Before

After

* Results not typical

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Success Story Category: New Moms

Amanda B.  lost 85 lbs*

Dear Jenny,

As I prepare to share my story with you, it occurs to me that my story is not unique. I am just an average person who found success on your program, and yet I know without a doubt that I am now living a new life that I only dreamed about before Jenny Craig. So...I have decided to share my story with you (with much encouragement and "arm-twisting" from my personal Jenny Craig Consultant!).

I have been overweight my entire life. My immediate family and most of my extended family are overweight as well, so obesity was and is all around me. Diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease run rampant throughout the family. My father was the only thin member of my immediate family, and he died at the age of 45 after having his fourth heart attack. With these clear health risks so close to me. I have always known that I "should" lose weight, however, it took me 26 years to have the courage to do something about it!

I have tried diet and exercise too many times to count and without success. In Sepetmber of 2005 I weighed 268 lbs, the most I had ever weighed, and I realized that I had gained about 40 lbs in the last three years alone. I decided to "get serious" about weight loss. I did research about exercise and nutrition, and I set out on this journey. After only a few weeks, I felt myself falling back into old patterns in which I made excuses as to why it was "ok" to have a cheeseburger, as long as I did not have the French fries to go along with it. I could sense that I was about to fall off my personal program, so I changed my research!

I decided I needed some major help if I was really going to make a change. So, I began researching programs like Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, L.A. Weight Loss, and others. After looking into several different programs, I settled on Jenny Craig because I hate to cook and Jenny does it all for me! I also have several close friends who have had success on Jenny Craig.

When I walked into my local Jenny Craig Centre in October of 2005, I had NO idea what to expect or what was about to take place! I, of course started to cry when my consultant asked me what brought me into the Centre that day. I knew deep down inside that I was a skinny person and that I had so much more to offer this world than what I was allowing people to see.

When I closed my eyes, I was thin and beautiful and ready for anything. When I opened my eyes, I was trapped behind my size, and I desperately wanted out! I did not actually speak those words at the time. I gave a surface response through my tears by saying, "I would like to have a career in opera, and I know I need to be more physically fit to do that." This was and is true and has provided much personal motivation to me, but there was so much more to my decision to begin my Jenny Craig program.

Now, here I stand, almost one year later, 85 lbs* lighter. And, I am so blessed to be alive! I have gone from a size 22 to a size 10*, which blows my mind every time I think about it! Each day, I make good food choices, walk or run and complete an arm and abdominal strength-training workout. I never thought I would be doing ANY of these things, let alone all of them at the same time!

When I go out with friends, I am not even tempted to read anything but the salad options on a restaurant menu. My friends and I now spend our time together dancing or walking in the park instead of sitting around drinking margaritas. I have even talked a few co-workers into joining me for a brief walk and push-ups during our morning break!

Jenny Craig has not only given me health, but it has given me life! My consultant tells me on a weekly basis that she cannot believe the transformation in me over the past year. I have literally come to life-physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually! I have come out of my shell! I am confident. I am excited for what each new day brings, and I am ready for all of life's challenges! I can do ANYTHING!

My consultant and I joke about my being a Jenny Craig spokesperson. While I would love to have that experience, that is not the reason for this letter! The reason for this letter is to simply say thank you! Thank you for all that you do through the Jenny Craig program. You are not only changing lives, but you are GIVING life to so many people like me! Thank you from the depths of my spirit, which is now flying higher than a kite every day!

Sincerely, Amanda