Motivation Monday-Leah's Jenny Craig Story

It is a New Year.  Maybe your resolution is a New YOU!!  Well this Motivation Monday, I am going to share a story with you. 

One of Jenny Craig's client Leah Fernandez is featured on the cover of People magazine’s “Half Their Size” issue! Leah lost 126 lbs.* on Jenny Craig, despite facing a very challenging year. After losing her husband in a tragic accident, Leah was determined to reach her goal of living a healthy lifestyle, proving to herself that she could do it while honoring her husband’s memory, who was her biggest advocate and inspiration along the way.

Please see Leah’s story below, including her favorite Jenny Craig recipe that she likes to prepare for her family.

Hi!
Thank you for taking a moment to read about my weight loss success story. It’s amazing how far I’ve come, because before joining Jenny Craig, I had really lost who I was; I lacked self-confidence and wasn’t enthusiastic about life. Now, 126 lbs.* lighter, I’m blown away at the opportunity of sharing my journey as a cover story in People magazine’s “Half Their Size” issue (that’s me on the right!). The most exciting part about this is not only being able to share my personal story, but to hopefully inspire someone else to make a positive change in their life too.

My journey with Jenny began in 2011 when my husband TJ and I were discussing taking a family vacation to a theme park. I was dreading the thought of it because I wasn’t happy with myself and knew I wouldn’t have the energy to walk. After becoming pregnant and having two children, the weight really started to pile on. Prior to losing weight on Jenny Craig, I felt completely inhibited physically from enjoying life fully with my kids. I got tired very quickly so there wasn’t a lot of physical activity with my kids and I felt that I was not only depriving them of that, but also depriving myself of enjoying playing with them. TJ told me that he wanted me to be happy and enjoy life to the fullest and in that conversation, Jenny Craig was brought up. Both my mother-in-law and sister-in-law were on the program and were successful and loved it, so I thought why not try it too.

The very next week, I made an appointment with my local Jenny Craig centre and was paired up with my fabulous consultant, Christina. She provided me with the tools I needed to be successful, including ways to choose healthier food options, portion-control and how to cook meals for my family. The program was really flexible and Christina helped me easily integrate it into my busy lifestyle.

In May of last year, I decided to take on a new challenge when my husband and I decided to run our first 5k together. During the race, I felt really good, and he encouraged me to keep running even though he needed to stop for a break. The very next day, I received the call that my husband had passed away in a motorcycle accident. The wind got knocked out of me; it was a surreal moment. I was so close to my goal at this point and I knew that I had to continue for him to not only honor his legacy, but to also be strong for our kids.
Since losing 126 lbs.* on Jenny Craig, I am definitely more energetic, apt to take on a challenge, less fearful and more confident. Setting a good example for my children was a huge part of what pushed me into taking that first step to getting healthier and it means so much to know that I now have the tools to help them make good choices and adopt healthy habits to carry throughout their lives.

One way I like to set a good example for my children is by preparing healthy meals at home. Jenny’s Chicken Wrap Ups are a healthy, delicious meal my children love. My consultant Christina taught me the importance of the Volumetrics® Approach to eating, exclusively featured in the Jenny Craig program, which allows one to eat more food, feel fuller and add nutrients with fewer calories. I like to apply this principle by loading up our chicken wraps with lettuce, fresh tomatoes and colorful red, green and yellow bell peppers.
See below for directions to make this easy, tasty meal you and your family will surely enjoy!

Best,

Leah Fernandez

Jenny Craig's Chicken Wrap Ups

Ingredients-
-1 (10.75 oz.) can chicken broth
-2/3 cup lime juice
-1 1/4 tsps. McCormick® Onion Powder
-1 1/4 tsps. McCormick® Garlic Powder
-3/4 tsps. McCormick® Ground Cumin
-1/2 tsp. McCormick® Ground Red Pepper
-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-8 8" flour tortillas

Directions

1. Place chicken broth, lime juice, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin and red pepper in 20 cup bowl and stir to combine.
2. Pour into self-closing plastic bag or glass or stainless steel dish.
3. Add chicken and toss or turn to coat.
4. Cover if using dish and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
5. Preheat broiler or grill.
6. Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade.
7. Place chicken on lightly greased broiler pan or grill and cook 5-6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center.
8. Warm tortillas. Cut chicken into strips and serve on tortillas.

For more information on Jenny Craig, visit: http://www.jennycraig.com/. And, don’t forget to visit http://www.jennycraig.com/heart-walk to learn about how Jenny is supporting the American Heart Association’s My Heart. My Life. ™ initiative. Here, you will soon be able to sign up for the American Heart Association's Heart Walks taking place in over 300 cities through 2013.

*Jenny Craig clients, on average, lose 1-2 pounds per week.

***Disclosure-No compensation was received.  Informational post only.