This Is The Eating Plan That Helped Me Lose 45 Pounds In A Year
At the time, my mom was on the Jenny Craig Program and was seeing results, so I decided to give it a try. I was about to call and schedule my first consultation when, coincidentally, my mother’s consultant called to confirm her next appointment. That phone call on May 31, 2014 changed my life. I joined Jenny Craig that day.
I had a lot to learn from my consultant (Jenny Craig’s title for weight-loss coaches). For starters, I learned that the portions I had been eating were way out of control. She designed a menu plan for me that had me eating smaller meals every two to three hours, rather than three meals a day in order to help me learn that portion control.
On Jenny Craig, they encourage you to eat six times a day—three main meals and three snacks. I’m very routine, so I have the same things almost every day. At 7 a.m., I will make myself egg whites, a banana, an 80-calorie yogurt, and black coffee. A couple hours later, I will have my Jenny Craig Cookie Dough Anytime Bar and water, which is a great mid-morning snack to fight hunger while I’m working. At noon, I’ll have one of my Jenny Craig lunches, which could be anything from Jenny Craig Pizza Bites or a Jenny Craig Turkey Burger with a salad and water. Three hours later, I’ll have a mid-afternoon snack, which is usually a Jenny Craig snack like kettle corn or Jenny Craig Ranch Snaps with water. For dinner, I’ll typically have some of my Jenny Craig favorites such as her Fish ‘n Chips or the Jenny Craig Mesquite Chicken with a side of vegetables. Whenever I eat out, I practice portion control and swap out unhealthy options for healthier ones. For instance, I’ll order a green salad as a side instead of fries and bring my own Jenny Craig dressing.
Before this, I was typically eating for two people. I had to learn that when my body told me I was full it was okay to stop eating. My consultant showed me how to incorporate fruits and veggies and yogurt into my diet. One of the great things about joining the Jenny Craig program is that it helped me experiment with cooking—even if it was as small as learning how to steam veggies and add that to my dinner.