Saturday was the big day. The day I looked forward to with equal parts of dread and excitement.
Sage advice from Jenny Craig
Saturday was weigh-in day.
It was the first time I’d step on the scale now that the holidays were finally over. The time when the moment of truth had arrived to find out whether the combination of celebrating the holidays, battling stress and journaling my daily menus would affect my weight loss one way or the other.
The holidays were admittedly a diet struggle for me, with a daily battle between cookies, carbs and carrots.
Our New Year’s Eve plan was a low-key one, with an early dinner and a movie. Although our plan was simple, it was fraught with delectable temptations to celebrate the incoming year with mouthwatering food.
I was tempted to throw my recent Jenny success out the window, and replace it with an order of a pulled pork sandwich, a side of cole slaw and some freshly baked cornbread.
I could almost taste the extra calories and fat. But when it was my turn to order dinner, it was like an out-of-body experience when I heard these words come out of my mouth:
“I’ll have the roast chicken special with a side of broccoli and some roasted potatoes, please.”
Success! Not only was my dinner delicious, but I felt satisfied after eating only half of the large portion.
When I finally stepped onto the scale, I had no idea what the outcome would be.
Before I did, I took a moment to be quietly mindful of how I felt at that moment. I inwardly told myself that no matter what the outcome was, I was proud of the steps I was taking to become healthier.
My Jenny Craig Consultant always encourages me to think about healthy eating and not dieting
Leslie, my Jenny Craig Consultant, placed a paper towel on the scale and I took a deep breath.
May I have the envelope, please? Drumroll…
I lost another pound!
Okay, so one pound may not sound like a lot to you, but I was ecstatic. It was the first time in years I didn’t gain weight during the holidays.
With the help of Jenny Craig, I have now lost several pounds. My pants fit more comfortably and I began to feel proud of myself.
That was the whole point of joining Jenny Craig. To feel better physically and emotionally.
Leslie was so proud of me. Her face was beaming as she reiterated that losing weight slowly was the healthiest way to lose.
We talked about my dinner out that night, and created a game plan of eating at a Thai restaurant.
"Don’t go to a restaurant hungry." "Eat a salad or soup before you leave." "Order lots of vegetables." "Watch your portions."
These Jenny Craig booklets offer inspiration and guidance
The Jenny Craig entrees are delicious, but it’s nice to know I can continue my social life of dining out with friends without having to compromise my Jenny Craig success.
Was I crazy to start a diet over the holidays? No!
*I received a free month on the Jenny Craig program for this review. There was no compensation. All opinions are solely my own. NOTE: Clients following the Jenny Craig program lose, on average, 1 -2 lbs. per week.
Wow, that's great! I know how hard it is for me to even eat "well," sans carbs and sweets, on the weekends, let alone over a long holiday, so good for you. Very impressive.
Yay for you!! Losing any weight over the holidays, no matter what amount, is a huge win. Give yourself a pat in the back!
Congrats! It's always hard to diet during the holidays!
Congratulations. Losing one pound is like losing ten when it happens over the holidays! I was happy when I weighed in this morning to be back to my pre-holiday weight. It's still way too high, but my journey has started.
That is a huge accomplishment! Yay, Cathy!
No weight gain? You are AWESOME!!!
Yay! Congratulations! For me, the hardest part was also all of the food gifts I received over the holidays (popcorn tins, chocolate-covered peanut brittle, etc). I always appreciated the thought, but really had to fight the urge to eat it.
In a word? Yes.
But in another word? No.
😉
Way to go Cathy. The holidays are by far the toughest time to eat healthy and lose weight but you did!!!
Its great its working for you. I am a organic vegetarian eater so Jenny Craig just showed me the door as they do not have fresh or healthy options for vegetarians. their food had far to many chemicals and was to processed for me to consider it healthy. I found them rude and unhelpful. On my own I lost 10 pounds since summer which is huge for someone with chronic pain issues.
Way to go, Cathy! Losing weight is especially hard in the winter, with all the delicious comfort food and holiday treats. Proud of you!