It's a new day!

Exactly one week ago, I was watching TV while perusing the Internet. You know, a lazy Saturday morning. A commercial for Jenny Craig caught my attention. I'd seen hundreds of advertisements before for Jenny Craig, but for some reason this one stood out to me. Phylicia Rashad was talking about how she lost weight on the program. After seeing how incredible both she and Valerie Bertinelli look, I decided to check out the program further.

I spent some time last Saturday reading the information on their website, looking at the food, and googling information on other websites to see if I could find the pros and cons of this "diet" option. Everything I read was overwhelmingly favorable, so I decided to try it out.

I signed up for a year because I think it will take me that long to lose the weight I need to in the most healthy way. Yes, I'd love to lose ten pounds a week like they do on The Biggest Loser, but that's not reality for me. I don't have Jillian Michaels screaming in my face everyday to motivate me. 

I received my first shipment of food on Wednesday. The food can be a bit pricey because you're paying for two or four weeks at a time. But, when I looked at how much I spend eating out right now, I will actually save about $100 a month on Jenny Craig. Eating out can be really expensive!

For me, this program is ideal. The reason I used to eat out all the time is because I despise grocery shopping. I would go to the grocery store one a month, sometimes even less than that. I would never have food in the house, so I'd eat out for lunch and dinner. The dollars can add up quickly. With Jenny Craig, they deliver all the food you'll need for two weeks - minus a few items - right to your door. They even send you the salad dressing, syrup and other condiments you'll need. The only items I'll need to purchase are milk, vegetables and fruit. I think I can handle that small stuff at the store since it will be a quick in-and-out run rather than the major grocery shopping that I dread. 

This morning, I ate my first Jenny Craig meal. It was french toast with syrup, and fruit. It was actually really good. Lunch today will be a cheese enchilada with a salad, and dinner will be pizza. Since I'm a vegetarian, they don't have as many options for me that they do for meat eaters, but I think it's pretty cool to eat french toast, pizza, pancakes, enchiladas, etc. when you're on a diet. I will likely eat far more food, and much better food, than I had when I'd stop by a fast food place or restaurant to pick up food. 

I'm excited. I feel committed this time to actually losing weight. I feel like Jenny Craig is the perfect option for me, especially since other options I've tried in the past haven't worked. Weight Watchers is a great program, but it requires a lot of work that I never committed to. Jenny Craig seems pretty brainless to me. You order the food, they ship it to you and you eat it when they tell you to. Simple. Easy. Who couldn't follow that? Along the way, they teach you about portion control, how to incorporate activity/exercise into your life, and how to deal with "mind" issues that you're facing. The program focuses on three areas: food, body and mind.

I have high expectations for Jenny Craig. So far, I've been very impressed with their program and the company. I'm envisioning myself a year from now at my ideal weight, looking back on the person I am today and wondering how I could live my life the way I am. I put myself on the bottom of every list, I don't take care of myself and I allow myself to eat emotionally to make up for deficiencies in my life or because of things I've experienced in my past. No longer! I'm looking forward to the new me. 

At 33, it's about time I start focusing on me. Here's to the next 364 days!