Special thanks to Jenny Craig for their sponsorship of this post.
My first week back on the Jenny Craig program has officially passed, and I’m excited to share with you guys some updates on how the week went!
Hello, Home Delivery!
I mentioned last week that I was leveraging the Jenny Craig Anywhere program this time around, and I’m thrilled with my experience thus far! My first two weeks of food arrived at my doorstep last Wednesday, and it couldn’t have been easier. It arrived just in time for Thursday, which I had selected as my start date.
The only challenge: I now need to store two weeks of food, instead of one. Thank goodness everything fit in the freezer. I have a french door-style refrigerator with a drawer freezer, and very quickly the freezer compartment became incredibly full. I still had room for several packs of frozen veggies and a few other items. If you’re thinking about joining, I’d recommend cleaning out the freezer before your first big delivery arrives.
Becoming a Coffee Drinker
I’ve never been a daily coffee drinker… until now! And, it’s one of my favorite moments of the day! I finally get why all of you enjoy coffee so much! To get my dairy in daily, I’ve opted to enjoy one of the Jenny Craig shakes each morning.
While I still can’t decide which is my favorite (chocolate dream or vanilla cream), I know that my favorite way to drink my shake is paired with three shots of espresso served over ice and in a venti straw cup. I fill the rest of the cup with my shake, and stir to combine. With all this coffee talk, I can’t wait to have it tomorrow morning. There’s a coffee shop just steps from my desk at work, and I’ve easily become a regular.
A Failure to Plan = A Plan to Fail
I’ve also identified that, as a non-morning person, I’ve been running out the door in the morning for work for the past several months without much of a plan. Now that I’m on Jenny Craig, I need my snacks, a shake, lunch, breakfast, some silverware, some fruit… and forgetting any of the above is not ok for me! The first day out the door, I did a terrible job planning, but it was completely rectified by the following day.
In addition to my Jenny Craig food items, I also need to eat a serving and a half of fruit each day, a green salad, and at least a 1/2 cup of vegetables. While I don’t have to prepare full meals for the week, having all of these items on hand and ready to go is really important and it makes my mad dash to Boulder much smoother in the morning.
New Food, Who Dis?
Everyone has their favorite meals on any program. Despite my pickiness, I made the decision to branch out and order a few items that I hadn’t tried before. Example: I don’t love ham, but I’ve heard great things about the ham & cheese baguette and decided to give it a shot. You guys, this sandwich was easily one of my favorite things I ate all week. Similarly, I had never tried the Classic Lasagna with Meat Sauce – – Holy moly, it was good (and I now have two ideas for recipes using that dish!)
Hunger Games
Having lived the past few weeks in a bit of a food “free for all,” I assumed I would be battling hunger all day long. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I’ve felt fully satisfied on the program all week long. There were even days when I had to finish the day out eating a few extra veggie/fruit servings because I hadn’t been hungry earlier in the day. Making sure I’m eating all that I’m supposed to daily will be something for me to pay attention to in the weeks ahead. I keep a checklist handy and check everything off as the day goes on. I love not being hungry all the time. Truth be told: I don’t know that I was feeding hunger in the days before Jenny Craig.
Thinking (and Drinking) Ahead to Fall Plans
My fall calendar is peppered with events. From weddings to family vacations to visits with friends to hosting all my employees in Colorado, I know that I’m going to have some hurdles ahead. While I still have some time, I’m a bit anxious about sticking to my plan and staying true to my goals while still having some fun out there. My biggest concern is not the food I’m eating, as I feel confident I can make some great choices. Instead, it’s the wine.
I don’t drink wine on a daily or even weekly basis, but when I’m at the wedding in Louisville next month, I would like to enjoy a glass of wine with friends to celebrate the nuptials. Let’s be honest, I’d like to enjoy more than just one. When I’m home with family this weekend, I don’t plan to drink. When I’m visiting my best friends in Nashville in a few weeks (the same ones I haven’t seen in a year and a half), I’m looking forward to enjoying some wine with the girls.
I’m also very cognizant that decisions to enjoy wine will not propel me forward with my weight loss. I also know that I’m going to have to pick and choose with social outings for a while… and there’s going to be times where it’s worth it, and times where it’s not. Ultimately, I need to weight the consequences before I put anything in my mouth – liquid or solid – as I’m committed to making some significant changes before January rolls around…
A Feeling of Peace
Despite just sharing that I’m anxious about how I’m going to incorporate booze into my program (yes, I realize how bad that sounds as a standalone), I have to say that being back on plan has really been calming for me.
I don’t have to struggle with myself to make good decisions anymore. The decision of what I’m having for dinner has been made for me. I don’t struggle with self-talk around my weight anymore, because I recognize that I’m actively doing something positive to change it.
When I’m in a structured zone, I shift from the “live to eat” mentality into a much healthier “eat to live” space. It’s refreshing.
Weight Loss Update
Overall, week one was an incredible success and I couldn’t be happier with my decision to come back to Jenny Craig.
When I weighed in on Thursday morning, I was thrilled to see that I had lost a whopping -7.1 lbs* after seven days on the program.
You guys, I’m down SEVEN POINT ONE POUNDS!
Halfway through week two, I fully expect that this week’s weight loss may not be as huge as my body settles into the program. I do expect that I’ll be losing at a much more normal weight of 1-2 lbs. each week. Considering that I’m in my 40’s now and I truly feel like my metabolism has taken a nap, I’ll be thrilled with 1-2 lbs a week should that be what happens.
I can do anything for a week. It’s new. It’s fresh. It’s exciting. How I do in the weeks ahead will be most telling, and I’m excited to continue to see those scale numbers moving in the right direction.
-7.1 lbs down, 34.9 to go!
* Average weight loss on the Jenny Craig program is 1-2 lbs/week for members who follow the program.
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Jenny Craig; however, all of the opinions and comments about the program are exclusively my own and do not necessarily represent that of the brand.