Jenny Craig

I like Jenny Craig. The commercials are uplifting, the newsletter comes at the right time every month, just when I feel like quitting. Even the weekly meeting with my consultant wasn't bad. Although having someone look over my shoulder while I'm on the scale is not my idea of a good time.

I made 2 mistakes when I started Jenny Craig which is how I managed to NOT LOSE WEIGHT on the plan.
1. I started a diet in November. Now November is better than starting for New Years, I agree. I even managed to make it through the holiday season right on target. Lost 10 pounds during the month of December. RIGHT ON!! Then I moved to New England (from Florida). Not my brightest decision, moving in the dead of winter. But hey, we take the opportunities that come our way. So I managed to survive winter better than I expected except when it came to dieting. It wasn't even the food that was the issue. It was going into the center every Thursday night and having to strip out of my coat, heavy sweater and boots before I could weigh in. Yes I wanted the scale to show the least possible number but I didn't want to get naked first.

2. I didn't factor in the cost. Here's the thing about Jenny Craig. It is expensive. No matter how many commercials you see about $20 a week or just $30 to start, that isn't where they get you. The trouble comes when the food is costing you $100 a week plus fresh fruits and veggies. Frozen & processed food that let's be honest, has more taste than cardboard but isn't really tasty. Before that diet my grocery bill was about $40 bucks a week and that's if I was eating well. So when the cost of dieting made my food bill more than double, it became a problem. I just wasn't losing enough to justify the enormous strain on my personal budget.

Get the real numbers, the real cost of any diet upfront or you may have to quit no matter how good your results.