30 pounds!

Wow, Jason Alexander looks absolutely fantastic. I was excited to see he reached his goal yesterday. He’s lost 30 pounds and he looks 10 year younger.  It’s great that Jenny Craig works so well for men too!

I saw Jason’s new commercial with Val and thought it was hilarious!  In honor of Jason reaching his goal I decided to dedicate this post to his pictures and new commercials and video blog!

Congratulations Jason!

• Jason and Val’s new commercial
• Jason’s video blog
• Jason on ABC News!
• People Magazine featuring Jason

Post comments here!

Jason before

Jason after

Congratulations Valerie!

Valerie Bertinelli is such an inspiration! She ran the Boston Marathon yesterday and finished her 26.2 mile race in 5:14:37!!!! I am so excited for her! She has consistently set goals for herself, and keeps all of us on our toes and guessing what she’ll do next.

It is incredible to see how much she has grown since she first started Jenny Craig. She’s lost 40 pounds and has kept it off, she ran a half marathon in the fall, and now has a full marathon under her belt. She inspires all of us to believe in ourselves, and reminds us we can do anything we put our minds to.

I read her People Magazine article and am ecstatic she completed this goal a few days before her 50^th birthday! She proves that we can do anything at any age! In her article she says she hit the pavement running with pump up songs on her iPod, but once she saw the finish line, turned it off and enjoyed the moment with the other runners and listened to the cheering crowd. What a memorable way to complete a personal goal!

It’s hard to believe Valerie wasn’t even a runner before Jenny Craig. She eased her way into it by switching from jogging and strength exercises, and eventually increased the distance she could run. She set small goals and went from running 8 miles to 19 in four months!

It’s inspiring to know this, and makes me believe that eventually I can move from a 5K race to a 10K. Who knows, maybe someday I will be able to run a marathon like Val! Congrats Val on all your hard work and dedication! Happy 50^th Birthday!

Leave your comments here!

I just read Valerie Bertinelli’s latest blog post on Jenny Craig.  I totally understand what she went through. When you’re on vacation you want to relax and enjoy yourself. It’s hard to keep on track and maintain (or lose).  I thought it was great how Valerie made a point to walk as much as she could and logged more than 80 miles total during her trip!

Valerie planned for possible gaining weight, and what’s better is she planned for what she would do when she got back.  I have often found myself coming back from trip, but my stomach stays on vacation.  I continue the unhealthy eating habits well beyond my time off, and end up spiraling out of control and gaining more than I did when I was on vacation.

It’s really hard to get out of the vacation mindset and I think Valerie is onto something.  If you make a game plan and decide when you get home to get back on the wagon, stay motivated, and keep your eyes on the prize, you’ll succeed like she has.

She’s staying on track with running and preparing for her marathon in a week, and I am nothing short of inspired by her determination, but above all dedication to herself and the goals she sets.  Since her trip she’s already lost those measly three pounds she put on while in Italy! Her idea of planning isn’t hard either. It’s about focus, commitment, and enthusiasm, and we can do it too!

The next time I go on a vacation I’m going to do what Valerie does, and plan, plan, plan!

I did it! Sunday was the St. Patrick’s Day race, and I successfully ran the 5k!

I must say, I was completely terrified when I first got to the starting point. I didn’t sleep the night before out of pure terror I’d miss the race because of daylight savings. I got down to the start line at 7:40am and waited for my race to start at 8.

Although my friends were there to cheer me on, I felt completely out of my element. There were over 7,000 runners in the 5k alone, and 21,000 total (5k, 8k, and 15k combined). People were stretching in the streets, beside trees, and against lamp posts. As I stood there in my minute-mile section I started to get really anxious and thought, “What am I doing here? I’m not a runner”.

Seconds later the horn went off and it was my section’s time to go. All feeling of nausea and anxiety flew quickly out the window as I started jogging along with everyone in the streets downtown. I instantly felt a wave of confidence come over me. This was different from my daily jog down the street and back. I felt like I was a part of something. About halfway through, I passed my friends on the sidewalk. They screamed my name and cheered me on, and gave me another boost of confidence to keep going.

I surprised and impressed myself when I could see the finish line in sight. I thought, “I haven’t stopped running the entire time!” A couple of blocks before finish, my friends had caught up with me one last time. As I passed them I felt a surge of energy and excitement pass through my veins, and I sprinted the rest of the way to the finish!

I was so proud of myself for accomplishing my goals. I successfully completed a 5k, I ran the entire time, and surprised myself when I found out I ran the 3.1 miles in under 30 minutes! I felt like Valerie Bertinelli when she ran her first half-marathon! If you put your mind to it, you can succeed at anything! Looking back, I was so scared and terrified I almost let it get in the way of achieving my goal, but now all I can think about is the next race I’m going to run! I’ve found a new hobby and am excited to see what other goals I can set and achieve next!

My St. Patrick’s Day race is this weekend and I’m excited! I have never participated in a race before and I will be running with 21,000 people! A little intimidating, huh?

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how I got an allergy infection. To be honest, I made it an excuse to not run for a few days after I felt better. It wasn’t because I was lazy (ok, maybe a little) or didn’t want to run out of fear I’d get another infection. I made excuses simply because I was scared of the race itself.

I’ve been thinking; instead of being scared and nervous for this race, why not embrace it? After all, I decided to do this and it’s not like I was forced. I reminded myself of the reasons why I decided to sign up:

-To do something new

-Achieve a new goal

-Run a race without walking or stopping

-Support a local children’s hospital by signing up and participating

-Prove to myself I can do whatever I put my mind to

-Stop using asthma as an excuse for not running

-Jumpstart my running “career” for future races and longer distances

Another thought came to mind: Valerie. Valerie Bertinelli recently discussed in her new Jenny Craig blog and video post that she is headed to Italy on vacation, and is still committed to running the Boston marathon when she comes back. It was really motivating and inspirational because many of us (myself included) tend to put things in the way of accomplishing goals, not because we think we can’t, but because we’re scared.

I’ve been running everyday now for the past week and a half to prepare for this Sunday and I’m going to run again tonight! Wish me luck, and if anyone else is getting ready for a race or marathon I wish you luck too!

Val's turning the big 5-0!

I just read Good Housekeeping’s article about Valerie Bertinelli. I can’t believe she is almost 50; she doesn’t look it at all! I really hope I can look like that when I hit the big 5-0.

Her down-to-earth personality shined as I read about her struggles, obstacles she has overcome, family life, and accomplishments. She truly seems to be happy in her own skin now. She explained how Jenny Craig has helped many aspects of her life because she was able to understand why she had been overeating, and learn how to face the emotional problem rather than fill a void with jalapẽno cheese poppers! I recall so many times where I have eaten to solve my relationship woes, and Val is right, we have to learn different ways to deal and cope.

I loved Val’s video interview with the behind-the-scenes of her photo shoot. She looked so happy, healthy, and was embracing getting older. She talked about being grateful, learning to love and forgive. It made me realize how at any age we should be grateful for everything we have been given. She also taught me how truly important for us to forgive others, but most importantly, ourselves. If we can’t forgive ourselves how can we possibly learn to forgive others and move forward?

I thought her article was truly inspiring and put me in a great mood to kick-start my weekend! Thanks, Val!

Val's before and after!

Have you ever put motivational pictures on your fridge so you stay on track, and won’t grab that late-night pint of ice cream? I have!

I thought instead of putting a picture up to keep me from munching, I would put the Jenny Craig team up on JC Talk! This way they all act as reminders and inspiration on my online “communal fridge.”

Here are some awesome pictures to keep you  motivated along with links to Val, Sara, Nicole, and Jason’s video blogs, plus a behind-the-scenes too!

Valerie

• http://jennycraig.com/successstories/blog/valerie/100007
• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/33/3q056PjdYK8
• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/4/07NLLGW0p84

Sara

• http://jennycraig.com/successstories/blog/sara/saravlog2
• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/8/vDEb2zBBbk4

Nicole

• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/25/Wu_hBeTNfDE
• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/0/cIGp0v3liao

Jason

• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/9/fq1WC-9uh_c
• http://www.youtube.com/jennycraig#p/u/1/2DC8pE0LiJA

Behind the scenes with Valerie!

Sara in December

Sara in January

Nicole in October

Nicole in February

Way to go, Valerie!

As we spring forward into the new year it’s important to also focus on our bodies as well as food. Let’s face it; some of us haven’t hit the pavement or the treadmills in quite some time (if at all) and tend to put exercise at the bottom of our lists.

Whether you’re getting outside or staying in the gym, it’s important to remember the best approach for your body.

Check out this article I recently read from Shape Magazine that gives great running tips for beginners and pros. As someone who is not always the most enthusiastic about jogging, this article really helped me realize some of the things I have been doing wrong, as well as how I can better myself when I hit the ground running!

In fact, after watching Val’s half-marathon video blog I was inspired to get out there and see what I’m capable of. I’ve decided to do a local St. Patrick’s Day race. I’m starting small with a 5k (3.1 miles), and see where I can take myself from there! Whether it’s walking, run-walking, or full on sprinting, let’s continue to challenge ourselves this year like Val has!

Wow! It seems like JC has really upped the celebrity action! First it was Nicole, then Sara and now Jason Alexander! First off, Nicole and Sara are both doing great and are on track, I know some people are afraid they won’t see as much of them. That’s not the case. Jenny Craig hasn’t had a male spokesperson since Baron Davis, so Jason is filling big shoes

I’ve always loved his work and am really happy to see that he’s taking the necessary steps to get healthy. He talks about it with Valerie Bertinelli here in this video.

It should be a fun Journey!

Comment Here!

OMG! As if looking amazing in a bikini wasn’t enough, Valerie Bertinelli ran the Napa to Sonoma Wine Country half marathon last weekend.  Folks, that’s 13.1 miles! And she finished in 2:12:19! This should show a lot of her critics that she really has worked hard for her success. Her trainer is trying to convince her to run a full marathon before she’s 50 next April, but Val is convinced just yet. I don’t know about you, but I am proud of Val! She never ceases to inspire. Check out this interview after she finished the race!

Comment here!