Countdown to… The Fresh Diet!

Friends, I have a confession to make. I’ve been keeping a secret for some time now… and even though I find it simple to go about my day-to-day routine, I’ve always had this nagging doubt at the back of my mind.

I’ve lost my mojo.

You see, I used to be a hottie; a slim, pretty girl with an infectious smile and a carefree attitude about food and fashion. I ate what I wanted, threw on a t-shirt and skinny jeans and if the occasion called for it – put on a smashing little black dress. Life was simple.

But two years and two pregnancies later, I’ve held onto an unwelcome 20 lbs that I. WANT. GONE.

I hate being so far from my ideal weight. I hate stuffing toast into my mouth when I’m bored. And most of all, I hate holding onto the notion that just because I’m a stay at home mom, I have little motivation to look my best.

So in my last trimester of pregnancy with Reid, I set three (3) major goals for myself:

1. Breastfeed my baby for at least 6 months. (Woo hoo! CHECK!)
2. Make time to look pretty – play with makeup, keep on top of fashion trends, take care of my skin (work in progress)
3. Lose the baby weight in a healthy, lasting way (no more excuses)

Well, Reid turned 6 months old last week, and as I have a well-established milk supply, it’s time to say goodbye to this lingering pregnancy weight. (For the record, I know the holidays are right around the corner – but what better motivation to stay on track on turkey day than to start a diet regime now?)

So I started researching diets – ones that have a proven track record of being healthy, offering a variety of foods, and most of all, are easy to follow – because let’s face it, with two little guys to occupy my time, meetings, measuring, and making separate meals just aren’t in the cards right now.

So it just seemed like such good timing when I read a review about The Fresh Diet courtesy of Soulla from The Confessions of a Blogaholic. She tested the diet on behalf of PTPA (they’ve since been declared an Award Winner) and raved about it!

“How does mango stuffed honey wheat French toast with raspberries and banana ricotta cheese sound for breakfast? Scrumptious right? Follow it up with thyme-infused chicken salad with arugula, orange segments, strawberries and blueberry vinaigrette. Mmmm…

Throw in some charred lamb loins on whole wheat crostini with oven roasted tomatoes as an hors d’eouvre, and Greek-style meatballs with feta cheese, along with a side of roasted bell peppers and roasted sweet potato for dinner. And finally, top it off with some cherry vanilla cheesecake.

And what if I told you this food could help you lose weight and you wouldn’t even have to lift a finger in the kitchen? Sound too good to be true? Well it isn’t. This is a typical day on The Fresh Diet!”

I have to admit, I all but fell off my chair. I’m a shameless foodie; I find every excuse to make (and eat) chef-calibre cuisine. Combine that with the fact that the meals would be freshly prepared (never frozen!) and be specially balanced for optimal weight loss… and I was in heaven.

“The Fresh Diet provides the right balance of food in proper portions to help you lose weight, feel energetic, and maintain proper health. This is done by providing our customers with a healthy balance of good carbohydrates such as “low-glycemic” whole grains, legumes and vegetables, lean meat and fish proteins and healthy fats. Our program consists of a healthy balance of 40%, 30% and 30% carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

Just as important to the proper balance of meals is exceptional taste. Think about this. How many times have you tasted “diet” foods that tasted terrible? The Fresh Diet was created by a Cordon Bleu Institute trained chef, and all of our kitchens are staffed with gourmet chefs. Together they prepare 40/30/30 meals that are sinfully delicious, properly balanced, and perfectly portioned for ideal nutrition and weight loss.”

Holy Hannah.

So why am I rambling on and on about it? You guessed it! I’m going on The Fresh Diet for 31 days! The good folks at The Fresh Diet offered me the chance to stop whining about my fat thighs and do something about them. So I’ll be blogging about my journey to kick-start my weight loss, with a goal of losing at least 6-8 pounds to begin with. (The Fresh Diet offers an adjustment in caloric needs for breastfeeding mamas, so I can be sure that I’ll safely lose weight while continuing to feed the little guy.)

My first delivery is scheduled for Monday – you can be sure I’ll blog all about it… and, I just happen to have a HUGE giveaway up my sleeve! Tune in for all the details, and wish me luck!