A Month Long Journey with Jenny Craig

I was provided a free trial program and a discount on the Jenny Craig meals.  However, the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This year I decided to get my health in order.  I was going to watch what I ate, run, drink more water and get more sleep.  And then summer happened 😉  With the hot Texas sun, a few trips away from home and a bunch of blog events, let’s just say my plan went out the window.  But rather than dig my hole deeper, I got up, brushed myself off and decided to start again NOW instead of January 1st again.

Right around this time I was asked to be part of the Jenny Craig Blogger Program.  I had heard of Jenny Craig before, I had seen the commercials on TV but didn’t know much about it.  I thought it might be a good fit for where I am in life right now though.  I decided to try it out and see where the month long journey would take me.

Starting a month long journey with @officialjennycraig Will keep you all in the loop with my progress #gettinghealthy #weightloss #notadiet #sponsored www.jennycraig.com

A photo posted by Tammy Litke (@threedifferent) on Sep 9, 2015 at 10:43am PDT

Last Wednesday I went for my first consultation at my local Jenny Craig location.  My consultant Jennifer was friendly and I instantly felt like I was talking with a friend when we were discussing my goals and challenges (one of which is eating when traveling).  I was relaxed even when doing measurements and my weigh in 🙂  She thoroughly explained to me how the Jenny Craig program works, the meal plan and her role as my consultant in encouraging me to keep focused and excited about the journey.  She was patient with all my questions too (which I had plenty of!).

The first consult took about an hour of my time, but Jennifer told me that the future ones will only be around 20 minutes.  That’s something that I can easily fit into my schedule weekly to weigh in and adjust anything that may need tweaking.

I went home with my meal items, reading material to go over to remind me much of what Jennifer had discussed with me and a renewed excitement of getting my health back on track.

One of the first things I thought as I prepared my meals this last week is: Jenny Craig is not a diet!  Sure it has all the ‘markings’ of one, but the food you get to eat… Macaroni & Cheese, Loaded Baked Potato, Cinnamon Rolls, Apple Crisp, Lemon Garlic Shrimp, Asian Style Chicken, Key Lime Pie, Triple Chocolate Cheesecake (and I could go on and on)… means that you don’t feel deprived at all.  I mean check out this Mac & Cheese I had the other night!One of the biggest problems that I have when it comes to maintaining or losing weight is portion size, and that’s where the Jenny Craig meals for me are a lifesaver.  It really makes me aware of how much more I eat than I need to.  Which is preparing me for eating out, because let’s face it that’s a part of life.  Birthdays, holidays, vacations, work travel – those things never go away and when you’re trying to lose or maintain weight or  if you’re making changes for your health, you have to learn how to eat smarter with the options you are given.

Just short of the first week into this journey, I’m already seeing changes.  Jennifer encouraged me to strap on my smart watch and count my steps, even if I’m not specifically exercising, to get a base line to ramp up from for future weeks.  I’m noticing that when I’m eating meals at proper times and in proper portions I’m not eating as much, but still am not hungry.  I’m getting more fruits, veggies and protein in my body.  I’m sleeping better.  Whether or not I hit my goal (which is 10 pounds down), I can already see that I am on the way to making healthier lifestyle habits become the norm rather than the exception in my life, and that excites me.

I will keep you up to date on how the journey is going on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, and of course here on the blog as well.  Let me know if you have any questions and if I can’t answer them, I can ask my consultant when I speak to her.

You can learn more about the Jenny Craig program and find a location near you here: http://www.jennycraig.com.