I’m Changing My Life

So...

I did a thing.

A big thing.

I decided to take control of my health. I am on a quest to lose weight. 

But before we get into how, let's talk about my weight loss story:

I've lost weight in the past, but then I'd get back into old habits and back the weight would come. Even when I thought I was eating healthy, I don't think I was. My portions would be too large or too small. I'd skip meals. Also, I always lost weight for others (weddings, to please people, etc,) because my weight never bothered me; it bothered other people. 

But this year, I could see how choosing a non-healthy food lifestyle was going to hurt me in the long run. I was tired all of the time. My knee started to hurt going up stairs--I am constantly going and down stairs at work as a nanny. What if I couldn't keep up with the kids? What if they ran faster than me and I couldn't catch them, protecting them from danger? Reasons like those are why I decided to get healthy, to lose weight for myself and myself only.

I'm changing my life, and I've chosen Jenny Craig to help me.

Jenny Craig is a clinically proven weight-loss program designed to provide structure and support to help members lose weight and learn how to keep it off. That is exactly what I'm looking for!

The program takes a holistic approach to weight loss and weight management, focusing on food, body and mind. Jenny Craig members can expect to lose an average of 1-2 pounds per week, which is a healthy range of weight loss. 

Jenny Craig features prepared food, which is delicious by the way, portioned out perfectly. It features a meal plan, leaving the guesswork out of what to eat and how much. You add your own fruits and veggies. You get breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Pictured below is about a week's worth of food, minus the extra fruits and veggies that I add in.

Here's why I chose Jenny Craig--I don't like to cook. At all. I come from a family of amazing cooks, but I'm not one of them. I work long hours, come home and then work until midnight on my blog, waking up at 6 and working on blog stuff until my day job. It's easier for me get something from a restaurant than cook. Or eat a sandwich. Or cereal. Or be too tired to eat dinner and then wake up starving.

I don't like leftovers, either, to be honest. With Jenny Craig, there are over 100 options to choose from, created by 40 professional chefs. I like variety. Pictured above is the yummy chicken fajita bowl. There's no fork in the pic because I'm not sharing! ;)

I was worried I'd be hungry, but that hasn't been the case at all. Yummy options, like this cheddar popcorn help with that! 

Here's another dessert--sweet things are my weakness and I'm glad I don't have to give them up. This cupcake was so delicious, y'all. I'm happy to report the food is truly delicious and satisfying. 

Another reason I chose Jenny Craig--the amazing support system and knowledge from their consultants. I've tried to figure out weight loss stuff on my own, but I've failed. I was kind of embarrassed about losing weight and didn't want to make it this big THING, so in typical ME fashion, I kept it all to myself and didn't ask for help. I finally realized it's okay to get help from others. 

At Jenny Craig, they've made personal support the cornerstone of their program for 30 years. Every member is paired with a dedicated consultant who provides them with one-on-one support to identify their challenges and goals, and helps them to create unique weekly meal and activity plans.

Here I am meeting with my consultant, Ashley. She is a doll! Each week, she works with me on my menu, discusses any challenges from the previous week and determines a plan for the week ahead. Like for this week, I am currently working on drinking more water. I'm not where I want to be, but I'm doing better than last week! She also keeps track of my success with weekly weigh-ins and is teaching me how to self-monitor. She's been so helpful. I don't feel alone in this. I can call anytime I have a question. The staff has been so wonderful!

Don't live near a Jenny Craig center? They offer one-on-one support through consultations over the phone or via video chat!

I have been so pleased with Jenny Craig--enough that one of my friends has signed up too! I am not starving all of the time like I used to be, I have energy now, and I'm learning how to portion and make better food choices. I'm learning about incorporating more activity into my day. Losing weight is the icing on the cupcake...that I have occasionally! ;)

I plan on doing another post on my progress, but let me know if you'd like to see more posts about my journey!

If you're interested in checking out Jenny Craig, click here! 

Thanks for the support, y'all!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.