If you’ve been looking for a reliable system for weight loss you might have considered Jenny Craig at some point. Their infomercials and television spots make it seem pretty effective, but does it really work, and will it work for your particular situation and goals.
Overview
Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers have been in competition for much of the last two decades. They both should be congratulated on being able to stay in the market for as long as they have, and for updating their programs in order to adjust for new scientific findings and advances in weight loss know-how.
The Claim
Follow the Jenny Craig program and you’ll lose weight. Their current promise is that you can lose 20lbs for $20 plus the cost of food.
The Hype
The hype comes from the non-stop television advertising and celebrity endorsements that Jenny Craig uses to get a continuous influx of hopeful women to come to their website or call their toll free number.
The Cost
$20 plus the cost of food to lose 20lbs should put many women into their happy place, and should be a good start for more overweight women. It’s rather vague as to how much food will cost you, and of course that’s where they make the bulk of their money.
The Commitment
As with any weight loss program you have to have the motivation to make changes in your life and work on breaking some bad habits while establishing new ones. This is a rather large commitment to make, and most people underestimate this at the beginning of the undertaking and then end up failing later on and blaming the system.
Evaluation
Jenny Craig utilizes a threefold strategy to get you to make the changes needed to see results. They incorporate the body, mind, and food in a three-pronged approach to get you to where you want to be. They get the body more active with easy-to-stick-to exercise programs. They handle the food situation by having you buy their authorized and branded meals and snacks. They give you motivation to stay the course with words of encouragement. This might be enough for most people to realize success.
Does Jenny Craig Really Work?
Like any weight loss program of course Jenny Craig works, if you work it. It’s akin to asking if a bicycle will works. A bike will take you from point A to point B if you hop on it and start peddling. If you just look at the bike, or ride it only a few feet or a few blocks, you wouldn’t say that the bike didn’t work in getting you to point B. It’s because you didn’t go the distance required that you didn’t get where you wanted to go, not a faulty bike.
Weight loss is not rocket science, not is it mysticism. Jenny Craig hasn’t developed anything remarkable. It’s a simple matter of getting you to take in fewer calories and burn more off. They’ve also started to include the mind in the process, feeding you motivation to keep you on track.
Our Recommendation
Choosing weight loss programs can sometimes turn into grasping at straws. You have to make rational decisions and assess the likelihood of your sticking with what’s required to complete it. If you jump in with high expectations and little desire to complete the required steps, it will just be a waste of time and money.
If this is your pattern, to start programs and not finish them, you should really get that sorted out before starting off in another one. The marketing and sales departments for these companies have years of success under their belt and they know what to say in order to get you to sign on. Just like a gym membership their only goal is to get you to commit to starting. They know that the average person won’t stay with it, and that’s not really their concern.
If you’re really ready to make a change and you know you will stick with it, Jenny Craig is a quality program to jump on board. Take what they say to heart, use their system to its fullest potential, and stay the course. Always begin with the end in mind and realize that you don’t want to be dependent on their program forever. Look for ways to start weening yourself off of their program at the earliest possible time.
