Jenny Craig vs. eDiets | Two of our Highest Reviews

Comparison from a member of both. Con Review sent to chasefreedom.com:

Well, where to begin. I first joined Jenny Craig 4 years ago on Valentine's Day. It was to be a present to myself. I weighed 226 pounds at that time and was desperate to lose weight.

I spoke with the director and she sold me on the Platinum membership. I paid over $200 at the time and she assured me that 1 year after maintaining my goal weight, I would get half my money back. Hmmmm... maybe I paid over $400 because I think I was due to get back a little over $200. Anyway.. I joined that day. I was so excited!! I received my welcome package that included audio tapes for motivation and video tapes for exercising. I spoke with a "counselor" and she took pictures, measurements, and my weight. She explained the program and gave me a menu of sorts. For the first few weeks they wanted me to just eat exactly what they suggested. No variances. I should try everything and then I can begin to put together my own meals for the week. All their food, of course.

Ok, that's fine. I got my menu and my food (about $82 worth) and happily went home. I'm not going to get into the daily details, there are enough epinions of the food, I really don't need to add to them. I will say that it's all very subjective. Some I enjoyed, most I didn't.

Fast forward to 8 months later and 40 pounds gone. Lots of compliments, I'm wearing smaller clothes, everything is great. But I'm incredibly sick of the food. I mean really sick of it. To the point where I'm gagging just thinking about eating anything frozen or canned or in a boilable pouch again. And I'm not even halfway to my goal weight yet, so I can't begin to integrate my own food. Ugh. I just can't do it anymore and I stop going.

You know what happens next. Yep, it all came back and then some. And you know why, of course. Because I haven't learned anything. I haven't changed anything. I went right back to eating exactly how I used to.

Tried it a couple more times. Same result, but in a shorter time frame. I just couldn't get the food down. And the "counselor" I was seeing was trying to talk me into just eating it without enjoying it. I'm sorry, but food to me is one of life's wonderful pleasures and I really intend to enjoy what I eat. I don't want to dread every meal.

As a side comment, this location was full of disgruntled employees. Most of them were on the program too so they really could relate to what I was experiencing. But none of them knew a thing about nutrition. Which, of course, was why we were all fat.

I wonder if Jenny eats her own frozen dinners?

WHAT DID WORK

Back in March of this year, I came across an ad for eDiets. Since I am a total computer junkie, I decided to check this out, thinking that this would be perfect. I'd never have to leave the house!

eDiets actually teaches you nutrition. They do supply you with a meal plan, but you get to pick what you want to eat. And it's real food that you have to cook. They even give you the recipes if you are not an experienced cook. They push the water, something JC never did. You'd be amazed at the role water plays in weight loss.

But what really sold me and keeps me at eDiets is the support groups. The message boards are what keep most people motivated enough to stay on the program. They are a wonderful source of support for us. Even if you never post a message, just reading the various posts from members will help you in your quest to get healthy.

This is a life long way of eating. So if you're not perfect today (who's perfect anyway?), try for tomorrow. If you eat a bit more than you should, don't worry about it, it's not really going to make a bit of difference in the long run.

I have been part of eDiets since March 7 and have lost 22 pounds. I'm down to 194 with 54 pounds left to go. But I am finally understanding that this is not a diet. This is a lifestyle change and a lifetime change as well. I have really changed my whole way of eating and plan to keep it this way permanently. That really is the only way. I feel much healthier, stronger and more confident. I actually enjoy my meals and look forward to working out every day. I have formed new habits which are the key to diet success.

Some people try to follow an impossible diet by eating only once a day or eating too few calories. They get frustrated and disappointed when they are not able to maintain the diet for any reasonable time.

The challenge of losing weight becomes much easier when you
successfully achieve small steps such as maintaining your diet for 7 days. Bad habits are replaced, and you feel better about yourself.

Losing weight takes determination. If you skip meals or not take in enough calories (JC!), your body goes into starvation mode. Appetite gets out of control after a few days, and weight that is lost will be quickly regained.

Ok, this turned into a recommendation for eDiets, so I better stop here. All I can say is my life has changed since I've joined. I'm a mentor now to the new people and will probably never leave.