Ballpark cost for Jenny Craig?

[schuh]

I have a friend who was considering Jenny Craig but was griping that she can't find cost information anywhere (you obviously have to go in and get the hard sell, which is a negative right off the bat if you ask me).

Since I know people on this board to have the answer for everything, does anyone know what it costs including the program and food? Obviously they have specials at various times but she just wants a ballpark to see if it could possibly fit in her budget.

TIA!

[sneezles]

Tracey,
It's been years since I did that program and if I remember correctly the food runs about $100/wk (give or take). The program itself, aside from any current offers, is about $300. While I did lose weight on the program (I lose weight on any program if I follow it correctly) I wouldn't join it again.

[Peweh]

All I can tell you is I had a friend who worked there and one day she was eating a little bag of veggie crisps. She offered me one to try and then said "Can you believe this bag costs $2.49?? I'm talking a one serving portion control bag... I don't know if all their food is that expensive though.

[funniegrrl]

I did JC and lost quite a bit of weight. I like the program. They have different levels of memberships, including whatever the current trial program is available, so cost of joining will vary. (It also varies somewhat regionally.) The food costs run over $100/week these days. You get 3 entrees plus a snack item a day. For people who complain about the cost of the food, you have to remember that you're not just paying for portion-controlled food, but for the 20-minute counseling sessions, etc. You can control your costs, too, by doing personalized menus and choosing less-expensive items. Once you get halfway to your goal, you start doing one to two days completely on your own.

Before I joined JC, I added up everything I had spent on food the previous month (I was using MS Money diligently at the time, so I had all the info at hand). The amt of money I spent on grocery food (real and junk), pizza delivery, take-out, restaurant meals (with dessert of course), vending machines, snacks at the mall, etc. far exceeded the amount of money I would spend on JC + supplemental groceries.

I would advise your friend to go ahead and make an appt and go for the initial consultantion and sign up for the trial program, whatever that is at the moment. Yes, they will try to sell you one of the other programs, and they will try to convince you that joining JC is a good thing. Most centers I know, however, don't do a rude hard-sell -- in fact, at my center the program director and the consultants were actually very kind and understanding. All you have to do is keep saying, "No thank you" if they try to sell you something you didn't ask for.

[schuh]

The CL board comes through again! Thanks! My friend cannot figure out this board -- I've gotten some great song ideas from you, and now this -- I say it's just a helpful bunch of people who are happy to share info and ideas!

I have never done Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem because I just can't stomach most frozen dinners, etc. There would be no way I could stick to them.

But recently I tried the Slimfast program for short bursts of weight loss and it was a revelation -- sooo much easier to follow than something like Weight Watchers, and very effective as well. It was nice to find a weight loss method that I could follow, even when I was crazy busy. I suggested Slimfast to my friend but she didn't seem all that interested -- but of course Slimfast doesn't come with getting weighed in and meeting with the counselor, etc.

I think people who have a lot of weight to lose have a hard time when it comes off slowly and Slimfast and Jenny Craig can help get the ball rolling with a significant quick initial weight loss, even if you decide not to use those plans long term.

Thanks again!

[funniegrrl]

The good thing about JC is that it is designed to teach you along the way -- if you treat it like a "diet," meaning something temporary, it'll work long-term about as poorly as any other "diet." But, the program is geared for long-term maintenance without the JC food, you just have to use the opportunity to learn what they're teachin'.

One other thing ... the majority of the JC food is quite good, in some cases better (and more nutritionally dense) than other convenience products you'd get at the grocery store. If you can handle Lean Cuisine, etc. the JC food is -- on the whole -- pretty good.