Jenny Craig

Jenny Craig has long been known in the weight management industry as a leader in diet and weight loss. Celebrities such as Kirstie Alley, Valerie Bertinello, and, now, Queen Latifah have successfully shown that the Jenny Craig diet works. Yes, it worked for them…but will it work for you?

Unlike the recent trend of diet companies delivering food to your door, Jenny Craig continues to do business the old fashion way ~ face-to-face. This may be good for some but not for others who prefer the convenience of the Internet.

As part of their diet program, Jenny Craig requires you to visit a local weight loss center and/or speak on the phone with a diet consultant. Their philosophy is that weight loss is achieved through human interaction and support. They believe that you have to be held accountable in order to achieve maximum potential.

The Jenny Craig weight loss program is best for those who have a fairly hectic schedule during the week and don’t really have the time to cook their own healthy, low calorie meals. With Jenny Craig, your meals are picked out for you and you don’t have to fret about what your next meal is going to be.

The one area where Jenny Craig may lack compared to newer, mainstream diet companies is in the area of time commitment. There definitely is more of a time commitment with Jenny Craig. It is a requirement for all Jenny members to visit a local centeron a weekly basis and meet one-on-one with a consultant. Weekly meetings are required to reinforce the goals that each client is trying to achieve. Weigh-ins also occur during the meetings.

Your daily food plan will include Jenny’s Cuisineâ„¢ as well as your own food (such as fruits and veggies). The Jenny menu emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and heart healthy fats. Other foods from the Jenny meals include:

» lean meat
» poultry
» fish
» beans
» eggs
» nuts

Cholesterol, sodium, sugars, and saturated fats are all controlled and limited by Jenny Craig’s team of registered dieticians.

A sample 1,200 calorie daily menu would look something like this:
Breakfast - banana nut cereal
Lunch - All-American turkey burger
Dinner - Chicken fettucine
Snack - Double chocolate cake

Jenny Craig provides you with weekly and daily breakdowns of exercise and fitness plans. You gradually increase your level of activity through a combination of natural and planned activities. Over time, you will learn how to integrate more activity into your everyday life.

Membership fees are part of the Jenny Craig program. You can start for as low as $5 per week depending on the membership program. However, don’t let the low membership price fool you. Food costs will run between $300-$450 per month depending on which foods you choose. Coincidentally or not, the more popular tasting foods seem to cost more.

Expect to spend in the $400/month range should you choose Jenny Craig.

» Accountability and support from face-to-face meetings with Jenny Craig counselor
» Jenny meals are available on-site at the local centers, thus, there is no need to wait for food delivery
» In business for over 30 years, it is not a fad diet and doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.

» Daily caloric intake is on the low side (approximately 1,200 calories allowed)
» Some report weight gain after stopping the Jenny Craig meal
» Weekly meetings can be cumbersome and inconvenient
» High cost of foods is a common complaint amongst customers

If human interaction and face-to-face meetings with a diet counselor is what you need to lose weight, then Jenny Craig may be the answer. However, due to its high cost and potentially cumbersome requirement to attend weekly meetings there are other, more convenient options. It really boils down to what you’re looking for and what type of environment best suits you.

One thing you can’t argue with is the fact that Jenny Craig has helped thousands upon thousands of people lose weight. The diet program works. Now you must decide whether it’s the correct weight loss program for you or if an online ordering/meal delivery service (w/o weekly meetings) is better suited for you.

Editor’s Note: Visit the Jenny Craig website to take advantage of current sales promotions. They currently have a lose 20lbs for $20 promotion. Click here for more information about the promotion.