Today is a special day for me– it has been exactly ONE year since I stepped into the Jenny Craig center in San Luis Obispo to sign up for their program. After I finished my track career at USC, I knew that I had to lose my throwing weight and change my lifestyle (no more 20 oz plus steaks for me!). I thought, hey! I can do this– I can lose weight on my own! I told myself that if I didn’t lose the weight by November– I would then go on Jenny Craig. Roll around Halloween, and I get on the scale– and I knew immediately that I was going to have to go on JC. I remember calling Mom and Dad and saying– sign me up for JC! 
A before picture of me the summer in Hawaii before I went on JC
So, this time last year– I went with Mom to the center in San Luis Obispo, and we both signed up. The first week was REALLY tough!! I lost 15 lbs that first week because I was absolutely hungry all of the time! I remember looking at some of the food and I was like– this is TINY!! Especially the JC pancakes– they were so small! A few weeks after Mom and I joined, Dad jumped on board and they have done SO well! I looked at their latest picture and was like– WOW!!! Congrats Mom and Dad! Then Kristin started the program as well and has done fabulously! As a family, we have lost over 250lbs. Yikes!
During Jenny Craig, I have learned some valuable lessons and benefits from being on the program that I would like to share with you. Here are some of them:
If you eat with football players and they have three plates and you have one– you are still eating too much!: I had to learn this the hard way when I was at USC. I would eat with some of my friends and they would have a ton of food with them at dinner, and I was like– hey! They have three plates and I am being good and having just one– go me! But my portions were still WAY too big and Jenny Craig helped me out with that!
You know when you are dieting when you talk about food 24/7: I am already a foodie, but I feel like since I have been on Jenny Craig– it is one of the main things that I talk about! People have said that about me and I am like– I can’t help it! I am a complete and total foodie!
When you have lost a lot of weight, people might want to do an intervention: This happened to me when I was at USC and came back from Christmas vacation. At that point, I lost about 40 lbs- and everyone was like, Karen– are you okay? Are you eating enough??!! For someone to say that to a former thrower and to be concerned that I’m not eating enough is pretty funny.
From last year, I went from a size 22 to now a size 10-12: For a shotputter, we have to be strong and be able to throw that little 9 lb ball far! And to do that, you have to weight lift and eat a lot of protein. When I started the program this time last year, I was getting into a size 22 pair of jeans, and now– I can wear a 12 in some designer jeans and a 10 in others. If you would have told me that last year, I would have been like– a size 12??!! That would be like wearing Barbie clothes!
It’s fun to see people’s faces when they haven’t seen you in a while and they see the new you!: I had a bit of fun about two months ago when I ran into a coach that recruited me in high school. He said that I looked “skinny” and that I have to be careful not to turn into a “twig.” Hmm– well, I think that I went from a tree trunk to a branch- but I don’t think that I will ever be a twig, but it was fun to see his reaction!
Overall, I am SO happy that I have done the JC program– I have a lot more energy, I feel great, and I get to wear fabulous clothes! It has really been great and I recommend it to everyone that I know!! Even though I have been on the program for a year, I just re-uped my contract to be one it for another year!
Thanks again Jenny Craig!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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