My Jenny Craig two week trial review!

I thought I would share my thoughts about the Jenny Craig diet plan that I recently tried for 2 weeks. I had to stop halfway through as I went on a surprise last minute holiday so I continued with it once I was back, hence my late posting! So Jenny Craig is a programme where you have diet meals delivered directly to your house. The idea is that the plan is tailored to be the right calorie intake for you to lose weight and also to help you gain positive eating habits.

So firstly I had to call and speak with a consultant from Jenny Craig. They were super friendly and just went through the diet with me, asking me what things I liked or disliked to eat so as to get me the right kind of foods. They do ask your height and weight so as to tailor the calorie intake to your specific needs too and as I only wanted to lose a couple of pounds they put me on a lower calorie plan. When the box came I have to admit I was overwhelmed! It was a huge box filled with so much food I couldn’t believe it was just 2 weeks worth! Once I looked through the box I saw they had obviously put the food into sections which was very helpful! I also noticed the big file which had lots and lots of information about Jenny Craig. It was a tad daunting at first as the file included lots of charts and questionnaire sections for you to work through, I have to say though it was all very motivational and you can see a lot of time had gone into creating the files. I had a breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack per day and these were all included in my pack. The meal planner came in the post the next day and this just gave your daily plan for all your meals so as to make it easier for you to know what to eat. I was definitely impressed with the amount included in the box! You also got the support of your own personal consultant at Jenny Craig to monitor your weight loss and just to have a chat with about how your feeling and how the plan is going!

To bulk up the meals you are allowed ‘free’ vegetables and condiments from the list provided. These have to be purchased from outside of your plan though. Drinks (tea, coffee, water, diet drinks) and dairy products (yoghurt’s, milk and cheese) are also not included in the cost but are allowed in certain quantities daily.

I liked the quality of the food. Everything I tried was tasty and filling. In particular I liked the noodle pots for lunch, they are great because they were more like a soup and I added a touch of chilli to them and found them so yummy! I loved the biscuit bars too, they tasted amazing and I was struggling not to eat them all in one go! The soups were really yummy too and you got a good portion (well I judge a good portion as filling the bowl!). The main meals were a little small but very tasty, and once you added vegetables or salad you definitely felt full up! I also liked having a consultant to talk through any problems or weak moments with! The file you get was great too, I didn’t fill it all in but having a plan like that really gives you a boost and motivates you to look at why your eating the things your eating and teaches you to have a more positive attitude to food.

I thought the diet could be a little repetitive if you were having it over a long period of time. I also thought the daily planner (although helpful) wasn’t thought out too well as I noticed on a few nights I was eating the same things as the plan hadn’t been spaced out properly. I think it might also be a little expensive for most people, the plan itself is good value but once you’ve added on salads, vegetables, dairy products and drinks your looking at a big investment of money! I also wondered about the practicality of the plan, if your a sociable person it would be almost impossible to factor in eating or drinking out and if you live in a house share or with your family it would be quite lonely to have to eat different foods to everyone else.

Would I recommend the Jenny Craig programme?

Depending on the person I would definitely recommend the plan. I think it would be a great thing for a student living in halls, it would allow a parent to keep a check on their nutrition and make sure they are eating relatively healthily (something I think we all struggled with at Uni!!). I also think if your a single mum or just living alone then this could be just what you need to be able to lost weight or kick start a healthy eating plan. For me personally I found it a tad lonely following the plan. I couldn’t eat out with friends too much or take part in family dinners or lunches. For a sociable person I found that a little hard and I could see how it would be a bit disheartening to be ‘left out’ of meal times (this could be the Italian/Welsh in me, food is an awfully big part of our family life!).

I did post this with the results here but for some reason it didn’t post it :S I lost 6 pounds over the 2 week period and could really see the difference, especially around my tummy area. I also found that since completing the 2 week trial I have been making healthier choices and loading up on fruit and vegetables whilst cutting back on carbs. I haven’t been consciously doing it I think the Jenny Craig plan just makes you learn healthier habits and gives you a better attitude towards food. I definitely feel like I am able to make better choices when I eat out and even when I do my food shop now so for that I am pretty happy with what I have gained from the 2 week trial!

Jenny Craig costs £11 per day which includes your breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, a personal consultant and your Jenny Craig weight loss folder. If your interested in trying the Jenny Craig programme then you can find out more here!

What do you think of the plan?

Have you tried a diet plan where your meals are delivered before?

Charlotte

xx