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diet

The Fresh Diet: Day 21

December 28, 2010 By Lena

I’m back, folks. And – unfortunately – with no real news; still holding at a total weight loss of 9 lbs. What happened? Well, Christmas happened.

I postponed The Fresh Diet delivery on the 24th, 25th and 26th of December, reasoning that between the Turkey Fest and Leftover Turkey Fest, I would not do the diet justice. Nervous I’d put on about 5 lbs from all the holiday indulging, I had a plan:

1. Try everything. It’s Christmas! And I wasn’t about to pass up my mom’s delicious prime rib or my mother-in-law’s scrumptious cookies. However, I kept my portion sizes small and resisted the urge to go back for more – simply grazing and sampling instead of binge-eating.

2. Keep sugar in check. Simple carbs are my enemy – and unfortunately, my Achilles heel. So I made sure to load up on veggies, whole grains and protein, so that by the time I sliced into our traditional Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecake, I would have little room to test my willpower. (I did have a sliver; it was divine.)

3. Get back on track. The wonderful thing about The Fresh Diet? Delivery resumed on Monday, so whether I liked it or not, my diet effectively restarted. More nervous than I’d been in a long time, I climbed on the scale yesterday morning to see that my Christmas break had resulted in +1 pound; today, after just one day of healthy eating, I’m back down to my pre-Christmas weight loss – 9 lbs – which come to think about it, isn’t too shabby considering I was off the diet for 3 days during which I ate, ate and ate!

So, instead of waiting for that elusive 1 pound to post a pic, I thought I’d share this photo from Christmas Eve – here’s what I look like at 135 lbs! Only 10 more to my goal!

Don’t forget you can ENTER TO WIN The Fresh Diet for 31 days!

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: contest, diet, Lena, The Fresh Diet

The Fresh Diet: Day 10

December 15, 2010 By Lena

Ten days into my Fresh Diet and I’m down 6 lbs. Woo hoo!

(This past weekend I rocked a stretch top, leggings and sex-kitten boots. My self-esteem has increased dramatically after just a few lost pounds!)

I’ve been thinking about how much I love the program, and have come to the conclusion that the very best feature of the diet for me is the overwhelming variety of foods available. Specifically:

1) During previous attempts to lose weight, I’d follow the same routine – visit a grocery store on a Sunday afternoon and load up with “diet” foods – cottage cheese, roast turkey, baby spinach and fruit. And then I would proceed to eat the same foods over the next few days, convinced that I could survive on a bland, never-changing  diet of foods low in fat (and consequently, enjoyment). By the third or fourth day, I was craving a change… which usually came by way of lasagna and/or french fries. Buh-bye, diet.

With The Fresh Diet, I’m eating well – and also experiencing a range of foods I’d never have the time, money or commitment to prepare myself. Another turkey sandwich? I don’t think so. Today, my lunch is a Lemon Pepper Grilled Shrimp Salad with Yellow Tomato, Cucumber, Alfalfa Sprouts, Baby Lettuce and Citrus Dressing. Now in the past, would I have spent a Sunday afternoon purchasing all these ingredients for one meal? Not likely. So what keeps me going (and successful) on this diet is the ability to enjoy different, delicious foods while still eating healthy and having the convenience of zero prep.

2) If we’re talking about variety, then let’s talk choice. Every day I have a choice of 1 of 4 breakfast items, 1 of 4 lunches, 1 of 4 dinners (plus a choice of 2 sides of 6) and I can select 2 of 6 snacks. (If you’re a closet mathematician and can calculate the number of possible combinations, be sure to leave a comment with that figure – I’m curious to see just how many choices there are).

Think you’ll have a hard time deciding? You will. May I present a day’s offering:

BREAKFAST

1. Mango Stuffed Honey Wheat French Toast with Raspberries and Banana Ricotta
2. Cinnamon Apple Old Fashioned Oatmeal
3. Fresh Fruit Salad with Cantaloupe, Raspberry, Papaya,Pineapple & Banana Ricotta
4. Spinach & Feta Cheese Egg Bake with Fresh Papaya

LUNCH

1. Thyme Infused Chicken Salad with Arugula, Orange Segments, Strawberry, & Blueberry Vinaigrette
2. Roasted Eggplant & Havarti Cheese Sandwich on Whole Wheat Bread with Bell Pepper Pesto & Baby Lettuce
3. Sloppy Joe Sub on Whole Wheat Bun with Asparagus & Fresh Marinara Sauce
4. Tofu Caesar Salad with Romaine Lettuce, Sun-Dried Tomato, European Cucumber & Caesar Dressing

DINNER

1. Cider Braise Pork Medallions
2. Grilled Chicken Breast with Spiced Pomegranate Sauce
3. Sesame Soy Grilled Tofu
4. Fillet of Swordfish with Raspberry Lime Sauce

(Sides)
1. Herbed Cauliflower Mash
2. Roasted Acorn Squash
3. Wild Rice & Cranberry Pilaf
4. Sauteed Shitake Mushrooms
5. Braised Belgian Endive
6. Green Beans with Walnuts & Garlic

SNACK

1. Creamy Banana Cheese Cake
2. Cherry Maple Oatmeal Cookies
3. Mini Veggie Egg Rolls with Peanut Sauce
4. Grilled Chicken Skewer with Broccoli & Thai Peanut Sauce
5. Vegetable Crudities with Baby Carrot, Broccoli, Celery & Blue Cheese Dip
6. Coconut Macadamia Nut Muffin

Okay, raise your hand if you think you can stick to this diet.

With the addition of foods you would normally wouldn’t prepare for yourself, and the ability to choose from a variety of delicious combinations, The Fresh Diet is NEVER BORING. Shakes, frozen cuisine and ahem, cottage cheese-roast turkey-baby spinach-fruit every day is a thing of the past! My taste buds literally dance for joy with each bite. And I’ve lost 6 lbs in ten days! Time to go reward myself with Chocolate Cupcake with Hazelnut Mocha Glaze.

Don’t forget – you can enter to win 31 Days of The Fresh Diet!

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: diet, healthy living, The Fresh Diet

Lena Loves… The Fresh Diet

December 7, 2010 By Lena

… and you will too!

So I’ve started a month long journey towards eating fresh, tasty food… and hopefully losing a pound or two along the way. After carefully researching programs that are healthy, convenient and easy to follow, all roads lead to The Fresh Diet.

But you didn’t really think I’d go on and on about this awesome diet without sharing the goodness with you – of course not!

So here it is… drum roll please…

The Fresh Diet has generously offered one Listen to Lena! reader the chance to win The Fresh Diet for 31 Days! (value $1,394.69) 

“The Fresh Diet’s Premium Choice is the first and only diet delivery service that allows you to choose from a variety of our delicious daily menu items for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and hors d’oeuvre. With our state of the art website you can choose all of your meals a month in advance by simply logging into your The Fresh Diet Account.”

You’ll receive:

3 Fresh Gourmet Meals & 2 Snacks
4 or more choices for each meal
Unlimited dislikes to be excluded from your menu
Personal Concierge
FREE Daily Delivery
Rollover Days
The Fresh Diet Online Account

Woot! Woot!

(The Fresh Diet currently serves clients daily in South East & West Florida, Chicago, Indianapolis, the NY Tri-State area, Southern & Northern California, San Francisco, Boston, Washington DC, Baltimore, Virginia, Philadelphia, Houston and the Greater Toronto Area.)

To enter, simply visit The Fresh Diet, learn about the program, and then leave a comment here telling us why you’d like to win this amazing prize.

You can also qualify for extra entries! Remember, you must leave a separate comment for each. You can:

(1) Follow my blog, Listen to Lena!
(2) “Like” Listen to Lena! on Facebook
(3) “Like” The Fresh Diet on Facebook
(4) Follow The Fresh Diet on Twitter
(5) Tweet about this giveaway (tiny URL: http://tinyurl.com/27cly2u)
(6) You may Tweet daily.

I’ll draw for a winner on January 10th, and make the announcement with my wrap-up post on The Fresh Diet. Good luck everybody!

Filed Under: Contests, Food Tagged With: contest, diet, The Fresh Diet

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Lena Almeida

Toronto Blogger, Social Media Strategist for Listen to Lena Inc. Television & Radio Personality, Columnist and Speaker. Family Travel Expert. Star Wars Fanatic. Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion. Read More…

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