I love working on my blog, sharing great Walgreens deals and coupons with all of you and seeing all the great deals you all find! I think it’s a blast! Unfortunately, one little side effect of sitting in front of a computer for hours at a time is, I’ve put on a few pounds in the past two years. My “fat pants” are pretty darn snug (putting it mildly) so I finally decided to do something about it!
I read an article by Valerie Bertinelli in Woman’s Day about her experience with Jenny Craig. I remember she mentioned eating popcorn while she was on the diet. I thought – geez – if she can eat popcorn and look so amazing, that must be one awesome diet! So I went on-line and requested more info from Jenny Craig. I got a call right away and spoke to someone who gave me more information on the program, which really sounded great. They were really friendly and not pushy. 🙂
Jenny Craig is currently offering your first week of food (7 breakfasts, lunch, dinners and snacks) for just $49 for new members! You can click on “Click to Get Started” in the image above to check it out.
I’m seriously considering it. I love that they’ll send me my food and for this phase I don’t have to think about what I’m going to eat. Have you ever tried Jenny? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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I’ve done Jenny Craig and lost weight. I did not maintain the weight loss though because I just went back to eating the same old junk I’d been eating before. I hope it works for you!
My husband has had good success with Jenny Craig…but only the one where you have to go in every week and weigh in. Going in each week and seeing someone measure you up gave him motivation not to let them down. I don’t know how the online would work. He tried Nutrisystem and it was a flop. Food was gross. I tried to finish off what he didn’t want to eat just so it wouldn’t go to waste, but it was awful. He liked the Jenny food better.
I did Jenny Craig about six years ago, and while it helps with portion control – their food can get quite expensive (though being internet savvy, there’s a LOT of forums with good substitutes that you can find in regular stores. It’s not a bad way to kick off some weight loss but I wouldn’t recommend it for the long haul. I’ve had friends who have had years-long success with Weight Watchers, even just doing it online.
I did Jenny many years ago, where i went in each week. I lost 30 pounds, but couldn’t afford to keep the weekly payments up for the maintenance, and well, gained it all back. It takes the maintenance and maybe then some to retrain our brains to stay on track.
I’ve never tried Jenny- best of luck to you if that’s the road you decide 🙂 We’re all looking for what works best for us. I started using an app called LoseIt! (available for Android & Iphone) on January 4th- to date I’ve lost over 25 lbs. It’s basically just calorie counting and I eat popcorn– and cheesecake– and cookies LOL .. all things in moderation. I’ve hit a plateau and recently purchased a fitbit activity tracker to see how many calories I’m actually burning and to track my steps each day (like a pedometer) so I get up and get more active to break the plateau. No expensive pre-packaged foods. But it does require a lot of measuring & weighing. I hope you find what works for you. I’m sure all your followers will be here to support your weight loss journey as you help us on our journey to save money!
I use that same app and I lost 10 pounds! I was 122 and now i’m at 112, which doesn’t sound like much but I’m not very tall so every pound counts! It’s a great app for those that are looking for a cheap and affordable way to lose weight. I didn’t think that counting calories would matter so much, but it definitely does! Great app! Good luck with Jenny, Christie! I would love to know how it works out! 🙂
Never tried Jenny myself. I do know people who have done programs like Jenny Craig and NutriSystem and it gets expensive to keep buying their food. While it sounds convenient, you really aren’t learning on how to prepare food for yourself or implement a lifestyle change that goes along with losing weight and eating healthier. I recommend Weight Watchers. You eat real food and learn how to maintain a healthy lifestyle too.
I haven’t done Jenny Craig, but my cousin did. She did really great in the beginning, but as the others have said, it gets costly. I did Weightwatchers starting in 2006 and lost 65 pounds. I paid for the membership but there are ways to work the program without costing a lot of money. If you have the basic principles down and some helpful tools, you can do it – eating “normal” food and teaching you how to keep it off. Being savvy shoppers, I think it would work for you! There are programs on the computer that help with the points – that are free – that can help you with your weight loss goals! I also eat popcorn! 🙂
I’ve never tried Jenny, but I did lose 35 lbs. last year — and using coupons, too!
I just stuck to a plan:
RULE 1: Exercise (I do either Jillian Michaels, omg, she’ll kick your butt) or another motivational home workout video — SIX DAYS A WEEK. Just do it (what I told myself). Even if it’s 20 minutes a day, just push yourself to the max during those 20 minutes, and I saw results.
RULE 2: Eat five small meals a day and make sure they are nutritionally packed full. (You can lose weight on a “coupon diet!” Some staples I always stock up on: Greek yogurt, nuts, peanut butter, almond/soy milk, organic snacks, etc.) Plus, with the money I save on household and personal care products, I dedicate much of my budget to my daily “fresh & whole” foods, like avocados, lean ground turkey, peppers, fruits, brussel sprouts… I shop the produce sales at my grocery stores, but buy most of my produce at Sam’s. For the most part, it’s cheaper and better.
Here’s what a day for me looks like:
7am: Cereal with skim milk (or a non-dairy equivalent). Measure it out! No heaping bowls 🙁
10am: Snack!Cucumbers in vinegar with black pepper. Or steamed brussel sprouts. Or slices of colorful peppers. Steamed broccoli. Raw carrots… the list goes on! I prepare them (steam ahead of time) in containers for quick & easy grabbing.
12noon: Salad for lunch.
My two favs:
“Strawberry Lemonade Salad:” Spinach or mixed greens with lemon slices, strawberries, small amount of nuts (I like honey roasted) and Greek yogurt (I like Dannon Oikos Honey for this salad).
“Protein Punch Salad:” Spinach or mixed greens with bell pepper slices, onions, a tuna pouch (love finding these on sale), and 2tbsp. of balsamic vinaigrette (also can coupon for dressing).
3pm: Carb break! I give myself a 100 calorie pack: something sweet or salty. Or, I just portion out ahead of time a small serving of pretzels, pretzel crisps, hummus and/or 1/2 a pita. Just try to portion control your snacks, and I even prepare them in containers for quick & easy grabbing.
5pm: Dinner: whatever I eat with the family. Just a reasonable portion and I try to not use cheese on my part or forgo the sour cream, etc. etc.
TIP: No eating after 7pm.
TIP: I also cheat if I’m feeling hungry throughout the day. Acceptable cheats: 1tbsp. Peanut butter, 2 squares of dark chocolate, a low fat cheese stick, hot or iced green tea, a piece of fruit.
RULE 3: No sodas or wine (okay, well, only 2-3 servings a week when I need a me-moment!).
And … I did all this from a desk. I think Jenny could also work for you, but this diet has kept me strong, healthy and on target for over a year and has been very economical! 🙂 GOOD LUCK!
I personally hate a really restrictive diet so in January I decided to find local Zumba classes and I try and go 2-4 times a week to an actual class and then sub in some workouts at home (currently doing sprint intervals on my treadmill)…. I love popcorn and thanks to a suggestion I saw somewhere, i just buy regular popcorn (Not microwave) and brown paper lunch sacks, i dump some popcorn in the bag and set my microwave on the popcorn setting as i normally would do with microwave popcorn…. I let myself eat all I want because I have no added oil or butter just plain popcorn (but it really does make you feel full pretty fast!) So far I have lost 11 1/2 lbs but I still allow myself splurges now and then….
How much popcorn did you put in the brown bag?
Jenny is not going to keep you in your skinny pants. You need to make a lifestyle change. YOU have to want to change and make a commitment to it. Then make healthier food choices, track what you eat (every single thing you put in your mouth) and start moving more & doing resistance training. You’ll never have “fat pants” again.
I lost over 70lbs after the birth of my 3rd child (in less than 7 years) using Weight Watchers. I now track my my workouts and food I eat on Dailyburn Tracker (there are other great tracking sites as well… choose which one you like best… My Fitness Pal is another one that comes to mind) I’ve replaced some of the time I spent couponing for stuff I really didn’t need anyway and spend that time excercising. I’ve gone from a size 18 to a size 6 and plan to stay there. All the other sizes are now gone.
Popcorn is certainly a healthy snack as long as it’s not loaded with butter/cheese/salt. Focus on eating whole foods (not processed).
The movie Hungry for Change would be a good one to watch while it’s still available free online this week: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MvAM97VDE8&feature=youtu.be
I don’t mean to sound preachy or like I know it all… I just hate to see you waste your time and money on a diet that doesn’t really isn’t going to, in long run, make you reach and sustain your goals.
I have not tried jenny Craig and I agree I don’t care for a restrictive diet and actually find (for me personally) that when I do this I tend to gain more weight because I splurge more. For me losing the baby weight, winter/holiday weight etc. I find that working out 6 days a week is really key. In the morning I do about 30-40 minutes of cardio alternating with toning. I actually recently purchased the Brazillian Butt lift wrk out (lol) and LOVE IT! There are several work outs that work your entire body. I also like Taebo, Jillian Michaels etc. They key is to change it up so that your body does not get used to the work out. I also walk 2 miles every day with my grandpa as he lost the ability to drive. This helps us both. And aboout (peniding sickness or just to darn busy) 6 days a week I run in the evenings about 5 miles. This sounds like a lot of time I am sure but honestly after a while it became second nature. And I do work and have 2 kids and I am able to still find time (most days :p) This way I am able to still eat most foods that I love, just observng my portions of course. I really reved this all up last fall andn lost 50lbs!! All that nasty baby weight still left after nursing.
I think that the only way to lose weight that will stay off is moderation and exercise. I have been able to maintain my weight by quitting when I am full; can have anything within reason in moderation (so you won’t feel deprived) and last but not least exercising. I am at the computer a lot too and I keep a set of 10 lb weights by my computer and do sets in between facebooking.
I used Medifast instead of Jenny and it really works. I lost about 15% of my body weight and have managed to go off the diet and continue to lose a little bit of weight every month. You can find a bunch of websites with recipes that follow their program requirements. BTW, I also sit in front of the computer all day long.
I did Jenny & have lost 40lbs!
I agree that you have to be prepared to changed your life & that it can get pretty expensive.
I struggled to lose by “eating healthy & working out” for a year. I decided to join Jenny because of the planned meals and the weekly visits. I am on the GO! With 2 kids and many other responsibilities it was very hard for me to stay on track measure & cook everything. Jenny provides many options and support. I needed the weekly reality check. Otherwise it was very easy to slide off course.
My advice when you find a consultant is to find one you LOVE and one that will tell you like it is! I went thru 3 until I found my perfect match. Alot is common sense but having planned menus and sounding board gave me peace of mind and allowed me to lose weight effortlessly. I know when I am off track, I can own it and name the reasons why.
They do not force you to buy the food. So I stick to a budget now.. I know for me breakfast is my area of weakness. So I focus on buying those things and finding other options for dinner and lunch!
Good Luck! I know you will be successful no matter what you choose!
Wait…you’re human? Ha ha, I’m so excited for you, honestly, admitting you have a problem is the first step! Having been overweight pretty much since forever I am always looking for what works. I recently was on Weight Watchers for 6 months and lost 30 pounds, and this was only with the online version (with 5 children who has time to go weigh in??) After a short hiatus I am back on track to lose the last 20 pounds. It’s really all about tracking what you eat and MOVING. I work at a computer full time so that moving part is very hard, I recommend working out with friends!!! I recently read in SELF magazine (bought at a discounted rate thanks to you) about their ‘Drop 10’ plan, they have a version online that’s free. Great recipes and exercise tips. Whatever you decide I wish you the best of luck and please keep us updated!
I havent done Jenny, but I started The Body by Vi Challenge from ViSalus last June and love it! My life is to hectic with work and 2 kids in sports, to be so restricted with something like Jenny. BBV allows me to eat real food, lose weight, get fit and build mucsle. I lost 13 pounds in 90 days (nothing drastic) and 14 inches without excercise! I have lost a total of 19 pounds and 18 inches, and have been maintaining since October.
The Challenge is affordable at less than $2 per meal — though I get mine for free. They give away over 3 Million dollars in free product every month so its easy to get yours for free as well and doesnt require that you sign up to sell or promote.
ViSalus has a mission to fight obesity and I see and hear testimonials daily from people who have lost over 100 pounds (one gentleman has lost 200lbs in 180 days), no longer need their blood pressure meds, cholesterol meds, or have lowered their insulin.
The challenge is easy to follow and definitly something that I can see my self maintaining for years to come. I would love to talk with you more about it, if you are interested.
I haven’t tried Jenny but weight watchers online is great and it teaches you to eat real food the right way so I think it would be easier to maintain.
I for one have been on the program and I really like it. I think different things motivate individuals a bit differently. I liked just grabbing the foods because I was so busy. I could not stand Weight watchers when I tried it, but I know it works well for many people. I really needed the one on one coaching with Jenny. It is not true that you don’t learn to eat because you do. You have to add fresh foods and you are learning portion control. At half way I think you start doing a day in your own. It is really not that expensive if you eat out already. I am going to get back on it because I need the help again.