This is a review from a good friend of mine. It summarizes what I hear from most people about Jenny Craig. (Also, take a look at my video post, Jenny Craig vs. Nutrisystem, where an independent reporter investigates and compares both diets.)
My sister and I have struggled with our weight for our whole lives. Like everyone else, we had tried diet program after diet program. I clearly remember the day when we finally decided to do something about it and go to Jenny Craig. I’m not sure exactly why we chose Jenny Craig.
Maybe it was the Jenny Craig ads on TV with famous spokeswomen like Kirstie and Valerie (heard they just added Queen Latifah). Maybe it was the skinny people contrasted with pictures and videos of their former fat selves (”Results Not Typical” hmm). Or maybe it was just desperation because we had tried and failed at so many other diets: Weight Watchers, Atkins, and endless diet pills.
When we went to the center they put us through the drill. We watched a video, talked to the manager/sales rep, got weighed and got measurements taken. Very simple stuff which was all filled with sales pitches about how great the program is and how much weight we can lose. The whole initialization process didn’t fill me with a lot of confidence in the program, but I looked at it like it was a ritual that I had to perform to get to the nugget of the Jenny Craig program. The nugget that we believed would solve my sister’s and my problem. We were so excited about what we thought Jenny would help us do.
Jenny Craig supplies the following in exchange for your hard-earned dollars:
1) Counseling
Basically, the counselors were a joke. None of them had any insight or understanding of our struggle. Most had been thin all their lives. Some were 10 or 20 lbs. overweight and were far from masters of fitness and didn’t really understand us. On top of this the staff was untrained. They knew way less about weight loss than we did. If you want to know what the counseling was like imagine this:
Imagine your average decent woman from the street who has never really struggled with her weight. Imagine her sitting down with you and giving you advice on how to lose weight. Whatever pops into her head. Whatever skills she has come to the table with her and that’s it. Then she gives you an expensive menu that you must buy from and she whisks you off.
I guess there are a few good counselors peppered throughout the Jenny Craig organization, but, according to my experience, the counselors are generally less than useless. They’re counterproductive. It made me feel worse having some mega thin Barbie (who had always been thin) or some semi-pudgy “counselor” rush me through the session and ask me if I drank my water or ate an extra bar.
2) Classes
If you’ve ever read a book on basic nutrition and a basic diet book then you can skip these. I don’t know if they’ve changed them in the past few years, but they were entirely lame when I went. Nutrition and behavior modification courses taught by people who knew very little about either.
3) Expensive Food.
Some food was delicious and some was unbearably disgusting. I loved the bars. The menu was repetitive. There was about a week or two’s worth of different food which is redistributed over the menus for as many weeks as you’re on the program. I was on the program for a long time (8 months).
Here’s the real meat of the deal for Jenny Craig. From my experience it quickly became obvious that Jenny Craig was just a diet food retailer. They’re not really about counseling or classes, because the quality is way too low. I think it’s just a front. So, to compensate for the added overhead costs of all those diet centers, counselors, and marketing, they overprice their food. Pretty slick huh.
The Bottom Line:
As with any diet, you can have success losing weight with Jenny Craig, but at what cost? Strip away all the fluff and at Jenny Craig’s core is a company selling overpriced diet food, twice as much as their competition. Save your money and stick with better choices like Nutrisystem or Medifast.
Hi, I'm a dietitian with experience in hundreds of weight loss programs and fad diets. When forming my list of the
I am so happy that I came across this website. My husband and I were going to join Jenny Craig for the New Year. I followed Valerie Bertinelli progress on TV and was actually inspired. I need to lose 70 pounds and my husband about 30. I thought JC would be for us, but now I think I’ll join NutriSystem instead. I didn’t realize just how expensive JC was - wow!
Thanks for all the comments - it may have saved us a bundle!
I used to be on Jenny Craig many years ago. I had successful results and kept most of the weight off. I had nice consultants and a good experience for the most part. Unfortunately, it is obvious that they are about the money.
The food is expensive. I was told I had to buy their vitamins even though I was taking much better quality vitamins from GNC. I overheard another client say she takes her own vitamins instead of theirs. When I found that out, I was livid about them making it out to sound like I had to take their vitamins.
I also saw someone come in off the street and ask them how much the program was. They told her they would have to go in and talk, instead of answering her on the spot. Typical sales pitch. I interviewed for a job there because I had such great results, I wanted to help others. It turns out that the consultants are paid commission based on the products they sell. There is no hourly pay. When I found that out, I bolted.
I also signed up for a Jenny Craig membership and for the deliveries every two weeks. I never received a call from any counselor - even though I kept calling back and asking, begging for a counselor.
The 1st shipment went great. However, they sent the second shipment to the wrong place and never would refund or replenish the perishable items. The food is about 575.00 to 600.00 per month. I have a whole lot of weight to loose and have tried all kinds of diets for years with no luck. I am not sure what I will do - but I know it won’t be with Jenny Craig.