Thank you Jenny Craig for sponsoring this post. Tried other diets? It’s time for Jenny Craig!
As I have mentioned in earlier posts, even though I am extremely busy and always on the go, maintaining my diet is my highest priority right now. It has not been easy at all. And quite frankly, I stopped cooking meals at home and ended up eating takeout food several times a day. It was definitely time for a drastic change. Not only for my body but also for my mind. The results of stress made me fall out of my eating schedules. It was easy to forget to eat, and I’d sometimes skip lunch, and not eat until I got home at night. That habit is what kills your metabolism even though you don’t eat very much. It is what killed my metabolism and made my body store fat rather than burning it.
I came to realize that exercising 5 days a week didn’t change anything if I didn’t eat healthfully. So, I was approached by Jenny Craig, a tailored program designed to provide structure and support to help members lose weight and learn how to keep it off. It’s not the type of program that will tell you how many calories you can eat or sets you strictly on shakes and soups. It’s a well-designed program which provides you real food that actually makes you want to eat. And you’ll lose weight as well. I met with my personal consultant Laura to talk about how I feel about my body and my view on food. And also, why I felt like I needed to do this. It felt great to have a personal contact that not only can help me with my goals but also can support me mentally and physically. My center is open every day and if I have any questions I can just call her.
My main goal right now is to eat often but in the right portions. I need to get my metabolism in shape which might take a while but I have to start somewhere. So far, I have only been on Jenny Craig for a week and I have already lost 1.2 pounds*! My biggest struggle at first was eating at the right times. I watched the clock a bit too much at first, but now have the hang of it and am getting used to eating so often! What I liked the most is that I received a weekly meal schedule including 3 meals and 3 snacks per day. Each day was structured with breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner and a snack. And Jenny Craig provides the meals and snacks. The only thing you have to buy at the grocery store is fruit and veggies. *Members following the Jenny Craig program, on average, lose 1-2 lbs. per week. I received promotional consideration.
Some of the food that I have eaten on the program is Margherita pizza, chicken tacos, cheesy broccoli and cinnamon buns. The food is developed by more than 40 professional chefs and it’s really good, which makes you want to stay on the program. My daily calorie intake is about 1,200 calories, but so far, I have never felt hungry. But, I do definitely get the late-night cravings if I am up late studying. The solution for me is the unlimited free foods list. Not only do you get a food schedule, but you also get a grocery list. On that list, you have some unlimited foods, which you can pretty much eat as much as you want from. But of course, don’t overdo it.
I have experienced some energy dips at night and have been sleeping a lot more during the week than I usually do. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. But, it does create some stressful situations when I need to get studying done those nights. Since my calorie intake is very low compared to what I’m used to taking in, my body is probably just adjusting right now. I will keep you updated on this in my next post.
As for week 2, my goal is to start exercising with the program and keep more active while maintaining normal energy levels. So, hopefully my body is now starting to get adjusted to the program.