Starting week 4 - for the most part i like my consultant - but sometimes i feel like it's all just a sale to her. Last week when I picked my week 3 menu, i left 3 breakfasts blank - i bought a box of Kashi Heart to Heart cereal which i was going to use instead of the JC cereal to save some money. And she kept trying to talk me out of it - saying things like "well, when you did programs on your own, how did that work out for you". And "if you were to gain or not lose, we wouldn't be able to track why" - stuff like that. Sounds like some of you have some great consultants - that are more concerned with your success than $$$$. Am I reading too much into this?

Hello, I'm worried about the same thing. I can't make my 1st WI so I had to switch to Saturdays and she doesn't work them.
Years ago when I was on JC I had a hard time because I didn't care for the consultant but I don't want that to get in the way this time.
Does the CTR frown on changing consultants?

I know how you feel. I am in my third week as well and every time I go to weigh in, I get a sales pitch on why I should sign up for a year's membership. I am doing the 20 lbs for $20. I am paying full price for my meals but I told myself I am not signing up for more until I actually lose 20lbs. I want to lose 50.

I eat a lot of meals on my own. I very carefully monitor the calorie content and record it on my menu. If my JCC ever told me that my choice was inappropriate (so far she has not) I would ask her why, after all I'm paying to learn.
Last week I asked her if I could eat calorie appropriate WW/and or LC dinners for more variety. She said yes but watch the calories and the sodium. As long as I'm honest with her she's honest with me and it seems to be working out fine.
I don't drink milk thus all of those morning cold cereals are not an option for me and those microwaved eggs made me want to gag. I was making my own breakfast by the second week and it's made my life with Jenny much more palatable. The program is still working and I'm in for the long haul.

When I go in tomorrow I'm not ordering any breakfasts. I've only been eating the cereal and I can't see spending $1.99 a day when I can buy a box of Kashi or something similar for way cheaper than $14 a week!
I won't be very happy if I'm told I can't do that...

Jaime, after one week on Jenny I presented the dietitian on these boards with my dilemma. She pretty much said I could make my own breakfast as long as I stayed within the guidelines. I was armed with this info when I went into tell my consultant "no more Jenny breakfasts". Luckily I didn't even have to pull that one out of my hat, she (my JCC) completely went along with my plan.

Hey Y'all, congrats on the creative ways to work the JC program. I don't have a lot to talk about with my consultant and, well, I KNOW why I don't lose or why I only lose a litte so I really don't rely on her except to be accountable for WI and to get the basic foods. The support I get from these message boards is way WAY more helpful than the once a week JCC visit. Have y'all seen that they've opened a new topic Val's Pals? We started a thread a few weeks ago for those who motivated by Val's public journey and realized that there are a whole bunch of us with similar stories, struggels and musical tastes...blast from the past quite often! We'd love for y'all to hang out there too!

I'm sorry some of you are having troubles with your JCC. The bottom line is that they are there to support YOU. Not you support their industry. If you're not happy, speak up. Talk to the center Director and get a new JCC. You won't always get along with everyone, you'll need someone to relate to, and someone that is supportive of you and your choices. Frankly, I'm not even 1/2 way, my reason for joining JC was to get my portions in control. Not necessarily to lose a bunch of weight really fast. My method of losing is to gain control of portions, and exercise, drink the water, and journal. I'm already into exploring JC's Maintenance plan because I want to use food exchanges to track my meals. I've already been cooking for myself, and not ordering a bunch of the foods, with tremendous support from my JCC and the center Director.
I'm a returning lifetime customer from 15 years ago, they honored their policy and let me return. I paid for the Rewards Plan so I could save $ on my food, and it's a help. Everyone has their own reasons for buying into a plan like this, but the true reason behind it, shouldn't just be to lose weight. It should be so that you can truly adopt a new lifestyle and food plan.
So make those calls to the center Director, and get it settled. You'll need all of the support you can get. They call it Lifetime for a reason.

Now that I am halfway to goal it is not a big deal to use my own food but my consultant wasn't super enthusiastic about me using my own food early on. I brought in the box of cereal that I wanted to use so she could read the nutrional content of my cereal choice. She approved it and it has never been an issue since. Maybe you could bring in the box or the food label yourself and see what your consultant says to that. Maybe if she feels like she is helping you make your choices she might be more open to this. Good luck!

I don't think you are reading too much into her her behavoir, but I do think you're givng your consultant too much power.
It's your program. You bought it. You own it. Just say "No thanks" to the sales pitch. Or even, "Thanks, but I'm going to do it my way this week. If I don't lose weight, I'll consider your idea."
I had a very young, pushy counselor when I first started. Buy the vitamins, buy the salad dressing, buy the syrup. I guess I figured that giving advice and direction and pushing the JC program was her job. I thanked her for doing her part and moved on. You can too! Good luck!

I buy most weeks and then there are the weeks I don't by the entire week. I have not had a problem with my consultant yet. I did find out that since I am at a franchise center and not a corporate I won't be getting the discount for my sister joining and using my name. You talk about a discount by buying the year's worth of membership. To be honest not sure that I am getting a discount and I joined for a year

I seen 3 consultants so far, first one was great first time since i had no idea what to do, then i swap to my friend that works there, she was great about me not eating on plan and watching but then i felt like she was not answering my calls and figure to better use someone else, the second was ok with the food but she was fat and i was told she worked there for a long time, if that is the case i dont feel motivated by someone that looks like that.
So i ended up with the first one again for my 3rd visit, when i told her i bough my own cereal she was not happy, she said i was then doing the Judith's diet and not JC and that i should stick to all meals on plan, then i got sick so i saw her again at #4 and told her i had left over since i was on medication and my dr said not to follow the diet until i was out of them. I switch now to friday since i know she is not there and was put with someone else, hope she is not as strict, she also said she might see me on friday if she is not busy(she is the new case person those days) so if it does not wrok i am swapping to my friend and just get the food i want without being screamed at.

You shouldn't have to bring in any boxes of anything for her approval. I just told my JCC that I wouldn't be doing their breakfast.

what i'm having a difficult time understanding is why bother paying for a program if you're not going to do it properly. If you do it the right way, you get to start choosing your own food at halfway.
You're blaming the JCC's way too much for problems you have. They're there to support you, and show you how to do the Jenny Craig program.
Let them help you.

I see both sides of the story. I actually used to work for Jenny Craig in the late 80's and early 90's - back in the days when I had no weight issue. Anyway, there is a ton of research and science behind the menus and the food. Balance is the key both in portions and nutrition. Discipline is part of the plan. If you follow the plan it should work. Once you start straying it is much harder for them to help you pinpoint why. Believe me, there is a ton more flexibility now than there ever used to be.
Yes, it is also a business. The profits are in the food. But profits are necessary to pay for the the science, people, and value that we do receive. If we were all so good at creating menus and making our great food choices on our own, we wouldn't be here in the first place. If your counselor is missing something and not giving you value over and above providing a menu - I highly encourage you to make a switch. Believe me, it happens every day.
Hang in there and make it work. Good Luck.

Speaking for myself the last JCC that I seen was more interested in her own profit and not me. There is no one employed there that actually has/had a weight problem and I also have a problem with that. They can not relate to things that I'm going through. I have to agree with most when I say I won't pay $1.99 for cereal. I buy the lunches & dinners and sometimes a couple of cheesecakes. I use my own cereal, syrup & dressings.

I saw an excellent suggestion in another post that may help if you choose to buy your own cereal:
Pre-measure your cereal portions for the week and put them in baggies. Great way to not get into the habit of cutting corners and just eyeballing your portion.
So brilliant, yet so simple.

Hi kaci9867, Kim,
You don't buy the vitamins? I thought I had to buy the vitamins. So you don't buy the Anytime Bars, the vitamins or the Protect vitamins either?
I had wanted to just continue to take my Centrium vitamins like I have for years but my consultant had a fit.

I have used my own vitamins since day one! No problems with my JCC.

Remember, you don't HAVE To buy anything there! But, it is easier to control portions and regulate exchanges if you use the full program. Substitutions should be done carefully, be sure you understand the calorie/fat content.
They can't make you purchase their stuff, but it DOES work!

I've never bought the vitamins, bars or salad dressings, I did a personalized menu from day one, and started subbing some of my own breakfasts and lunches in week 3 and was never given any grief about any of it by the coordinator who signed me up nor by my JCC. I guess I didn't realize how fortunate I was in this regard until reading some of the problems you folks have had.

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Originally posted by Teecy:
Remember, you don't HAVE To buy anything there! But, it is easier to control portions and regulate exchanges if you use the full program. Substitutions should be done carefully, be sure you understand the calorie/fat content.
They can't make you purchase their stuff, but it DOES work!

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Ok, just to clarify. You dont have to purchase anything. However if you dont week after week they dont have to see you either. Because technically (unless your on maint) you arent on the program. And god forbid if something did happen to you medically and you say that you were on JC getting consultations (even though you havent purchased anything in eons) JC would be liable.
Usually when people want to make thier own subsitutions I say if your happy with your weight loss, then great do whatever you want - because odviously you are monitoring yourself. If you notice that you are gaining, maybe you should start purchasing all of the food again.

Funny, I feel the complete opposite about my consultant. She is so flexible wth me and has been since week 1. I think it is so important to have a consultant who is willing to bend with you. But let's face it, selling the food is how they make their money............

I don't see how JC could be liable if "god forbid" something happened. Just because someone gets a consult doesn't mean they are going to follow that advice. I mean, if a doctor gives medical advice to stop smoking and a person does it anyway, and the person gets lung cancer, is the doctor liable for that? NO.
It's just their way to ensure they are making the most money they can. There is no legitimate reason a person can't eat Kashi Go Lean instead of JC cereal for breakfast. The JC consultants, of course, want you to eat every single meal imaginable from JC, because of PROFITS.
Saying there is a liability issue involved in not eating JC food is simply a manipulation tactic, and plain ridiculous.
The dieticians on this message board will even tell you that it is ok to substitute, using good choices and following your exchanges.
If you want to become a slave to the man, so to speak, then listen when someone tells you you MUST buy their product OR ELSE. Otherwise, if you joined JC to learn how to regulate your behavior and make healthy choices, I think that is a perfect way to begin.

I also have never had a problem not buying the food at my center. I also have not bought the vitamins or anytime bars. I take my own vitamins and my consultant was fine with that. Even the manager of the center doesn't say anything when you don't buy the food, I had to see her one week. I am a franchise store so they keep all the profits here.
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I agree JC can not be liable for anything if you don't eat the food. The money you pay up front I believe is for the time you spend with the consultant not for anything else because you pay extra for it. If you want to substitute go for it.

I say a big Hoooey to those who say if you are not following the plan 100% that you are not following the plan. "Why do JC if you are not going to follow 100%"? Because you have to learn how to make it work in the real world and sometimes it has to do with money. If a consultant is telling you that you cannot do some meals (particularly breakfast cereals) they are doing so to protect their $$. I have personalized from day 1 and started doing a couple days on my own prior to my half way and I am almost to my goal. My consultant has never had a problem with it.
Some people may need to stay 100% on JC food to succeed, but some don't. If you learn what they are supposed to be teaching you, you can substitute foods correctly without adverse affect on your losses.
Amy

bikki, of course you are right about buying their products, and I certainly have mostly used the Jenny foods. But, if you don't like the snacks, or want to do breakfast MOMO, those things can be figured in. I have had great success, MOSTLY using Jenny products, especially in the first 2-3 months. I didn't mean don't buy ANYTHING, but you don't have to buy EVERYTHING.

I have an awesome JCC. I only like to eat cereal for breakfast and didn't want to pay $2 for those bags. I use Kashi Good Friend-high in fiber- and my conultant helped me figure out that I could have 3/4 of a cup. I do pre-measure it and put it in baggies. Today I told her I wanted to use the salad spritzers instead of JC dressing. She told me that is what she uses. It is only 1 calorie a spritz so you save some calories too. She was and still is on JC and looks great.
Good Luck

RIGHT ON Amy!! I joined JC to get my portions in control. Not to lose weight rapidly. That method doesn't work for my body type, or my compulsive eating disorder (which I believe everyone has, or they wouldn't be on a WL plan like JC trying to learn new behaviors). I've only been on JC for 3 months (trying to undo some back WW habits I picked up in 4 yrs. on that plan), I'm a returning lifetime member, though. My JCC and Center Director fully support me, and are working with me to do complete food exchanges, and cook for myself. They know that I enjoy it, and want to help me learn and adapt the portion sizes to MY lifestyle, Not the other way around. JC is a guideline to living healtier, it's not a rapid WL plan. I don't follow it 100%, I'm going at MY pace, not what everyone else is doing. This is MY plan. I'm so glad you made that point.

What's in a Jenny lemon cake (170 calories) that is not in a Weight Watcher (80 calories?) lemon or carrot cake?
What's so special about Jenny cheesecake that it can't be replaced by a Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich? (the ice cream has less calories).
Jenny's menu is balanced but as far as the breakfasts and desserts I see nothing that makes them special. Empty calories are empty calories, I don't care who's name is on them.
I eat whole grain toast or steel cut oatmeal etc for breakfast and keep it below 200 calories plus fruit. No way are you going to convince me that frozen, processed food is superior to fresh organic whole grain food.
Common sense should rule here and I'm grateful that my JCC has her share of it.
I'm losing weight in a healthy manner, that's all I care about right now.

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Originally posted by suebuckeye:
I don't see how JC could be liable if "god forbid" something happened. Just because someone gets a consult doesn't mean they are going to follow that advice. I mean, if a doctor gives medical advice to stop smoking and a person does it anyway, and the person gets lung cancer, is the doctor liable for that? NO.
It's just their way to ensure they are making the most money they can.

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I am by no means a lawyer. And its very possible that I was wrong with that statement previously. That being said, that is something that has been drilled into my head over and over and over again of the reason why we cant see people who arent following our program. Maybe it is all BS. But I am having flash backs of the person spilling hot coffee on herself and sueing MC D's... How anyone can sue someone else because they lack the capacity of having common sense is beyond me.
Making sure people can have the most money they can? Well... Last time I checked thats what any busness does who wants to stay a float. They are in it for the profit. However, I dont lie to my clients (to my knowledge so unless I was told a lie and am regergitating that lie Im sorry all). I care about my clients, and will do everything within my power to help them suceed.(against policy Ive met up with them at the gym) So, yes Im doing this for a living. But I love what I do. The rewards of helping people and learning as much from them as they do from me far exceed the fact that Im also "making a profit" off of them. I kind of think of it as a teaching job, you dont get into that profession to get rich - you get into it because you love working with people.

I will tell you ONE advantage with Jenny snacks and that's that when they are purchased we get ONE, not a boxfull. It takes a whole lot of self control for me not to eat the whole package of WHATEVER is tempting me so having Jenny's limited portions around is helpful.
I asked my JJC, if I never ate cheesecake or brownies in real life why in the world would I want to pick up that habit now? She just shrugged because I think she agreed with me. Before Jenny I NEVER would have eaten a processed old Brownie, I still don't. That thing sat around for two weeks and I hate to tell you but it didn't get a bit stale. I hate to think of the chemicals in it, I suspect that that Jenny's brownies are about as good for us as Twinkies so I don't order them.
When this is over we are going to enter the real world and the real world is where you buy crackers by the box not in little packages. We need to learn self control now or we are going to be fat again when we are on our own and we start buying things at the grocery in the real world.

Size, good point that you need to learn portion control. It's entirely possible though to get a box of cheezits, and weigh them all out and separate them into individual bags. So for a cost savings vantagepoint, it's practical and can be done with ease. Everyone has different triggers though. So what works for you may not work for the next guy or gal.
I can afford the plan but get bored with the same 80-90 choices. I love to cook for myself and prefer knowing that I'm eating fresh natural foods instead of processed JC foods (even though I have a bunch of favorites). It's a personal choice to do it 100% or 90, 80, 70, 60....no one should be critical of others struggles. Not that you are. Just a comment.
Bikki, I'm thankful that there are people like you in this world that truly want to help others and not just take their $. Horrah, and BRAVO to you. I bet your clients appreciate it too.

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Originally posted by Aspen806:
You shouldn't have to bring in any boxes of anything for her approval. I just told my JCC that I wouldn't be doing their breakfast.

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Originally posted by tapzready2lose:
[QB][/QB]

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I have been doing breakfasts on my own since my third week and my consultant never questioned me. I basically needed to save the money and couldn't fathom why I was spending $2 for a bag of frosted Cheerios (which I don't eat anyway!). I was not going to let them change my mind on that either.
I also stopped buying the Anytime bars and substituted Pria 110 cal vitamin/mineral bars. They taste better and are way cheaper. Most of my snacks are also the store-bought 100 cal packs. I refused the horribly expensive vitamins after the first week. The anti-oxs gave me terrible heartburn.
This has made the program much less expensive and easier for me to stick to.

As a former consultant (and client) for 2+ years, all I can say to the people who think JCC's "just want your money" that it is simply NOT true. I got put through a very tough, challenging week when I had to go to "Jenny Consultant Training." OMG--they don't mess around! They fork out money to put you up in a hotel, give you tons of books, handouts, etc. We HAD to be in class from 8 am til 5 pm and we WORKED our butts off--THEN had at LEAST two to three hours of homework to do at night. A couple of us gathered in the section where breakfast is served at the hotel and we studied and quizzed each other most nights literally until midnight. We HAD to pass each section or we had to re-do our packets. Then it came time to do "mock consultations" and that was rough. I was EXHAUSTED after that week! All I'm saying is JCC's are taught the JC program to help you succeed. And if people kinda just "do their own thing" JCC's are at a loss, but then, who does the client blame? The consultant, the center, the program..."it doesn't work." Remember the consultants only get a short time with you to review your week, and they can't calculate all this other stuff they just don't know the ingredients of. It could be the same calories, but the carbs could be higher, the sodium higher, etc. (or lower--if you don't get enough, that will slow progress, too!) The centers are unfortunately often used as just a "grocery store" and that's a shame, because the program--AS IT IS PLANNED--really works (me losing 90+ lbs can vouch for that!). I know for me, when I added up all the trips to the vending machines at work, the lunches, the drive-thru's after work, dinners out with the family, pizza orders, my Starbucks coffees--my food cost MUCH less, although it seems like a lot when you shell it out all at once. I wanted to lose weight bad enough to give up a few of my habits like going to the movies a lot or getting pedicures. One of my former clients even got a second part time job to be able to come to JC (and she lost over 75 lbs!). I will struggle with weight my whole life, of that I'm sure. I'm a perfectionist, an extremist, an emotional eater. But I know JC is there and I know what to do and the ball is in my court whether or not I'll do it and do it either 100% or not at all. Okay, I'm off my soapbox now...

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Originally posted by Size Matters:
What's in a Jenny lemon cake (170 calories) that is not in a Weight Watcher (80 calories?) lemon or carrot cake?
What's so special about Jenny cheesecake that it can't be replaced by a Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich? (the ice cream has less calories).
Jenny's menu is balanced but as far as the breakfasts and desserts I see nothing that makes them special. Empty calories are empty calories, I don't care who's name is on them.
I eat whole grain toast or steel cut oatmeal etc for breakfast and keep it below 200 calories plus fruit. No way are you going to convince me that frozen, processed food is superior to fresh organic whole grain food.
Common sense should rule here and I'm grateful that my JCC has her share of it.
I'm losing weight in a healthy manner, that's all I care about right now.

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I just LOVED your post. This is what I want to eventually learn to do. To eat more fresh organic foods. I really hate to cook. LOL. But, am thinking of taking a cooking class if I can find one that specializes in just that sort of food.
I do exactly what someone else mentioned. I pre-measure my cereal in zip lock sandwich bags, the night before. So, I don't have to bother with all that the next morning. I do it for my roommie who is on the plan too. I also put the "sides" for lunch the next day, as well as the first two snacks of the day, in a bag and put it in the fridge. So, all you have to grab in the morning is the bag and your main lunch (if its a frozen one).
Right now, I buy the lunches, dinners, and late night snacks. I fell in LOVE with the brownies and had to stop getting more than one, because I got weak and would have two at a time. So, now I try to get a real variety on those snacks, so I won't feel tempted to double up.
I wonder, though, about learning to eat on my own when it comes to the lunches and dinners. From what I have heard, you really don't get taught how to do all that until your halfway point. I have a lot to lose, and even if I have a steady weight loss, I won't reach my halfway until Christmas. I can't see just eating the same things every single day for lunch and dinner for the next 6-7 months. I want to be taught now!
I can figure a substitute meal with the same calorie level. But, when it gets broken down into "starch, fat, protein, carbs" my mind just goes in circles.

LadyLynda, I appreciate you posting. I had no idea the training was so extensive! I've thought to myself, since I have over 100 pounds to lose, that if I do well on this plan, I would consider becoming a consultant myself. Thank you for telling us how it works.
May I ask you a question? If someone DOES want to substitute a meal, for example, buying Smart Ones or something, what if we brought in all the nutritional info on what we would like to buy on our own, so that our consultant can see everything about it? Like the carbs, sugars, etc. Not just the calories. I've seen where some have said they will do that and the center either approves it or doesn't. But, at least then, they know exactly what you are adding to your menu.
Some weeks, personal bills are higher than others. And some weeks, the cost of the full menu, is more than I can do. I would like to substitute more, at least some of the time.

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Originally posted by Ala:

May I ask you a question? If someone DOES want to substitute a meal, for example, buying Smart Ones or something, what if we brought in all the nutritional info on what we would like to buy on our own, so that our consultant can see everything about it? Like the carbs, sugars, etc. Not just the calories. I've seen where some have said they will do that and the center either approves it or doesn't. But, at least then, they know exactly what you are adding to your menu.
Some weeks, personal bills are higher than others. And some weeks, the cost of the full menu, is more than I can do. I would like to substitute more, at least some of the time.

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There were some weeks I couldnt afford the food. I had an awsome consultant that helped and supported me during those weeks. They were very few. But I always came in for my consutations and I lost. If you dont feel you can ask your consultant this question in person, or that she/he doesnt give you the support you need - see someone else. Thats the best advice I could give you.
As far as nutritional info - you can even ask the dietition what the exchanges are for smart ones or ww. You can incorperate those into your 1/2 way menu - or ask your consultant to help you if you want to have one a few days a week.

LadyLynda, great post!

I would be comfortable asking my consultant most anything. She's been really understanding. I just went ahead and asked my question here, because it had just then occurred to me, and we had a former consultant in this thread all ready. LOL.

I sure hope somebody at JC reads these posts. I think there are a few consultants who need some training in customer service.
Bottom line, I'm the customer and I expect to be treated with respect at all times. I'm spending a lot of money on this program and I want my JCC to offer me advice, help with the program, and guidance but also to respect my right to say, "No, thanks." I have an awesome JCC who understands that she is my partner in this journey and not my boss. If she ever forgets this, I won't be seeing her anymore. Simple. My money, my rules.
And for what it's worth, I bought 3 meals and 1 snack per day when I started. No vitamins, syrup, salad dressing. I tried the anytime bars once, but was unimpressed. At halfway, I cut back on my lunch and dinner meal purchases so that I could do more meals on my own.
Good luck to everybody!