My Week Without Jenny Craig

Hello bloggie world!

As you probably know by now, I have been on my own since I got back from vacation.   I will have to wait until next week until I can purchase my Jenny Craig meals.  In the meantime, I've worked hard at staying on track.  Since my last post, I have cooked my own meals and tracked my calories on MyFitnessPal.  For those of you that have been living under a rock, MyFitnessPal is an app that allows you to track your calories & exercise.  

I had a tough day yesterday.  For some reason I was feeling down on my luck.  I almost felt like throwing in the towel but I somehow managed to persevere.  All day I kept dreading the idea of exercising.  I imagined myself on my stationary miserable...angry...defeated.  Of course, as any wife would, I vented to my husband about my temporary feelings of self-loathing and misery.  Instead of allowing me to dwell in my negative emotions he motivated me to push through.  He offered to go for a run with me....did I mention how much I love this man???  He's my rock and I am blessed beyond belief.  :)

So we went for a jog and I felt amazing after I was done.  I couldn't have done it with out him (thank you honey, I know you're reading).  

Oh, btw...another handy-dandy app that I recommend you guys download is the Pacer App, where you can track your daily steps; yes, a pedometer.  It automatically assigns you a goal of 10,000 steps, which some say translates into 5 miles.  Not to shabby.  It is unfortunate that my field of work requires little to no movement.   This app has helped me push myself to walk more.  For example, after I left work, I had only paced a total of 1900 steps all day!!  Yeahh, I know! Wth?!

After my jog I was at 10,171, which is equivalent to 1:29 minutes of activity and last but not least, 278 calories burned!   Here's a screenshot:

While I'm on my on, I intend to stay under the 1,200 calories my JC consultant recommended.  I know there's more to it, including exchanges, etc... but this seems like a safe approach for now.

It's all about accountability....so here's yesterday's menu:

In addition, my snack between lunch and dinner was a whole mango  (the screenshot didn't grab the snack section).

P.S. (I'm running out of JC food, I'm down to 2 rising crust pizzas, sad day)

Peaks and Valleys....Days 10 & 11

Shit! These days have been tough.  I'm not sure why but these last two days have tested my character.   I somehow managed to endure.   As you probably know, I've started switching out some of the Jenny Craig food items.  I feel it necessary to learn how and what to substitute.   I am well aware that I will not be able to continue Jenny Craig forever.   Living in one the most expensive cities in the US doesn't help either.  My husband and I have been saving for a house and I feel it absolutely necessary to watch my spending.   With that said, I will move on to what I've been eating these last couple days.

Day 10 Jenny Craig Challenge

BREAKFAST
My Jenny Craig consultant understands that I'm on a budget, so she advised me to substitute some of the breakfast items for things such as oatmeal and store bought cereal.  So on Day 10, I had Quaker instant oatmeal, at only 150 calories this seemed like a good option.  No complaints here.

LUNCH

Hello Turkey Burger addiction!!!

DINNER
Meatloaf with barbeque sauce.....ehhh....it was fine.   I grilled a portebello mushroom and was so excited to eat it, only to realize it was bad.  So I threw it out.   FYI:  The Meatloaf is on the right side of the plate.

ACTIVITY
40 minutes on the Stationary Bike....no picture of workout screen this time.  My husband tripped over the plug and disconnected it.  :(  Sad day.   This work-out was particularly agonizing....it was a tough day overall.


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Day 11 Jenny Craig Challenge

I woke up around 9:00 am and stayed in bed watching the World Cup (Italy vs. Costa Rica).  I somehow managed to pull myself out of bed around 10ish and headed straight for my exercise bike.  Thirty-six minutes and 11.0 miles later, I finished my work-out.  This is getting tougher than I thought.  I got this!!!  At least, that's what I keep telling myself.


BREAKFAST
French Toast and Iced Coffee!!!  You guys already know how much I love Jenny Craig's French Toast. 

On another note, I didn't work today because someone in the office needed to take Sunday off.  I volunteered to cover said coworkers shift, out of the goodness of my heart...so saintly, sure, yeah...   I don't ever work Sundays but hey, there's a first time for everything.  Soooo, since I had the day off I decided it would be nice to go to matinee showing of The Fault In Our Stars with my cousin (she's on summer break from college).  It was such a great movie! Go watch it!!!   Just make sure to pack some tissues.   I'm happy to report that I did not fall off the wagon.  I snuck in my Jenny Craig White Cheddar Popcorn and ended up buying a Diet Coke at the concession stand.   Success!


LUNCH
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes & Fried Chicken.  I love this meal, it never disappoints.  Oh and btw, Sriracha hot sauce has become my new best friend....just thought you should know.  It's amazing how much flavor it adds to any dish.

DINNER
I'll let you know.....





ACTIVITY

Also,  I thought this would be a good day to share my progress picture.  I took this Day 7  of my challenge (keep in mind that I am now on day 11).  Feel free to check out my first post Day 1 for a picture of my Pre-Jenny Craig challenge body.  Let me know your thoughts.... do you guys see a difference?   I will continue posting progress pics every week or so....stay tuned.

Working Around My Jenny Craig Food Schedule--Day 9

BREAKFAST/LUNCH

I often travel for work... and by travel, I mean drive to different cities in Southern California...nothing too far. Yesterday however; was an exception.  I drove from Downtown Los Angeles (which is where my office is located) to Oxnard, CA.  Oxnard is a small city in Ventura County, approximately 2 hours away.  I knew that not having a fridge and/or microwave handy was going to be an issue.   I made sure to plan ahead and decided to indulge in healthy alternatives.  I started my morning with my usual cup of coffee.   Around 9:30 am I ate a Yoplait Light Yogurt, boston cream pie flavor, if you must know. :)   I also packed a small container of grapes and my handy-dandy White Cheddar Popcorn to ensure I was covered for the day. The yogurt and coffee held me up for most of my day, but on my way home, which was around 1:00 pm my hunger reared its ugly head.  So instead of stopping at a fast food joint, which would have been the norm, I munched away on grapes and White Cheddar Popcorn.   I arrived home around 3:30 pm, worked out for about 40 minutes and decided on breakfast for lunch--so Sunshine Sandwich it was!



DINNER
So for dinner, I had a Turkey Burger.  Yes, I know it's a lunch item but the day started off weird to begin with, so what the heck!  Here's a picture of my dinner:

ACTIVITY

P.S.  I ended my night with a glass of Mirassou Pinot Noir.  After a hectic day, it was just what I needed.

Week 2 on Jenny Craig--Day 8

You probably already know that my weigh-in was yesterday, if not please refer to my last post Weigh-In.   I lost a total of 5.4 lbs.  The weight loss was just the motivation I needed to continue my journey with Jenny Craig.   Now that I know that my body is responding to the program I am even more excited to keep going. Last night, my consultant and I talked about different ways to offset the cost of the program.  So this week, I will be incorporating store-bought breakfast items to my diet.  My consultant advised me to alternate between Jenny Craig Breakfasts, Oatmeal and Cereal (healthy cereal, of course...for example, Special K).  I decided to start Week 2 with a Jenny Craig Breakfast.  I am planning to have Special K for breakfast tomorrow.

BREAKFAST
The Breakfast Scramble was delicious!  I added some Sriracha to that baby and it was heavenly! A must try!!!

SNACK/VITAMIN

This week I switched it up and decided on the Oatmeal Raisin Anytime Bars instead.  It's safe to say that my palate appreciates this flavor over the Vanilla Chocolate Crisp.  Too bad they are only here for a limited time. :(    Both flavors look the same but the taste is no where near similar.  The Oatmeal bars are softer and less dense, whereas the Vanilla bars are doughy and chewy.

LUNCH

Oh my God.  I accidentally brought a Jenny Craig dinner item instead of lunch.  Thank heavens for my awesome consultant, she made sure to tell me that I was welcome to switch between dinner and lunches on occasion, as long as I kept my caloric intake under 1200.  Although, my lunch entree was accidental, it ended up working out.  I had the Homestyle Chicken Casserole with a side of baby spinach.  It was a creamy mix of penne pasta, bits of ham, broccoli, carrots and strips of chicken.  Pretty awesome if you ask me. Due to my unprecedented lunch hiccup, I will be having a lunch item for dinner.  The turkey burger is already on my mind. 

DINNER

Turkey Burger-and as usual it was amazing!

I would love to hear your results thus far!!!  What are your were you Week 1 weigh-in results?

My Twenties Made Me Fat

End of Week One- Day 7--WEIGH IN!!!!!!!!

Today is day 7 of my +Jenny Craig challenge.   As promised.  I will post a new picture and results of my weigh-in.   All in all, I feel good about my first week back on JC.   As you read in my posts, I didn't follow JC to the tee, because, let's get real.... life is going to happen.   The decision to give Jenny Craig another go came with the decision to change my lifestyle.  This is not a temporary weight loss challenge for me.  I want to be healthier, happier and who are we kidding, slimmer.  I am slowly re-learning how to eat and re-evaluating what I choose to put in my body.   I will keep you posted on my progress.

BREAKFAST
No breakfast today so I had to settle for an Anytime Bar with Coffee.  Boo :(

LUNCH
Zesty Tortellini Soup and a green salad for lunch.

After work I rushed to my local Jenny Craig center....the moment of truth:


WEIGH-IN---WEEK 1 RESULTS

ORIGINAL WEIGHT: 189.8 lbs- June 9th, 2014

CURRENT WEIGHT: 184.5 lbs- June 16th, 2014

TOTAL LOSS: 5.4 lbs!!!!



DINNER
We went to Olive Garden to celebrate Father's Day- my dad works Sundays.  I did my research and found out that the lightest meal was the Baked Tilapia and Shrimp at 360 calories (thank you Jenny Craig Dining Out Guide), I ordered a dry green salad with no cheese and opted for the light dressing.  I barely dashed the dressing unto my salad and added lots of pepper...and since I didn't have breakfast or my snack, I had calories to spare.  Oh and btw, did I mention that I worked out!!??!  Yes!!!!  After I got home from my JC consultation, I squeezed in a brief 30 minute work-out!  I think I'm starting to get the hang of this!

ACTIVITY

WEEK 1 in the books!!!

Weekends are the Devil--Day 5 & 6

I was dreading the weekend because I knew that it would be harder to stay on track.  Yesterday, my husband's family had a Father Day's BBQ.  I knew that eating the right thing was going to be a challenge, and so I did what any responsible JC dieter would do.  I starved myself!  Joking.  As usual, I slept in and arose around 10am.  Saturday Mornings are the best!  As soon as I got up I headed straight for my stationary bike and got to business, 45 minutes later I had completed my work-out  For breakfast/lunch, I decided to sautée some spinach, tomatoes, onion and fresh garlic.  I literally had a mountain of spinach for breakfast.   It was surprisingly tasty and satisfying.

Jenny Craig Day 5

BREAKFAST/LUNCH

DINNER

We got to my husband's family gathering around 4:30pm.   To my demise, the spread looked amazing! I headed straight for the fruit platter and loaded up on watermelon and grapes.   I skipped the chips and dip.  Success!  But then the real challenge came......picking out my food.   Here's the result of my impaired judgment:  1 grilled rib, a hefty serving of chimol (salvadoran salad made with tomatoes, onion, cucumber, cilantro and lime juice=volumetrics), a minuscule serving of rice, about 1/4 of a cup's worth.   I was full!  It's all about making the right choices.   I also took my +Jenny Craig White Cheddar Popcorn.   I didn' feel deprived.   Oh, and I enjoyed several glasses of wine *blushing*.   All in all, I think I did well.  Jenny Craig is definitely shifting the way I look at food and that's a good thing.     I totally forgot to take a picture of my meal.


ACTIVITY

Jenny Craig Day 6

BREAKFAST
Today is a new day and I'm back on track.  I had the Florentine Breakfast Pizzas, which btw were delicious!

LUNCH

The Chicken Sandwich was pretty good.   I decided to steam some cabbage, mushrooms and carrots.  I also helped myself to a side of pickles and cherry tomatoes. Oh, and a bit of salsa!  Please excuse the unaesthetic plate.  I was so hungry and as you can see, I ended up creating a mountain on my plate.  I enjoyed the Chicken Sandwich but IMO, the Turkey Burger is much more delicious.  

DINNER

Now, dinner was just amazing! I added red peppers and onions to my Rising Crust Pizza.  I really enjoyed this meal.  I had a side of spinach with my pizza.  It felt like I was cheating...it was so yummy! One of my fave +Jenny Craig meals thus far.

ACTIVITY

No exercise for this girl on Day 6.  :(   

It's Friday the 13th....but I'm feeling lucky!--Day 5

Happy Friday all! It's been 5 days since I started this journey with +Jenny Craig   As you know, I started this blog with the intention of keeping myself accountable and in the process, I hope to inspire some of you to start and/or continue your weight loss journey.  I decide to sign up for Jenny Craig because I know it works; however, on the downside, JC tends to be pricey.   I am well aware that cannot afford to stay on JC for too long but this is giving me the push to start my journey towards health.  As my body evolves, so will this blog. Once I feel ready, I will start posting Jenniesque type meals that we can all use.  Again, I thank you for taking the time to read my blog.  I hope that we can help motivate each other on our journey to health and weight loss.   Feel free to comment, as I would love to interact with whomever reads my mindless blabber. :)  I am humbled and thankful to those who are in the least bit interested.

Jenny Craig Day 5

BREAKFAST
I was rushing out of the house this morning.   I opened my fridge and grabbed the French Toast. You'll come to find that I am not a morning person.  I often rush out of the house and sometimes leave my mind there in the process....it quickly returns after I have my coffee.  Anyhow, because I was in a rush I ended up forgetting my JC syrup.  What a disappointment!  So since I was going to skip out on the syrup, I decided that after 4 days of only black coffee I would add a mini hazelnut creamer (30 cals).   I threw some ice in my cup and opted for iced coffee this morning.  I live in California and the weather called for something cold. Oh, and btw the French Toast was pretty yummy! Even with out the syrup.  It has a nice mild sweet cinnamon flavor that complemented my Hazelnut Iced Coffee well.

SNACK/VITAMIN

LUNCH
Well, my lunch sucked.  I did not care for the Creamy Chicken & Corn Chowder very much.  Don't get me wrong, I am all for cream base soups, especially corn chowder but this JC meal, reminded me of canned tuna for some odd reason...and you should know, I ABSOLUTELY HATE TUNA!   But hey, who knows? Some of you might like it.  Unfortunately, this soup is not for me.  I somehow managed to finish it, maybe because my stomach growled at me, every time I took the soup away.  Thank God I brought some broccoli, carrots and spinach (I alternated between small sips of soup and large bites of vegetables).  I will stick to the Zesty Tortellini from now on!

I Need Coffee-Day 2

Last night my hubs and I decided to go for a run at the park.  That run quickly turned to a walk, but hey, who cares, at least I did something.   Anywho, We walked for close to an hour, doesn't seem like much right but It's safe to say that it did a number on me. Guess what? I overslept for work and showed up 30 minutes after my scheduled time.  My legs feel sore! Boy am I out of shape!  BUT I WILL NOT GIVE UP! In other news, today I got the much anticipated news that my entire family has been waiting for.  My brother and sis-in-law became parents for the second time this morning at 8:35am.  My nephew came in at 7lbs, 1oz- 19.5 inches.  I CANNOT wait to meet him.  My niece is 3 years old and last night she went to bed as an only child and today she awoke a big sister.  She's going to make an amazing sister!  Forgive me for my shameless bragging...I couldn't help myself.  So getting back to Jenny Craig....


Jenny Craig Menu-Day 2

BREAKFAST
Today I opted for one of Jenny's lighter breakfast options, the Mixed Berry Bar.   It resembles a rice crispy mixed with dry berries, it has been dipped and drizzled in yogurt icing.  It's a pretty tasty tiny square of deliciousness.  I added a few strawberries and blueberries to complete the meal. Oh, and 2 cups of black coffee of course!

SNACK/VITAMIN

Another Anytime Bar....it tastes better today for some reason.  Maybe it's an acquired taste.

Mini Rant: About an hour after I ate my Anytime Bar, I started to feel hunger pangs.   It's safe to say that although delicious, the Mixed Berry Bar is not going to cut it for breakfast.  Boo! I was kind of excited about the Mixed Berry Bar, especially since it's one of the cheaper items on the breakfast menu...only $1.99   

Note to self: Don't buy any more Mixed Berry Bars!

LUNCH

I really enjoyed my lunch today.  I ate the Cheesy Mashed Potatoes and Fried Chicken.   The portion is very tiny and a bit disappointing at first sight.  I am glad I packed a nice green salad and a side of carrot sticks for lunch.   I made sure to drink a cup of water before digging in.   I have to say, the meal was pretty tasty and almost tasted like a non-diet meal.  Good job Jenny Craig.  This one is definitely a winner:

Soon after I got home from work I decided to jump on my stationary bike.  Again, I am nowhere near fit, so any physical activity is a plus in my book.  I keep comparing myself to a candle...slowly melting away....very slowly.

SNACK
After my work out I was super hungry, so I decided to grab a bag of Jenny Craig's Bruschetta Veggie Chips. I knew that the veggie chips alone wouldn't hold me until dinner, so I whipped up a quick salsa.  In my hungry desperation I forgot to take a picture of the finished product...forgive me, I was literally starving.

Mexican Salsa Recipe
1 roma tomato
1/4 of an onion ( I LOVE ONION)
1 handful of cilantro
1/2 serrano pepper
juice of 1/2 a lime
Salt to taste

Chop all the ingredients in cubes and mix 'em together....and you have yourself an amazing chucky salsa that doubles as a salad.

After I ate my chips and salsa I felt FULL....so I decided to wait a bit before eating my dinner.  I was watching mind-less reality shows (don't judge me), while I waited for my food to go down.  Well, guess what?  I fell asleep!! No dinner for me last night.   

DINNER

Sorry Jenny Craig...dinner never happened... I fell asleep earlier than anticipated.

My Twenties Made Fat-- Jenny Craig will make me healthy- Day 1

In an attempt to keep myself accountable, I will take you on my journey with Jenny Craig.  This is not my first time on the plan.  I gave Jenny Craig my first go in 2010.   I lost around 15 lbs in one month but decided to stop due to the high cost of the program.  Needless to say, I am back (for obvious reasons).

Here are some details regarding my current physical standing:
29 years old

Height 5'5

Weight 189

I will post updated picture and weight information next Monday, June 17th

My weight at 20 years old was 130 lbs....waaahhh!! I know, I know.... I should have, would have, could have but I didn't.... the important thing is that I am ready for change!!!  I can do this!! We can do this!! Let's do it together ladies!!!! 

Jenny Craig Menu-Day 1

BREAKFAST
For breakfast I had Jenny's Sunshine Sandwich, black coffee and a nectarine. It was a bit bland for my taste...but then again, what can you expect from a 210 calorie breakfast sandwich.  All in all, it was okay. Here is a picture of my meal:

SNACK/VITAMIN

A couple hours after breakfast I had the pleasure of consuming a sweet doughy protein-type bar, that Jenny Craig calls Anytime Bar--It wasn't the bad, it wasn't great.  Again, this is diet food... I need to keep reminding myself.

LUNCH

Zesty Tortellini Soup for lunch with a green salad/no dressing and baby carrots.   The soup itself is very rich and hearty.  The tortellini is drenched in tomato based meat sauce.  It was flavorful but lacked the salt kick in my opinion.  It left me feeling full and satisfied.

DINNER

Jenny Craig teaches you about Volumizing; it term used by Jenny Craig consultants, to help encourage the consumption of additional veggies.  Volumizing also helps people like you and me get creative with Jenny cuisine.  Consultants provide you with a list of unlimited veggies that you are allowed to consume.   For example, yesterday I had the Chicken Pasta Parmesan for dinner.   I decide to volumize by doing the following:

I heated up a pan and added a spritz of pam. I then sauteed some bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and fresh garlic.  I seasoned it with garlic salt, seasoning salt and fresh ground pepper.  After the veggies were al dente I dropped in the Chicken Pasta Parmesan and mixed it all together.  The result was a much tastier filling version of the original meal   I paired it with a green salad...and wallah!!!! Dinner was served.

DESSERT

Since I skipped out on my milk serving for breakfast I decide to treat myself to Jenny's chocolate cakes and an ice cold glass of non-fat milk.  YUM!!  This one speaks for itself:

AND JUST LIKE THAT, DAY 1 WAS A SUCCESS!

xo.