Is the Jenny Craig Diet Healthy?

Is the Jenny Craig Diet Healthy?
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The Jenny Craig diet program provides one-on-one personalized attention to help you achieve your weight-loss goals. Because the program is personalized and regimented, it is adaptable to your individual circumstances. The Jenny Craig program provides a healthy rate of weight loss, nutritious meals and instruction as to how to live a healthy lifestyle once you have completed the program.

Jenny Craig Program

The Jenny Craig program provides three pre-packaged, portion-controlled meals and one snack per day delivered to your home or picked up at a local Jenny Craig center for the first phase of the program. These are to be eaten at home in combination with fresh fruit, vegetables and low-fat dairy. These meals are designed specifically for you after an in-person or phone consultation with a personal counselor assigned to you for the duration of your time in the diet. After completing the first phase, when you are approximately halfway to your goal weight, your counselor will work with you as you learn to transition to preparing your own meals using healthy foods.

Nutrition

The pre-packaged meals provided by Jenny Craig provide 1200 to 1300 calories per day, which is considered a safe and healthy level for most healthy females. Your personal counselor will oversee your food choices and recommend any additional supplements you need to meet the recommended daily allowance of all vitamins and minerals. Because the plan is tailored to the individual, nutrient deficiencies are rare among participants. The calorie content of provided meals, specific food choices and nutrient balances can be adjusted specifically for men, teens, breastfeeding mothers, Type 2 diabetics, vegetarians and seniors. This ensures that the food you eat is healthy and appropriate for your condition or circumstances.

Weight Loss

Dieters who use Jenny Craig typically lose 1 to 2 lbs. per week, or 1 percent of their body weight. This is considered a healthy rate that allows the body to burn fat without burning muscle tissue or becoming dehydrated. The exact level of weight loss depends on the dieter, however, as some people will lose weight more quickly than others.

Other Considerations

In addition to the diet, the Jenny Craig program also emphasizes regular physical activity. This makes the program healthier than many others that do not include exercise. Your personal counselor helps you design a physical activity routine that works for you, aiming for a variety of activities adding up to 60 minutes per day.

References

Article reviewed by Leah Ann Crussell Last updated on: Feb 18, 2011

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