Losing weight can be tough, but home-delivered gourmet meals can make it a lot more appealing. Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig both promise to help you lose weight while eating delicious, prepared meals that you get to choose from extensive menus. Look carefully at these plans to decide which is best for you, and ask your doctor for advice.
Program Options
Both diet systems offer separate programs for men and women, and they offer basic programs, options for older adults and programs for individuals with type 2 diabetes. Jenny Craig has a program for slower weight loss for overweight teenagers who are 13 to 17 years old, and the focus is on a healthy body image, finding the fun in fitness and integrating healthy choices into school life. Nutrisystem also offers Nutrisystem Balance, a program for weight maintenance using Nutrisystem foods.
Program Foods
A typical day on Nutrisystem or Jenny Craig includes a home-delivered breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert or snack that is ready to eat or heat up. On either program, when you place your order for food delivery, you may order the selections that the program suggests for each meal and snack. Alternatively, if you prefer, you may choose each of your meals and snacks from the 150 Nutrisystem or 80 Jenny Craig choices. Nutrisystem has more than 80 vegetarian options, and its meal plans are low-glycemic to support blood sugar control. Jenny Craig designs meal plans to meet national guidelines for healthy balanced eating. A sample day on either diet could include a muffin for breakfast, soup for lunch, pasta for dinner and a chocolate bar for dessert.
Extra Foods
Both plans suggest supplementing your program meals with healthy foods you purchase yourself, such as whole grain carbohydrates, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, fruit, vegetables and healthy, or unsaturated, fats. You get the specific information for types and quantities when you sign up for a Nutrisystem plan, or when you develop your meal plan with your Jenny Craig consultant. If you do not like the suggestions in your Nutrisystem plan, you can discuss substitutions with a Nutrisystem counselor.
Support
Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig both offer online resources such as a personal account that you can set up for ordering your food, planning your physical activity and monitoring your weight loss progress. Both have online communities where you can participate in discussion forums or challenges. Nutrisystem weight loss counselors and Jenny Craig consultants are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for questions via telephone or chat. A key component of Jenny Craig is a weekly consultation with your Jenny Craig consultant, and this can be in person if you choose Jenny Craig In-Centre, or over the phone if you choose Jenny Craig At Home.
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