day, seven days a week, via email, telephone or online chat. The Jenny Craig program includes weekly consultations with your personal consultant to assess your progress and learn the Jenny Craig curriculum for a healthy lifestyle.
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