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)

Just Like That....Back To Reality

Hello Everyone!!

I am back from paradise! I had an amazing time on vacation!  I'll share some pictures soon!


But Oh, God....


I am sooo afraid to step on the scale.  I was super pumped about packing my Jenny food....but as you can guess, that plan went down the drain.  I keep telling myself that it's okaaaay! Or is it? LOL  My husband tells me that all is well and that I don't look, nor feel heavier ;)   Bless his heart.  Honestly, I think he's right (wishful thinking).  Although, I did indulge while on vacation, I found myself controlling my portions and foregoing high-caloric drinks.   Ya know the kind with mini umbrellas, that you can picture yourself having on the beach?  Yeah, I skipped out on those. :)  Instead, I opted for less sugary drinks and wine.  Well, guess what, the last night of my trip I decided to have my one and only Pina Colada....and that was that!

At this point, I don't know... I'm scared, better yet, terrified to face the REALITY of the scale.  Even worse, my vacation left me depleted of funds....and now, I'm left without Jenny Craig food for an entire week!!!!! EEEK!!!  I want to cry! waahh!  I have a few meals left, therefore, I completely intend to make the best out of this week.  For example today, I started my morning with a Yogurt and an Anytime Bar.   For lunch, I had JC's Sweet & Sour Rice, and yes, I know it's a dinner item, but at 210 calories, I decided it was fine.

The good news is that I walked ALOT and by ALOT I mean ALOT, while I was on vacation.  The latter, is my silver lining. :)

I am actually looking forward to getting back to the rhythm of things...as soon as I get home from work I will climb on my bike!

In the past, I would have looked at this vacation as a burden towards my weight loss journey.  Quite frankly, I would have probably stopped working out and eating healthy all together.   Not this time!!! I can't expect to get the results I want if I keep letting life's hiccups and bumps in the road stop me.

I will also post a progress (or lack-thereof) picture to keep you guys in the loop.  Knowing that you guys are following my journey, helps motivate me!  So, I thank you!!

For example, my lovely reader Cynthia sent me a comment a little while ago.  She is the reason you are reading these words right now.   Thank you Cynthia for your kind words.  I will not fail you guys!!  But sometimes, I need a kick in the arse.

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!

You're telling me, I can have Pancakes for breakfast?!?!?! --Day 4

I'm on Day 4 of my Jenny Craig Challenge journey and I'm already feeling slimmer.  It might be my mind playing tricks on me but I could swear I see a difference!  I will resist the temptation to weigh myself because my JC consultant said to wait until weigh-in day.   Ahhh...the torture!

BREAKFAST
Pancakes!!! Need I say more?  I spiced up my pancakes by adding some fresh strawberries and blueberries. The veggie sausage was pleasantly and surprisingly tasty.  I will definitely be ordering the Blueberry Pancakes and Veggie Sausage again!

SNACK/VITAMIN
I find that having the Anytime Bar between breakfast and lunch helps keep my hunger under control.

LUNCH

Pizza Party in my mouth! This was not the best or worst pizza I've ever had but hey, it was pizza.  

As usual, I paired my lunch with a green salad.  A little red wine vinegar and pepper on lettuce goes a long way.  

DINNER

Oh-Em-Gee!!!  The Macaroni and Cheese was delicious!   To complete the meal I steamed some broccoli and carrots and sprinkled garlic and seasoning salt.  I also had a hefty side of baby spinach.  YUM!

SNACK

Kettle Corn was just what I needed to end my night.   One of my favorite snacks so far! Will definitely buy again and again.

ACTIVITY

I was soooooo lazy yesterday but I somehow managed to push myself to get on my stationary bike.  This was the outcome:

P.S.  The hardest part about my Jenny Craig challenge has been giving up my wine indulgence.  I love a glass of red wine a few times a week.  I know that wine is allowed but I'm pushing myself to abstain.  Less alcohol means less sugar= more weight loss.

Well Whadaya know? Black Coffee...it ain't so bad after all--Day 3

I'm getting used to drinking coffee..black.  That's surprising, considering I love me some hazelnut creamer in the mornin'.   I find myself drinking a minimum of 2 cups of coffee a day...yes, I am addicted.  I need it to function.  You can take my junk food, but DEAR LORD, don't take my coffee!!

Jenny Craig Day 3

BREAKFAST
I had the Ranchero Breakfast Skillet for breakfast.  It was a small bowl of egg, bell pepper, cheesy, potato goodness!  How I wished I would have saved some salsa from last night's batch of Salad Salsa.  If you don't know what I am talking about, see my last post.  Funny story, not one, not two but three of my coworkers asked what I was having because, "it smelled sooooo good".   I had a nectarine and you guessed it, BLACK COFFEE to complete the meal.

SNACK/VITAMIN
Anytime Bar

LUNCH

Woah, I really, really enjoyed this meal!! The Turkey Burger is soooo good! As you can see, I even took a couple bites before taking the picture.  I added mustard, lettuce and tomato (unlimited foods).  I also had a side salad and baby carrots.  The portions are small but I've found that I've slowed down the pace while I eat.  Somehow, it helps me enjoy and savor the different flavors of my meal.  

DINNER

Last night I decided to finally try the Cookout Chicken and Beans.  I also whipped up a fast and easy side of Garlic Squash with Mushrooms to complement the meal.  It's a great way to volumize without having to sacrifice taste.  Find the recipe below:

Garlic Squash with Mushrooms

1 Squash

3 Mushrooms

fresh garlic

garlic salt

seasoning salt

pepper

Spritz a hot pan with cooking spray and drop all the ingredients in and cover for 5 minutes (medium heat). After 5 minutes have passed add a dash of water and re-cover.  The water will help the veggies steam cook thoroughly due to the evaporation effect. That was easy!

SNACK

I ended my night with a bag of White Cheddar Popcorn!  I personally like Pirate's booty popcorn but this will do.  It satisfied my salt craving.

ACTIVITY

DAY 3 Done!