Shape Up NYC

My name is Stephanie, and I am a new believer in the Jenny Craig Weight Loss Program! I am just one week into the program, have already lost 3 pounds, and am already noticing that my clothes are starting to fit me better. You’re probably asking yourselves, “who are you?” and “why?” So, let me start off by giving you a little background.

My recognition of weight began at a really young age.  I became involved in gymnastics when I was 3, and fell in love for the first time.

Being that I was a really energetic kid who got bored easily, Gymnastics was an excellent outlet for me.  And it didn’t take long for me to begin to excel at the sport either. I’m sure you’ve all heard horror stories of gymnasts being pushed too hard, being made to follow extreme diets, breaking bones, etc. but that didn’t happen to me. Not until I got good enough over time to join the National Team.  That’s when everything changed, and my fight began with food. This was at the ripe old age of 11.

When the on-site doctors weighed me and assessed by body fat composition I was told to lose between 10-15 pounds. My mother immediately took me to a family friend, who was a Doctor affiliated with the Olympic team at the time.  After being weighed and forced to succumb to the dreaded measurement calipers, he informed my mother that my body was almost entirely composed of muscle and to lose any weight would be detrimental to my health.

This was back in the day just before Mary Lou Retton achieved her perfect 10 score.  I reference her because she had a similar build to mine. She was short, broad, and powerful. Up to that point gymnasts were slight, tiny, and very slim.  Mary Lou Retton changed the stereotypical face of gymnastics, and had I just waited a few more months to give up the sport, I truly believe my life would have gone down a different path.

As it were, I decided to give up my dream of being a world-class gymnast because I felt utterly betrayed and defeated by it.  But not only that, I felt fat for the first time at that ripe old age of 11.

I have never been overweight by today’s medical standards.  My body mass index has never soared above what is unhealthy.  However, my mental state with regards to body image and truth has changed dramatically. It was at this stage of my life that I became hypersensitive to the size of my thighs, waist, stomach, arms, and wrists. At age 33, I continue to measure my wrists by my other hand to assess weight gain or loss.  That’s unhealthy.

I have fluctuated throughout my life in weight by 10-15 pounds in either direction depending on the time of year.  At times, I’ve worked out relentlessly. Other times I’ve spent days fasting. Still other times, I’ve tried fad diets.  Most times, I was successful, and I would lose weight.  But still, at the end of some time, I would gain it back and the process would begin anew.

Enough!

This month will mark my 34^th birthday, and an anniversary where I finally say, “It is time to change the way you think about your life, what you eat, why you eat it, and for once and for all take CHARGE of your weight and how it makes you feel.

All of us know how it feels to lose some weight, put on a sexy outfit, and step out into the world.  It makes us feel GREAT.

Ok, OK. So now you’re saying, “I get it,” but “get to the point of how and why you chose Jenny Craig.”

I chose Jenny Craig because there was something about this particular program that appealed to me. And it was this…you can do it without having to visit a centre or go to a meeting.

I travel a lot! When I am in my town, I don’t have extra time to visit a centre closest to me, and that by itself would have made me fail. Sure, I could’ve gone once, but then what?

When I researched Jenny Craig as an option, I realized that they offered a solution for people like me.  And to be honest, I didn’t really believe it. I was waiting for a disclaimer somewhere about how you didn’t have to go initially, but after a gazillion dollars spent you would then have to go every 3 days. Another reason Jenny Craig appealed to me was because they do the thinking for you.

Quite frankly, I don’t have the time to weigh my food, count the calories, do the formulaic math some programs require for you to even pick up a piece of food and put it in your mouth. By the time you’ve calculated everything you’re starving!  According to the web site, it looked like Jenny did this all for you. (See I’m on a first name basis already)

So, on a whim, I picked up the phone.

After approximately one minute on the phone with a random representative, I was in love.  The person on the other end of the line seemed so real and delightful. There was no sense of judgment in her voice. She was more like a life coach, and she didn’t even know me. Please understand that I can be quite cynical.  After all, I do live in New York City. But she was different.

She didn’t try to SELL me a program. She just asked a few simple questions, and based on the answers I provided, she spoke to me about my options. I trusted her, and right away.

I was amazed by all of the different food choices, and how much was included per day in the plan.  Even more importantly, I couldn’t believe how inexpensive it was per day! I joined in that moment right on phone.

I am ready to commit to Jenny Craig. Perhaps I’m ready because this plan doesn’t make me feel like I’m about to be ravenously hungry and devastated from here on out. I know I can do this, and I can’t WAIT to meet my personal weekly consultant…Oh, and I can’t wait to try the food. Hope it’s good.

Filed under: Nutrition/Restaurants | Tagged: Jenny Craig, Jenny Craig Weight Loss Program, Weight Loss | 9 Comments »