Out with the old

By Leanne, editor and founder

Want to know what we did all last weekend? We sorted through boxes, dug through our garage, and we did a full closet purge that has been months in the making so we could have a garage sale. Because, apparently we’re not busy enough these days.

So, what prompted this fall cleaning kick? Two people: 1) my step-mom who was kind enough to donate her time, energy, and her driveway to our garage sale, and 2) Clinton Kelly, the co-host of one of my favorite shows, What Not To Wear.

Wait, what?

A little backstory: I once saw Clinton Kelly speak about fashion in Seattle and one thing he said really stuck with me. He said {and I’m paraphrasing here since it was years ago}, “It’s too easy to wear comfortable clothes and eat crappy food in America.” The idea behind it is that instead of indulging often and wearing loose-fitting and stretchy clothing, he said the best way to stay healthy is to wear fitted clothing. Basically, don’t let yourself go in clothes that stretch because before you know it, you will have 20 pounds to lose. But, if you're wearing fitted clothing you will know if you gained a pound or two and will be able to get back on track quickly.

I’d never heard it put so clearly like that, and the simplicity of it really stuck with me. I wish I could say that after hearing him talk I never gained an ounce and have been healthier and trimmer ever since. But, I’m pretty sure that even Clinton Kelly would cut me some slack because most of my issue came from a rough pregnancy, not from chronically over-indulging.

But, even though I have a good {and adorable} reason, I’m so grateful that I’m now getting back on track to losing this baby weight with Jenny Craig. So, now that I’m seeing some losses on the scale, I’m taking his advice to go through my closet a few times a year and try everything on and then get rid of anything that does not fit right now.

That means not holding onto clothing that is too big for you or comfortable clothing that helps you hide a few extra pounds. It means purging clothing as you lose weight so you can’t use your bigger clothing as a safety net that allows you to gain it all back. It sounds scary, right? It’s actually quite freeing to let some things go, but I will admit that it is scary to get rid of clothing that helped me feel more like myself during those first days home with baby. But, I did it. I packed up all my maternity and bigger clothing I wore during pregnancy and immediately after and gave it to a friend, I packed up all my stretchy/lounging clothing that was suitable for selling, and I purged everything that is a little looser now that I’m going back to my pre-pregnancy size with the program.

I’ve had a few people ask what I like best about the Jenny Craig program, and I always tell them it’s the meetings with my consultant, Debie, that are the most helpful. The one-on-one consultations are really awesome and I have learned a lot in the four weeks since I’ve been working with Debie and her team. Of course, I love the ease of pre-made meals and no-thinking menu plan, but it’s the meetings and nutrition training that is going to make my weight goal possible even after the program ends. You know, the “keep it off” part. Since the Jenny Craig program already has us supplementing with salads, veggies, fruits, and dairy, we’re getting pretty good about judging good choices when we’re out. I’ve been really happy about how we’re staying on track even on days when we can’t follow the plan 100% {like days we’re garage sale-ing or days the power is out}, and it makes me even more confident that we can handle menu planning on our own when the time comes. Here’s my 4 week progress:

Starting weight:     too much
Week 1:                -4.0
Week 2:                -.4
Week 3:                -1.7
Week 4:                -.7
Total                    -6.8*

Do you see a pattern here? Apparently I like to lump most of my progress into the odd weeks.

With 600 company-owned and franchised centers in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Puerto Rico, there just might be an office near you so you can experience the one-on-one support. But, if you don’t have an office near you, you should read about the Jenny Craig Anywhere program where you can get the same support via video chat or over the phone from a dedicated consultant and have meals shipped right to your door. There are two plans to choose from: All Access or As You Go. Food costs vary but typically range between $15 – $23 per day, plus the cost of shipping. Are you already on Jenny Craig and want to spread the word about your experience? You could get free food as part of their Pay It Forward program. Bring in a friend who joins the program, and you get $25 off of food for each referral!**

You can find out more about the Jenny Craig program by visiting their site, or you can check them out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

*Results not typical. Members following our program can expect to lose, on average 1-2 lbs per week. **This referral program will run from August 22nd through October 30th. I received promotional consideration. I was provided a free trial Jenny Craig program and meals. However, the opinions expressed are entirely my own.