How Does Jenny Craig Work?

How does Jenny Craig work? Jenny Craig is a diet plan, founded by Jenny Craig back in the '80s. The program uses celebrity spokespeople like Valerie Bertinelli and Kirstie Alley who attempt to lose weight on the Jenny Craig Program. You have the option of visiting a Jenny Craig Center in person where the Jenny Craig foods, called Jenny's Cuisine, can be purchased and where personal counseling is offered. You also have the option of doing everything online.

Portion Control. The Jenny Craig Program stresses healthy eating by encouraging portion control, healthy ways to cook, and individual weigh loss goals. A typical day, on a 1200 calorie plan, might include banana nut cereal for breakfast, an All-American turkey burger for lunch, chicken fettuccine for dinner and double chocolate cake for a snack. The meals are prepackaged which is convenient for dieters with a busy schedule or for people who don't like to cook.

Cost The cost of Jenny's Cuisine ranges from about $85 to $120 a week. At first glance, this may seem like a lot of money, but when you factor in the cost of groceries, eating out, coffee, and snacks, it compares well. You're encouraged to add fresh fruits and vegetables to the plan, and, after several weeks eating the prepackaged foods, you will be asked to start preparing healthy recipes on your own.

Does the Jenny Craig System work? While no formal, independent studies have been conducted, it seems clear, based on anecdotal evidence, that the Jenny Craig Program will work if you stick to it, like any other diet. Successful dieters will tell you that healthy eating has to be a life time commitment if you don't want to regain the weight. After you finish the Jenny Craig diet, you need to continue to watch what you eat. Returning to your former eating habits like fast food and other foods high in fat and calories will prove disastrous.

Exercise One of the problems with the Jenny Craig Diet System may be that it says nothing about exercise in their ads.  While it is a matter of calories in - calories out, exercising on a regular basis is an important part of any healthy lifestyle. Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem and lots of other food programs share this problem. While the counselors may get around to telling you that getting off the couch is helpful, they will push the foods since they get a commission based on the foods you buy. They will also try to up sell you by offering vitamin supplements. You would be better off buying supplements at much less cost at your local drug store.

Valerie Bertinelli seems to have kept her 50 pounds off, while Kirstie Alley has not. After Kristie showed off her bikini body on Oprah, she managed to regain the 75 pounds she lost on Jenny Craig. Don't feel too sorry for her. She has a new cable program, 'Kirstie Alley's Big Life' to make her feel better.

Let's face it. There is no easy answer to weight loss. Whether it is the Jenny Craig System or another plan, it has to be a lifetime program. One of the major complaints about the Jenny Craig System is that it's slow, averaging only a couple of pounds a week. It's been suggested the cost is around $61 bucks a pound. However, the slower dieters lose weight, the more likely the weight will stay gone.  Morbid obesity has reached epidemic status, and if there were an easy answer  this wouldn't be the case. There isn't any magic bullet.

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