Three Weeks In.

Three weeks ago I restarted on the Jenny Craig programme with the intent of losing two and a half stone to get to where I was when pregnant with The Boy. Obviously, I haven't lost that in three weeks but how have I done with this bundle of food and a copious amount of fruit, vegetables and salad?

The biggest difference is my attitude towards food. I've adapted to the philosophy of three meals and three snack meals in between these, it actually suits me very well because I'm a grazer by nature and this focuses what I'm grazing on.

Each day I start with a cereal pouch (flavoured porridge, or bran flakes with yoghurt or chocolate coated flakes) and half a portion of milk, and a piece of fruit. On the days when the mid-morning snack is not a starch and a protein portion (i.e. a Quorn sausage sandwich, scrambled egg on toast or even a piece of toast) then I do find it a little bit difficult to not feel a bit hungry. I'm one of those people who've always had a large appetite first thing in the morning, and a portion of yoghurt and a piece of fruit as a mid-morning snack is difficult to adjust to but I'm getting there.

The good thing about the day's quota of food is that the portions can be swapped around. As my amazing consultant has told me, "You're stomach doesn't know if it's eating cereal at bedtime or pasta at breakfast, as long as you eat the right amount of dairy, starch, protein, and fat during the day!" and that is the key thing that's helped me during this.

As a result and depending upon whether it's a work day, a weekend day or a SAHM day, I switch the lunches or the dinners around. The lunches tend to be a lunchpot (pasta or mashed potatoes with vegetables), salad, a protein option (Quorn sausage or cottage cheese), and sometimes a starch (a mini pitta bread). This is quite a substantial amount of food for a lunch (especially when I'm not particularly bothered by food midday on a work day), so I often swap it for the evening meal of tomato and vegetable pasta or Thai vegetable curry with water chestnuts and basmati rice, plus a cupful of vegetables and, more often than not, a protein portion, e.g. tofu or Quorn. These microwaveable pouches are much easier to eat in the staffroom at school and time-saving as well when I'm trying to get sixty books marked from the morning's lessons.

Last night's dinner.

Other noticeable differences include my consumption of bread (and potatoes) and my intake of fruit and vegetables. Firstly I'm a sucker for bread, especially white toast and butter. As a family we would go through a loaf of bread in two days; one or two slices of toast at breakfast, sandwich at lunchtime and possibly a slice of toast before bed. Ok, not possibly, actually. Now that's a heck of a lot of carbohydrates and starches, especially if I've had oven chips for dinner. Earlier I cut the crusts from The Boy's sausage sandwich and threw them in the food waste bin, I didn't eat them which is a major achievement for me. I also no longer have toast at bedtime (with a glass of milk, I'd rather save it for my precious afternoon and once daily coffee!), and of course no sandwich at lunchtime either. This now means that when we buy a loaf of bread we have to freeze two thirds of it straight away, otherwise we have to throw it out. I'm also eating two more portions of fruit each day, and a guaranteed cup of salad at the 'lunch' meal and one of vegetables with the 'dinner' ouch.

So, how much have I lost in three weeks?

The honest answer is that I'm not sure. My digital Salter scales say 4lbs, but this can change by 2lbs if I weigh myself thirty seconds later! The Wii Fit says 7lbs but that's not the most reliable source either. I think I need to get myself a new pair of scales. I've lost a minimum of 4lbs and started to change my food philosophy.

I have been sent this Jenny Craig food for the purpose of this review, my opinion is honest and unbiased.