20 replies to this topic

[nykolel]

i think i have joined jenny craig im not really sure i know that this program comes with food. how do i go about doing that? is there a seprate page i go to.  what are the selection of food and how much does it cost

[Mary Meyer]

I am thinking about joining Jenny Craig and am wondering what the cost of food is....help please! Thanks!

[barb_]

Sounds like the first person is talking about she joined online and so does it without a centre.  As to you Mary, I'll be happy to tell you, but you can also ask for a price sheet next time you visit.  So you can get a TRUE picture of what it costs.  I use the centre approach rather than online because I better be held accountable each and every week.  That weigh in, I haven't missed a single one in the 5 months I have done this.  I might have to re-schedule, but I never skip.  Skipping to me means you have cheated too much and don't want to be caught.  So, you hope to make it up the next week. Not a good approach.  And the counselor is so helpful and supportive.  If yours isn't, get another.  It's not hard.

Okay, about the costs.  I think the first 4 weeks were my highest because I bought everything they suggested.  Including those Anytime bars that cost $10.99 for 7.  Not smart.  Also, those soupitizers are not needed, as far as I am concerned.  I still have 4 left @ $2.99 a piece.

You need to go for the first 4 weeks meal plans to get you educated and in that JC mode.  Frankly, I spent somewhere between  $125 to $130 a week the FIRST MONTH.  JC even has it on their order form.  Week one = 125.38, Wk 2 = 124.14, week 3 == 121.14, and week 4 = 121.98.

However, first thing to go for me was their expensive desserts.  Yes, they are good, but so is Skinny Cow and Weight Watcher's ice creams and frozen desserts and even candy.  Lots cheaper at my grocery store. 2nd thing to go was the food I didn't like.  Didn't order it again.  I still have a Turkey Paninni that has been in my freezer for over a month.

3rd way to save is the cereals.  I avoid their breakfast squares at $1.99 a piece, or the cereal at 2.49 a serving.  I have by now learned about sodium and how to look at labels.  So, I buy my own cereal that is in a box and much cheaper.  Although, have to say I love their cranberry almond cereal.  $2.49.  But, I stay with my breakfast faves.  Breakfast scramble, Florentine breakfast pizza with some lemon juice and maybe a little greek yogurt (fat free).

My average bill now is less than $100 each week.  But you still must figure in fresh fruit, veggies, etc.  I even now fix some meals of my own.  Have the butcher chop 4 oz sections of salmon or other yummy fish.  JC just doesn't have enough fish on their menu.  As you go along, AND as you read these forums, you will see people post recipes on how they turned a sometimes blah dish into something wonderful.  And you are so FULL!

I wish you both luck.  Hope you post often and read often.  You can afford it!  If you look at the overall picture.  For me, I'm on 9 medications.  I can hopefully get off a number of these once I hit my goal.  Even my doctor said she would start to wean me off some when I get down to 160.  And you are no longer eating junk food.  HUGE savings!

Keep coming back and keep asking questions.  Visit all the forums.  They all have something to add.  Returning clients is not just for Returning Clients.  Everyone goes there.  Same for a lot of these others.

[bellabugg]

Great job! You look great. These are the photos and posts that insipire me.

[chell79]

Hey Barb....i am thinking about joining and saw your price list. I dont eat cereal for breakfast instead i have a bagel with cream cheese or scrambled eggs. How will this work through jenny? Also i havent talked to a consultant yet but i dont want to be stuck buying things i know i wont eat or dont need.  How do i get throught this? Thanks for any help or information you can give me. I have been putting off losing this weight but my doctor said it has to go......

[BTRocks]

There are a bunch of different options for breakfast, including some that are egg-based. Once you get halfway to your goal weight, you usually start subbing in your own meals, which are modeled after the JC food.

I know for a lot of people (myself included), this program has required me to make major  changes to my eating habits. The packaged food made that a lot easier in the earliest weeks.

[KaliBali]

All your reponses have been wonderful to read - I was wondering if all the meals are frozen?  I dislike the taste of 'frozen' meals.  I was on WW for 3 months 15 years ago and loss 60 pounds but the extreme excerising took its toll.  Since then I have put back on over 120 pounds - Double what I lost!!  I think my biggest weight gain is due to sugar.  I tend to have at least 2-3 12oz cans of pop a day.  I can not handle the chemical in the diet. I know how to read all the product labels, portion sizes etc as I have been through WW and my doctor.  I am not sure if joining JC would be any different than WW other than I eat their food instead of cooking my own. I do admire the people and stories that I have been reading; I have a big decision to make.

[Ashtastic]

with jenny there are frozen and non frozen foods and so many types and tastes to make your head spin, but the frozen food doesnt taste like poorly frozen food, its all really good, so far i cant think of one i didnt like. you have to provide your own vegetables, fruits, and dairy products, but when you sign up ( i am doing the center approach.) they give you booklets on how to eat that are very helpful. portions on veggies and extras and even flavoring options at little to no calories. if our like me you hate vegetables but if prepared properly i love them! i have tried WW before and i gave up quickly all the calorie counting and exercise really wore me down. i have the metabolic max program and have an armband that monitors every calorie i burn thus making it easier for me to know when im needing a little more movement or when i can relax.

[a_red_dress]

Heah Barb,
Can you please share what the cereal names are that you buy in the grocery store?
Thanks

[matt from nj]

Barb, Kudos to you for that post.  You've done a great job with your loss and I love the grasp you have on the whole thing, so a big congratulations to you.  Also, thank you for the past compliments.  

a_red_dress, you want non sugar cereals to eat.  Cheerios, chex, rice crispies, special K or even raisin bran (a little higher in calories).  Instant Oats oatmeal is another great breakfast to have, you can throw in a little vanilla & cinammon and even some blueberries with a little walnut to really make it a great meal.

I think the frozen meals have a much better selection than the non-frozen foods and they are really tasty.  When you get halfway to your goal, you will start doing meals on your own.  Weight Watchers just has points and you can eat anything you want, as long as you eat your points.  Jenny taught me how to eat properly and I 100% eating my own meals.  I find so many great recipes to make and never get bored.  I did 100% Jenny meals for the first week and then felt comfortable enough to start subbing meals.  You'll be spending about $125 a week until you start replacing meas.  $125 a week is not bad for 21 meals, at least I think so.

The biggest thing is realizing that you are changing your life and lifestyle, not going on a diet.  There is a big difference between the 2.  A diet you go off of when you are done, changing your lifestyle you will do forever and keep your weight off and not regain it.  A diet means restricting what you eat and denying yourself the things you enjoy and then feeling of guilt when you do eat them.  When you change your lifestyle, you find ways of eating healthy and controlling your portions.

For me, Jenny was the best thing I ever did and taught me how to eat.   Plus by changingi your lifestyle, you will be healthy forever.

Hope any of this helps.

[CanadianWoman]

Here in Canada the prices are different.  When I started I was paying anywhere from $155 - $170 per week.
When I started substituting the Jenny deserts with the 100 cal deserts in the grocery stores it went down to $140 - $150 per week.
Last week I started with my own cereals, so I'm not sure on the costs yet without those.  After reading this I think I'll sub the breakfast bars with my cherrios as well.  Hopefully that'll get the price down some more.
We also have Canadian bars (meal replacement bars) here instead of the anytime bars.  I wanted to started subing them with store bought too, but my consultant told me I couldn't that the store bought ones are too different...would be nice not to have to buy them since they are almost $15 a box!!

[DeAnne-Oregon]

[quote name='barb_' timestamp='1344362247' post='672289']
Sounds like the first person is talking about she joined online and so does it without a centre.  As to you Mary, I'll be happy to tell you, but you can also ask for a price sheet next time you visit.  So you can get a TRUE picture of what it costs.  I use the centre approach rather than online because I better be held accountable each and every week.  That weigh in, I haven't missed a single one in the 5 months I have done this.  I might have to re-schedule, but I never skip.  Skipping to me means you have cheated too much and don't want to be caught.  So, you hope to make it up the next week. Not a good approach.  And the counselor is so helpful and supportive.  If yours isn't, get another.  It's not hard.

Okay, about the costs.  I think the first 4 weeks were my highest because I bought everything they suggested.  Including those Anytime bars that cost $10.99 for 7.  Not smart.  Also, those soupitizers are not needed, as far as I am concerned.  I still have 4 left @ $2.99 a piece.

You need to go for the first 4 weeks meal plans to get you educated and in that JC mode.  Frankly, I spent somewhere between  $125 to $130 a week the FIRST MONTH.  JC even has it on their order form.  Week one = 125.38, Wk 2 = 124.14, week 3 == 121.14, and week 4 = 121.98.

However, first thing to go for me was their expensive desserts.  Yes, they are good, but so is Skinny Cow and Weight Watcher's ice creams and frozen desserts and even candy.  Lots cheaper at my grocery store. 2nd thing to go was the food I didn't like.  Didn't order it again.  I still have a Turkey Paninni that has been in my freezer for over a month.

3rd way to save is the cereals.  I avoid their breakfast squares at $1.99 a piece, or the cereal at 2.49 a serving.  I have by now learned about sodium and how to look at labels.  So, I buy my own cereal that is in a box and much cheaper.  Although, have to say I love their cranberry almond cereal.  $2.49.  But, I stay with my breakfast faves.  Breakfast scramble, Florentine breakfast pizza with some lemon juice and maybe a little greek yogurt (fat free).

My average bill now is less than $100 each week.  But you still must figure in fresh fruit, veggies, etc.  I even now fix some meals of my own.  Have the butcher chop 4 oz sections of salmon or other yummy fish.  JC just doesn't have enough fish on their menu.  As you go along, AND as you read these forums, you will see people post recipes on how they turned a sometimes blah dish into something wonderful.  And you are so FULL!

I wish you both luck.  Hope you post often and read often.  You can afford it!  If you look at the overall picture.  For me, I'm on 9 medications.  I can hopefully get off a number of these once I hit my goal.  Even my doctor said she would start to wean me off some when I get down to 160.  And you are no longer eating junk food.  HUGE savings!

Keep coming back and keep asking questions.  Visit all the forums.  They all have something to add.  Returning clients is not just for Returning Clients.  Everyone goes there.  Same for a lot of these others.
[/quote]

[DeAnne-Oregon]

What a great answer!  So, my question is, How do you talk your JCC into allowing all these modifications?  I, too, am considering returning but cannot afford $500 a month!  In the past when I was on the program they made a big deal about it not being "their program" if you modify.  Any suggestions?  Thank you!

[BTRocks]

And they still will.

My approach was to follow their program to the letter for the first 2 weeks. At that point, I felt like I had the hang of it, and started making my substitutions gradually. My first one was to drop the afternoon snack for a Starbucks Skinny Mocha. (Pre-JC, I drank the regular kind, grande size!) When that didn't make the sky fall, I started replacing the other snacks with appropriate, healthy options. I felt this was better for my health as much as my wallet, as I shifted toward whole foods, not just similar prepackaged snacks.

I'm past my halfway point now, and I'm eating most of my breakfasts on my own too. I have a pretty good idea now of what the total calories and proportions should be for each meal.

My JCC did question my decision to ditch JC snacks so early on, but once I explained my reasoning, she got over it. And I've been losing weight steadily, which is hard to argue with.

The magic of JC isn't in the food itself -- it's in retraining yourself to eat the way your body needs you to for optimum health.

[matt from nj]

Your JCC is a salesperson, so they want to sell you food first.  Don't buy what you don't want and don't let them bully or guilt you into something.

BTrocks hit it dead on, it's not the food but how the food shows you to eat.  Most people don't look at what they're getting, they just microwave it and eat it.  Put it on a plate and you will see what your meals should look like.  Anyone overweight needs Jenny to show them how to eat, I know I did, but I haven't eaten the food for a few months now and I've surpassed my original goal.

When you think about it, $125 a week isn't terrible.  Think about what you buy and spend on crap to eat.  I ate all Jenny food for 2 weeks, then got the hang of what it was showing me and starting meal subbing.  By my halfway point, I was down to 1 JC meal a day, sometimes none.  I now cook almost all of my meals and have a frozen lean pocket once in a while.  I am trying to stay away from frozen processed foods and opting to cook everything.

If you are going to the store, then just look at the nutrition labels and compare them to the JC labels and you will see what is similar and what you can change it with.  100 calorie snack packs, skinny cow & WW are all great things to buy and eat.  If you take a multi-vitamin, then you don't need the anytime bars, you can sub those with a milk or granola bar.

[janiebelle1957]

[color=#0000CD]I have always done a personalized menu. That means I chose my own foods. I can pick and choose each meal every day. I like to keep a few extra meals and desserts on hand. Sometimes I get a craving for something and I'm glad I have choices in the freezer and pantry. I think they like to plan your meals in the first couple weeks but the personalized plan is available.[/color]
[color=#0000CD]Janiebelle[/color]

[SandyMM]

I've got my own take on the cost.  Weekly JC food about $120 + $25 (fresh veggies, milk, fruit) = $145.  Before JC I wasspending $70 at grocery shopping and (2 x $7= $14) fast food lunch and breakfast out with tip $15.  Therefore $14 + $15 = $29.   So eliminating those costs $145 - $29 =  $116.=    Now previous I eat out for dinner two times a week.  I still do that so I'm not even adding that in.   There are 7 antime bars, 4 afternoon snacks and 3 after dinner snacks (7+4+3= 14).
Let's saw a snack outside would cost me $1 x 14 = $14.  So $116-$14=  $112.   However I will have 21 meals less the two dinners out =  19 meals.  $112 divided by 19 = $5.89 per meal (remember, not tipping either).  That is pretty cheap.

I'll bet the cost of JC food seems alot, but it you really add up the cost of grocery store and eating out if not on JC and deduct that from the JC food costs.....you would be surprised at the little cost you are paying.  

Also...the benefit of getting healthy and looking good!

Sandy

[JanieBW]

[quote name='Mary Meyer' timestamp='1344356964' post='672277']
I am thinking about joining Jenny Craig and am wondering what the cost of food is....help please! Thanks!
[/quote]

Most things are $4 and up.   The lunches and dinners are $5.99 ? and up.   I am trying it now for just one week.   That gives me an idea what it tastes like, how much it costs and what you get.   They are having "join now for free" I plan on doing that and just ordering food here and there and supplement with my own food that I like and can count calories easily.   Hope this helps.
JanieBW

[cjlowry]

I joined Jenny mostly to get my diabetes under control and learn how to eat.  Weight loss has been a delightful plus!   I have done their preplanned menus weeks 1-4 (although I admit I fell off program this past week).  This week I plan only to purchase breakfasts & lunches - both for the convenience and because I like them!  They actually keep me from grazing throughout the day!  Probably won't buy any soupitizers or anytime bars, and possibly only one or two desserts.  I find I really don't eat them.  So its possible to keep the costs down for sure.  Maybe just keep an extra piece of fruit on hand.  If you go to the cuisine page, they list prices there for each meal.  Try it!  I think you'll be pleased!

[kaiserme]

Ok, I do MOMO 5/2. Helps the costs and don't get bored w/the food.  Have to be careful to stay on suggested ideas, although you can come up with MANY healthy ideas as you go.  I started using Special K Breakfast Sandwiches, subbing a couple of LCuisine lunches a week, buying my own healthy snacks.  Just be careful. Compare Compare, Compare. Sodium, Fat, Calories, read the labels.
Talk to your JCC about 5/2.  It is about learning to eat, not just how much you buy. My JCC has never given me a hard time about how much I buy.
I DO like the ATBars.  I don't buy the soupitizers, never have.
Good luck at whatever you decide to do!