Freshology (Gourmet Food Delivery Service)

It's Day 28 of my 12-week body transformation. I had a great day and I'm having a wonderful week so far!

I think I'm really beginning to tap into the whole "mind-mouth-muscle" phenomenon.  I've learned from some of my spiritual teachers including: Oprah Winfrey, Eckhart Tolle, Louise Hay, and Joel Osteen etc, that positive change first begins with the mind. Our thoughts create our realities. Negative thoughts attract negative experiences and positive thoughts attract positive people and experiences into our lives.  There is so much power in positive thinking!!

Melanie Brown AKA Mel B 

Today though, I actually want to focus on the "mouth" part of the equation since food is such an important part of any fat loss and fitness journey. When I attempted a fitness program 7 years ago I cooked all of my meals... and I'm not going to lie -- it was very taxing and time-consuming. Balancing a hectic work schedule and social life with shopping for food, cooking healthy meals, exercising and managing personal responsibilities like cleaning and chores etc was quite a feat. This time around I admitted to myself that I could use some help. So I've been using this gourmet food delivery service I discovered a few years ago called "Freshology" which is such a life-saver!!   It's like having your own personal chef prepare your meals which are delivered right to your door daily. They have several different plans and I have been doing the "FreshDining" plan. I first heard about it because some celebrities like Ricki Lake and Janet Jackson used the service and lost a lot of weight on it.  With the launch of their "FreshMommy" program, actresses like Halle Berry, JLo and Mel B were able to drop the baby weight quickly and get back into their skinny jeans in a short time.

Here are a few of the things I love about Freshology:

• The food is freshly-prepared, delicious and healthy!  Calorie count is 1200-1400 calories a day, but I never feel hungry or have cravings. I eat a lot of "living foods" like fresh fruits and vegetables and lean proteins and little to no starchy carbs like potatoes, rice, pasta etc.
• All meat is hormone and antibiotic free.
• They use organic ingredients
• They allow you to exclude roughly 10 or so foods that you don't like or are allergic too and they will prepare your meals accordingly.
• You can view 2 weeks of menus in advance on their website
• They have a special plan called "GetSlim" where they can FedEx "flash-frozen" meals to people outside of the L.A. & NYC metro areas. Freshology has been doing giveaways of their "Get Slim" program on Facebook. "Like" them to qualify. 
• It's easy and convenient. I just heat up my meals and go. 
• Good customer service and an user-friendly website which allows you to update exclusions, delivery cycles and personal info.

What I don't like about Freshology:

• It's pricy (but I guess you pay for what you get)
• You can't customize the menu (i.e., have a choice of meals)

I am so glad I discovered Freshology and as long as I can afford it, I will continue to rely on them when I need them. Here's a sample of a day's worth of meals that I've had on the program:

Freshology Breakfast

BREAKFAST:   Wholewheat pancakes with Grand Marnier Ricotta, Syrup, Turkey Bacon, & Fresh Fruit (Blueberries and Raspberries)

LUNCH:  Grilled Shrimp Skewer Pita Pocket w/ Composed Greek Salad

DINNER:  Herb Marinated Halibut w/ Dried Cherry Couscous & Cavolo Nero

SNACK: Tandoori Style-Lamb Chop w/ Mango Salsa

DESSERT: Flourless Chocolate Cake

Having calorie-restricted food that tastes yummy is such a treat! It makes it so much easier to stick to your plan and reach your goals. I just can't do tasteless diet food. There are several different meal-delivery services out there including: Fresh Diet (formerly Zone Diet Delivery), Sunfare, and Susan's Healthy Gourmet. I may review some of these in a future blog update, but for now I'm having a love affair with Freshology (http://www.freshology.com). 

Mind Over Matter = Motivation

Dr. Ian Smith

Sometimes I chuckle to myself when I look at my bookshelf. I have quite the collection of books on dieting, nutrition, and exercise by various authors including: Bill Phillips,  Jillian Michaels, Bob Harper, Dr. Ian Smith, Dr. Pamela Peeke, and  Paul McKenna.  However, when it all boils down to it, they are all pretty much saying the same things -- in order to lose weight and be healthy you need to eat more of the right foods and less of the wrong foods and you need to move more (i.e., burn more calories than you consume).  That really is the oversimplified summary of all of these books. As it turns out, losing weight is not rocket science...but in the search to find that elusive answer to my weight loss woes I've amassed a collection of  fitness books.

Dr. Pamela Peeke

So I realized my issue was not knowledge. I, like many people, know what to do. I just don't always do what I know. For a lot of folks, motivation is a huge obstacle standing in the way of reaching their goals. There have been many times when I was lacking motivation and I couldn't articulate why...so I decided to highlight some things which helped me get back on track.

First, I firmly believe every significant change starts with your mind. If you conceive it and believe it, you can achieve it. The mind is a very powerful entity and if you don't focus and "train" your mind you probably won't see results.

Trainer Bob Harper

This includes eliminating the negative self-talk or ANTS (automated negative thoughts) which often times are subconscious and involuntary.  You may be surprised at the number of negative thoughts that enter your mind each day about yourself unless you pay special attention. These need to be replaced with positive affirmations...and sometimes we have other people in our lives who are thinking or communicating toxic thoughts and we need to distance ourselves in order to heal and make progress. It may sound silly but I write positive affirmations on 3x5 cards and post them around the house as reminders. It's amazing what effect positive thoughts have on your mind and your mood.

Second, reframe how you think about food.  Many people who are overweight are emotional or social eaters. They are self-medicating themselves with food - stuffing down their emotions, instead of expressing and dealing with them. Often there are painful issues in the past that need to be addressed or worked out in therapy.  Once you internalize that food is  simply  fuel for our bodies and not a reward or cure, you will be less likely to overeat or have those uncontrollable cravings.

Third,  realize the "power of now."  All we have is right now and the past has no power over us. No matter how many times you've tried and "failed" you can get back up and try again. Today is a new day. Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

Trainer Jillian Michaels

Finally, find something -- a goal, event or  person, that encourages you and gives you something to strive toward. Maybe you want to look good for a high school or college reunion or a vacation or cruise. Perhaps there's someone you admire who has lost as much weight as you want  to lose.  Cut that person's picture out and hang it in a strategic place where you will see it everyday as a visual reminder. I know for me I have a vacation coming up and a physique transformation contest which is providing extra incentive for me to stay on track with my fitness goals.

Weight loss is not easy. It takes time  and some effort....but it's all worth it. You're worth it!  If you "get your mind right" there's no limit to what you can do. It all comes down to your choices. You choose what you want, where you will go and how you will get there. Just be willing to further your journey a little bit more each day.

Success Begins With Setting Goals

I was just having a conversation with a very nice guy I met the other day. He had been down on his luck and going through a rough time since he lost a job he'd held for 10 years in the recent recession. There was a negative domino effect once this happened and his life seemed to spiral out of control.  He was pondering about how to bring positive changes to his life, turn things around, and get his life back on track.

As I was thinking about my own life I realized that anything positive I've ever achieved in life started with dreaming a dream, setting goals, and then executing on them.  Dreams are really just goals with an end date. For example, a dream might be "someday I'd really love to lose weight and get in shape." On the other hand, a goal is "in 12 weeks I want to lose 25 lbs."

As I look back at some of the great milestones in my life, many of them started simply with a desire and a little faith.  Next, I set a goal and figured out the small steps or milestones needed to reach that larger goal. I wrote down specifically what I wanted to accomplish and gave myself a deadline. Sometimes I reward myself for reaching the goal but oftentimes the accomplishment is reward enough.  :)


This approach has worked well for me in many areas of my life including: 1) securing some of the best contracts with desirable companies in my industry,  2)  gaining admission to and graduating from the Ivy League university of my choice,  3) eliminating all credit card debt , 4) buying my first home, 5) winning a sizable sum of cash on a game show, and 6)  purchasing and paying off the luxury car I've always wanted.

I've also used this method when it comes to weight loss and fitness too.  Once I determine my goals I really try to review my goals on a daily (yes, daily) basis to keep them top-of-mind and stay mentally focused. This is what I call my daily mental exercise:

Stacie's 12 week Body-For-Life Transformation Goals:

Start date: 8/2/10           End date: 10/22/10


I am building my best body for life to:

• Lose 20 lbs 
• Lower my bodyfat by 10% 
• Drop 2 dress sizes
• Lose 3-4 inches in my waistline
• Increase my strength, endurance and flexibility

When It Comes To Goal-Setting:

• WHAT do you want to change?   (Visualize your dreams; WHAT inspires you & gives you joy?)
• WHY do you want to change?  (Write down all of the reasons WHY you want to change)*
• Set SPECIFIC goals that are ambitious, but attainable and document them
• Measure your progress against your goals periodically to stay on track
• Celebrate your accomplishments!!!

*I once read about a Harvard study that showed that alumni who had written down their goals were more accomplished years later than their peers who had mentally established goals but didn't document them, and substantially more accomplished than their peers who had not established any goals at all.

Here's to continued happiness, health and abundance.