I love taking a restorative yoga class at my gym. One of the favorite parts is the pieces of wisdom that I collect from the teacher - Kristine. She reminds us to set a daily intention through the choice of a word. Often my intentions are around clarity or calmness and usually I think of my weight loss goals in context with that intention. Lately, I have been gathering new ideas from my Jenny Craig consultant - Jessie. This past week she shared with me that she thinks of her meal as just something that will hold her over until her next meal/snack in a couple hours. I realized that before JC - I often thought of lunch as needing to hold me until dinner - which would often be 6-7 hours later which would give me an excuse to load up on a huge sandwich or a full size enchilada platter. Often consuming 800+ calories in that one meal. When I think about just eating enough for 2 hours of nourishment/energy it really helps me with portion control and the recognition that my hunger is gone. What are some ah-ha moments you have had on our Jenny Craig journey? Do you have one you can share? Post it here, please!

April 9th, 2019 - I made the appointment at Jenny Craig. I had been feeling lost this past 4 plus months. My weight had been creeping up. It started around Thanksgiving, and by the end of February - It was up a good 10 pounds, and by the end of March .... 15. IKES. I can pin point one specific thing ..... but the less obscure thing was the fact that I went Vegan in October. At first with great success ..... feeling fabulous, curing constipation, eating lots of veggies, fruit, beans and legumes, and whole grains. But by Thanksgiving - I found myself adding more and more JUNK food (Vegan no doubt - HA! But JUNK). I would falter back and forth from eating really "clean" to "clean" plus JUNK. As the winter marched onward - I was eating more "Vegetarian", as milk products kept finding a way in - PLUS the bouts with JUNK. UGGG. My weight was marching upward all this time. Finally, the first weekend in April - I knew this "Vegan" quest was undoing me. Maybe it works for "Rip Esselstyn" but I wasn't able to master it in Maintenance. LESSON #1 - If something ISN"T working ........ STOP IT! No matter how "righteous" it sounds!!!!!! I suddenly realized I needed to GET BACK TO JENNY and reinforce some of the things I had previously learned. I stewed about it all of Sunday night, because of the "Cons". The Cons to me are: COST. PRIDE - In thinking, I knew what to do on my own, if I could just muster up a plan. and INCONVENIENCE of the 90 minute drive to my center. COST is by for the biggest Con. But I reminded myself it can be my biggest .... PRO. Because if I'm going to make this type of investment, I am motivated beyond belief to not WASTE the money by playing around with it!!!! By Monday morning I picked up the phone and made an appointment. BEST DECISION EVER. The center was quiet, so Amber spent an hour with me, really talking through how this happened. I left knowing, there is no shame in saying - This is a life long Journey for me - but I have the BEST solution for ME, and I will keep working on this, for AS LONG AS IT TAKES. LESSON #2. I need Exercise. At my age - it's just an equally important component to my health, as what I eat. My journey over the past few years hasn't really included exercise. I walked, in season (warm that is!), but other than that haven't ever exercised. This go around Amber raised her eyebrows, when I said "I'll walk 30 minutes" LESSON #3. I need much more accountability and training from my JCC in Maintenance. I really didn't get it the first time around. I can't blame them. I didn't really ask enough questions, and I am the kind of person who pushes the program away at Maintenance. This time I won't. Amber reminded me to SELF ADVOCATE - set up an hour appointment to learn the maintenance JC plan - then to GET TO THE CENTER every week while I'm learning it, just like I did when I was first learning in the very very very beginning when I found JC!!! And .... to follow the Maintenance as outlined ..... EXACTLY. Just like I did in following my JC meal program. So - Hear I go. I'm so thankful I have J.C. - It really has been my path to a healthier me. I'm not done, and I won't quit. But I'm in a much better place than I was a few years ago when I first started! The Journey continues!!!!!

@xtine danielle - Very exciting to follow your journey - as you WILL do this! Let me know when you get to maintenance phase and share your "ins and outs"! I think that portion of the plan is my most important goal this go around! It's so easy to follow JC meal plan. If $$$ didn't stop me - I think I'd stay with JC food forever!! But that being unrealistic for me - I am going to learn my way through maintenance. Let's do this!!!

I spoke to my JCC last night. It went well enough, I suppose. I lost weight, which is the focus of it all. But the truth is, she sounds as if she is on some kind of a script. Here I am, reminding her (she had clearly, clearly forgotten) how I had gone down to see my father in the hospital last week. How he was dying. How I had to say good-bye. I told her I went off-program for six days. She glossed over all of that; it just was not in her notes and she did not know how to respond. I told her that being back had been good; that having the program, the scheduled meals, the meditation practice, has been so healthy and mind-saving for me. She acknowledged what I had said, but didn't really have more to add. I felt let down. I know. I know. I am very sensitive right now. But I desperately wanted some kind of validation about everything I have been going through, and the fact that JC has been a bit of an anchor for me these days. Instead, she just went right into, "Do you think you'll have any obstacles this coming week?" I wanted to laugh. Or cry. I mean, I don't know, sweetie. It's possible that my father will die this week. Oh, and I am working on my taxes, which are totally up in the air right now. And I have to start my Continuing Legal Ed. And did I mention my father is in hospice care and might die this week? But don't you worry, I am not reaching for the raw cookie dough. Not yet. Meh, don't listen to me. I have a migraine, and am in a bit of a mood.