Hello Fellow JCers!

I started with JC in 2006 and lost 71 pounds in a little over a year. There for a while the pounds were just melting off.

I tried to go back to JC in 2008, but I was lucky to get a .2 pound loss each week.

Now its official... I have officially gained all of my weight back.

When I went to JC in 2006 I had no energy and walking to the kitchen was my only daily exercise. Even though I had gained some weight back, in 2008 I was extremely active.

It seems as though JC wasn't working for me possibly because of my high level of activity. Also, I ate out once a week, but ate out sensibly.

I know it sounds odd, but did anyone else find JC LESS effective due to activity? Also it seemed like JC had no room in it for even small splurges. Anyone else have those experiences?

If Erica is still hanging around... I live in the LA area and would love a buddy!

The only good thing about being this heavy again is that I'm trying not to lose my activity level.

I keep thinking about going back to JC, but I would hate to spend the money and not have it work. But, I know I need to do something.

Big hug to you all!
Lorie

Day 2... still alive!!
 

It's day two and I'm still on!

Still feeling positive -- and I see everyone on this board posting impressive losses...Candace, PinkGlow, Stacy Lee, Vickie...it's so EXCITING!! YOU GO LADIES!

Ok, during this "journey" I am trying to really find out things about myself that may help me actually adopt healthy eating for good. SO, today at home (had to stay home from work b/c DD had a fever) I noticed that I always seem to unconsciously go to the kitchen. If I don't necessarily have something to do, I go to the kitchen. Or, say I have to do something in the kitchen, I would then stay in the kitchen even after I was done.
Several times, I found myself just standing in the kitchen.

Pre-Jenny I would have found something to snack on (hungry or not). That is so crazy that I just now noticed this! I am going to try just staying out of the kitchen (unless it's meal time etc). Can't believe this didn't come up in our WW group at work.

I am feeling hungry, but what can I expect going from 3000 cal to 1500! It was like this when I started WW - I'll be fine after a week I think. Adding the veggies helps a bit - oh and I used my last "milk" last nite to make a slim-fast optima shake (200 cal). Maybe this isn't really allowed, but I needed something to hold me over.

The food does taste great - I like everything so far! Thank you for all of the recommendations! Yesterday I had the breakfast scramble, cheesy enchiladas, and turkey dinner w/triple choc cheesecake for dessert. Today I had the sunshine sandwich and chicken sandwich - dinner will be the fajitas - and lemon cake for dessert - can't wait!!

OK, all this talk of food is not helping me!

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE!!

mbumblebee

i find that i had the same problem with the kitchen - or even worse - i would call someone and be like " hey lets get something to eat" so not only would i be consuming endless amounts of calories, id be spending money. i honestly think i went out to eat about 7 times per week. thats every day! i would eat at work three times a week when i got off (buffalo wild wings... not healthy) two days a week im at school so during my break time i get some kind of greasy pizza or something else un-healthy, and the two days i am off work and school i would go out to eat with friends. ridiculous! no wonder i was big. not to mention i eat more then once a day... so.. it would always be out.

bumblebee- not sure if you like pickles, but they are a free food, and i find that having a diet coke and a pickle, and maybe a piece of low fat cheese with it, fills me up quite a bit for a little snack. sugar free jello is also a free food.

i went in today and lost 3 pounds! the 194 won the battle! they also have some new foods in. i got white cheddar popcorn for a snack (the bag is HUGE compared to the other snacks..like 2.5 times bigger) my counselor said its awesome! this weekend ill be going to florida, so hopefully i can make good choices.

has anyone tried those new 350 calorie meals from long john silvers? they have shrimp.. salmon and tilapia, i tried the salmon, it came with steamed veggies and rice, it was very filling and it was realllyyy good. hopefully i find lots of long johns and subways on the way to FL (we're driving. UGH)

Starting Jenny this Friday- I'm so afraid of failing!
 

Hi everyone,

I'm getting married on August 15th. I've been engaged since January 18th, and instead of getting a head start...I'm at my heaviest weight ever. It seems like whenever I try to diet, I end up bingeing and telling myself that I'll start tomorrow. I think that this program sounds great and could really work for me but I have never been successful at weight loss and I've broken so many promises to myself I don't really believe in myself anymore. Any success tips, insights or words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated! Also, what is a realistic goal for between now and August 1st? I ordered my dress 2 sizes too small....

I have never been able to stick to anything except this. im not sure if it was because of an "Aha" moment, or because this program just really works for me. but just remember that you CAN accomplish what you need to, if you set your mind to it. everyones body is different so i cant say what you should or shouldnt be able to lose. but for me - i have been averaging about 2-3 pounds per week. so by august my personal goal is to lose about 30 more pounds.

Thanks for the encouragement. Ever since graduating college (2 years ago) I've put on nearly 30 pounds. I've developed some nasty eating habits since going to work full time (in a very boring job)- the most troubling which has been a tendency to binge eat. I think that the accountability and planning with a counselor will help me stick to the program. The biggest issue I have is believing that I can do it- has anyone else had issues here with confidence when starting a diet, and was JC helpful in this regard? Any tips/inspirational stories would be appreciated!

Jenny Craig
 

How expensive is Jenny Craig? Can anyone help me with this? I need to lose about 80 lbs!

I say go for it!
 

Dear E - you will totally be able to stick to Jenny! Ok, so this is still my first week, only day 6 -- but I can honestly say that Jenny is by far the easiest weight loss plan I've tried...and over the years I've tried quite a few!! South Beach, Fat Flush, WW etc.

Here is my opinion on Jenny...

-the food is very convenient (no planning, shopping, cooking etc.) -- for me this is a huge plus, since I work full time and have 2 small kids so I never have "spare time". I am finding that I feel more relaxed knowing my meals are already done (at least for me). Usually on a diet I feel insane like I have to think about food 24-7 (what to eat, what not to eat, what will I make, how many calories is it ...blah blah blah). It really would drive me crazy & I'd end up cranky. W/jenny it's not like that at all. Now I'm like "I can't wait for the fish & chips and chocolate brownie!"

-it's TASTY! It's real food - just smaller portions. I love having a REAL dessert at the end of the day! I never would have allowed myself that when I was on WW. OMG triple choc cheesecake!! Oh yes, it's real!

-Price - Food quality is important to me. So, when I decided I needed to find a weight loss plan I looked into the diet delivery services. There are several out there that look very good -- but they are extremely expensive (like at least my entire grocery bill for a family of 4). Yes, Jenny is more expensive than Nutrisystem -- but my coworker is currently using NS, and neither she nor I consider it real food. The other day she had a freeze-dried hamburger patty -- it was DISGUSTING. She actually told me that she feels like she is losing more weight b/c she barely wants to even finish the food (even though the portions look much smaller then my JC entrees).

So I say GO FOR IT!!

I too had a problem w/binge-eating. I didn't really have a plan for my meals so I would just eat EVERYTHING while I was making meals for my kids etc. Not healthy at all. This week I have not binged ONCE!! I didn't even want to! It helps have your meal already planned. This week I ate dinner actually sitting down, then dessert w/coffee or tea - it was nice! Like a treat!

PINK - CONGRATS!! That is aweome, I can't wait to hit ONEDERLAND!! Have you tried the JC salmon? I think I'm going to pick that one up this week and give it a try. Thanks for the tip on LJS-- I'll keep that one in my hip pocket! I like pickles too! OK, I'll have to give that a try!
Have fun in FL - we are going in June to seacrest (near Destin)...and there is a Jenny center nearby so I can get my food ;-) We will be there for a full week in a house so I figure I might as well.

I'll post tomorrow nite - I go for my 1st week weigh-in tomorrow!!! Crossing my fingers!!

:) mbumblebee

Thanks so much for the advice. MY first meeting went really well and I think this will work- I am very excited.
One potential obstacle I am worried about is just being able to space meals appropriately. I often get hungry and eat my midmorning snack with my breakfast or eat lunch at like 1030 or something, which sets me up for problems later in the afternoon. I have a plan mapped out, but I want to make sure I stick to it. What times do you (anyone reading this on Jenny) use for your meals and snacks? What strategies do you use, if any, to delay eating if you're feeling hungry?

ROCKED my first week! (long)
 

HEY ALL!

I just had my first week weigh-in and I lost 7lbs!! FABULOUS! *Results not typical*
HA I just had to add that in -- can you tell I've been reading the success stories on the JC site? I crack myself up!

Anyway - it was my first week, so you know how you lose a bunch of water etc. PLUS, I was totally pms-bloating when I got weighed last week so that makes it look like more of a loss. BUT impressive none-the-less.

I should also add that I did go to happy hour on thurs and had two margaritas (IMO they were super tiny on the rocks, but I know they are full of sugar). At first I was stressing and planned on only having iced tea. BUT in the past I have been way too restrictive on diets (WW) which then makes me obsessed with food. This always backfires - and I end up bingeing and quitting all together. This time, I am going to do this the right way and even have the occasional splurge and not constantly obsess about food.

E - Congrats on your first meeting!! It's so exciting!!

This is how I am spacing my meals. For me the worst was the first two days -- so it's better to have some diversions (work, projects, errands -- anything that kept me from thinking about eating). Posting on the website works, also reading the stories on JC.com was good.

I typically eat breakfast around 7:30 - I use my morning fruit serving for orange juice, but you could totally eat fruit. THEN I drink a HUGE coffee on the way to work (w/splenda and a little sugar-free torani vanilla syrup, soy milk and a tiny bit of half and half). This is kinda helps fill me in the morning. I don't like the anytime bars so this past week I ate fruit and a lite yogurt (alternated lite string cheese or sf pudding -- now ok per my centre) for my mid-morning snack around 10:30am. ALSO I made sure to drink a FULL bottle of water.

I typically eat lunch around 1pm or so (after the noon rush in my office). After lunch I would typically want something sweet - so that is when I would bust out the crystal lite packets and mix up a Morning Sunrise drink. Then it was fruit (typically fruit salad for me) again in the afternoon. I am INSANELY hungry at 3pm. I bought a pack of fruity sf gum - I think it's extra. The funny thing is that on the package it has some kind of promotion with the Biggest Loser called the "3pm Snackdown" where you are supposed to eat gum instead of a snack. That kinda makes me feel better like EVERYONE is hungry at 3! Plus "snackdown" just makes me laugh! I have to chew like 3 sticks of it b/c I'm so muchy. Anyway, then I make another Crystal lite (typically use the other half of the packet since I think those are too strong anyway). That would get me to 5:30 when it was time to leave the office.

Then it's pick up the kids and make dinner. I eat my dinner then my dessert right after-- I can't stand to wait (and I've tried and actually made it like 2 minutes) -- it's the best part of the day!! Also this gives me a full-satisfied feeling for a while. Then I have some more coffee to finish off the nite.

I think having hot coffee or tea helps.

And don't worry - it gets easier by the day!

HEY I just found a great substitute for the ANYTIME bar and I couldn't wait to tell you guys!! Saturday while we were at the girls' swimming lessons at the YMCA - they were having a "healthy kids" fair with games and activities. They were giving out "Z-bars" which are Cliff Bars for kids. My husband ate one and thought it tasted great - so I checked the nutritional info, and it is very similar to the Anytime Bar, but less protein and more fiber (so I'm gonna call it an even trade). Calories are 120-130 whereas the ATbar is 110. BUT let me tell you these bars are DELICIOUS!! I bought some at the grocery store to try -- they are JUST AWESOME (and made with all natural ingredients). I've tried the chocolate brownie and the chocolate chip, both are fantastic. I am going to be rotating these with my yogurt and SF pudding for sure. Also, I've heard some people use Pria bars - those are good too- but I think the Zbars have more protein & fiber.

After my first week, I am completely 100% sure that Jenny is the right plan for me! It's so much easier to follow than WW, and so convenient. When I went to the center today, I felt really positive (even b/4 getting weighed) - like I was finally doing something to take care of myself. Prior to joining, I only used food to "care" for myself since it was something I could do WHILE taking care of my kids etc. It's like I am re-learning what it really means to take care of myself.


*PINK - I hope you are having a blast in FL, the weather here was pretty good yesterday, but today it's raining.

I hope everyone has a great week!! Thanks for being here!

:hug: mbumblebee

For COYBUG - Jenny costs
 

Hi Coybug -

I think there is a promotion where you can join and only pay $20 for 20 lbs (or something similar) plus cost of food. The food will vary depending on which entrees you choose, but for me it's around $130. I don't buy the Jenny supplements or the anytime bars, so that would be more.

I joined with a premium membership -- which is kinda like a lifetime membership where you can renew each year for a nominal fee (I think they said $30). Anyway, This membership was $400 - but if you have insurance, they can give you a discount (I got 20% off for Aetna). Also I know some major employers get discounts too - up to 25% according to the Jenny website.
I picked the premium membership b/c it came with little incentives --they gave me $50 off my first food order, then I get another $50 off when I reach my goal then they give me half of the money back when I maintain for a year or something like that. I want to lose 60 lbs, so the 20 lb promotion wasn't going to cut it for me. I plan on being on Jenny for quite a while so I needed something long-term.
Previously, they offered a plan that didn 't give $ back, but gave discounts on the food. I really wanted that plan b/c I heard that after a while it was like 30% off food! If you are on it for a while, that could add up to real savings!! But, when I went in last week, they said that plan is no longer offered.

Anyway, I say it's worth it to go in and check out all the plan options to see if one will work w/your needs.

Good luck,
mbumblebee

hey guys i am back from florida. talk about a trip FROM ****. i went down there because my best friend was moving so i drove with her to help her move all her stuff and then flew back. before we even left IL a fuse blew in the car that we needed so the navigation system could be plugged in because it only stays charged for 2 hours. so we sat at a gas station for a half hour trying to figure that out, by the time we got to kentucky we got stuck in a two hour bumper to bumper traffic jam. Finally we make it to tennesse, only one more state to go until we could stop and rest!!!! except for the fact that the only road leading into north carolina was closed, so we were re-routed by the navigator in a giant circle, this set us back about another 2 hours. it ended up taking 24 hours to get to north carolina which should have only taken 12 hours. finally we get there and get about 3 hours of sleep, until we head out to florida. we then leave north carolina, hit a pot hole and half a flat tire and bent rim, so we sat at a gas station for three hours until we could get it fixed. finally... we make it on our way. we get to florida at about 6am where i got to sleep on a pull out bed that shouldnt be called a bed. the mattress was a whole two inches thick. i have back problems as it is, so my back hurt for 2 days, until today when i flew back home. i took a late flight (11pm) so i could spend a little more time with my friend. as luck would have it, my flight was delayed 2 hours. the airplane was the most ridiculous cramped space ive ever been in. i am 5'11 and my knees did not even fit in the seat, so i sat with them in the aisle because there was literally four inches between my seat and the seat infront of me. my other friend who also came to help our friend move, was with me and her boyfriend was suppose to pick us up from the airport. her boyfriend decided to go to the bar instead and got to drunk. so some girl we know had to come pick us up. where i had to sit in the back of a two seater car. again with no space. it is now 5am. i am finally home. to top it all off. i gained a pound this week.

EDIT: SO funny story. if you read the above then you know my week hasnt been the best of weeks. guess what! its not done yet! some great loving person decided it would be fun to through a brick through my windshield. isnt that just AWESOME!

back again on JC
 

hello everyone. I stopped going to JC because I couldn't afford it. Then one of my patients came in..she lost 75lbs with JC and is now a consultant! She looks great. I told her my dilemma with the weekly food cost. So I have switched somethings..I eat a slimfast food bar 220 cal for breakfast..this keeps me full. Then I have a ff yogurt and fruit before lunch. So I am just buying lunch and dinners. It is not so bad. 2 weeks 5lbs down so far. My consultant says exercise is the key..she really advocate fast paced walking or just moving as much as you can. I try to get off the couch more now and am doing Jazzercise 3 days a week..and walks on the other days.

Hello Everyone!

I just signed up for JC on Wednesday, and started the food plan today. So far, I liked the food. I had the turkey burger for lunch, and will have the pizza for dinner.

I can't wait til next Thursday when I go for my first WI, to see if this will work for me. I've tried other programs (LA Weight Loss, Weight Watchers), but I have a problem with committment and sticking to any weight loss program, even though I desperately need to.

I look forward to chatting with everybody, and hearing lots of tips!!

Hey Chicks! I'm starting a new thread for us since this one is getting long. I'll call it Jenny Craig Chat.