New--Cant Decide-Jenny or Nutrisystem???

  • Hi Everyone!

    I've finally decided that I CAN get skinny again! I have 2 kids, am 23 years old and refuse to live the rest of my life being depressed about my weight. My only problems is that I can't decide between Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem...I need to lose 30 lbs to get where I am happy. I'm afraid of getting off Nutrisystem and not knowing what to buy or make for meals. On the other hand Jenny Craig is more expensive...I have a few friends who have lost a lot of weight on Jenny but have never met anyone who has lost weight on Nutrisystem. Any help would be greatly appreciated...I'm looking to start this weight loss journey ASAP and am just wasting days trying to figure out which one to go with!

    Thanks!

    Emmy
  • Hi and welcome to 3FC!

    I haven't used either plan so I can't help there. Here's a link to the forums for those who do use those plans if you want to check it out - http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/diet...craig-etc-194/

    Good luck with your goals.

    Hugs
    Michelle
  • We don't have a Nutrisystem location near here so I don't know if they have any frozen meals. Overall I preferred Jenny Craig because I think the frozen meals taste better than the shelf stable ones.

    That being said I prefer WW. They teach you how to eat regular food so when you lose all your weight you can easily transition to maintenance.
  • i haven't done Jenny but a friend and I did do N/S for awhile 2 years ago. We both lost weight.

    However, the food - especially the shelf-stable entrees and the just-add-hot-water cups, IMO - is pretty nasty, not to mention ridiculously expensive. I'd advise, before you take a big plunge and join the program officially, to buy some of the food on Ebay to try it out and see if it's something you can see yourself being happy with. There's always people on Ebay who have tried the program, quit and want to get rid of their food.

    That's what I did. In any event, it'll allow you to try the food w/o making a big $$$ commitment.

    My taste standards aren't gourmet, I'll admit: I'm the original junk-food junkie and have eaten my share of Lean Cuisines and frozen WWs meals, nutrition bars, etc. I stuck it out with the N/S food for 2-3 months, but that's about all I could stand and then I re-sold the remainder on Ebay or threw it away.

    The good part of the program is they do have very active user forums on their Web site with lots of advice, tips and recipes for doctoring up the food to make it more palatable.

    Just my two cents...
  • I just had to chime in here. Sorry.

    I did jenny many yrs ago when I was just a bit younger then you. It helped me lose the vanity 15 lbs and I looked great. I did it without exersize and without having a clue.

    Jenny is very sales oriented. They taught me nothing practical about nutrition or maintaining or how to deal with food in the real world.

    I gained the weight back quickly. I was ill equipted to deal with the possibility of gaining it back and that led to years of looking for another quick fix. I ended up fatter then I ever imagined-up 92 pounds from my low weight.


    Anyway, if you do decide to go with one of the prepackaged programs, really do your homework. Set yourself up for success and try and learn about nutrition and how to transition off. These programs kind of leave you flat after you've lost the weight.

    Another problem with these programs is that in an attempt to sell people on their product, their food revolves a lot around comfort foods. This makes it extra hard to transition off when your used to eating fettucine alfredo mac and cheese and pizza all week. Your tastes don't get a chance to start actually preferring healthy food.

    You will most likely lose weight on either plan as they both are just restricting calories. I hear the food is better with jenny, I also remeber it being okay.

    Good luck, and I am sorry to be so negative but my experience was bad, I also have 3 friends (4 if you count kristy) who have done the program and gained all the weight back (plus some).
  • I am in total agreement with thisisnotatest, and what she wrote. I did Jenny years ago - twice - I might add. I spent alot of money, lost a little weight, I think 10 lbs over a couple of months and gained it right back. They taught me nothing about nutrition, healthy eating or anything. It was mainly 'sales' because they do work on commission. The food was good, taste wise, however you can do the same thing buying Lean Cuisine's at your grocer and save a ton of money. I had a friend do Nutrisystem (basically they same thing), and she did it for many, many months, but the same scenerio - gained it back.

    I have done probably every program out there, and what works for me is counting calories, and moving more. I have read alot of of books too to help my knowledge. Sorry, but wanted to be honest with you.
  • Welcome and good luck with whatever you decide!