Weight Watchers Vs. Jenny Craig

I have tried both and have been more successful on weight watchers because it prepares you for life after dieting. You lose weight but learn how to eat healthy in the process. Jenny has started more of this over the years but I think their program is still more of a dependent type program. Weight Watchers has made a few strides over the years in coming up with prepared snacks and prepared dinners that you can find in any of the grocery stores now. As with any prepared meal, there is quite a bit of sodium for preservation but you have to find the ones that have the least. Some of their items are pretty good. Find the ones you like the best and stick with those. I keep some of them in the freezer at work so that I am never left hungry, because then I will grab anything.

I've been on Weight Watchers since July and have lost 20 pounds. I do it on-line only, I've never been to a meeting. I love it. It is a great way to learn to make better eating choices and it seems like something I could do for the long term.

I have done Weight Watchers and have always been happy with it (in a bit of a lull right now though...), but it does not have premade meals. You are given so many points and foods all have point values and you have to stay within your points each day. You get some extra points for the week as well. It works as long as you stay within the points. But you still have to decide what to eat, but they give you a lot of ideas. Check out their website. I think you can do it without joining. It cost about $12 a week or you can buy a monthly pass that I think is about $39.

The meetings and weigh-in's are what keep you on track. If you don't go to those, it is pretty hard to stay on track...I have tried....

What I liked about it was that it gave me some structure to my eating and made me realize how much I was eating before. The meetings are usually helpful depending on the leader.

Good luck!!

K.,

I have done Weight Watchers several times- others are right- it really does not have prepared foods- you can buy frozen meals at the grocery store, but the real philosophy is that it teaches you to think about and prepare for meals-

As an alternative- I have just joined SparkPeople (sparkpeople.com) It is an online "diet" program and best of all it is free! I'm finding it very similar to Weight Watchers- It gives you a daily meal plan and figures out for you what your caloric intake needs to be everyday to meet your weight loss goal. You record what you are eating and daily exercise online- It also has a built in "community" you can join teams and blogs- It does require some real motivation to stay involved on your part but you get out of it what you put into it (this is true of any of the programs) Due to the online nature of it I'm finding it much easier then I did recording points with WW- but WW does have an online component that I have never tried- For me the fact that SparkPeople is free made it worth trying.

I have not tried either---but I wanted to suggest that you investigate their basic philosophies and methods. What is their emphasis or focus? How do they teach it, support it, follow up on it?
Also I am thinking premade meals SOUND easy--- BUT, how does that help you when the program is over? One of the responses mentioned dependence, and that seems like what would happen...
Consider a personal trainer at a gym. They not only design an exercise program for your individual needs but they provide a supportive 1:1 relationship, and should be able to give you some advice on calorie consumption and types of foods to support increased energy and strength.

Good luck!

Agree with most of the rest: Weight Watchers
-teaches you how to manage food in the real world, life long change, not dieting...
-meetings important: accountability + learning from others who have succeeded or are going through similar struggles (make sure to find an inspiring leader, audit a few if you must)

I lost over 15 pounds with it. Got to high school weight and finally fit into those jeans that I had saved for years in my closet, only to find that they were out of style (wonderful to let go of the jeans *and* the weight at last!)

Hi K.,

I am currently a Weight Watchers(WW) member who has also done Jenny Craig. I prefer WW for a number of reasons: 1) NO food is off limits - you just stay in the range of the alloted points. Every food has a Points value. 2) Me and my family can eat what I make on Weight Watchers. I don't have to make two meals unless I want to. 3) It's roughly $40 a month for WW(right now they have a get 1 month free offer). It costs about $50-$60 a week for Jenny Craig(after initial start up fees, etc. First week it will cost almost $300). That doesn't include the fresh produce and fruits and dairy that are also needed to supplement the Jenny Craig meals.

The biggest advantage that Jenny Craig has is that you don't have to plan out your meals(except when you purchase the food for the week). With WW, you have to track everything you eat. I don't mind planning my meals or tracking what I eat so that's not a big issue for me, but it is for others.

With both programs, you have a weekly weigh in. WW is in a group setting, which I like because you hear what struggles others may be going through, get meal/snack ideas and you celebrate the losses with the group. With JC, your weigh ins are one-on-one. You can meet with the same consultant or switch out every week. JC also takes your before picture and measures you.

For me, I believe I get more bang for my buck with WW because I'm learning to eat with "real world" food versus with JC you eat their food until you have reached goal and then you gradually start re-introducing yourself to the "real world" again. Some people have just continued to eat only JC meals, but I don't I would have been able to do that sine I have a family of 5 and would not have to have separate meals all of the time.

Well, good luck. This is a tough journey, but you can do it. Not sure where you are, but you can email me if you want an online weight loss partner.

My sister in law has done weight watches several times, they taught her how to eat right, but she does not always do it. With Jenny Craig once you go off the diet, the weight will be gained back. It's all about moderation, eating five times a day and no meat portions should ever be bigger than the palm of you hand. Stick with lean meats also. Be sure to include a veggie and fruit at each meal.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do. By the way she has also done slim fast and had the same result, gaining it all back very quickly.
W. M.

If you need structure I suggest Jenny Craig. The first real serious diet I went on was Jenny Craig and lost 49 pounds. Weight Watchers is really good, but you do all the work with the exception of their meetings. they do have the small snacky food items.

I am contemplating Jenny Craig again once I find out the cost again. It has been 19 years since I did it. LA Weight Loss was the last one I did and lost 62 pounds-got too skinny though. Yeah I know what is wrong with me to let myself get back up again...who knows..but I am going to do it again and this time remember how hard it is to lose the weight...this time I will keep it off. Good luck on your decision.

R.

Really quick reply-- I'd check out the "Biggest Loser" book from your library if you can, first of all. it has the workouts and some really great recipes. The problem with ww is that they want you to buy their stuff forever. Jenny craig starts out that way, but I think they want you to be off the meals and preparing your own before they let you go. I'd totally go with JC over WW. That said, I'd also research it yourself and try to educate yourself first before you commit and spend a fortune for something you're eventually going to have to do yourself anyways.

Hi Kimberly,

It looks like you have gotten some great advice. If I could just add one thing, you should add exercise to your routine along with paying attention to your diet. I own and operate a Baby Boot Camp in Plumas Lake, Masysville and Yuba City. Baby Boot Camp is stroller fitness which includes cardio, strength and core work. I don't believe the Sacramento owner is currently offering classes but you can find more locations at www.babybootcamp.com. Your class is FREE so you have nothing to lose!

J.

Hi Kimberly,

I've tried both for different reasons. JC works if you follow their program. You will see results quickly. I did JC just before my wedding as I ordered my dress so early that it was a little tight when it came time to actually wear it. I needed to drop some weight quickly just for my wedding and JC did the job. It's easy to follow...you buy all of your food from them and open a package and it the food. There is really no thought process with JC. I will say that at the time it was quite expensive since I was spending about $100/week on the food and I still had to buy food for my husband to eat as well.

More recently I did WW and it's more of a real world experience. While they do have the frozen meals at the grocery store to have part of the time, I love that they actually teach you how to eat in the real world. I'm not going to eat frozen or pre-packaged meals for the rest of my life so I had to find another way to continue with my weight loss success. I like that I learned how to eat and make good choices while not depriving myself all the time so that I was wanting to "cheat."

Good luck to you! Both programs work but you have to be willing to do the work to lose the weight and then later to keep it off.

WW works on a point system. There isn't anything you can't have. You have a points allowance and points are calculated on fiber, fat and calorie content. It is really easy to figure out points. Of course, there are "healthy guidelines" oil, milk, protein, fruits and vegetables etc. The most important part of WW is going to the meetings. THere you will find accountablity and support. WW isn't a diet, it is a way of life that teaches you how to use the tools to get to and maintain a healthy weight.

I've never been on Jenny Craig and can't speak to it.

I just wanted to chime in on the Weight Watchers online program that Mary M wrote about. I joined the WW online program on the 1st of September with a weight loss goal of 60 pounds in 60 weeks (for my sons' 3rd birthday). I have joined WW twice before in 25 years. Both times I lost interest because getting to the meetings was a pain. I am not personally into the group meeting rah rah thing. But I LOVE the online support program with all the bells and whistles (point and activity trackers, recipes, training tips, etc.)I can also succeed or fail in the privacy of my own home. So far I have lost only 3 pounds, but I am willing to do it slowly. I have really learned a lot about my eating habits and portion control in a self motivated way. The online program is also more affordable than the weekly meeting as 4 months only cost me $67. Good Luck with which ever program you choose.

Hi K. -

I've gone to Weight Watchers a couple of different times and really like it. The thing I like about them vs. other programs is that you learn how to make healthy food choices with regular food. Therefore, it should be easy to keep weight off after you lose the initial weight (I've put some of my weight back on but it's because I get lazy and forget about what I'm eating). But, I always have the tools available to me to go back on the program and count the points. I don't know their current fee schedule but they might be offering a free month right now with the purchase of a monthly pass (I got some mailing about that).

Good luck!

J. F.

I did weight watchers after the birth of both of my boys and I really liked it. I lost 30 lbs both times and was able to maintain the weight much better than I think I would have if I had meals sent to my home, versus simply counting points eating what was already in my home. I think weight watchers is more "real life" transferrable. I do have to say it was much easier with a buddy (my mom did it with me). But you can also do it online and I think there is a weight watcher chat where you can get someone to buddy and compare weight loss or simply get support on how hard it can be to not want to finish your kids mac and cheese because it is a waste of good food....lol.

I need to say I am a Weight Watchers Member.

If you are breastfeeding your baby I strongly reccomend weight watchers as they allow (or insist) that you eat extra food to allow for the nursing. I was a WW member when I got pregnant and went back when my daughter was two months old. It is nice to know that I get extra food to make sure she gets adequate nutrition. I've never tried Jenny Craig and I completely understand the desire to have premade food, but then when you lose the weight you still need to learn how to eat. WW is $40/month fo rthe monthly pass which includes unlimmeted meetings and online tools. I have been very satisfied and succesful with the little slumps here and there.