Thank you Jenny Craig for sponsoring this post. Tried other Diets? Now it's time for Jenny Craig!
First order of business: I’ve lost 6.2 pounds with Jenny Craig so far!* I am so happy with this progress, and 100% motivated to see where my Jenny Craig journey takes me next. (*Members following Jenny Craig, on average, lose 1-2 lbs per week).
How did I get to this point in my Jenny Craig journey? After making the decision to stop making excuses, and then committing to the Jenny Craig Anywhere program, I settled into my Jenny Craig routine. I’ve now had nearly three weeks-worth of tasty meals and snacks totaling 1200-1400 calories/day. I document my meals, and step on the scale every day to document my weight as well. I’ve had three phone meetings with my wonderful consultant, Norma. I’ve also tried to move a little more than usual, although I’m still working on getting into a reasonable exercise routine. Overall I’m developing habits that I really believe will carry me through this Jenny Craig experience and beyond. But in order to develop these good habits, I had to examine some longstanding habits that weren't so good!
Eating style is often a topic of discussion for Jenny Craig clients and consultants. I have always considered myself an emotional eater, and in my lifetime there has definitely been a fair amount of chocolate consumed in response to emotional stress. However, during my experience with Jenny Craig, I’ve come to recognize that I'm also an unconscious eater. In fact, it is not unusual for people to have aspects of multiple eating styles, or for emotional and unconscious eating to go hand-in-hand (or food-in-mouth, as the case may be). Double whammy...but Jenny Craig is giving me the tools to change my unconscious ways.
Jenny Craig lifts the burden of having to plan and prepare my meals, which was a larger source of both stress and unconscious eating than I realized. I love having the structure of a very specific meal plan that I know will fill me up, and that I will enjoy. This has definitely made me realize how often I would eat when I wasn’t hungry (munching as I fixed dinner for the family, grazing the treats people share at work) and how nearly as often I wouldn't eat at all, and then I’d become so ravenous I didn’t make good choices (forgot my lunch…too busy anyway…MUST HAVE FRENCH FRIES NOW).
In addition to the structure of the Jenny Craig meal plan, I’ve had the support of Norma to help me turn this newfound awareness into lasting habits. Here are just a few of the new habits that I am trying to establish, with Norma’s help:
Write it before you bite it. Ok, I came up with the rhyme, but Norma has been gently insistent on this strategy, and I totally get it. In the past, I have gone through periods where I wrote down what I was eating, but I tended to do it at the end of the day. This would lead me to guesstimate amounts, and occasionally “forget” a handful of chips here or bite of my kids’ pizza there. Writing down what I intend to eat before I eat it is the equivalent of counting to 10 before having an emotional outburst. It slows me down and makes me think about what I’m doing before I do it, allowing me to either eat more mindfully...or to recognize that I'm not really hungry after all, and choose not to eat anything in that moment.
Plating is pleasing. Jenny Craig food is packaged in perfectly portioned containers, but those containers aren’t necessarily designed to be attractive. Taking the time to plate my Jenny Craig food alongside a colorful salad or some other delicious vegetable allows me to enjoy the food with my eyes, which in turn helps me enjoy it more with my mouth! Perhaps even more importantly, plating Jenny Craig portions gives me a visual as to what normal, healthy portions should look like. (Hint: Portions should NOT look like the portions you get at most restaurants!)
One and done. I love that my family eats dinner together most nights, but this is an eating trap for fast eaters like me. I have a terrible habit of finishing my plate before the others, and not wanting to sit there with an empty plate, I refill it. Then, not wanting to waste food, I eat the second helping. With Jenny Craig, there IS no second helping, so I have to practice slower, more thoughtful eating as I enjoy my meals with my family. I really appreciate that I’m finally replacing this lifelong habit with a much healthier…and more enjoyable…way of eating.
There is more to learn and certainly a lot to practice. These are simple changes, but the bad habits were established over a lifetime and will take some time to curb. I am so grateful for Jenny Craig and the support of my consultant for helping this unconscious, emotional eater try to become a mindful, joyful eater...and lose weight in the process!
If you are ready to learn more about how Jenny Craig might help you, check out the latest special offers here.
This article was sponsored by Jenny Craig, but the content is all my own.
