The Jenny Craig diet is not so much a diet but a weight loss program that is based around special packaged food. The program operates out of weight loss centers around the world. These are run on a franchise basis – that is, the owner of the franchise is thoroughly trained in operating the program and is licensed to use the company name and sell Jenny Craig products.

What Can You Expect?

If you sign up with the Jenny Craig program you can expect to visit one of their centers to meet with a weight loss counselor. This will establish what your calorie level should be depending on your current build and the amount of weight that you want to lose. You will sign up to the program for a certain length of time or until you have reached your target weight.

You will then be advised on your nutritional program which will include the special food that you buy from them. You will return once a week to be weighed, buy more food and discuss your progress and any problems you are having.

If you do not live near a center or if you prefer not to have one on one sessions in person, you can take the counseling by phone and have the supplies delivered.

Why Does It Work?

This is a calorie controlled diet, which together with exercise should ensure weight loss if you follow it.

The weekly weighing session means that you have someone out there who knows how you are doing. You can also have phone calls with the counselors. Being accountable to someone in this way often helps people to lose weight or keep to any other resolution that they make.

Any Negatives?

Like all diets involving special food that you would not normally eat, it can be difficult to limit yourself to their meal choices and it is likely to be hard to keep the weight off afterward. On the other hand if you like not having to cook or think about what to eat, the prepared meals will suit you just fine.

The food is prepared with a fairly high sodium content and is not necessarily low on the glycemic index so it will not suit everybody. If you are insulin resistant or have high blood pressure or other special nutritional needs you may not be able to take the program. They do advise you to see your doctor before starting (as with all diet programs) and they give you an information sheet to take along.

Both the membership and the food that you need to buy can be expensive. Shipping is extra if you have the supplies delivered. You may be better off with a program that is based around regular food, such as Weight Watchers.

Click Image for Jenny Craig Diet Recipe book

Do find out what your costs are likely to be for food as well as counseling before signing up for the Jenny Craig diet.

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Here is our list of top diets. Click on the title of each of these popular diets to see more details including what the diet involves, if and why it works, and what are its bad points, if any.

Atkins Diet

The well known high protein diet developed by Dr Robert C Atkins. No high carbohydrate foods.

Blood Type Diet

A diet developed by Peter D’Adamo where you select from foods that are said to be right for your blood type (A, B, AB or O).

Cabbage Soup Diet

On this 7 day diet you can eat unlimited cabbage soup, plus specified other foods at different times. Generally this diet follows food combining principles and has some days of high protein and some of high carbs. Filling up on high fiber cabbage means that you should not go hungry. Claims you can lose 10 pounds in a week.

Grapefruit Diet

This diet has been around since the 1930s when it was taken up by Hollywood stars. It is a high protein, low carbs, low calorie diet that you follow for 12-18 days. Includes half a grapefruit at every meal, claimed to contain a fat burning enzyme.

Jenny Craig Diet

Available from franchised weight loss centers where you can see a counselor and purchase the recommended pre-prepared meals. Also available at a distance with counseling by phone and foods delivered.

Raw Food Diet

Mainly promoted for its overall health benefits, with weight loss as an extra plus. There are many variations of the raw food diet including raw vegan, raw vegetarian including raw dairy, and some versions that include raw meat and fish.

Scarsdale Diet

This is a high protein, low carbohydrate, low calorie diet with grapefruit. You follow the diet plan for 2 weeks at a time. Claims you can lose up to 20 pounds in 14 days.

South Beach Diet

Developed by a cardiologist, the South Beach diet identifies good carbohydrates and fats and avoids bad carbohydrates and fats. In three phases, this is a high protein diet for fast weight loss in the first 2 weeks, adding more foods back into the diet in subsequent weeks and finishing with a maintenance plan. Encourages frequent small meals.

Subway Diet

The most faddy diet on our list, this one consists of eating all meals from the healthy food options at the Subway chain of restaurants. Invented by college student Jared Fogle who lost 245 pounds in one year on this diet.

Zone Diet

This diet is based around a plan of consuming 40% of calories from carbs, 30% from protein and 30% from fats. There is no particular calorie restriction. A long term diet that claims to balance the hormones including insulin so that the body can make best use of food, and that a 30% limit on fats prevents the body storing fat.

Always consult with your doctor before starting any weight loss program, even those on our top diets list.

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