Does Jenny Craig Have the Right Diet for Me?

What Makes a Diet “Jenny Craig-ish”?

I guess the better question would be “Who IS Jenny Craig?” instead of “What is the Jenny Craig diet?”.  We have heard of her, but haven’t seen her in a lot of commercials lately, unless she changed her name to Valerie Bertinelli.

The Jenny Craig diet program is one of, if not the most popular diets that has been created and by far one of the oldest.  It was developed by Jenny and her husband, Sidney, in Australia in the mid-1980s.  The program is a 3 level food plan that focuses on improving nutrition, the mind and the overall physical health of it’s clients.  Level 1 of the Jenny Craig diet teaches followers how to eat the foods they want but in smaller, more frequent portions.  Level 2 is when physical activity and exercise is incorporated.  Level 3, the final phase, teaches the newly-skinny how to maintain their hot bods.

The Jenny Craig diet plan is by far the most monitored with followers having direct access to support via it’s on-site locations or at-home program option. There are over 650 locations in cities and countries all over the world.  Those who choose to follow the diet from home, have access to a telephone hotline, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  This hotline puts them in touch with nutritionists and a variety of health professionals.

Support is a great thing and having people you can contact can make a huge difference in keeping you on track.

What Will I Be Giving Up with The Jenny Craig Diet?

All food is allowed, but in moderation on the Jenny Craig diet.  The focus is on maintaining a balance of diet and exercise to avoid an unhealthy weight.  They want to teach clients how to distinguish between foods that should be consumed in moderation and those that they can have abundant access to.

What Do I Get?

One of the staples of the Jenny Craig diet is the foods provided in the form of custom-built meals for breakfast, lunch dinner and snacks.  The meals are constructed to be 50-60% carbohydrates, 20-25% protein and 20-25% fat.  This is a pretty traditional diet since the 70′s.

As a client, you would be matched with a sponsor who would act as your own personal dietician.  They are the ones who come up with a calorie plan that matches your height and ideal body weight.  They also take into consideration your own personal fitness and weight loss goals.

What Else Should I Know?

The website and commercials frequently offer start-up special offers for new clients.  There are flexible memberships with several different options of pricing. The Jenny Craig diet has received some criticism for the fact that clients begin to rely on the foods being provided to them instead of learning to sustain the way of eating on their own.

What’s the Skinny?

So for the Jenny Craig Review, there is a lot of good support here, which is a nice thing.  Calorie Restriction can be a problem. Sure you can lose weight, but you can also lose lean mass and energy.

Also I am not a big fan of that high of a carb intake unless it is fruit and veggies.  Even then you need more of a balance of protein and fat.  Years have shown this isn’t the optimal diet and a lot of studies prove otherwise.

Next Diet

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About Cade

Cade is the founder of Know My Body. Sorry...no doctor degree, fancy gym, multi-million dollar fitness program, or label as a self-proclaimed health guru of biblical proportions. He is a common guy just like you. Maybe that helps him get you a bit better.

He has worked the past several years trying to get a grasp of "health knowledgeries" from the perspective of a person working a 9 to 5 job and dealing with the normal and not-so-normal challenges that life gives. Visit our About Page to chew on some more knowledge about Cade and how we want to help you at Know My Body.