I had my halfway consultation today...my JCC has said a few times how "oh you don't want to be counting calories!" and instead doing the exchanges is so much easier.

And...I don't know. I can see where it would help make sure you have all the food groups covered (though I can also do that using SparkPeople) but it certainly does not strike me as being "easier" than counting calories. i can get the calorie count right on the packaging of prepackaged food or in any many cookbooks on the recipes.

What is peoples' experience of this? I am going to try it but it seems to me that counting calories is much easier than the whole exchange thing.

Carol Ann

I don't think that calculating exchanges is easier. There is a post that describes how to calculate exchanges:

http://www.jennycraig.com/forum/index.php?...ange+calculator

There is the rough measure of figuring out exchanges in that little pocket book that JC gives out, but that isn't as accurate as actually calculating the exchanges.

I think that calculating exchanges makes losing weight easier because it ensures that you are getting the right kind of calories in the right amounts.

You could probably get a good answer in the "Ask the Dietitian" forum. The JC Dietitians are pretty good at answering these kinds of questions.

Good luck!

I am dreading the exchang part also. I am well beyond 1/2 way and creeping towards goal. 7-9 pounds to go. I have been doing some momo by replacing JC cereal with my own cereal which I measure and then write down the calories, I still do the 1 cup of milk and fruit. The milk I usually add to the cereal.
Today I had 1 serv oatmeal with 1 cup milk. To me that's a pretty good swap with JC oatmeal.
I also try to do the visual on the plate. 1/4 plate starch(rice, sm potatoe, sm roll, etc.) , 1/4 meat (3-4 oz) and 1/2 plate of free veggies. Then I calulate that into calories. I try and stay around the same as a JC entree. I do write down calories because at one time my weight had come to a stand still. So I started keeping track of everything that I ate, including the free stuff. I was amazed that while on 1200 cal plan I was consuming 1400 to 1500 calories a day. And I haven't stopped since doing this. It makes me more accountable for how much I'm putting in my mouth. You know a cup of free carrots has 40 to 50 calories in them, depending on how there cut up.
It is just easier for me. After 22 weeks I think I have down what is a starch, free veg, starch veg, fruit, and the size of the meat should be. I never have more meat that the size of my palm, never my hubbies.
That's my outlook on it for now. I think JC should come up with some sort of calulator for us to input the info into so we know what the exchanges are if they want us to do the exchange system. They would sell like hotcakes I would think. And make 1/2 way and maintenance so much easier.
Valerie

I guess I am very comfortable with exchanges... from over 20 years ago doing traditional WW. In fact, when I do meal on my own or day on my own, I'm much more comfy using non-Jenny food since it's easy to count for me.

The Jenny exchange measures are not much different from what I learned back then.

I am new to halfway as well - being doing two weeks with 2 MOMO days. I'm trying to do the exchanges, but feel it's too confusing as well and feel like I trip myself up and constantly question myself instead of feeling confident that I'm doing it right. By the time I think I'm getting all the exchanges in, I'm over my calories, but when I watch the calories, I don't eat enough of something. (I am an emotional eater so having self doubts just fuels the flame to want to eat something unhealthy at some point during the day). Seems to me at 1200 calories, I've not been eating as many starches and meat as they recommend in the beginning of the midway booklet so then I feel like I'm overeating if I try to follow it. I still lost weight both weeks so my consultant said I'm doing it right, but when she saw my apprehension she suggested that I should simply make healthy choices at each meal; watch my calories, keep my meals balanced (1/4 plate starch, 1/4 plate protein, and 1/2 the plate free veggies) and I'll do fine. I've been making sure that I don't eat more than 300 calories at each main meal so that I have enough extra calories to put towards my fruit, yogurt and snacks. That's been working better for me and I feel more confident doing it this way - something that I can stick to for a lifetime.

I love oatmeal, so a light calorie breakfast is easy for me. Regular flavor oatmeal with a splenda or equal pcaket is only 100 calories. Add your fruit and cup of fat free milk and you are about 250 calories for breakfast. For lunches, I love using the new 100 calorie whole wheat or multi grain rolls they have out now (Pepridge Farm and Arnold have them). I've been putting 1/3 can of tuna (2 oz) with 1 tbsp light mayo, a thick slice of tomato and lettuce with a pickle and salad on the side and you are looking at a perfect lunch under 250 calories. With the small calorie breakfast and lunch like this, I get a bunch of free veggies already in the day, which . Leaves me a little wiggle room on calorie counts for my dinner and snacks. Next I'm going to try using the roll to make a little pizza for myself with low fat or non fat mozzarella and see how that works.

I dont feel that the exchanges are really all that different than WW points. I haven't actually done WW, but I imagine that each point is approx. 40-50 calories, and if you take all the exchanges you get per day and divided the # calories for each one it would probably average 40-50 calories per exchange. The main difference then is that each JC exchange actually stands for a particular type of food you should be eating each day instead of just heaped into a pile that you can just use willy nilly as the mood strikes. Either way, it is a simpler way to count calories (or should be), and the JC method ensures that you are not using it all on junk food if you follow the plan as you should be. Not that you CANT eat junk food, but it certainly should not become a major part of the calories you consume each day for optimum health. If you are just counting calories or points, then its so easy to give ones self permission to eat a lot of junk and not get in the dairy, fruits, & veggies that our bodies need.

Lets take a hypothetical 1200 calorie day:
breakfast - Capn' crunch cereal w 1 cup milk = 210 calories
lunch - Big Mac, small fries, & diet soda = 800 calories
dinner - Taco Bell soft chicken taco = 190 calories

There are no calories left for snacks. You could eat like this and stay within 1200 calories, but you've just eaten 3 meat exchanges, 8.5 FAT exchanges, 7 starches, and only 1 milk. Only a few bits of lettuce and onion for the veggies and no fruit at all. I let you come to your own conclusions as to how healthy or not eating like this would be.

Take care,
Angela

Love your take on this, Angela. Thanks for the explanation.

Hi Carol Ann

do what is good and works for you. Your JCC is ok to suggest but if this is what makes you feel comfortable then why mess with it.
I find writing down what I eat is helpful.
We are all different.
CONGRATS and keep up the great work.

I second that - what ever you feel more confortable with. That being said, Im going to bump up my thread all about exchanges. If you really want to know the info is in there.