I was going to try Jenny Craig but backed out when I saw the meal list. Here is my take on the program:
1) It is not a good program to teach people *what* to eat. But then, I tend to think the average person has a pretty good sense of what is healthy vs. unhealthy food. If not, you can get this information, for free, from Nutrition.gov.
2) I think the program IS probably good for people who need to learn/relearn portion control, need convenience, and would benefit from having someone call them and help with keeping them on track. (I felt I fell in this category which is why I called)
3) However, the menu items are NOT appropriate for people who already enjoy "good" food (and by that I mean healthy, macrobiotic whole foods, etc) Nor is it appropriate for anyone with Diabetes, PCOS (me), sugar addiction, or any other hormone or insulin resistance related issues.
I actually enjoy fruits, nuts, veggies etc, my problem is that "good" foods take a lot of time to prepare and I also have trouble with portion control. (Yes, if you eat too much "healthy" food you WILL gain weight!). In addition, sugar and carbs cause me to get bloated, irritable, depressed and crave more sugar/carbs. I told them that I wanted to be on a "diabetic" diet, so was totally shocked to see all the sugary junk food in the order list. They said that these were approved by the ADA and that most of their foods have similar nutritional value. I canceled the order.
If you eat a lot of junk and fast food and want to start somewhere, this could be a good place to start. Especially if you can't stand veggies and basic whole foods etc. BUT, if you have any kind of special diet needs or have a sugar addiction/problem I suggest you find something else.
Anyway, I am trying to lose 35 pounds I gained in the past 18 months; 15 from quitting smoking (still quit!), and 20 from TTC so going off my insulin meds, which I am back on. If anyone knows of a convenient program, like Jenny Craig, that provides good whole foods and low sugar/carb (but NOT Atkins level of low carb which is unhealthy, etc) please post!! Thanks!
