[abaaat]

I really need to get my down..

I have no idea how JC works...does it have pre packaged meals
or are there recipes to follow to make your own foods at home?

My pcos and Insulin resistance is way outta control. Im tired
of taking all this medicine!

Im 36 years old.
Married with NO kids.
I want at least one kid.
Im at 280 right now....ugh.
If could lose 10 to 15 percent.
Maybe my hormones would mellow out and I'd ovulate on my own!


I would love any feedback or input. I've never been on a diet
or anything like this before.

Thanks for reading

[JessLess]

When I did it you went to the center once a week and saw a consultant and got weighed. You buy processed, pre-made food from them and add your own things like fresh fruit and yogurt. A lot depends on how good your consultant is. When I saw someone good and motivating I lost 40 lbs. I tried it again a few years later and nada.

[eliza422]

I'm on JC and yes, you buy their packaged food and supplement with fruits, veg, and dairy.

At halfway you start doing "meals on your own", and eventually you move to "days on your own." You basically use the exchange system to plan "meals on your own", similar to what people with diabetes do...you know, eat 1 carb, 2 protein, 1 fat...that sort of thing.

They also have a plan in conjunction with BodyMedia Fit to use the armband that's like a body bug.

I personally use the fit band and absolutely love it...but you can do JC without it just fine.

I have lost 70 lbs so far, with 60ish more to go.

It is a bit pricey to buy their food, but when I add up the money I was spending at the grocery store and eating out in all its forms, it's actually saved me money.

I did try weight watchers a few years ago, but didn't like the whole group thing. I don't do well in meetings like that, as I can't relate to other people very well and didn't want to listen to them (it's my personality, sorry )...

But what I needed was a firm hand with portion control which was one of my biggest issues and why I chose JC over weight watchers.

I emotionally fought it, believe me - I was stunned that that was *all* I could eat - yet it was what a normal portion should look like!

But I'm glad I stuck with it even when I plateaued...I'm re-energized to reach my goal by the end of this year...

Do you have any specific questions about the program?

[bandit bear]

I think that Jenny Craig is good to a certain extent. I actually used to work at a centre as a consultant for 6 months before I moved. The thing is, they're a business. You are their client, and they rely on their clients to buy their food. Programs also can cost a pretty penny, a year with lifetime maintenance (and a $50 restart fee if you quit and come back) can cost $399. I don't know if the programs have changed since I worked there.

It does work when you put in the effort and use the volumemetrics approach. Basically, you have to add fresh or frozen vegetables to your entrees to make them larger. They really focus on eating a lot of fruit and vegetables and salads every day. They do have some really good food, but you have to remember, it's processed with preservatives. Their snacks are awesome. I actually miss eating most of the food there. Another aspect is focusing on low fat or nonfat, and portion sizes.

It is expensive and you can count on spending about $120 a week on food. once you reach halfway, you start doing meals on your own, and work your way up to days on your own, and once you reach goal you start maintenance. However, if you buy a year plan, you have to be within +/- five pound (or ten?) of your goal in order to be a lifetime maintenance and weigh in each month for a year, then you get half your fee back.

Some of my clients actually succeeded very well, and I had one girl who was 18 who did very well on the plan. she ended up not being able to afford it after two months, but she took what she learned and ran with it, and would come back in and catch up and weigh in and she kept losing. She went from like 215-170 in the time I was working there.

The thing is, if you try to quit, you're gonna get called every week. Sometimes the centre director will call and try to get you to come back and they don't like to take no for an answer. My director had me calling my 18-year-old client weekly to get her to come back in and buy food despite her only having a part-time job and no support anymore from her family. That bothered me because she was still losing weight, just not with Jenny Craig. You will have some consultants and centre directors who think that JC is the only way to lose weight and that people can't do it on their own.

I would go and check it out, and if you like it do the 20lbs/$20 and try it out.

[seabiscuit]

I did Jenny Craig a couple of times with success. I mainly did the in centre program which was helpful but it felt weird in a way because these consultants were getting to know me, and wanting me to succeed yet at the same time really pushing me to buy their products. I have debated rejoining. I don't drive right now so it would be a pain for me to go to the centre every week (have someone drive me) but the other option is Jenny Direct which is meal order delivery where you can get two weeks of food or more shipped to you. I tried that and thought it was ok but I'd rather purchase week by week. Jenny Craig is a good program, I think but it's not cheap. The other good thing about JC is that they have online bulletin boards for support and info, and online chat and no additional cost. They also have people answering their phones -at least one of them, I think 24/7 or at least they used to, and I used to call in for support.

Good luck in your decision.

[bandit bear]

Originally Posted by seabiscuit

it felt weird in a way because these consultants were getting to know me, and wanting me to succeed yet at the same time really pushing me to buy their products.

Thats honestly what put me off working there. I remember one of my coworkers' clients had been losing weight and had wanted to go vegan, so she did and successfully, but the centre director kept hassling the consultant to call her and get her back in the centre to buy food again, despite there being pretty much no vegan options on the menu (vegetarian, yes, vegan, no). I myself had a client get diagnosed with cancer, no health insurance, and so she obviously had to quit (because you can't be doing a diet program while going through cancer treatments, and because of the cost) and my director hounded me weekly to call her and get her to come in and buy food. She did come in a couple of times, and when she left without food, my director berated me for not being strong enough of a consultant. I was like "Um, she has cancer. She can't afford to spend $120 a week on food" and my director said it was just an excuse.

Plus there's the story of my teenage client who supported herself and worked part-time, who in no way could afford $500 on food every month, and was very successful at losing it on her own, and my director would berate me when I said that she couldn't afford it on her own (her grandmother was paying for it previously but wouldn't anymore).