Jenny Craig Review and
Weight Loss Program Overview

Use this Jenny Craig review to better understand the Jenny Craig weight loss program and whether or not it is the right choice for you.

Jenny Craig Review - How the program works
The Jenny Craig weight loss program is administered either through the company’s network of weight loss centers or through the Jenny Direct program with support online and by phone. Either way, one-on-one counseling is used to determine your weight loss goals and develop a personalized menu plan.

The program is based on menu plans that are nutritionally balanced according to standard recommendations of the USDA Food Guide Pyramid and U.S. dietary guidelines. These menu plans are based on the Jenny’s Cuisine line of pre-packaged food products, so you must purchase your food from the company.

Daily menu plans typically include between 1200-1700 calories. There are currently about 75 breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert items available in the Jenny Cuisine line. By most accounts, the food entrees taste pretty good but are expensive and must be augmented with regular grocery store food such as fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.

The calories in the Jenny Craig menus are comprised of 50%-60% carbohydrates, 20%-30% protein and 20% from fat. You can choose either pre-planned weekly menus, or design your own personalized menus with the help of your counselor.

Jenny Craig Review - Plan Options
Jenny Craig provides multiple plans to choose from, including Tune-Up, OnTrack, and Rewards.

The Jenny Craig Tune-Up plan is a short-term membership lasting between 30 and 90 days and includes one-on-one consultations, personalized Jenny menu plans, personalized exercise and motivational plans as well as additional support tools.

The Jenny Craig OnTrack and Jenny Craig Rewards plans are longer-term, 6 months and 12 months, respectively. Each of these includes the same personalized menu, exercise, and motivational plans as the Tune-Up plan but with additional support resources and progressive discounts on food purchases. All of these program options are available through both the Jenny Craig weight loss centers and Jenny Direct.

Jenny Craig Review - Program Costs
The Tune-Up plan is considered an introductory promotional plan that you can use as a trial. This plan is currently being promoted as “lose 20lbs for $20”. The cost of the food, of course, is additional resulting in a cost of approximately $110-116 per week.

The OnTrack plan requires an enrollment fee of $199 plus the cost of food. The Jenny Rewards plan, which is the plan of choice for the majority of people, requires an enrollment fee of $399 plus the cost of food. This is a lifetime plan with an annual renewal fee of $39. The advantage of the Rewards plan is that you can return for one-on-one consultations throughout your maintenance to help you stay on track. Additionally, the Rewards plan includes a 10-35% food discount during maintenance (once you have reached your goal weight).

Generally, during the weight loss phase of the program, your food costs are approximately $105-133 per week, or $15-19 per day. This does not include the additional cost of grocery store food that you purchase to augment your menu plans. If you are participating through the Jenny Direct program, shipping of the food is additional and takes between 5-7 business days to arrive at your home.

Jenny Craig Review - Conclusion
At approximately $420 to $532 per month plus the $399 enrollment fee on the Rewards program, the Jenny Craig plan is expensive. With the one-on-one counseling provided as part of the program and the nutritionally balanced food products, you can successfully lose weight. Some people seem quite satisfied with the convenience of the pre-package food and their results. Others, however, tire quickly of the food and do not feel they learn how to transition to regular food for the long term. Overall, clients give this program mixed reviews.

The company has been around for 25 years and appears to be very stable, though, so if you are attracted to the structured programs Jenny Craig provides, this program may be a viable option for you.

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