Well, I did Jenny Craig years ago - for one day. That's all it took for me to figure out that there was NO WAY I could stay on the program. When you have a family to cook for (at the time I was married to husband #1 and his daughter lived with us) and a budget to stick to, it's very difficult.
If I had stayed on the program, basically my grocery bill would have doubled - the weekly JC food cost as much as a week of 'regular' groceries for the three of us (also, you were still required to purchase veggies, fruit, milk, eggs, and other items from the grocery to supplement the JC meals).
The site eopinions.com has some reviews of JC you might find interesting...
http://www.epinions.com/well-Nutriti...splay_~reviews
Anyway...it looks as though your problem right now isn't *what* plan you're on, but MOTIVATION. Unfortunately, you can't purchase motivation - that must come from within YOU. And believe me, it is there - you only need to find the key to unlock the door inside of you, and let the motivation out!
You said you 'tried' Body for Life but could not keep it up. A question for you - before you began BFL, did you read the chapter on "Crossing the Abyss" and do the 'homework'? I've found in the past a lot of folks who start and stop BFL had skipped over that chapter, thinking it was all just touchy-feely stuff and not as important as the eating and exercising. The thing I've learnt over the past 13 years is that you need to be MENTALLY ready to succeed. Not for nothing is the book subtitled "12 weeks to MENTAL and physical health"!
I have always recommended JOURNALING as a powerful tool for success. Go out and buy a journalbook (I get 'em at Old Navy for about $2.50) and USE it. Write down whatever comes to mind - your hopes, dreams, aspirations, goals...and keep it to yourself (I keep mine in my nightstand). You're writing for yourself alone; there's no reason to lie to yourself. "To thine own self be true" as the saying goes
Another good exercise would be to write down whatever you eat. When I was participating in the Stanford weight-loss study, before we were put on the VCLD (something I don't recommend at this time - due to the fact that 96% of the study participants gained their weight back, plus some!) we all had to spend 2 weeks writing down whatever we put in our mouths. I like to call this becoming MINDFUL of what you eat. How often have you sat in front of the TV with a bowl of popcorn, or a carton of ice cream, eating without thinking - before you know it, your spoon is scraping the bottom of the container (this has happened to me in the past, believe me!). And where is the satisfaction in eating that way? After the first couple of spoonfuls, were you even aware of what you were eating?
I've just started reading a book I found at the library on Monday called "The Quest for Peace, Love and a 24-Inch Waist" by Deborah Low. In it, she has some interesting exercises - and on her website, there was this terrific article that might help you:
Quote:
Is Your Attitude Keeping you Heavy?
We live in a nation ripe with contradiction. The attitude we hold towards our own health is case in point. There has never been a time in history when Americans have had more available information on nutrition and exercise, yet according to US government research, over 60% of the adult population is overweight and more than six million young people are considered overweight enough to endanger their health.
We are a society bombarded by contradictory messages. The very television shows which promote how we are supposed to look; be it thin, tall, strong, lean, petite, beautiful, etc., are paid for by Advertisers promoting the quick, affordable and calorie dense “supersized” mode of eating. Perhaps this is all designed to simplify our hectic lifestyles and put a smile on our children’s faces but at this rate, the smiles won’t last long.
We are a nation obsessed with our weight—fat or thin, and as superficial as this issue may at first appear, it effects us in every way imaginable: physically, emotionally, economically, socially, culturally and perhaps in the most damaging way, spiritually.
It’s time to face our present reality—Americans need an attitude adjustment. All the “quick-fix” diets, low-fat foods, pharmaceutical weight-loss drugs, potions and powders, supplements and artificial sweeteners have done little to nourish what’s really important: balance; positive self-esteem; health in body, mind and spirit.
Take this brief quiz to see if some of your beliefs are compromising your health, and waistline.
1) I find pleasure being active; independent of how many calories I’m working to burn. Y/N
2) I think losing weight will solve other problems in my life. Y/N
3) I focus on self-acceptance verses appearance. Y/N
4) I am a drive-thru dieter, eating fast-food one day and punishing myself the next by going on a strict diet. Y/N
5) I look in the mirror and cringe at the appearance of my thighs or stomach. Y/N
6) I will only feel successful if I lose a lot of weight. Y/N
Positive attitude answers are: YES to questions 1 and 3, NO to 2, 4, 5, and 6. Where could you make some adjustments?
In order to end our “war on weight” we need to start measuring our self-worth beyond the scale. We need to appreciate our physical body by feeding it with whole, natural foods. We need to reclaim responsibility for our lifestyle choices and start moving our bodies in the way they were intended. We need to be inspired. Inspired is to be in spirit, which is the intangible measurement of any health and fitness accomplishment. What inspires you to take care of your health?
Whew! Sometimes I do get a bit long-winded...we are all here to help each other meet our goals. I generally hang out at the BFL/Bodybuilding board - feel free to lurk/post there as much as you want! (that goes for everyone here BTW).