I Think I'm in Love! 2/21/08

Yes everyone, it's true...I'm in love! For the first time in my life, I think I've found "the one." Never before have I had such a positive and sunny outlook on life. Magically, I feel like every obstacle put in front of me is now conquerable. Instead of thunder clouds and rain, I see rainbows and sunshine. Every annoying horn honking on the street has now become the sweet chirping of tropical birds. For those of you who've never been in love, this is what it's all about!

So I'm sure you're dying to know, "Who in the hell is The Lunch Belle so madly in love with?" It's been a long and windy road, folks, full of disappointments and enough tears to fill up a kiddie-pool. I'll start with the ugly, the bad, and then move on to...My love!

The ugly: Nutri System. Yes, I suppose I was that desperate. I figured, "If Tori Spelling can do this diet, why can't I?" I ordered $400 worth of food that arrived in one, yes one, gigantic cardboard box. "Was the food packed with dry ice and delivered frozen," you ask? No, every single "meal" was ready-to-eat; all that was necessary was the optional zap in the 'wave. Since I didn't have enough counter or cupboard space to store my meals, I stuck them all on the shelves of my empty bookcase. Luckily, Nutri System has a fantastic return policy where you can ship back all of your uneaten food for a refund. Thank God, because after one bite of whatever the hell I tried, there was no way I was keeping that crap in my apartment.

The bad: So it took me about 6 months to get over my experience with Nutri System, and I finally decided to start the dieting process over again. My adorable friend Tiffany had told me that she stays trim on Chef's Diet. She went on and on about how the food was edible and that there were various plan options at all price points. I got on my computer and ordered one-month's worth of frozen food from Chef's Diet (half to arrive in the beginning of the month, and the other half to arrive in 2 more weeks). About a week later, a huge box arrived with a "Caution! Dry Ice" warning label. I must have set my expectations too high for Chef's Diet, because everything I tried tasted like it had been overcooked in the 'wave for atleast 5 minutes (overcooked eggs are probably the nastiest thing I've EVER eaten). Another disappointment was the diet's not-so-Nutri-System-like return policy. Instead of trashing all of the meals, I divvied them up and gave them to some of the gals at work who luckily, enjoyed them much more than me.

And...My LOVE: Within the first week of Chef's Diet, I knew quickly that it wasn't for me. Luckily, another fabulous lady named Amy told me about the diet that she was currently on, called "Nu Kitchen." She said that the meals were very tasty and were delivered to her doorstep every morning, which Chef's Diet can do as well (but who cares). What sold me on her pitch was the fact that you are able to choose your meals on a weekly basis from an online menu! Also, if you give Nu Kitchen a 24-hour advance warning, you can cancel a delivery! The fact that meals are delivered daily and you can choose your foods from a menu was enough to make me sign up on-the-spot. I dashed to my computer and placed my first order. Instead of going with a set plan, I chose to order a la carte, so I have a bit more flexibility and am not bound to a contract.

I nearly tripped over my first delivery! A cooler was placed in front of my door carrying two meals. Visually, the food looked amazing and I was anxious about taking my first bite. I won't take too much more of your time, but I will say that Nu Kitchen's food is absolutely unbelievable! So far, I've had: sliced medium-rare beef, a fettuccine with mushrooms and asparagus and a breakfast granola dotted with almonds and cranberries and served with yogurt and fruit. The fettuccine and granola were definitely better than most I've eaten in restaurants! And here's the best part...All of the meals are 500 calories or less!

I just had to gush!!! I'm in love and have found my soul mate!