Jenny Craig Introduces Metabolic Max

Jenny Craig has been helping people lose weight for more than 27 years by providing a personal consultant to help keep clients motivated and educated and keeping close tabs on "calories in" with portion-controlled meals and menu plans.

Today the company is taking things a step further by introducing Metabolic Max, which will help clients track "calories out" based on metabolism and activity level.

Jenny Craig clients will be able to log in to the BodyMedia Activity Manager to record their activities. And by wearing a BodyMedia Fit armband, they'll more accurately track how hard they're working and places where they could be more active. This method of tracking, paired with weekly consultations, is designed to increase clients' awareness of how their daily activities affect their weight loss.

For example, say you come in for your weekly meeting and have gained a pound. If your consultant notices that your activity level was unusually low on Monday from 6 to 8 p.m., you might realize that you sat and played with your phone for the entire two hours of your son's basketball practice. Imagine if you'd used that time to go for a walk or hit the gym!

A BodyMedia Fit app gives users a "consultant on the go," as they can enter and track calories and activity throughout the day instead of waiting until they're at a computer.

What's the cost for all this? Well, Jenny Craig's Premium Success program, which is a one-year weight loss and maintenance program with weekly consultations and additional support tools, is $399 plus incentives, including getting back half your program fee for reaching your weight loss goal and maintaining it for a year.

The Metabolic Max program includes all the benefits of the Premium Success program and ups the ante with the highest level of personalization. It's currently $499 a year -- that includes the armband and a year's subscription to the online Activity Manager. The same incentives, including getting back half the program fee for reaching and maintaining your weight goal, apply. The Fit armband on its own retails for $199 plus a monthly subscription fee.

Of course, for those who aren't sure whether a weight loss program like this is right for them, there are always trial programs and special offers (e.g., "lose 12 pounds for $20!") available.

What do you think? Would you shell out the extra dough for an armband and the additional personalization? Have you used Jenny Craig, and if so, did you keep the weight off?