Packaged Meals and Clinics - Nutrisystem, Medifast, Jenny Craig, Etc - Bistro Buddies?

Any Bistro Meal buddies out there? I just want to share my good news--my meals arrive today and I'm so excited!

http://www.3fatchicks.net/img/bar066/slider-but8/lb/253/150/247/.png (http://www.3fatchicks.com/)

Hi there,

Just curious how your experience has been so far? Are you still with Bistro and lost any weight? I just started this week and would appreciate any advice you may have .

Thanks,

Tierra

I have lost a total of 17 pounds, 11 pounds of it while on Bistro MD. Some weeks I've lost as much as 4#, some weeks I've lost as little as 1#. I'm pretty sure that has more to do with me than the plan. Some weeks I do better than others... ;) I think I've been on the plan for about a month, so I'm pretty happy with the results.

sounds great.
Congras to you

I have lost a total of 17 pounds, 11 pounds of it while on Bistro MD. Some weeks I've lost as much as 4#, some weeks I've lost as little as 1#.http://top5choices.com/-pics-/wl_bistromd.jpg I'm pretty sure that has more to do with me than the plan. Some weeks I do better than others... ;) I think I've been on the plan for about a month, so I'm pretty happy with the results.

How far into the diet delivery system are you to have lost 11 pounds? Just wondering for reference purposes.

I started Bistro MD in July and as of last week I have lost a total of 30#'s. I simply can't remember how far into the plan I was when I had lost the 11#. But I will take a guess......

Since starting Bistro MD I have lost an average of 2.something #s per week. So I would guess that I'd probably been on the plan for about 4-5 weeks to get a 11# loss.

I think you'll like it, Mexia. I've been on it a month or so now and I really enjoy most of the meals. I did drop the breakfasts, though. I really didn't like the egg dishes. But lunches and dinners have been good. My favorites so far are the chicken cordon bleu and pork tenderloin with apples.

Please let us know what you think. Reviews in this forum helped me select the best meal delivery plan for me. Your review would be very helpful to others.

Good Morning Bistro Buddies! Anyone interested in starting a regular thread ?

It's a chilly morning (for Louisiana, anyway). Gearing up to watch the LSU Auburn game tomorrow and, of course, looking forward to watching the New Orleans Saints play on Sunday.

Buddies, what are your week-end plans?

I just finished week 3 of Bistro MD and have lost 15 lbs. I should point out that I'm recovering from foot/ankle surgery so I'm not able to excercise (at least not very much!) as I'm non-weightbearing.
I find this plan reallllly easy to follow and a majority of the food very good. I don't eat beef very often, so I had that removed from my foods for the future. I had a steak that first week that had the oddest texture ever, even though the flavor was good. The protein drinks for snack aren't for me either, at least the fruity flavored one. They remind me of chewable vitamins! Another food that I didn't like at all was the broccoli quiche/frittata thing for breakfast. I love broccoli and have been fine with the rest of the egg stuff (best if you take a bite of egg with the sausage or use a little bit of salsa) but that broccoli one was not for me. I've also requested less of the soy snack items and they've been great about substituting the snacks I request. I felt like I was being super picky, but they have had no problem accomodating me and have been beyond pleasant to deal with. If you find something you don't like, speak up!! We're paying good money for this food and we should want to eat it. We would never go grocery shopping and buy things we know we don't like, so why here? Bistro MD seems to totally support this.
I am doing the 5 days plus snacks Monday through Friday and then just trying to be as good as possible, but not beating myself up on the weekends. This is really working well! I wish you all the best of luck and hope we all progress together in reaching our goals. -Amy

Have done Jenny, Pure Foods Fresh Start and Diet To Go Low Carb, and Bistro is BY FAR the best. Not even close. Have had to tweak a few preferences (I hate BBQ snacks and never like reheated fish, unfortunately), but I'm now on week four and still can't get over the food.

Have lost almost 20 lbs, the last 7 or so on Bistro. And I never feel deprived whatsoever. Sticking with this one!

Hello everyone, i'd like to join you. My name is Amy, I just started BMD today. I have used two other meal delivery programs. Healthy Chef creations, which is amazing BUT super expensive, and fresh foods, which was pretty good.
I like the price of BMD much better.
I have about 30 pounds to lose.
I am a bit concerned with the artificial ingredients in this food. I eat a pretty clean diet, just too much!
Look forward to getting to know you all.
Amy

Hi Amy, Welcome. I looked at Healthy Chef Creations too. It looked a little too "gourmet" for me, and it was a bit pricey. Please let us know how Bistro, MD compares. I've been on it for 5 - 6 weeks now (lost count) and I am starting to crave hearty soups, chili, and stews. Guess it's just that time of year.

Which artificial ingredients are you referring to, Hisbeloved? I know there are some sugar subs, etc., in the snacks. But the meals seem pretty real. What am I missing?

Plan to stick with Bistro MD for a while because it works. I'm losing 2 pounds a week. Sometimes I substitute Amy's organics (usually chili or an indian dish) for lunch. I had opted out of fish on the Bistro menu but added it back last week. It was pretty good and gave more variety to the week's meals.

Hi,
I just joined BistroMD yesterday. Your posts encouraged me. I've done a lot of googling - and just discovered how many other diet delivery services are out there! I hope I can stick with this...I can't eat another Lean Cuisine - and I've tried Jenny Craig, too. I'll let you know when the food arrives and what I think. I appreciate your e-mails - they do encourage me!:)

I just found this thread and thought I would see if I could join the post. I've signed up for BistroMD - 7 days w/o snacks plan - and just saw that my week 1 delivery has FINALLY arrived. It was shipped to me on the 26th of Oct, but apparently weather delays have held the FedEx up. I am really hoping that when I get home it's all still frozen and useable. I've been reading some past entries on this site about the plan to get an idea about what to expect... have to say, I'm pretty excited to get started.

A little about me... this is my first time trying a meal delivery plan. Did WW a few years ago with some initial success, but I have gained back the bit I lost over the past year. So... starting back at square #1, I have 120lbs to loose. After much Google'ing I decided that BistroMD would be the best fit for the nutrition part of the journey. I am hopeful that with my food plan (shopping, prepping, cooking - oh so much time initially!) taken care of that I can focus more on working in exercise to my daily routine while learning about proper nutrition (portion sizes, food combinations, etc.).

Best of luck to all of us! ;)

How was Day 1? I'm supposed to get my food tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 6th - and I can't wait! I've been letting myself eat everything in site until then... So far for you, is the food very good?

Sad news for me SSIGA.... due to shipping delays (not caused by BistroMD) with my week 1 package, the food arrived on Tuesday totally defrosted. I was so discouraged as I am anxious to get started on this journey! :(

However, I called Bistro's customer service department on Wednesday morning and told them what had happened and they were so apologetic and helpful. They said that my "week 2" package was already on it's way (it is.... due Friday the 6th and I'm watching the shipping tracker closely this time), so when it arrives, just to start with that. I had already been billed for week 2, so they offered to either put a credit on my account for week 3 or to refund my week 1 purchase if I chose to discontinue. I chose the credit!! So, barring any issues, I will be starting off with breakfast Saturday morning on the 7th. :carrot:

Even though the food wasn't frozen, you could tell that it was good quality. The box was pretty substantial and inside was a sealed insulated styrofoam cooler (bummer on the carbon footprint there) with some paperwork on top. It included a full week's menu to follow so that you don't have to figure out mix & match breakfast, lunch & dinner options.... just follow the instructions. Inside the cooler were the (empty) dry ice bags on top, followed by 3 or 4 layers of the meals. Most of them are in the small, black plastic microwaveable trays... a few were "boil-in-bag" style. The nutritional content information is on each individual meal package (I'm planning on starting to get in the habbit of food journaling, even though it's all calculated for me).

I'm so anxious to actually TRY their food! I have absolutely NOTHING in my fridge, freezer or cupboards because I donated everything to the local food bank in expectation of starting this program and didn't want to be tempted. I do have some honeycrisp apples, light string cheese, celery, laughing cow light swiss cheese wedges, roast turkey deli meat slices and plain roasted almonds as I am doing my own snacks.

We'll have to check back on Monday the 9th to compare notes..... hope you like it!

Tonight, I start my exercise program.... it's cardio on the bike for me. :ebike:

Dear Want2bfitchick,

Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed reply! I am sorry to hear about the condition of the food, but very happy to hear how BistroMD responded. Since I work long hours, I am anxious, also, not only about delivery delays, but wondering how long the food will sit on my door step until I get home from work! I suppose I'll be able to contact FedEx to find out what time the food was delivered...

I live in the very warm South - so this may become more of a concern to me in the summer.

You mentioned that the nutritional content of the food is listed on each item. I think that is super. I have used a website in the past called Food Diary. It isn't expensive - only $9 a month. But it allowed me to complete the nutritional information for each of my meals - and gave me a report at the end of the day that broke down how much fiber I consumed, as well as vitamins and minerals. There is also a good section for including exercise. Although I believe BistroMD has already ensured we will be getting enough fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, low sodium, etc., this is another way of tracking what I eat and keeping me motivated for the long haul. And that's the main thing...the long haul! But from what I've read, BistroMD food is so good that the "long haul" will require much less effort.

So hopefully I'll receive my food when I get back home tonight - and I'll be able to start Day 1 with you on Saturday! In the meantime, I admire you for cleaning out your pantry...

I will also try to start my exercise program!

I'm looking forward to checking back with you on Monday! Have a great weekend!

Hope everyone is having a good Monday!

SSIGA: The food arrived on Friday and was still frozen!:dancer:

I got home and the box was waiting for me. Unpacked everything and sorted it out by day according to the menu they provided with the food. From the looks of the menu this week, chicken is the main source of protein (last week, even though I couldn't eat it, the protein was mainly fish). Most of the meals sounded pretty good just by their description, so I was anxious to to get started on Saturday with breakfast.

Note: One thing that was disappointing was my day 1 - breakfast was a chocolate chip muffin w/ high protein hot chocolate. A dream for some people, but I specified I have a pretty serious chocolate allergy. I will be calling Bistro's customer service department to get this resolved for future shipments.

So, Saturday morning's breakfast was snagged, but I cooked a 3 egg while omlet with a slice of roast deli turkey & 3 tbsp of pico de gallo instead. No worries!

Saturday lunch was cheese ravioli w/ green beans & almond slices - pretty good & was filling.

Saturday dinner was steak with peppercorn sauce, cooked corn w/ red peppers & cooked green peas w/ onions - not bad, but I don't love pepercorn sauce.

Sunday breakfast was a high protein bagel w/ light cream cheese - was tasty, but I felt like I needed a yogurt or fruit or something with it.

Sunday lunch was "arroz con pollo" w/ chicken, ham, rice, and corn with a red sauce (I think was supposed to be salsa... hmmm) - this tasted pretty good, but wasn't spicy enough for my taste. I might add some Mrs. Dash spice next time to add some flavor.

Sunday dinner was grilled chicken breast stuffed with broccoli & cheese w/ cooked corn & red peppers and cooked green beans with almond slices - pretty good & filling. Noticing a veggie side dish trend this week too.

Monday breakfast was a light english muffin w/ a sausage patty & an omlet patty to make a breakfast sandwich - liked this one!

Pretty good so far. I am keeping a food journal separately where I am tracking the calories, fat grams, carb grams, protein grams & fiber grams so that I can get in the habbit of food tracking. I get the information straight off the individual meal labels (it's pretty tiny - I have to really squint!). I am going to try another week of breakfasts to see if they take out the chocolate items, otherwise I will just switch my plan over to lunches & dinners only.

On the exercise front, I am not being as consistent as I need to be. I think I will set my alarm 30 min earlier this week to get it done in the mornings... too many things come up later in the day.

Looking forward to hearing how this weekend was for you!

Hi, want2bfitchick and others...

I started this Saturday, also, and I received the same menus that want2bfitchick received. I think I liked them more - probably because I'm such a lousy cook and do not live near great restaurants...

I am finding the portions very large and very filling. I think the food is much better than anything I could cook. I notice the emphasis on vegetables, which is always a good thing. I believe they are well spiced. I loved the steak with peppercorn sauce, the stuffed chicken breast - and today's lunch entree, skinny turkey meatloaf (which had sounded horrible to me)! So far, the snacks are either high protein drinks, soy snacks, or protein chips. I have found them very satisfying.

I am also tracking my food. Upon my request, the dietitian at BistroMD sent me the nutritional labeling information for all of the items they provide that do not have the labels on them.

So for the first three days, I can report that I am very pleased with BistroMD's customer service and food quality. I am certainly eating better and healthier than I usually do... But I would love some chocolate right now, even though I am full... So I guess it will take a while before I get over my sugar cravings!

Good luck to everybody this week!

Last week I had to spend 3 days on the road for a business trip. I had booked a room with a mini-fridge and microwave and took my Bistro meals with me. I am pleased to report that I stayed on plan the entire trip -- not easy to do in South Louisiana, where the food, well, c'est si bon!

Sounds like we all got the same meals this week (though I don't get fish). I am really looking forward to the meatloaf. Glad to hear it was good.

I too have been using Bistro a month and a half and I must say It's working really well. I lost about 27 lbs and I'm going to continue it for another month or so. Bistro is much better than other diets I have tried in the past. chicken cordon bleu and Pasta Puntanessaca are too good. Also has anyone read the newsletter? I got one last month and it looks like there was a contest posted there. I wasn't able to post my blog there but I am looking forward to the next news letter!!!

I have been pleasantly surprised by BistroMD. I think the quality of the lunches and dinners is very good. So far, I'm not too impressed by the taste of the breakfasts or the snacks - but I'm impressed with their fiber content, low fat, and high protein. They do keep me from wanting to snack on junk foods.

I lost three pounds this week - and I didn't stay on the diet entirely. I did find my "emotional" eating still a problem; however, much less so. I continued to crave sweets, but to a lesser extent. I found the lunch and dinner portions very large - so it was difficult to eat all my vegetables, which were still very good and I tried to get them in.

Today was my son's 6 year old birthday party - so I was not on plan; however, I intend to start again tomorrow...

Anyway, the food is much better than anything I've ever cooked, as well as much better than a lot of restaurants I've frequented in the area.

I have not started an exercise program yet, which I intend to do as soon as I can find some time and get more organized.

Good luck to everybody!

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to check in to say that I am half way through week 2 on the BistroMD plan (3 meals/day w/o snacks) and I am really liking it. I am still getting used to eating 3 square meals a day and found myself forgetting to bring lunch with me to work a couple of times... making it even more obvious to me that a significant part of this journey will be behavior change. I'm never hungry & have to almost set an alarm to remind me to eat my snacks. The food has been delicious and I am surprised at how fresh the veggie side dishes taste after reheating. Usually, frozen, microwaved veggies are so limp & tasteless. Last night, I had the sirloin w/ marsalla sauce, steamed carrots & quinoa dinner and thought it was fantastic! :carrot:

A couple of things along the lines of behavior change....

- I am really limiting myself at the grocery store when I shop. Now that I don't need to do major grocery shopping anymore, I plan out my daily snacks in advance and WILL NOT allow myself to deviate from that list on impulse (it has been surprising how many impulses I notice now). I pre-portion the snacks out into little ziplock bags when I get home so that they are just as easy to grab-&-go like the meals are.

- When my food delivery arrives (on Friday's) I spend a little bit of time unpacking everything, sorting the food out by day according to the included weekly menu, writing in the calories next to the item on the weekly menu (subbing as my food-journal) and organizing it in my freezer so it's easy to just grab the day's meals from the freezer the night before and move to the fridge.

- I MISS SUGAR!!! It's pretty funny how aware of sugar cravings I have been the past week. I never really thought of myself as a sweets person... I liked more savory snacks like fresh breads & cheeses.... but I find myself staring longingly at the ice cream isle in the store. To try and mitigate this, I picked up some sugar-free jello cups & light cool whip an am allowing myself to have one of the jello cups w/ 2 tbsp of the cool whip on top as a dessert after dinner. It's helped, but not sure if I should be doing this? Is anyone else finding they want sugar? If so, what are you doing to beat the cravings? :corn:

- Exercise.... sigh..... why oh why is it so hard for me to carve out a meassly 30min/day for this? Somehow I find time to check my email, somehow I find time to chat on the phone with a friend. So my brain knows that I just need to make an appointment with myself & STICK TO IT, but the bod hasn't followed yet. It's dark, it's cold, it's rainy... but these are not REAL excuses. :running:

I only lost 2lbs after the first week but, as I mentioned, I wasn't perfectly on plan. I am hoping to have better results this week.

Has anyone just starting on BistroMD taken the time to chart out goals for yourself? I really appreciate the supplemental materials that are sent to us via email from the dietician. I did this over the weekend by putting together a calendar on my computer in Excel (using the BistroMD format) & divided it into 12 week increments. During each of the 12 week time periods, I want to try to loose 10% of my total weight. So I charted it out and I have 6 mini-goals to meet in order to meet my overall goal of losing 120lbs. If I am on track, it means losing an average of 1.66lbs/week (seems reasonable) and I should make goal by end of March 2011.

So here I am midway through week 2 of my first 12 week mini-goal.... feeling good & trying not to be overwhelmed by what I need to lose overall.

And here's to all of us being successful in our journeys! :woohoo:

Did BistroMD drop their prices? For some reason, I seem to remember the full plan costing $187 or something around there, and I looked on their website today and it was $179--does anyone know anything about this? Not that it's a huge difference, but I think this may just prompt me to ordering!

Not sure about the price drop, but after 1 month on the program I was given a $50 credit. Then my sister signed up on a referral card I had given her and I got another $50 off a few weeks later. Even without the occasional discount, Bistro is well worth it to me. I do not cook and I know I would spend as much (or more) eating out.

After a bit of a plateau (man, I'm slow!), still going strong. Love BistroMD. Agree about the breakfasts, though. I love the pancakes, muffins, bagel-type breakfasts, but their egg dishes (at least those without pork, which I don't receive), leave a bit to be desired.

Whew!! I made it through Thanksgiving - even had slight weight loss. Now I've just got to figure out a way to stay on track this month. I skipped a Christmas party last night because I knew it would be impossible to avoid overeating. I hate missing the fun, but I won't miss the weight when it's finally gone.

Hi Everyone! So I went ahead and ordered--I should be receiving my first shipment in a few more days.

Shreveportpam-Congrats on sticking to the program so well and a LOSS over Thanksgiving--that's awesome!

A few questions for you all: Do you add anything to the meal plan? I am getting the full plan 3 meals and 2 snacks, so I am assuming I won't add.

Does the plan satiate your hunger pretty well or are you hungry on the plan?

Do the shipments always make it in time to start the next week, or is there ever a lag in receiving food?

Lastly, do any of you request a bistro meal instead of your "my night". I will eventually want a night to eat out, but not at the beginning!

Anything else I should know; the food looks FAR BETTER than anything I cook myself, and with a 14 month old, I never have time to think of what I am eating!

Congrats to Shreveportpam and LaurenMom2Max,

Congratulations for sticking to the plan! I have not been as motivated...While I find the BistroMD food to be quite good, for some reason I still crave my carbs and sweets. I don't have any problem with the food that is provided, but I am finding it difficult to stay on track...

I switched from the full week of meals with snacks to just lunches and dinners. I was not happy with the snacks - and only enjoyed some of the breakfast items. Also, because of the expense and my lack of motivation, I need to cut back somewhere. BistroMD has been very cooperative about accommodating my requests.

I realize I have to get "back on the wagon," so I will do it. Your posts continue to motivate me.

I can't believe how easily I seem to gain weight at my age - and how truly difficult it is to lose even a pound or two. As a working single mom of a young child, it seems I have no "me" time whatsoever. I've got to start exercising again - which I know helps to improve my mood and takes my mind off eating non-healthy food.

One question: Have any of you asked BistroMD to send you ONLY the meal selections that you enjoy? While all the food is better than what I can prepare, there are meals I would prefer not to eat again and meals that I truly enjoy eating. Have any of you asked them to limit meal selections?

Thanks for your posts - and keep up the good work!

How do you get the lunch and dinner only option? Their website does not offer that, or I missed it.

Hi again, guys!!! Still doing Bistro - have been losing very slowly, though, as I've had several out-of-town trips to endure. To be honest, I'm glad I haven't gone backwards.

But I have VERY MUCH requested only meals I enjoy from Bistro, and it works out fine. The best way, I think, is over the phone with them. I now only receive the tray meals, which I tend to like better anyway. And I buy their gourmet chicken jerky and various snack bars (my favorite of their snacks) on my own. That took some digging, but it was worth it.

Still think they have the best delivered food.

Hi everybody! I finally had a breakthrough. I've been so confused by portion control, prepping food, cooking, planning, coordinating....managing the food part of losing weight seemed so impossible to control. Really, it was too much to manage. I made my annual visit to 3FC and stumbled across the meal delivery forum. Whoa. Wait a minute. What if someone else did all the work and worry, and I just ate what they gave me? Wow. How simple is that! Meal delivery cuts right through all the confusion. All that mental energy can be focused on following my exercise plan. I joined 3FC last week, ordered my first BistroMd delivery, and should be getting the food in the next several days. Yeah baby.

Thank so much for all the details on meal delivery services. Shreveportpam and Buttah, way to stick with it. :carrot:

I'm psyched! Plus I only got the 5 meals, not the 7, so I can still used up the loads and loads of staples I have in the house by cooking on the weekends. Smart cooking, I hope!

Hi everyone!
I'm so excited...just ordered my 7 days of meals plus snacks and hoping to start this week. I used ediets a few years ago and was pleased, but somehow I've gained 30+ in the last year....ugh...time to take it off...lol.

Anyone interested in being a diet buddy????

Hi, Just started back up on my Bistro MD...:)

it has been awhile and as expected.. not doing well on my own.. Looking forward to trying some of the new stuff.. ..I am doing the 5 days lunches/ dinners only...

So who is new and how are you all doing with the program.




ps I have to update this ticker.. doesn't look this good I am sure..

Well back on the Bistro plan.. and already feeling better.. and a few water weight pounds down also makes it pleasant.;).

I had forgotten how satisfied I was with not being hungry all the time and not having to THINH what to make for dinner.. That alone lets me regain many hours each day to do other things

so far the food isn't as good as it was last year.. some chg's have been made and not all have made it better but not enough to make me turned off of the meals.

Oh wanted to share something I don't get snacks from BM so I doing my own. I found this great Greek Yogurt called Chobani... it has a whopping 14gm of protein in the cup , no fat and only 120-140 cal.. totally within the range of snacks that are OK for BM.... that amount fo protein really keeps me full and not looking for MORE stuff..

How are you all doing ??

Good for all of you! I was unable to continue with BistroMD. While some of their meals were very tasty, I just didn't like them enough to continue... I haven't found an alternate program, but I am cutting back other ways.

I do think BistroMD offers a great service. From what I've seen of other meal delivery plans, the meals are a much higher quality.

But it just isn't for me.

I wish you all the best.

I was on this program most of last year until they started to CHANGE things re the way the meals were packed and the variety and content. Decided at that time to see if I could do it on my own.. NO>>> couldn't so I am back but I have to say I have been somewhat disappointed in the chg's even more so now than last time.
If I feel this way after another week or so I will be lookng at Pure Foods and see how they are doing. .. I am really disappointed but nothing stays.s the same even when they didn't need to make chg's..
I HATE the new packageing of the food in those black tray Freezer burn and mixed up food in the tray doesn't make me a happy at all.

BUT... I have dropped 6 lbs so it does work .. what can I say other than stay tuned.

Hello!


First Meal tonight! I will keep you posted! I am trying to lose 20+ lbs in 7 weeks. (Going on a cruise) Do you think that's a reasonable goal?
Starting weight 190 ugh... but I'm either heavy for my size(12) or all my clothes are vanity sized LOL

I'm moderately active (2) 10-20 minute walks daily with my dogs and
2-3 45min to an hour tae kwon do classes a week.

Today I started lifting 5lb weights (to build muscle/increase metabolism) and I started meditating to manage stress eating

I am an emotional eater and a weekend drinker plus I usually take a tylenol pm to sleep (water retention) These are the things I am up against.....

Hope to get to know you and support you all!

Well- I guess this forum is kinda dead. The Bistro meals are ok, but I am kind of disappointed. I think Weight Watchers frozen meals or even Kashi is just as good and a lot less expensive! Not to mention the $25 shipping charge! I'm glad I only signed up for a month. I think I will head to the grocer's freezer after this month.

Hey everybody!

I'm just starting out here. This is my first time on the forums, but definitely not my first time dieting. I've probably put on and lost the same twenty pounds three times now.

This time I need to shed 25-30. And I'm starting a new small business and just don't have the time to do meal planning, so I opted to try Bistro MD.

Of course, the first week that it arrives, I ended up with a terrible head cold, so I can't really comment much on flavor yet. Everything ends up tasting pretty much the same. :) But preparation has not been hard, and so far I have not deviated from the meals and snacks they have sent. Water weight loss so far: 2.5 pounds. I know it's not real yet, but it's still encouraging.

Anyhow, hope to talk with you guys about this plan over the next few weeks. Nice to meet you all!

Hi. I am new to this site. I just started my first week on BMD after spending the past 9 months on Jenny Craig losing the majority of my baby weight from Baby #2. I still have about 10 pounds left to lose and I just quit nursing. I am excited to try all of the BMD foods. I had my first breakfast this morning- the spinach ricotta crepes and it was pretty good! I am excited by the more "healthy" and less processed feel of these meals... with Jenny I was starting to get bored by the menu and freaked out a bit by how processed everything felt. This seems to be a bit more healthy... how is everyone else doing???

I thought I'd report back in. I'm on week four of the BistroMD program and have been extremely pleased with it. I am doing the full 7 day program with snacks and some small substitutions since I am allergic to aspartame and cinnamon.

So far, I have lost 6 pounds in 3 1/2 weeks, which is pretty great considering that I haven't really been exercising and that I'm in normal BMI territory.

The food has been extremely satisfying. The meals and flavors are very diverse, and I have never once felt hungry or deviated from the program. I have made good use of my "off night" once a week and binged a bit on the things that the diet deprives me of (mostly bread, chocolate, and cheese), but then I'm able to go right back into the program.

Once every other week or so, I come across a meal that I heat up and don't like, so I just toss it and replace it with a salad or a lean cuisine. Then I asked my program coordinator to remove it from future deliveries. Easy.

I am considering removing the snacks from my plan. I think the protein-heaviness of the snacks does wonders at keeping me full between meals, but many of the snacks are extremely soy-heavy, and I wonder/worry about the hormonal implications of large quantities of soy. I think I could maybe do better with the snacks on my own at the grocery store.

Anyhow, that's the report. Nearly a month in, seeing results, and still loving it. I expect that I will try to get through at least 4 more weeks on the program and then re-evaluate.

Hello Everyone..i'm on my 2nd Week of Bistro and so far so good...the 1st week it looked like i was down 5lbs but i think that was water weight. Has anyone else on the Bistro Plan and if so how is it going....we need all the support we can get.

A little about myself i'm set out to loose a total of 50lbs..i started out at 180lbs but i'm only 5"1 inches tall so need to loose and keep off the 50lbs.

Michelle

Glad to hear from both of you! I started Bistro MD in September and remained on it through March. I dropped the breakfasts & snacks after the first month. I didn't care for the breakfasts very much. After a while I became a bit disappointed in the lack of variety, but I stuck with it and have lost quite a bit of weight. It just got monotonous.

I just switched to Healthy Chef Creations. These are fresh meals, not frozen, and are organic. I am also considering getting "the box" from Rawology. I still have some Bistro meals in the freezer for back-up. I'll report soon on Healthy Chef . I may end up switching back and forth between the two.

Today I called and gave Bistro a list of the meals that i didn't care for and ask them to not send those anymore. I know I can be a picky eater so I hope that I will be able to stick with this.

Hi all, would anyone who gets the Bistro or Biggest Loser plan without the breakfasts be willing to indicate whether there's a discount for leaving off the breakfasts? Thanks.

Today I called and gave Bistro a list of the meals that i didn't care for and ask them to not send those anymore. I know I can be a picky eater so I hope that I will be able to stick with this.http://imageshackz.com/imgs/z/R.gif

At least they did allow you to cancel out all the stuff you don't like. Hopefully you at least left a nice variety for yourself not to get bored.

I am editing my original post because I just got all my questions answered by Darlene who was a total doll and extremely helpful! Yay I finally understand what the difference is between the two plans. I am going to stay with BLMP and save some money! I love this food! It's so clean tasting and yummy. I think this is the kind of food I could really stick with long term as well. Very pleased so far. :)

Wow this is such a bummer seeing this thread so dead. :(

I thought I would share anyway and just throw out what I have experienced so far on this program. I remember the Bistro threads used to be hopping! Wow!

I have to say that I have done Jenny, Diet To Go, Medifast, Slimfast and Pure Foods and this is by far the best. I am really taken aback by the quality of food here. I am on my second week and can't get over these dishes! They are so classy and beautifully put together like something you would find in a 4 star restaurant! The chicken is of the highest quality and the clean feel and taste of this food is something I am not used to with meal delivery. Everything is so gourmet and so high end. The thing that makes it so amazing for me is that I am not hungry on this plan! Sometimes I have to remind myself that it's been several hours and I had better get in dinner or lunch. Never had that before! Now I did have one rough day, but that was because I had two chocolate biscotti's for a snack and it spiked my blood sugar and left me hungrier than before. I'm learning not to ever have anything that is pure sugar or pure carb without some added protein to keep myself balanced.

I love how filling this food is! Huge portions of delicious, decadent food! I haven't found one yet that I didn't at least like if not out and out loved (knock on wood). You don't feel like you are dieting. It feels like I am being catered to by a fancy restaurant. I am very pleased thus far. Since I pretty much learned that they are doing the same rotations for BLMP and Bistro now, I am of course doing BLMP to save money. It's $690.00 a month without snacks (can't have all that soy) so that's not really too much more than Jenny or Diet To Go for me. I am buying string cheese, nuts and sugar free hot cocoa as my snacks for now. I also drink Powerade Zero when I need something ice cold and fruity.

I also like the packaging. They put every meal into a sturdy sleeve so that they don't knock each other and tear during shipping. They are tightly packed together in a well insulated cooler with dry ice (I would never order food from anyone that didn't use dry ice and ships ground). No thank you! It's been really hot here for the past few days so I was worried about today's delivery, but everything was frozen solid.

The only thing I would change is that I wish they used whey as their protein instead of soy which is a no no for me. I see it in many of the dishes, but as long as it's small amounts, I am probably OK.

I've lost 4 pounds so far this week. Off to a good start! :)

Hi all - I'm new to this site (I've been here before to read the reviews and such but had never checked out the forums) and thought it might be a good place to get some support. I just joined BistroMD, placed my order yesterday so expecting my first shipment next week I guess. I'm looking forward to trying it!
Any tips for my first week? I've got a lot of weight to lose (would like to lose about 120 lbs) and will definitely be exercising, although I don't currently exercise regularly so will have to ease into it a bit. I'd love to hear any recent experiences with BistroMD, it looks like a lot of the posts in this thread are kind of old...? Has this diet somehow gone "out of style"?

Caffeinated

I don't know what happened either. I had not checked in for ages, but when I used to come regularly, the Bistro thread was the most active. The only thing I can think of is that it's one of the more expensive plans and times are tough for everybody right now. It's definitely expensive although I think it's absolutely worth it. I know that people were unhappy with the new packaging (trays instead of packets). I have nothing to compare it to because I'm new to the plan and all my meals are in tray form. I love the food! Hopefully more Bistro users will stop by and share. :)

Talk about a ghost town! Well at the risk of talking to myself, I will share what I can. I am incredibly bowled over by this food. I have done so many meal delivery plans and I guess to really appreciate this one, you really do have to do the rest first like me. I've tried many of them and liked Diet To Go the best (although Jenny has some good stuff too, but the poor selection was wearing me down). I am going on my third week here soon and cannot believe the food I am eating! This blows everything else out there completely away! The quality is incredible. It's so gourmet and yet so clean tasting. Their chicken Fresco was so good last night that I felt like I was eating in a restaurant. The chicken has a real, fluffy fresh Bistro flavor and the Mushroom risotto cake was to die for! Even their breakfasts are getting more interesting. I was so used to Diet To Go using the same ones every week on their low carb plan. With this one, I get new crepes and egg dishes (and OMG their Cinnamon potato pancakes are to die for)!

Not only do I not feel deprived, but I feel very catered to with his food. All the different textures and tastes keep my taste buds alive. Even though the Tilapia is good, it's not my favorite. I would love to see more salmon than Tilapia. The chicken dishes are incredibly yummy. That was one of the reasons I had to stop my DTG orders. I loved a lot of their food, but their chicken and pork all tasted the same. They both have the same seasoning underneath whatever sauce you get and the seasoning was always a little gross to me. Because there were so many chicken and pork dishes, I was getting discouraged because I began to dread them. This chicken tastes flame broiled and is always fluffy and fresh tasting without any strange salty seasoning underneath. I do think Diet To Go has better omelet's, but that's because they use the whole egg.

I've lost almost 8 pounds so far which is very encouraging though I have quite a ways to go. :carrot:

Lisa, thanks for your post! I am on Day 4 today and I have to agree, so far the food is really, really good! I definitely do find that I am still hungry, especially in the afternoons, but that's to be expected given the volume of food I was taking in before. It's a big difference. However, I'm hopeful that my body will get used to the difference soon and I'll start to feel more energetic. How long have you been on the program? Did you start noticing any changes after the first week?
I have to say that I much prefer the trays to the other packaging, because I definitely make the lunch meals at work and the trays are much easier for heating in the microwave. Also, no dish washing. :-) I'm currently on the 7 day plan plus snacks - I know it's expensive, but the snacks are really high-protein and I really do think they will make a difference. I'm hopeful that after time, I can slowly start replacing some of the snacks, some of the breakfasts, etc. with cooked food, but I really like the convenience and the taste so far!

Hi all, would anyone who gets the Bistro or Biggest Loser plan without the breakfasts be willing to indicate whether there's a discount for leaving off the breakfasts? Thanks.

Hi Dulcinea - I'm new to Bistro MD, but I don't believe that they offer a breakfast-free option - just snack-free (with or without snacks) as well as 7 days a week vs. 5 days a week (you cook for yourself/eat out on weekends) - I did not see a no-breakfast plan. I do, however, know that there are some other plans out there that do have a no-breakfast option.

Hope this helps -

Caffeinated

I feel the same way about the trays. I just got my first pouch meal and it was a pain. The food tastes delicious to me as is and so much more convenient in a tray. I can't believe how much my food diary helps. It sounds so simple and cliche, but having that is a major tool for me. I bought a small notebook that fits in my purse and is easy to store anywhere. Everything that goes into my mouth is written down daily with the calorie count and time I ate it. It really helps to keep you on track. I look at my allowable calorie intake like a bank (I aim for 1200-1400 per day). I know how many calories I can spend each day. That's one of the reasons I love Bistro so much. The food is so filling and yet it never goes over 350 or 400 calories! You can have three meals and still have a few hundred calories to spend on snacks. That gives me the freedom I need. No matter what you eat, the scientific fact is that you will lose weight based on calories. You can't escape that bit of science. For every 3500 calories less you eat per week, that's a pound you will lose. I used a few online calculators that had me enter my weight, height, activity level and age and it shot out the calories I would need to stay at my current weight. Right now even with my snacks and three meals, I am eating almost 1000 calories less per day to stay at my current weight. I am getting what I want in snacks and meals and honestly don't feel like I am dieting! I really don't feel like I am on a diet.

I can't have the Bistro snacks because of some health issues I have in which Soy is a no no (most of their snacks are high in soy). It actually works out better for me anyway because I like to choose what I feel like within my calorie range. Sometimes I have Cocoa with fat free milk and other times I have a yummy Atkins bar or some Low Carb Cheese snacks made with whey instead of soy.

You can definitely stop the snacks, breakfasts or both. They don't advertise this, but you need only ask them about it and they will tell you what the difference is cost wise. I was surprised because I thought I would save a lot by dropping breakfasts, but what they do is put you on what they call "ala carte Bistro" and the meals are much higher this way. I was surprised to find that it would save me almost nothing so you are sometimes better just staying with the breakfasts. The cost is about the same!

This is my third week and I feel lighter and healthier. I have more energy and am losing weight without feeling like I am dieting. That's new to me because every diet I have ever been on makes me very aware that I am dieting but not with this one. The food is so decadent and delicious! The beef tips in Wine sauce was to die for! Everything is such high quality! I love it! Remember this is not a sprint, but a marathon. It took us a while to gain all of this and losing it will take some time as well. I really think this is the one for me. I see myself staying on this one for a while.

Hope you are having a great week! :)

Hi Lisa 1978 !

I have enjoyed ready your posts re: Bistro :carrot: I am trying to find out which plan would work best for me and I am leaning toward Bistro... maybe. I was wondering do you do the Bistro diet plan or BLMP? I read your updated edited posted and it sounds like you are indeed on the BLMP.... what is the difference between the two plans? Are you really enjoying the foods.... as I am not into soy at all I was wondering if there was a lot in the meals itself or just in the snacks?

Thanks for any insight you can send my way !

Hey PlanB!

Aww thank you for that. Not many of us out here! The Bistro threads used to be the most active too! I have to admit that Bistro blows all of the other plans I've tried away in terms of taste and volume (I just wish it was less expensive). I was thinking of going back to Diet To Go, but I only like the low carb plan and the calories are so high that it leaves no room for snacks (and I hated the chicken and pork there). I was dreading Jenny and didn't know what the heck I was going to do. I just knew that whatever it is that I decided to choose, it would be long term. It's going to take me at least 8-9 months to get to my goal weight. I knew I would not make it that long on any of the others I've already tried.

My bf freaked over the price, but I told him that if it gets the weight off of me, it's worth whatever it costs. Nothing else has really worked. I knew my first week that this was the one. I can feel it. The food is so filling and so unique. It has such a clean taste to it too, which is very appealing to me. Now I can see why certain members would say they were on it for a year or more because the food was so good (they were right)! This is definitely long term food! I also refuse to use any service that ships with regular gel packs instead of dry ice (Jenny, Diet To Go, BLMP and Bistro all use dry ice, however some of the others do not and that can make a HUGE difference in safety issues and shipping hassles). Especially in the hot summer!

I started off on BLMP and switched to Bistro recently. Let me tell you it was like pulling teeth to get a straight answer as to what the difference is. I swear to you that I asked three people there that very question and all three had completely different opinions! It was crazy! One would tell me that there really was no difference, but that they offer a discount to Biggest Loser users. It still didn't sound right because I had heard others say you get more choices and more rotations with Bistro. Finally on my third try a woman who had been there for quite some time admitted that there are quite a few dishes available to Bistro members that are not given to BLMP members (why oh why couldn't someone just tell me that the first time yikes). She even named a few that sounded yummy.

In any event, you do get more selection and some of the meals are still packet meals, which I have heard taste better but are not as convenient as the trays. I just pierce mine with a fork and microwave it, but you would need a plate (you could save those for your dinner each day when you are home or use microwaveable paper plates). I also noticed another difference. When I was on BLMP for the first two weeks, my orders left on Wednesday each week. As soon as I switched to Bistro, my orders are now shipped earlier on Tuesday (and again shipped out Tuesday of this week). I called and was told that Bistro members do get priority. Also you do have to be on Bistro if you want to customize your plan (like dropping breakfasts and things like that). I just dropped the breakfasts because they were not my favorite part (although some are really good). I just make a couple of eggs and turkey sausage or have a few lowfat pancakes and make do that way. Small muffins and small bagels do very little to keep me satisfied in the morning and there were a fair amount of those mixed in with the really unique and good breakfasts.

I may add them back at some point, but for now, I am fine on my own for breakfast. Oh and yes, there is soy in many of their foods. I was worried at first, but they don't use enough of it to be a problem however the snacks are loaded to the hilt with pure soy! I had to drop them right away. I also noticed that Jenny used a lot of soy too. I figured if I dropped the breakfasts which had soy and the snacks which are loaded with Soy, I would be fine with the amount in the lunches and dinners. So far so good.

Hope that helps! :)

Hi Ya Lisa!

Thanks for such a quick responce..... and you have no idea how much you have helped! :hug:

I think Im going to go ahead then and just Bistro a whirl..... but *insert big gulp here* the price alone is a lot to swallow :D *heehee*

Im going to go over and take a lookie loo at some of their menu items again and .... ponder a bit !

Thanks Bunches for your help ---- I will let ya know what I decide ... hopefully shortly ! :dizzy:

Hey just so you know, you can switch back and forth anytime. You can sign up with the Biggest Loser Plan without snacks and see how you like things (The food is all made in the same kitchens). If you decide after 3 or 4 weeks that you want to see what Bistro offers that you didn't get with BLMP, you can do that no problem. They told me that on my first day. You can switch back and forth whenever you like. I wanted to drop the breakfasts so I had no choice as they do not offer ala carte meals on the BLMP (plus I wanted to see what foods Bistro members get that I didn't on the BLMP). It helps if you have more choices and I've heard that Bistro has a 6 week rotation rather than a 4 week for BLMP.

Good luck either way you go! Nighty night. :)

So Ive been reading all of the Bistro threads I can find and the most important question of all that I have right now is ....

Where can I find this cheesecake that everyone is raving about? :carrot:

Someone in a thread said the name of it was 'D'lites cheesecake'? I did a search so I could see the package or the maker and I could not google it under that name I came up empty... any help out there :D

Lisa and Caffeinated,

Thanks so much for the replies about breakfast. I just ordered my first week and will start with the breakfasts included to see how I like them. I'm looking forward to getting going with the plan!

I can't get over this food. Seriously, this is good stuff! The chicken is of such high quality and all the food is just incredible. The thing I can't get over his how creative they are! They must have magicians working there to be able to make these incredible meals that are mostly only 300 calories or so! This gives me so much freedom that I have never had with any other delivery plan. Because the food is so filling and so good and so low calorie, I can have the snacks I want and still lose weight. I swear I do not feel like I am dieting here! On the others I have tried, I was so hungry and the calories were high enough that it left me with almost no snack room at all. I need snacks.

I finally realized that I can't do the total low carb plans at all and I can't do the total low fat plans either. This one is perfect for me because it focuses on more protein, but is so balanced and gives you healthy carbs too. With the calories being so low, I am able to have about 300--400 calories per day worth of snacks! I never had that before and still be able to lose weight! That's why I don't feel that crunch and that feeling of being on a diet. I've stopped worrying about the carbs and fat content and yet I still try and be careful of course. I am focusing more on the calories and that is not only helping me to lose more weight, but I can still have the things I love in addition to the meals! I just never go over 1400 calories per day (1500 tops). I am losing steadily too!

I have a cup of delicious hot cocoa (regular because light makes me sick) and just use fat free milk and it's delicious and only 170 calories. I get thirsty and sometimes really want something cold and fruity and refreshing and those light drinks leave me gagging. With Bistro, I am having a glass or two a day of regular Fruit Punch or Strawberry Gatorade after my work outs, and I am still losing and it's wonderful to have what I want and not freak over carbs! I usually put some fat free cream cheese or some natural peanut butter on a couple of Wasa Crispbreads and that is still under 200 calories (and I get two long crispbreads which makes for a nice treat)! Most of the calories are from the peanut butter or cream cheese because the Wasa's are next to nothing. When all is said and done, it all boils down to calories burned each day as opposed to calories eaten carbs or no carbs...fats or no fats.

Those online calculators are very interesting. They tell you how many calories you burn per hour sleeping, watching TV, working out and even sitting at the computer! I was shocked by what you burn just sleeping! Learn something new every day! They said to take the amount of calories you burn total and subtract what you eat from that (what you take in) and you get the difference and for me that's a 2 pound weight loss per week. So far I am on target too (and I can finally enjoy some carbs again)!

This is really working for me! The way I am doing things makes me feel that I could easily stay on this for a really long time. I am being careful and yet I am living normally too and having what I want within reason every day. I've been really pretty good and have pretty much stayed under 1400 calories per day. I think it's also better to start higher than lower. When you hit a plateau and you are already at only 1200 or so, you don't have much wiggle room without making yourself sick.

Not too happy about the packets though. I wish I could say I loved them, but I honestly don't. They are a pain!! I am getting more of them now that I am on regular Bistro and yes the food is tasty, but for me, it is just as tasty in the trays and I don't burn my fingers off. I wash down a sharp pair of scissors now each time and use that to cut the packets to limit exposure to my fingers. I quickly cut and even that does not spare me or get the sauce out very well and everything is so messy this way! Oh well. They said that eventually everything will be in tray form. I won't cry!

Hope everybody else is having a good week! :carrot:

So today was my first half day on the diet (my food arrived at noon), and I already have a couple of questions for you experienced users! :^:

First, for those of you who do your own snacks, how many calories per snack do you shoot for? I want to make sure I don't subvert my progress by eating huge snacks, but I also don't want to undereat, especially as I work out every day.

Second, how do you handle the urge to salt? The packages say that one can salt the food, using sea salt. Do you salt? Or do you try to tough it out and learn to like low sodium foods? I made it through lunch (a tasty steak wrap) with no salt, but I couldn't get through dinner (not-so-tasty roast turkey) without a few turns of the salt grinder.

I'm excited about my first full day on the plan tomorrow. The steak wrap was promising, and I hope the turkey was an anomaly. Turkey's such a dry meat anyway that it seems hard to present as a microwaved food-- I ended up roasting a few heirloom cherry tomatoes in a dry pan and tossing them on top just to juice it up a bit in a healthy way.

Dulcinea,

Snacking is such a personal thing. Not everyone snacks the same way. Some people snack by calories while others count carbs and snack that way. I try to keep it as simple as possible and so far that works best for me. I'm more focused on calories right now. I stay under 1400 per day total. Since the meals provided usually don't go over 900 or 1000 calories per day, that leaves me with 400 calories to spend on snacks if I need them. That's one of the things I love about this food. It's so filling and they give you so much for only 300 calories or so per meal!

When I was on Diet To Go for instance, the low carb meals were extremely high in calories and left me no snacking room at all so I had to give that one up. Many people need snacks or their blood sugar levels will drop and cause them problems with a rigid three meals per day only. It depends on what calorie intake you are personally shooting for. You can get a lot of help by simply googling online and using the calories per day calculators. The have you enter your weight, activity level and age and it shoots out how many calories you need to maintain your weight so that you can pretty much figure out what you need to eat to lose weight. Then you will at least know what starting point you should be at. Bistro tells you that you will be averaging anywhere between 1200 and 1400 calories per day if you are to have their full program which is three meals and two snacks per day.

I can't use their snacks because of all the soy. I buy cocoa and make a nice cup of hot cocoa at night and sip slowly to take care of my chocolate cravings. I will have some string cheese or an Atkins bar. Sometimes I will have some low fat peanut butter or low fat cream cheese on Wasa cripsbreads and they are filling and very low in calories. Also a small handful of nuts is good. It depends on personal taste

Because I am doing this long term, I don't make things really hardcore and rigid or I won't be able to stay on it for the duration. I do salt things like the dry turkey, but I don't use a lot and I use the Morton's Light salt. By the way I love love love those Steak wraps! God those are tasty! One of my favorites!

Hope the above helps! :)

Thanks, Lisa! This really helps a lot.:hug: I've just gone to the store and picked up some high-protein snack options to try out this week. Off to a good start this morning with berry crepes and turkey sausage!

Well.... its all sorted and packed away in the freezer! :carrot:

I have to admit there is quite a variety that took me by surprise!

So I have a feeling this will be very interesting for my "taster budz" ;)

I noticed also that on my menu it states that a snack this week (for those who do get the snack options) that you will be having a "mini blueberry cheesecake" this is the cheesecake that others said you could also find in the store --- For those of you who do get the snacks could you please share with me the name of the Company that makes that? Thanks!

By the way... I use Penzeys Spices :D Love them! Anyway they have a great salt free section --- I use the "Mural of Flavor" to season anything that needs a little something something ;) It works great!!!

Hi Everyone! I'm on Week 4 of Bistro and oh my gosh, it's going great - I really like the food and the convenience is huge! I know it's expensive, but I'm really finding that it's worth it - the only thing I add to my daily Bistro is some fresh fruit every day, and 1 small non-fat latte (I'm 5'9 so according to their paperwork a little extra protein is a-ok) every day. I've started exercising, and so far have lost 13 pounds! I have a lot to lose, this is a long journey for me, but I'm feeling great - I also really really love having the "my night" every week - makes it a bit easier to have something of a social life if I know one day a week I can go out to dinner or whatever.
The only hiccup I had was over Memorial Day; I live on the W. Coast and the shipping was delayed a day because of that - it was a problem b/c I only keep Bistro in the house, so I had to go "off plan" for that day - I called them and requested that they expedite shipping on days when holidays fall on a Monday (so I can still get the box by Friday) and they said they would (I'm guessing it happens 4-5 times a year or so.) So that was a problem, but otherwise everything is going well!

Oh, one thing I forgot to comment on is the salt - you definitely do taste the difference between these and higher-processed (read: higher sodium!) frozen dinners, a la Lean Cuisine. I'm fortunate in that I was always more of a low-sodium eater, but I do occasionally add a tiny bit of sea salt, a little pepper, or a spritz of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray to my veggies (like the green beans) - the thing with sea salt is that the flakes are a bit larger, so you get a saltier taste from using way less than you would if you were using regular table salt.

Major congrats to you on your weight loss Caffy! Awesome!!! :carrot:

I'm ecstatic. I have lost almost 12 pounds total in one month and that's never happened on any other plan I have tried! I don't know how they do it, but somehow they are able to create these really filling meals with huge portions that are only 250 and 300 calories! It blows me away. I had the Cajun chicken, I believe it was, stuffed with wild rice and some yummy sides dishes, and it was only 250 calories (or 275 can't remember exactly), but it blew me away! They are so creative. I gave my bf the blue cheese stuffed chicken because he loves blue cheese and I detest it, and he was literally blown away by how delicious it was. Of course they are way off in the cooking times they suggest. I just put all the packet meals in for 8 minutes and that way I never end up having to put anything back in the microwave. Same thing with the trays. I put them all in for 7 minutes and I'm fine.

The food is just incredible! The only problem I have had is that I have severe acid reflux (GERD) and it's been really acting up with this food. I was starting to get worried, but I found if I take a few Prelief's each time, it takes the burn out of the meals and I am OK. I told them to hold the chili's and burrito stuff because my IBS goes crazy. I have hypoglycemia and have to have snacks to keep my blood sugar even. These super low calories are a Godsend because I am able to snack and still lose considerable weight! It's ironic as I was just reading another board somewhere and the person was saying that they lost more weight by counting calories the old fashioned way then all this carb and fat counting and I would have to agree. I am focusing on my total calories each day and I am losing more than when I worried about carbs and fat. I feel so much freer! I focus on more protein than carbs obviously just like the diet does, but I am not obsessed with it or count anymore. I just count calories in my daily food journal. I never go over 1500 ever and hover between 1200-1400 and I am fine!

I have hot cocoa almost every night (real cocoa because I can't handle that light stuff which is more obnoxious and obvious in drinks than it is in bars and stuff). I use fat free milk of course. I have two Sourdough Wasa Crispbreads with two tablespoons of Strawberry Cream Cheese most days and that filling snack is only 150 calories (90 calories for two tablespoons and 60 calories for two crispbreads). Love the contrast of the cold strawberry cream cheese and the crunchy sourdough Wasa's...mmmmm. I look at it like a food bank and I know how many calories I can spend each day. I deduct everything as I go along and it keeps me honest and on track. Love this diet!!!!!!!

I just wish it were not so expensive (oh and I wish I could have a steak wrap every week...God I love those)!

Just received my second week! All this stuff takes up a lot of room in my freezer! I've fallen a bit behind my first week because I ate some of my own healthy dinners. So, I've gotten a bit of a surplus, but I'm sure I'll catch back up.

So far this first week, I've found myself needing something to munch on. I don't know why since it hasn't really been hunger, but I've definitely found myself eating little bits and pieces of things towards the latter part of the day. (It may have been due to the fact that I was off from working and just floating around the house, but we shall see).

The food is pretty good. My main complaints...the breakfasts. I reallllly disliked those creme cheese filled crepes and the stuffed french toasts. They were both pretty foul. The teriyaki chicken was also very odd. Very salty.

I loved the philly cheese steak chicken and the veggie burrito.

I'm going to see how I do with this next batch of food and I'll use that to determine if I continue with this program or if it's just a waste of money.

I am thrilled with this program. I've been on it about two months now, and have lost 17 pounds with almost no exercise. It's not easy for me to exercise with a medical condition that I have. I only exercise about once a week for now (hoping to do more as I go along, but it's not easy). I think that's pretty darn good for two months with very little exercise and still having things I enjoy.

I just went to see my family doctor this past week and he said something that blew me away and was rather ironic just now. He was thrilled about my weight loss and said to not worry about counting carbs or fat grams. Worry about calories and that will give me more success than anything else. I must have looked pretty blown away because he looked at me kind of funny and said "what did I say." I told him that I had just figured that out for myself while doing this program. That I was counting fat grams on one plan I was on and counting carbs on a few others and I was miserable. It was just so ironic to hear him say the exact same thing I was feeling. I am having so much more success with counting calories, than I ever did with carbs or fat grams. I am happier this way and losing weight at the same time. We talked about the diet industry in general and he said he has more patients doing horribly on the low carb diets because they don't get what that's really all about. That they are eating far too many calories and don't understand that they have to stick to almost no carbs in order for it to not do a reverse on them and make them gain. That it's too many calories loaded with fat for the body and that often they make the mistake of snacking on healthy foods which are loaded with carbs and stop the body from going into Ketosis. I've seen what he means too. I have heard people say that they had an apple or a salad and stuff like that while consuming all those calories on a low carb plan and wonder why the weight is not flying off. Those kinds of snacks are great on a low fat plan, but they throw off the chemical process that you are trying to get your body to go into with low carb, so all you are doing is eating a lot of calories and fat for nothing! I found myself doing that too on the low carb. I was just so miserable and hungry and wanted some healthy choices.

Now that I am counting calories only, the weight is flying off and I'm totally satisfied for once! I stay between 1300-1500 and stopped ordering the breakfasts. I wanted to love them, but they were not for me. Sometimes I just go right to lunch when I get up and have dinner when I get home and just pack some snacks that keep me going and feeling full. That gives me a lot of snacking room and makes me feel satisfied instead of ravenous and aware of being on a diet. What's been a HUGE part of my success is keeping that journal! Wow! To think I used to feel that was so cliche, but it keeps you honest! Every thing that goes into my mouth is written down and added so that I know how many calories I can spend or not spend. I love this! The food is delicious and the snacks I choose are also very satisfying. This week I have been having some Havarti cheese on crisp breads and my cup of hot cocoa at night (real cocoa with fat free milk). Some peanut butter on an apple and a delicious chocolate Atkins bar here and there. I had one day where we went to Applebee's and I went off it a little, but even then my calorie total for the day was 1660 and not 3600 or something crazy like it had been on days like that in the past. I must admit I was shocked that the burger I had was 965 calories and I didn't even eat the fries! God those things are loaded!

There are very few things that I don't like (don't like the Moroccan chicken, heavy lentil dishes, burrito's and that Philly cheese steak sickens me). The only thing I can eat out of that one is the actual chicken. I may ask that a few things not be sent to me because they just go to waste, but not many. The only thing I miss from DTG is the salmon. Nobody does salmon better. God those fillets were good!

I guess we have almost nobody doing this one out here anymore, but in case anyone out there is on this still, just checking in and sharing. Hope everybody is hanging in there and doing great on whatever it is they are doing. :)

another BistroMD member here (well doing the Biggest Loser Meal Plan with them). Just started out....got shipment on Thur and started out on Sat. I also was doing DTG Low Carb and for 10 weeks and decided it was time to switch things up and introduce carbs but not the heavy loaded carbs i noticed on DTG plan. Since I am only on day 2 can say much yet but will try to come back and coment. I will say I too miss the DTG Low carb Breakfast meals because you always started the day off good. But I am going into the BistroMD plan with an open mind. I am planning on doing it for 5 weeks and evaluate things at that time.

Will chat back later.

Those are the things I miss most. The DTG breakfasts and the large and fluffy salmon fillets (oh and the yummy burgers). Loved their beef patties! The problem is that I eventually began to realize that this was the only reason I was staying on it, and that wasn't enough for me. The chicken and pork all taste the same and have that strange salty seasoning undertone that put me off. They have so much chicken and pork, and that's great, but it has to be really good or you will go crazy and that's what happened to me. I was finding that I was subbing for almost all beef because of that salty seasoning stuff on the chicken and pork, and had to make a change. Actually some of the omelets began to get old and I never loved any of the quiche. I can whip up a better omelet, but what I can't replace is that luscious sausage they have. I would give anything to know where they get those links! Now that is the best sausage I have ever found in my life! Really miss that!

I didn't really lose any weight either. It was just too many calories for me. I was on DTG for a while too. I was afraid to try Bistro because of the price, but I am loving the food and feel more normal eating carbs and protein again without all the counting! The food is truly delicious! Hope you are successful at whatever works for you. The bottom line is to find something that works for you that you enjoy. Good luck. :)

That's one thing I can definitely say BMD has going, is the taste of their food. They might not have as many options as some of the other places, but the quality of taste makes up for it by a longshot. At least with them you can actually ENJOY your meals.

My one issue with DTG was the mushrooms. They were in almost everything. I had to go thru one complete cycle of Low Carb to see what was easy for me to pluck out the mushrooms and eat. Those that were not feasible I just had to swap them out. Hated having to eat the same thing twice in a cycle so started doubling up some meals from week to week to swap things around in those situations. So when I stopped DTG to start BistroMD had about 10 meals left behind. Which I guess can come in handy if BistroMD comes late at some point for me.

I just finished first week and it was good I loved their variety, liked the two snacks while still consuming 1200 cals. I am doing the Biggest Loser BistroMD plan. When I signed up I wasn't sure what plan to choose and filled out the profile and selected I don't like Mushroom. Noticed now 2 weeks in a row the menu shows meals with mushrooms on them but they subbed them out with something else. Was surprised and loved the fact they did that even though I choose the Biggest Loser Plan instead of standard BistroMD. The other thing I like about Biggest Loser Plan (not sure if all the others are the same) even though it is not low carb like DTG most the meals are not overly carb loaded. And when there is it is smart carbs, sweet potatoes, brown rice. Anyway hope week 2 goes just as well.

Wow is all I can say. I just had my first big snafu with Fed Ex over my delivery yesterday. My driver always comes between 10am and 11am or so, and so far that's been working out great. Everything is still frozen and I've had no serious issues (they always throw in extra dry ice for me as well). I have always worried because it gets very hot where I am, and two days in transit ground makes me nervous as is, but again they always throw in extra dry ice, and my driver comes early.

Yesterday I was waiting as I usually do so that I can quickly get everything into the freezer, and no driver came. It was almost noon and I began to get a bad feeling. I called Fed Ex at nearly 2pm and got a sympathetic Fed Ex rep who put my call through directly to the local center. I explained the situation and told the rep that I was becoming a bit frantic as it was a very hot day, and our driver never comes this late ever. That the package clearly says perishable in several places. After much holding, the rep told me that for some reason my shipment was transferred to the business route truck instead of home delivery, and that it would be here soon (I had a very bad feeling at this point). He said that happens when one driver has too heavy a load (I thought oh great)! I knew I was in trouble. As it is, when I get it in the morning it's just beginning to defrost, but not enough to cause any issues. It's still frozen pretty solid, but you can tell that it would not be if it were another few hours in a hot truck.

The driver showed up in a Budget Rental car truck (I guess it was one of those contracted drivers for Fed Ex) at about 4pm, and I knew when I felt the box, that I was in big trouble for sure. I opened it right away, and the menu was even wet from everything melting. There was not even a drop of dry ice anywhere in sight. I was so upset when I saw what was inside that I literally broke down in tears. This diet is very important to me, and I have been doing so well on it. To miss a week of food, could really derail me at this point. There were only two or three meals that were somewhat frozen. One or two meals that were cold and the rest were warm and slushy. I was so upset I could barely contain myself as I called Fed Ex. They said that someone would be contacting me over this. He said he would do what he could to make sure that this package is never put on another route again (and I pray this is true because I cannot afford overnight delivery of this). I am barely able to afford this as it is! It had been sitting in a sweltering Budget Rental Van all day long, and completely ruined. This is why I would never ever ever trust regular gel packs during the summer ever ever ever. I was so upset, I could scream (and Bistro packs things very well).

I called Bistro not knowing what to expect in this type of situation, and was stunned by how caring they were. The rep I spoke to could tell I was in tears, and just beside myself over this. She told me to throw away all the food that was completely defrosted and warm, and keep what I could salvage to hopefully get me through (that amounted to 3 meals). She said they would reship Monday overnight delivery free of charge! I was so overwhelmed by this gesture, that I just wanted to hug the rep who helped me. Here I am thinking I will be out of my food for a week, and now I will have a new shipment on Tuesday (crossing my fingers that everything goes as planned and as promised). And that Fed Ex does not do this again!

At this point, I have to say that Bistro is truly a class act. Their customer service is amazing. This is what real customer service should be. I am so relieved. Still very concerned about the Fed Ex situation, and hoping that a manager does call me, and that this never happens again. I am very impressed with Bistro. I mean that sincerely. They could have handled this in any number of ways that would have left me as the loser in all of this, but instead they are bending over backwards to help me.

I was just at my doctors recently, and he was telling me how good I looked. When my blood work came back, my cholesterol dropped almost 40 points! I was jumping up and down! They wanted me on statins, and I really didn't want to have to take those, but this program has even lowered my cholesterol rather dramatically! It's still high, but so much better! I plan on sticking with Bistro all the way through! I don't know if you are ever out here Bistro, but thank you so much for your help on Friday!!!!! :carrot:

wow that is fantastic service....totaly impressed. I finished up week 2 of Biggest Loser BistroMD and it is fantastic. Can't complain at all. Honestly I think I liked everything thus far.

Just signed up for Bistro MD - went for the full 7day w/ snacks pkg to start and figure I'll trim back as needed.

I'm not much of a breakfast person and I've seen a few times in this thread people said they requested not to receive breakfasts. This isn't shown as an option when you sign up, so I'm assuming you have to request it specially? What is the cost per week without the breakfasts?

I figure it'd be just as easy for me to keep some instant oatmeal around - and honestly that's about all I can eat in the morning.

If I keep getting the breakfasts I'll probably end up eating the Lunch around 11am, Dinner around 5pm, and the Breakfast around 10 or 11pm. Figure as long as I'm consuming x # of calories the order shouldn't be too much of an issue, but I may call to ask the dietician. :D

I'm excited. And I think the cost alone will be pretty motivating for me NOT to cheat. "Yeah eat the birthday cake. Eat the $800/mo birthday cake."

I'm also not sure how to transition off BistroMD to "maintenance", but I figure I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I've never made it to the maintenance stage of a diet before and have always been overweight, so if I can just hit my ideal weight I'll be more than happy and willing to figure out a slow way to start eating well, but more inexpensively.

I have vacation coming up in 4 months and am hoping I'll lose enough weight for my family to notice when I see them. :) I need to lose 70 lbs overall but 25-30 should be pretty noticeable.


Edited to add - this is the first time I've ever been excited about a diet too because the food sounded so good. I really think I'll be eating better, tastier food than I am right now, and it'll actually be healthy!

Yeah they really took care of me. I was really concerned because I didn't know what to expect, and of course Fed Ex made a good point. They said it was crazy to ship food ground no matter how much ice you throw in, and I could hardly argue with that, but I did my best. I see their point. We barely had a leg to stand on when you have food going two days in transit ground, and then sitting on a hot truck all day before it is delivered (and I know others that have had longer transit times, which is just nuts to me). I think those people got lucky if they received everything still frozen. That is why I think it's complete and utter lunacy to ship food ground in the summer using regular gel packs! Even with dry ice, you have problems but gel packs! That's called "the luck of the draw."

I really wish they did ship overnight, and just charged a little extra as they have a huge account and can get good rates. That's the only thing I miss with Jenny Craig (besides the french toast, pot stickers and desserts). They always shipped overnight Fed Ex with lots of dry ice. When I used Diet To Go, I got it the next day because of my location. I am nervous now that this happened to me because the fact that it happened to me once, means there is a good chance it will happen again before summer is gone. I hope not! That won't dissuade me though. I am doing very well on this food. In fact I have never been able to handle a meal delivery plan this long, and still be this content. Adrian in customer service is an absolute angel! The food is actually delicious, and food I would want to eat whether I was on a plan or not! That's a first!

As for maintenance, I am going to continue to buy this food for as long as I can afford it. I say this because it's actually very good and extremely healthy and well balanced. It saves me the hassle, worry and energy needed for cooking, figuring it all out and so forth. If I get to a point where I can't afford it anymore or do get sick of the food, I will have at least learned how to eat the proper way. I find myself doing things very differently then I did before. My boyfriend was going to Applebee's today for some take out, and asked me what I wanted and I said none for me. That has never happened! I splurged a couple of weeks ago and had some ice cream. Normally I would have eaten the whole pint. I had less than half a pint, and simply realized that this took up much of my snack calories for the day. By keeping the journal, I know exactly where I am at calorie wise every single day. Incredible tool! I am slowly learning many things. I am understanding portion control, and the right kinds of foods as opposed to what I used to think was OK.

By the way I just found an incredibly easy recipe to make cheese crisps that blew me away just now! Although I am not counting carbs and fat grams like I used to (and losing more by just counting calories), I still want to try and eat as few carbs as possible. Well I was buying those delicious and highly rated 1 carb cheese biscuits (J&M Foods) at Netrition.Com. Those were hot and cheesy and satisfied my cravings. I was stunned when I went to buy more, and found that they have been discontinued! I am trying their regular cheese straws (just like the biscuits only tastier and in a squiggly shape) which are still relatively low at 10 carbs per serving, but still, what a bummer! I have tried many cheese snacks, and most leave a lot to be desired like the so called "Just The Cheese" which is anything but! That is nasty stuff loaded with sodium nitrate, MSG and all kinds of crap. It is supposed to be just baked cheese but the ingredients almost knocked me out of my chair!

I looked online and many people were talking about their favorite no carb treat, which was just to bake cheese itself and I thought, it can't be that easy. Don't you have to mix it with stuff? I figured it would be a pain or something. Well I found a recipe that people were raving about, and I wanted to pass it on even though this thread is somewhat dead. It's delicious! So easy and so perfect! You just need to buy some Reynolds Parchment baking paper (its usually next to the regular foil in that area of the store-or the baking section of a store). Parchment is the only thing that will work, and they stressed that as it does stick to anything else pretty badly. I just bought some parchment paper, a couple of packages of my favorite sliced cheese (Sargento's Medium Cheddar). All you do is set the oven at 350, take out a couple of slices of cheese, and cut each slice into 4 quarters as it spreads out when it bakes...alot). Let those squares bake for maybe 5-7 minutes (you want to watch them until the edges get a little brown), then take them out and let them cool for a moment or two). You need a really thin spatula to make things easier. I put them between paper towels, and got tons of grease off of the cheese making it an even healthier snack. I just had some, and thought I had died and gone to heaven! No wonder people were raving (one woman said that they make these in the restaurant where she works when they close up at night). They are delicious! It's like the edges of macaroni & cheese that you wish there was more of! You don't need to add any salt or anything, although some people get creative and put some shredded cheese of a different variety on top, or add paprika and other spices before baking. I had to fight my boyfriend for them because he had one and then wanted more and more lol! Two slices gives you eight delicious crisps that total only 160 calories or less (especially when you get most of the grease off of the cheese after it bakes) and it was pure cheese and incredibly yummy! Simple to make and the clean up was just throwing out the parchment paper (which you can continue to use if you are baking up a bunch of batches, but then you need to throw it away of course right away. I never did see advice on how to store them, but now I see why (You can't hold onto them long enough to store them as they are soooo good). I just figure I will bake up a batch of two slices (8 pieces each time) and keep myself more honest that way.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! :carrot:

Oh and about the breakfasts. You have to call them, and tell them you do not want to do breakfasts anymore. I must warn you that when you go ala carte (which is what they call that), it ends up being pretty much the same cost! The meals ala carte are expensive. You will save very little. I don't get the breakfasts either. Good luck to you. :)

Hi All! I just started the BistroMD meals on August 2. The first three days have been pretty good! I selected the 7 days with no snacks. The snacks didn't look that appealing to me. Plus, this way I get to supplement snacks that I like or foods I might start to miss on plan -- like dairy, fresh fruit/veg, and salads. I really do like to eat those things, but it'll be good to use them as a supplement. If I don't feel like shopping or prepping the healthy stuff, at least I still have the basic meal.
Meals have been pretty good. Anything that is so-so is usually better once I mix it all up or add a some fresh veggie. The convenience was key to my decision. That and, ironically, the cost. I'll feel guilty is I spend $800 on food and then ignore it. So far, so good. I like that I can focus more on WHEN to eat and whether I'm really hungry and not worry about WHAT to eat and how to make it!
Looking forward to checking back in with folks! Share your little secrets!

Still here on Bistro MD (Biggest Loser Plan) and starting week 5 today. Well after my last post to Lisa saying how impressed I was I am back for an update.

So week 4 shipment came after that post and as usual I oppened the box went thru everything to make sure it was all there and to seperate it out so I knew what would stay home and what I needed to take to work. Going thru the list noticed one breakfast item (spinnach mushroom crepe) hadn't been swapped out that had mushroom so was dissapointed and then noticed for that same day a dinner item that showed up as being swapped out was missing. Then going thru my dry items noticed 4 snacks were missing as if I was only doing the 5 day plan ....my guess is my dry goods box got mixed up with someone elses. So I immediately emailed Bistro and told them of the issues with my order and asked for the two meals to be sent out with the next shipment so I can shift things around to eat them as my day 7 items. My shipment arrives Thu so Fri I would have eaten them so just in time.

I got an email response back immediately from them that they would ship out all the items on next order. Monday rolls around and I recieved the FedEx email that my order was being shipped (one day earlier then normal). So the box arrived on Wed earlier than planned which allowed me to defrost the foods for Fri. Wow what a suprise. I was just saying to Lisa in the post above how great the service was and here I am not 2 weeks later being able to attest to that good service. Bistro Rocks!!!

Onto a different topic Has anyone heard of Bistro MD Sport's meal program (google bistro md sport) I work out 7 days a week and burn everyday around 500-700 calories so I have been wondering if I need to increase my caloric intake. Wasn't sure if Bistro MD Sport is higher calories or the food choices even different. I think I will give them a call next week to find out.

Reporting in - today is my 3rd day on Bistro MD.

So far I'm enjoying it, although I've had a little trouble adjusting my schedule to it. I normally am not a breakfast person, eat lunch at 12, and then dinner at 5. However I am usually starving by lunch time, so I've been trying to adapt myself to eat breakfast to stretch out my meals more healthfully across the day.

The best I've managed so far is eating breakfast at 10, snack at 12, and then lunch sometime between 3-5. Then I eat the dinner as late as I can because I'm really not that hungry, especially after the PM snack, but I figure I need the calories - around 10-11pm at night.

Obviously it's only day 3 so I'm just getting adjusted - but clearly my problem has not been wanting more food which is nice.

I have had some cravings for sweets (gotta admit, the chocolate roll in the freezer that's my 7-day PM snack has been calling me since i got it). But, since I'm not keeping any groceries in the house aside from drinks/condiments and I'm too lazy to go to the store just for sweets, I'm hoping these cravings pass. Prior to BMD I would eat cookies or something pretty much everyday so it's been a dramatic change. Also the cost is definitely "helping". I can't justify spending this much on food every month and then cheating on the diet which is the whole justification. If I'm going to waste money I might as well just screw the diet and get a giant flatscreen TV. :p So as long as I'm paying for the meals I think I'll have that extra incentive not to cheat.

Overall food is tasty - one potential 'issue' is the amount of spinach. Spinach appears to be in everything. It's been in 4/7 meals I've eaten so far (And 3 of those 7 were breakfasts). I'm not a big spinach-fan. I avoid it unless it's mixed with a lot of other vegetables and you can't taste it. It tastes "skunky" to me. Some of the spinach dishes have been good (I really liked the spinach-mushroom crepe I had the first day). Others I just ate them because I felt I should (one meal had a side of pure chopped spinach. yuck. I had to add some salt and Tobasco to cover the flavor.)

Looking at the menu, spinach seems to be a huge staple of the diet - stuffed in chicken, mixed in the salads, pretty much used in 50-75% of the meals. For now I'm going to roll with it - I've always been pretty good about eating whatever as long as it was reasonably palatable (6 mos foreign exchange program will do wonders for your ability to not be judgmental of food when you don't want to offend your host family :lol:).

There have been items I really liked too though. I mentioned the mushroom-spinach crepes, mm. I really enjoyed a vinegary artichoke-hearts-and-pepper salad as a side dish. The yucca fries were kind of amazing - they didn't have the exact consistency of regular fries - a bit softer - but were very tasty. I've also never liked meatloaf but found the BMD meatloaf palatable and mildly enjoyable.

I think I'll be fine as long as the menu keeps rotating - my worry is when some of my less-liked spinach-focused meals come around again in 6 weeks, my stomach may rebel. My lip is curling just thinking about the side of chopped spinach, solo.


Edited to add - although I complain about the spinach, I feel like it's a good thing I can't "choose" my meals. If I start hating the spinach enough I may request they remove any meals with "pure spinach" and see how it goes. However if I got to pick every meal I want, I know I would find 3 or 4 I loved and just get a ton of them. And then I would get sick of them and be disappointed. Been there, done that with Lean Cuisine. :P This way I'm guaranteed some variety with all the ups and downs that includes. :)

If I'm going to waste money I might as well just screw the diet and get a giant flatscreen TV. :p
Too funny -- I totally feel ya!

Yeah, that chopped spinach side, i think they call it "creamed spinach" is pretty weird -- and I LIKE spinach. I managed to eat it by mixing it in with the other side of the meal, which was some sort of burrito wrap. In fact I'm finding that I like nearly all the meals better once they are mixed up.

I'm starting week two and I've been pretty happy with the food. I'm even happier with the fact that I'm down 10 pounds in the last 10 days!:flow2:

Yeah I can't really complain either - a week ago I was 220, down to 214.2 this morning. I'm sure most of it was water weight considering the time of the month it was when I took the first weight, but it's still motivating. ;) That and I chopped off about 4 inches of my hair. What a girl won't do to lose weight. :lol: But, really, I did need a haircut quite badly.

My mini-goal is to get at least 200 (ideally 190) before Thanksgiving, and it looks like that is pretty reasonable - even just losing a pound a week.

I don't think mine was "creamed" spinach - I think I might actually like that better (the spinach in the crepes was almost pureed and missed with the cream and mushrooms, very tasty). This was just chopped leaf spinach, with no cream or other additions. It may have had a little flavoring on it, but nothing strong enough to cover the spinach flavor.

My challenge is going to be when it is shrimp night and I have tasty, tasty cocktail sauce. God I love shrimp with cocktail sauce, I might have to forego a snack and have cocktail sauce instead. :)


Edited to add - I'm having lasagna for lunch right now and mm it's pretty tasty. A little unexpected spiciness which is nice. The side veggies were a little bland but a dash of lemon juice perked them up. :)

Hot Chocolate - when do I drink it?

I realized today a packet of Hot Chocolate came with the snacks but is not listed anywhere on my meal plan. Is this a floating "freebie" I can drink whenever I want or was it included accidentally? There's no nutritional information on it so I can't determine if it's just a few calories, or closer to 100 making it more "snack" appropriate.

If it's very low in calories and assuages my chocolate cravings, I may have to look into getting more of them. I've also been thinking about making my own from cocoa powder, liquid Splenda, and water. It wouldn't be as rich and tasty as if I made it with milk but would have 20-40 calories depending how much cocoa I used. Might be worth an experiment. ;)

The hot chocolate is probably supposed to go with one of your breakfast. Mine usually go with a muffin. I don't get the snacks, but I've gotten one pkg of hot chocolate each week for a breakfast. Don't know about calories or taste since I haven't tried it yet. I've been forgetting to defrost the breakfast goods and a microwaved muffin doesn't sound good. So, I eat oatmeal instead. Oops! (Although really, doesn't oatmeal sound better for you than a muffin? :D)

I had Bleu Cheese Meatloaf for lunch today. It was better than I thought it would be! And I added 1/2 cup frozen veggies to the miniscule amount of broccoli! And as to the "creamed spinach", it was soo weird. I didn't taste any cream, but it was like they pureed spinach and water and then somehow managed to get it to fluff up like a souffle. I had quite the science experiment on my hands trying to figure it out. I think I would have liked the steamed spinach better!

You're right! It goes with the Vanilla Nut Muffin, I completely missed that on the schedule.

Hmm the creamed spinach sounds.. "interesting"? :p

Are you on the BL diet? It sounds like we have different meals for the week so I'm wondering if everyone gets different weeks?


Edited to add - loved the lasagna lunch. Mediterranean Chicken dinner wasn't amazing, but wasn't bad. I enjoyed the side vegetables (squash medley?) and spiced up the main chicken/rice dish with some lemon juice and Tabasco. The rice (confetti rice?) tends to be pretty bland - I've added Tabasco to the two rice-based dishes I've had so far.


Overall the food is good - I've eaten everything I've gotten so far - I'm just being super picky because it's pretty expensive. If I don't LOVE it, I'll say why. :)

Has anyone else noticed that the protein shakes taste like liquid Jello? It bothers me a bit - they taste exactly like instant jello if you taste it before it cools. I'm sure it's the gelatin base. This isn't necessarily a bad taste, but the idea of it is a little off-putting. I'm thinking this will bother me less in the chocolate-flavored shake (we'll find out tomorrow) but it made me enjoy the fruity ones a bit less.

Update - I just had the Papaya Pork with steamed vegetables and it was AMAZING. Such a tasty sauce, very similar to a mango chutney. Mm.

I know the BL meals are different then the normal Bistro. So far I have done the full 4 weeks cycle and I can't say that the BL Plan has alot of spinach in it. When I was on Diet-to-Go on the Low Carb plan they used alot of spinach in there meals. I wonder if everyone gets the same meels on the same week if they are doing the same plan....other then the exceptions each person may have due to alergies or preferences. I will try to type out a weeks worth of meals out for you guys to get an idea. It is different than what is posted on the website.

I had salmon for dinner - resting in a bed of chopped spinach. Oy veh.

I did get out the cocktail sauce and used about ~40 calories worth on the salmon and mixed in with the spinach. It gave the spinach enough zip to get past it.

I have eaten more spinach in the past 4 days than I have in the past 4 years lol.

I'm on the regular BMD meals, not the BL. I don't get the snacks. Most of our meals seem similar, but not assigned on the same days. I have the lasagna rollantini for my day 3 lunch this week. Spinach Mushroom Crepe you talked about, cats, is my breakfast tomorrow. And I have salmon with spinach, wild rice, and cranberries later this week. Maybe the BL is more low-carb? I still get brown rice, pasta, and wheat tortillas pretty often.

Tonight I ate Santa Barbara grilled chicken with veggies and a lentil/chickpea side. And I added a half cup of frozen veggies. I actually liked it a lot, once I mixed it all together. I find that many of the meals are better once I chop up the chicken and everything is mixed together. It averages out the too dry vs. too wet issue I sometimes have with the main and the sides. Tomorrow's dinner is a Bacon CHeeseburger Meatloaf! I predict it's either great or terrible! :dizzy:

That sounds pretty similar to mine - so maybe you're currently a week behind of me. :)

So far my favorite meal is by far the pork w/ papaya and steamed veggies. Mm. If I had gotten that in a restaurant I would already be wanting to go back.

The rice mixture with the salmon wasn't bad - I think it's the "confetti rice" that seems to be a bit tasteless.

Hmm Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf, I think I had that my 2nd day too - I don't actually like meatloaf but liked that "pretty well". Not my favorite meal but it was palatable and mildly enjoyable. So I don't know if that means it was bad meatloaf (because I liked it) or really good meatloaf (because I liked it). ;)

Eh, it was alright. I had an all turkey meat one last week that I liked better. That probably says more about me and my taste for ground turkey breast, which most people find tasteless! The buckwheat pancakes this morning were amazing! Pretty happy so far - easier than I thought, but I'm only 1.5 weeks in! I did totally overindulge last weekend at a brunch - LOTS of champagne is no good for the weight. But it was totally worth it, had such a good day! :D

Just got my 2nd week's package!

Looks pretty good, I was bummed there were a couple repeats from last week of my less-favorite meals (chicken-mushroom crepes, which sounded really good but I just didn't care for and chili with "pudding" - I found the pudding bland and mildly oniony).

I'm very excited to try the berry crepes later this week along with a couple of the ham dishes, and the cheesecake! Sadly no papaya pork chop repeat, mmm that was so delicious.

The breakfasts are generally very good - the pancakes and crepes I liked a lot and the muffin was pretty tasty, especially for a "diet" muffin. I'm not a huge fan of the english muffins - they seem to have an odd flavor - but the bagels are pretty good.

The chocolate swiss roll I had for my PM snack today was a-ma-zing. I would buy more of those for snack replacements if I could find them in a weightloss store but apparently Bistro MD makes those themselves. Mm, so good, a very good flavor and texture. Couldn't have told you it was "diet" at all.


Also - for any newcomers reading this - I wasn't sure how to prep the unlabeled baked goods odds and ends like english muffins, muffins, bagels, swiss roll, etc. They come frozen in clear sealed plastic and I didn't know if I should fridge-thaw them first, or pop them directly in the toaster.

What I've been doing is setting them out on the countertop (still in the sealed plastic wrapping) the night before. By morning they're completely room temp, not mushy or wet, and then I pop them in the toaster for a couple minutes if appropriate (bagels, english muffins).

I've been doing the same with the baked goods. I really liked the bagel!

Your week sounds similar to mine. I agree about the chicken mushroom crepes - I think it's the rosemary flavor that gets me. Too woody or soapy tasting. And the corn pudding with the chili - I've mixed it in with the chili.

I really liked the chickend stuffed with feta and spinach. And I'm surprised by how much I like the crepes - they're really good. I wasn't such a fan of the muffin - really dry and crumbly. i usually make my own breakfast those days (oatmeal or a BagelThin with egg and veggie) and eat the muffin as a snack. I don't get the BMD snacks.

Had a couple of bad days this last week - that brunch with unlimited champagne last weekend and ate breakfast and lunch provided by work on 1st day of school even though I'd already brought food (mostly picked good things! The pile of white rice with at lunch was questionable :)). But I tried to complensate other days. I think I'm getting the hang of it. I'm learning that eating a full meal is more satisfying than grazing on a bunch of little things because I can't decide what to eat. Also realizing that I used to always be full. What I used to think was being hungry is starting to feel normal and FULL just feels ick.

Still doing great! The only problem I'm having is with food coming defrosted, but they are working to help me with this by adding extra dry ice. Just need to get through the summer months, and I will be in the clear! I just love the food. This is the first time I have ever been on a program where I can truly see me sticking with it long term. The customer service people are so sweet, and the food is just incredible. Things like Feta & Spinach Stuffed Chicken, Chicken Fresco, Beef Tips, and Chicken With Apples, tastes like food I would order in a restaurant! Love love love!

If there are foods you do not like at all, and don't want to keep getting, make sure you register on their site and fill out your profile! I didn't realize that for a long time, and kept throwing away the ones I was getting that I hated (or passing them off to my bf). You can list any foods you are allergic to, don't like, and so on. You want to check the "other" box under likes and dislikes, and enter that information in the larger boxes below everything. That way they will know to look at the profile, and those large entry boxes.

I just say:

DO NOT WANT Philly Cheese Steak
DO NOT WANT Meatloafs

and so on.....

That way you get only what you can eat. I may not love every single dish, but most are at least decent. Some I just detest, and I list those. It works! They do look, and they stopped shipping those to me. Very happy with the program.

I did blow it for a few days though (always tough when I get close to that time of the month). I realized I screwed up, but I didn't let that shake me. This is a marathon, and not a sprint. You just get back on track and never look back. We are human, and that's bound to happen. :)

Just got an email from Bisitro MD that this weeks shipment of Biggest Loser Meal Plan is the last one. Sounds like they are no longer supporting the program. I am still trying to gather information if some other vendor is going to be offering the foods on behalf of their meal plan or not. No clear answers. I asked Bistro about their Bistro MD Sports plan and they said even though it has a website bistromdsport.com it "technically" is not a live program yet. Web sight doesn't clearly state that but from my discussions with Bistro this iis something in the works at this time. Oh well what to do what to do :( I was on it for 6weeks + 1 final one slated to be delivered tomorrow or Fri.

Just to clarify the Bistro MD plan isn't changing or going away just the Biggest Loser Meal Plan that was offered via Bistro MD.

In case anyone is interested in what an actual week looked like under the Biggest Loser Meal plan with BistroMD here is a copy of what I recieved for one week:


Day 1
Brunch: Mixed Berry Crepe
AM Snack: Fudge Graham Bar
Lunch: Steak House Wrap w/ Creamed Spinach
PM Snack: Dried Black Bean & Salsa Chicken Strip
Dinner: Roasted Turkey Pomegranate


Day 2
Brunch: English Muffin with Turkey Sausage and Egg White Patty
AM Snack: Chrisp N Crunch Cinnamon Bar
Lunch: California Wrap
PM Snack: Sea Salt and Vinegar Soy Snack
Dinner: Vegetable and Beef Stir Fry Dinner (they subbed it out with Turkey Cranberry Quinoa)


Day 3
Brunch: High Proteini Bagel with an Egg White Patty and Canadian Bacon
AM Snack: Chocolate Protein Shake
Lunch: Skinny Turkey-Spinach Meatloaf
PM Snack: Parmesan Protein Chips
Dinner: Moroccan Warm Lentil salad


Day 4
Brunch: Stuffed French Toast
AM Snack: Chocolate Protein Pudding
Lunch: Philly Inspired Chicken Cheese Steak
PM Snack: Sour Cream and Onion Crunch O's
Dinner: Turkey and Beef Chipotle Chili


Day 5
Brunch: Chicken Mushroom Crepe (they subbed it otu (due to mushrooms) with Salmon Benedict)
AM Snack: Pineapple Orange Shake
Lunch: Southwestern Wrap
PM Snack: Vanilla Swiss Roll
Dinner: Asian Plum Pork


Day 6
Brunch: High Protein Bagel with Light Cream Cheese Spread
AM Snack: Crisp N Crunch Peanut Protein Bar
Lunch: Teriyaki Chicken
PM Snack: Mini Lemon Cheesecake
Dinner: Broccoli and Beef Dinner


Day 7
Brunch: Egg Omelet with Canadian Bacon and Fuji Apples
AM Snack: Chocolate Mini Crisps
Lunch: Arroz Con Pollo
PM Snack: BBQ Soy Snack
Dinner: Chicken Breast Stuffed with Spinach and Feta with Wild Mushroom Sauce and Asparagus with Roasted Corn
(they subbed it out (due to mushrooms) with Roasted Turkey with Pomogranate

Wow this is surprising news. Interesting.

One thing to keep in mind.

Biggest Loser and Bistro are the SAME company. If another company starts providing food for the Biggest Loser, it will be different food, and not from the same company (and that's only if they have truly stopped making the food for that television show). They may just be dropping the discount, and saying that the Biggest Loser meal delivery plan has been discontinued through them. Otherwise, it's the same kitchen......same shipping location.... same food (although you do get more variety with their Bistro plan). The only difference is the name of the plan, and the cost (and more variety on Bistro). I guess they just decided to stop offering the discounted version. Not good news in this tough economy.

I began with Biggest Loser in May. I wanted to drop the breakfasts and snacks (far too much soy), and was told I had to switch to their traditional program "Bistro" in order to do this. That if I wanted to buy food ala carte this way, it had to be through Bistro. That's why I switched. I'm glad I did because I am seeing much more variety on Bistro, than I got on Biggest Loser alone. My food is also shipped earlier with all the other Bistro members instead of being shipped like it was when I was on Biggest Loser (I noticed that right away). I was suddenly getting shipments sent to me on Tuesdays instead of Wednesdays there for a while, although now it's all over the place, which is somewhat frustrating.

Its hard to make a doctors appointment or a dental appointment, when your food could arrive on either a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. In this heat, and with the defrosting issues I've had, I need to be home to receive it, and get it into the freezer right away! You only find out the night before when you get a tracking number when it's due to arrive that week. Very inconvenient. I feel almost hostage to the plan in that respect. All the other meal plans I was on gave you a firm delivery day each week, and you were on a regular schedule (same day each week so you could make plans). This is the only plan I have ever been on that does things this way. Most of my doctors are at least an hour away, and that's just travel time alone. That leaves me only Mondays and Tuesdays to make appointments when I know I am in a completely "safe" zone. Not fun. I've been putting off some dental work for this reason.

As for switching to Bistro from Biggest Loser, you don't lose any of the meals you already had on that program. You only gain more variety. You get what you had on Biggest Loser, plus some pricier entries like sirloin steak, apple and cherry stuffed chicken, and so on. Now I am actually saving money on Bistro because I dropped the breakfasts and snacks. I was never wowed by them. I love their lunches and dinners. It also gives me more snacking room calorie wise. My first big meal of the day is lunch instead of breakfast, and I am doing well on this. I treat myself to an egg and bacon breakfast on the weekends only. Otherwise not into their breakfasts.

If it were me, I would simply switch to regular Bistro if you liked the food and the program itself. It is more, but not that much more. I just hope this is not a sign that they will be closing their doors at some point in the near future. I would die! I am doing so well, and love their food (very picky eater). Good luck to you either way. :)

Thanks for the info Lisa. I did some research an apparently The Biggest Loser Teams with eDiets.

Here are some links with info

http://www.healthnews.com/nutrition-diet/weight-loss/the-biggest-loser-teams-with-ediets-4414.html

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/edietscomr-announces-licensing-agreement-with-nbc-universal-for-the-biggest-loser-brand-meal-delivery-2010-08-16?reflink=MW_news_stmp

I haven't done eDiets and don't recall it raiting high on my choices when I was looking for options. So I may switch to the Bistro MD plan for now and wait too see if Bistro MD puts out their sports plan in the future. Hmmm makes me wonder if they knew all along they were going to loose the deal and planned a new sponsorship with an olympic athlete to call it BistroMD Sport to tie in the workout aspect that Biggest Loser had.

Tzoavva: Your menu looks almost idenitcal to mine and I'm a regular Bistro eater. I don't know what the price difference is, but the food seems pretty much the same. I tried the research the price, but the website is already shut down. I did find an article that says eDiets will be the new vendor... Here's a link to the article: tiny.cc/gnfv0
Guess it depends on the price and the quality of eDiets food. I've been pretty happy and losing on the standard Bistro plan!

Whoa! Good catch Tzoavva!

I just read that. Thank you for providing those links. A very interesting read. So they did lose the contract with Biggest Loser (or they didn't want to continue). The plot thickens. A lot of things make sense now.

I have tried both Ediets and Purefoods (both diets are created out of the same kitchen, or at least were last time I was on them). I was not impressed. The fact that they ship UPS Ground with REGULAR GEL ICE PACKS INSTEAD OF DRY ICE, was enough to give me the willies for life! I'm having enough trouble with Bistro, which packs mine with extra dry ice in this heat! I don't even want to think about regular gel packs coming UPS ground (most meal plans have switched from UPS to Fed Ex because UPS has no respect whatsoever for perishables)! Maybe Ediets and Purefoods have changed to Fed Ex too by now, but using gel packs was the main deal breaker for me (that and the gristly meat, and carrot overload). The way they ship is night of the living dead scary to me. I'd rather play in traffic! When I tried them, it was in the fall and winter (and even then I was seriously spooked by that). If shipped food is going to have any real integrity, it has to be shipped with dry ice at a bare minimum.

I get probiotics shipped to me overnight delivery from IHerb with regular gel packs (only packaging they offer), and even that comes warm overnight! Like it would turn really warm if it had arrived any later, and the gel packs are completely warm (I have now learned to order that in bulk from IHerb during the fall or winter). Not going there with food that takes 3 days to arrive with regular gel packs! I don't care if the cooler was blessed by the pope!

That's one thing I really miss with Jenny Craig. Your food arrived on the same day of the week each time, and it arrived overnight Fed Ex with plenty of dry ice. You didn't have to worry.

I am worried that losing the Biggest Loser's endorsement, could hurt BistroMD in the pocketbook. If they closed their doors, I would freak right now. I've tried them all, and this food rocks. Crossing my fingers here! :?:

Jen weekly total was 169.95 + shipping for 7 days + Snacks (there was no My Day on this plan). Even though the food was the same I am wondering if the difference was how the menus were structured and if it was lower in net carbs for this plan. If I end up doing the normal Bistro Plan I will compare the two and see. I kept most of the Nutrition Info to jot it down at some point to have a better understanding of each plan i am doing.

Ohh forgot to mention I checked the fedex tracking this morning and my stuff is slated to be deliverd on Fri instead of Thu. So it sounds like they had some issues going on at Bistro to get the items out on time. Since the issue was ono their end they should have at least sent it out overnight. Oh well word of advice to anyone wanting to start Bistro. When you get your first shipment don't start the next day in case you have weeks were things are delayed. I always got my box on Thu and started on Sat. This allowed thinigs to arrive and defrost in time, as well as wiggle room for issues such as this.

They will never overnight you food unless you received a damaged or defrosted package (or you are willing to pay the additional $100.00 per week). I just went through that whole thing with them a few weeks ago. The order I had that came totally defrosted, arrived on a Friday so it was too late for them to ship out a replacement that week. They shipped out a replacement package to me overnight that following Monday, which was very nice of them (Adrian is a doll). My order came totally defrosted and warm on a Friday, so it was too late for them to do anything for me until the weekend was over. I am a two day shipping lane away. My food is sitting in hot warehouses, trucks and loading docks for two days (Fedex and UPS do not have air conditioned warehouses or trucks as you probably know unless you pay for a very expensive and special service that almost no one uses). Then it sits in a hot truck that third day, until Fed Ex delivers to my home. That's usually the deal breaker. If Fed ex gets here early, I have a fighting chance. If they put it on another route that gets here in the evening, I am in trouble (because now that's three days in the blazing sun). That's what happened three weeks ago. The food came warm, slushy and totally unusable. It's hard to fault Fed Ex because as they say, they fulfilled their obligation, and got it to me on the scheduled date of delivery. The problem is with shipping perishables ground service during the hot summer months. Not a good idea. It's a crap shoot. Sometimes it's fine. Other times it's not so fine. That and not getting a firm and regular delivery day each week, almost kept me from even trying this diet.

Bistro did not have a delay. This is the part that makes me crazy. If you were to call them right now and ask, they will probably tell you that your food was not delayed by them (unless you are saying that Fedex themselves is having an actual delay, and you are getting it a day later than Fedex usually takes for your area from Bistro's center). Bistro can ship it on any day of the week just as long as they know that you will get it by Friday. They have made this very clear to me on more than one occasion. The only thing they can even remotely guarantee is that I will get my shipments by Friday. I just got my weekly delivery 20 minutes ago, and it came fully frozen with lots of extra dry ice (thank you God). They shipped out on Tuesday, and I got my tracking number late Tuesday night.

They choose what days is most convenient for them to ship your food out. I don't know what state you are in or what your shipping lane is away from their center, but with me being two days away, they can ship out my food either Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. It's very frustrating because again it's hard to make a dental appointment or things of that nature three days out of 5. You can't just call up a physician or dentist and say hey, I just got my tracking number, can you fit me in tomorrow! I would even pay a little extra just to have a regular delivery day each week!

It's so random now that my head is spinning. The shipment before last week was sent Monday (that was very surprising as they had never shipped on a Monday before). I received it on Wednesday as I am two days away (never received a shipment that early before). Then last week it was shipped out on Tuesday, and I got it Thursday, and today the same thing. I know I can't count on any of this because sometimes they wait to ship it out on Wednesday, and then I won't get it till Friday! That's three days I am hostage in what I can do, because I never get a regular delivery day. Sore spot for me. They tell you that as long as you get it by Friday, they have done their job. I have tried to ask if there is any way to regulate this, but they say that they can't.

If Fedex themselves are having a delay, they will probably make you wait to see if things are still frozen or not before discussing replacement packages. So far, I have had no Fedex delays, but I have had issues with the food defrosting (although they packed this one with so much extra dry ice, that everything was very solidly frozen)! And Fedex came early which helped!

By the way, if you go ala carte (meaning you drop the breakfasts like I did), you are paying per meal, and do not get a my night unless you want it that way. I don't want a my night, so I get 7 lunches and 7 dinners on Bistro per week.

question as I am about to run out the door so didn't read the last comment.....on the normal bistro plan are there meals with artichokes in them? I know one meal was on the Biggest Loser Meal Plan the California Wrap had a side dish of artichokes that I just replaced iit with my own veggies. Just curios if you found alot of them on the normal plan.....will check back later.

There are 3 or 4 of them that come to mind, but I can't remember all the names. They are all mainly side dishes though. I just don't eat that part of it (they give me heartburn). Just create a profile on BistroMD.Com, and put that in your profile (that you don't want any foods with artichokes in them, or that you are allergic, etc). They will figure it out for you, and simply not send you any meals that contain artichokes. I did this with lentils, and they stopped sending them to me. If you do this now, it won't be reflected in your next weeks shipment because you needed to make changes like this the Wednesday before next weeks shipment. If you create a profile, and put no artichokes please on your profile "likes and dislikes" section before next Wednesday, it will be reflected in the shipment following next weeks. Hope that makes sense. :)

Thanks Lisa for the info about the profile.

Regarding the shipment the delay wasn't from FedEx. It hadn't left froom BistroMD and they confirmed they can't gaurantee shipment date other than it will leave some time Mon-Wed. All my shipments except this one all left out on Tue and arrived on Thu. This one I Ithink was a bit weired because I called them to ask for the FedEx # when I didn't see it and it appeared as if my order hadn't been processed yet. The odd thing is right after the email with the FedEx # I got an email from them saying that the Biggest Loser Meal Plan was cancelled and final shipments had already been sent out. So it may have just been concidental that things were going on with them for the transitiion.

Well I decided to stiick it out with Bistro to see what their regular plan looks like for a month. (found a discount coupon for 10% for a month) It is anticipated that eDiets is going to head up their Biggest Loser Meal Plan by Sept 1st. After a month on Bistro normal I will check their plan out. I figure variety is good to get a chance to try all the programs out for at least a month or more and see what works and what doesnt' for me. At the end of the day as long as Ii am eating healthy and working out I ishould see progress by Xmas.

So far I have lost
25lbs with Low Carb [Diet-To-Go] (10weeks)
5lbs with Biggest Loser Meal Plan [BistroMD] (5weeks)

If they started using dry ice, I might consider trying their new "Biggest Loser" version, but I would never accept food that's been shipped using regular gel packs ever (no matter what they tried to tell me). Who am I going to believe. Them or my lying eyes. I have seen food arrive here defrosted with my own eyes even when it was carefully shipped with extra dry ice in good coolers. I don't even want to think about that with regular gel packs in 100 degree heat over a three to four day period UPS ground no less (and it's not even frozen to begin with)! If food comes frozen, you know it's OK. Food does not defrost, and refreeze in transit. It's either frozen or it's not, so you know the integrity is still there. I won't know that with fresh food that's been shipped unfrozen using regular gel packs, until I either end up in the bathroom all night sick or not. Not worth it to me. Their packaging is a major deal breaker for me. I really do love Bistro, and they have bent over backwards to accommodate me. The food for me is just incredible. Maybe the food will be better with the new Biggest Loser version, but actually I found most of their meat to be very tough and gristly (and the carrot overload is just to much). The chicken was actually very good quality. I did their program in the winter, but I would never attempt this in the spring or summer with their packaging (just being honest).

If eDiets ever decides to ship thing more safely using dry ice, I would certainly be willing to give them another try one day. For now, no way......

In retrospect I take that back. They would need to flash freeze their food and use dry ice. I would not be comfortable with one or more of those things missing. Not when we are talking food that has to last a week in your refrigerator that was never frozen to begin with, and was already in transit for days ground.

Nah. I'll stick with Bistro. Hopefully I won't get sick of it before I lose all the weight. I've lost nearly 26 pounds since May. Hope to keep it going strong until I am all done! :)

The only programs I would ever switch back to would be Jenny Craig or Diet To Go (both were decent, and both were shipped overnight Fedex using plenty of dry ice). I was only a one day shipping lane away from DTG, so I got mine the next day, and JC only ships overnight. Those would be the only other programs i would be willing to switch back to if push comes to shove.

Thanks Lisa for the dry ice comment. Actually something to seriously think about during summer months. Also on the topic of dry ice the seem to be using smaller pieces lately. My shipment came in with no trace of ice left behind. Thank God food was still frozen...not rock solid but still was frozen. Will ask them to add more ice on next order to be 100% sure.

Also a follow up regarding my order....it is obvios they did in fact forget my order. In the box is an email to the packinig warehouse folks asking them to send the order out today (meaning wed). Email was sent 1:05pm and I had sent them an email at 12:45 asking for the tracking #. The email with the tracking # was sent to me at 1:10pm along with a comment that I wouldn't be able to track it till tomorrow. I sure wish folks were honest and just fessed up the missed my order. Anyway the rushed the order and didn't even bother to check that I had marked my account to not have mushrooms. So now I need to email them to include an extra Breakfast item next week so I can have something to eat.

question does your food come in pouches or trays? The sent me along with my order this week what appears to be the intro packet for Bistro MD ....I guess to encourage me to stay on with their normal plan...in the packet it talks about boiliing the pouches so was wondering if all your food is in pouches.

Yes, with regular Bistro, you get a mix of pouch and tray meals (and eventually you will notice that you really do get more selection, and different foods that were not offered to Biggest Loser members). Biggest loser members did not get pouch meals or the sirloin steak and other pricier meals like it. That was one of the big complaints from some of the Bistro old timers. They hated when Bistro went to tray meals instead of all packet meals. They seemed to feel that the packet meals were tastier, and better than the tray versions. As someone who gets both, I really don't see much of a difference at all. I honestly don't, but then again I was not impressed by the stone age method of boiling packets in a large pot of water. That may be tastier, but no thanks. It's just very impractical and inconvenient (at least for me). Not into making it more complicated than it needs to be. I cut the edges off each packet (there are usually three or 4 per meal because they package each side dish in it's own packet). I then put all packets on a microwaveable dish, and nuke at full power for 9 minutes. The plate will be wet underneath the packets from the condensation, but I simply transfer to a dry plate after CAREFULLY opening each packet (I always use scissors only to cut open the packets). I found that the cooking times they list are way off for microwaving packets (and trays as well). Thicker pieces of chicken, and stuff like that actually take 8 minutes, and not the 4-6 that they suggest (and I have a powerful microwave oven).

The only meals I have found that are OK at 4 minutes are the wraps (and probably the breakfasts though I do not do those anymore). As for the dry ice, I have gotten shipments like that even from Jenny Craig where the ice was completely melted, but the food was still frozen. You are fine if the food is still frozen however if you are nervous about this (and nobody understands this more than me), call and ask them to add more ice to your order. They are very accommodating. They had to add triple ice to mine because not only was my ice gone, but my food was arriving defrosted in really hot weather (and if you think its bad with dry ice, imagine that same shipment you got with regular gel packs)! That's why I find that whole thing totally spooky.

Just ask them to please put a note on your account that you would like more dry ice with your orders, and they will add more ice. I got triple ice this last week, and finally everything was frozen completely solid. I had to be super careful though. The ice was in such large blocks that I used three paper towels per hand to carefully lift each block, and place on the lid while I was unloading, so that the ice did not fall or touch my skin. It was so heavy, it sort of broke through the plastic bag it was in). Last thing you want is to have a large block drop, and break into a million fragments on your floor (especially if you have pets).

They told me that they are phasing out the packets, and that eventually everything will be in tray form, but you will get both for now. Just let them know you would like extra ice and that you are concerned, and felt that they almost forgot to send your order this week. They will place notes on your account, and pay special attention to your weekly orders. You just need to convey your concerns. I was worried that I might be a pain in the behind with all my calls, but they were very sweet and understanding. After all, we are spending a lot of money here. It may be that they are truly overwhelmed by this huge change with their biggest loser version. It's probably all they can do to keep up with the phone calls.

I wonder if Dr. Phil will still be endorsing BistroMD. I do know this much, I really have tried almost every other program out there, and the only food that even remotely comes close in quality was DTG's carb version, but I lost almost no weight on that one (and the chicken and pork all had the same gross seasoning to it no matter what the dish was called). I LOVED their breakfasts, and their salmon! This food at Bistro blows me away on every level. I actually look forward to my meals and usually with diets, they are just something to down and get over with.

In a perfect world, I would have DTG's Low carb breakfasts (not the quiches though), Bistro's lunches and dinners, and Jenny Craig's snacks and desserts! One can dream can't they (and God I miss JC's French Toast with Berries, Chicken Fajita's and Pot Stickers)! Mmmmmm.

On the pouch issue: I've been on Bistro for 4 weeks now and out of the 80 meals, I think 5 or 6 were in pouches. My last week had no pouches. I noticed no difference between the two - that may be because I still microwaved the pouches! I like the trays becasue I don't have to use a dish!

On delivery: In case anybody is reading this trying to decide on Bistro, the shipping issues vary a lot depending on where you live. I live in a major suburb, so I'm super close to shipping access. My 4 boxes have all arrived exactly at the same time with a TON of dry ice left in the box. And it's HOT here in the summer. Don't let the shipping issue scare you off -- cause it might not be an issue for you!

For my money, this program is working great. I'm down 17 pounds in the last month, which I know is fast. I've been trying to add in good snacks - still working on getting a good balance. But really, I haven't really felt HUNGRY at all! A little here or there, but knowing I had a meal ready to eat made it easier to wait an hour to eat. I agree with Lisa, if BMD stops shipping, I'd totally freak out!

Another update. Bistro quickly responded to my email stating they would add additional ice to my order. That will definately help with this additional summer heat. I was lucky my food arrived still frozen since the dry ice had just started to disappear. It is better to be safe then sorry.

On a side note if you are interested in ordering some of the Bistro Snacks online the vendor for he chips/cookies has a sample pack of 6 packages for $7.50
http://kaysnaturals.com/products/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8&products_id=20

So happy to hear this! :carrot:

They are so wonderful that way. Very accommodating for those of us having to deal with the reality of this issue. That's what I find so redeeming in Bistro. That you can call them or email them about the shipping problems you are having, and they bend over backwards to help you. They really do give you personalized help, and that's a deal breaker for me when looking at meal plans. My center/hub is only 40 minutes away, but that means nothing because they can choose to deliver the food at any time of the day they want, depending on where you are on their route. It also depends on how hot it is, and what state lines they are crossing to get the food to you. Those states may also be extraordinary searing hot ones, and that plays a huge role as well. My Fed Ex driver usually delivers in the morning, and yet I have received completely defrosted food. Now that they are packing my orders with all this extra dry ice, I can stick with Bistro and my orders are arriving just fine again (knock on wood). The good news is that you can communicate with them about any problems you are having, and they really do whatever they can to help you. Huge positive for me!

Good luck to you my friend. Lets hope from here on out, we are in the clear with this! Just a couple more months to go and fall will be setting in! I can breathe easier during the fall and winter! :)

Yes Lisa they have been accomidating everytime to be honest that is why I choose to stick on with them. My FedEx driver delivers it usually by 11:30am but I am at work and I don't get to it till at least 5-6pm and it has been fine up till thiis past week....even with the big heat waves I had dry ice still when they were using the larger blocks. It was the smaller ones these last two weeks that I think they melt faster. Anyway I am now all clear.

Regarding the snacks I also noticed that on Amazon (some not all of) the Kay's Natural Snacks are for sale there for $12 for 12 pack. This is a total steal if anyone needs some extra snacks. I do because 1200 calories isn't enough for me. I work out 7 days a week and burn at least 500 calories at a minimum so need extra healthy snacks to up my calory count. My traiiner says I have to be up at least 2000 ....so trying to slowly increase it a bit to avoid staulinig my weight loss.

Thanks for the Amazon tip. I've actually been getting some amazing steals from them lately (and I love it when I get Super Saver Shipping)! I can't survive on 1200 calories either. I am actually doing quite well on my 1400-1500 per day. Major kudos for all the work outs! Wow! I wish I could do that, but my energy level is not so hot. Hopefully this will improve over time.

The block of ice I got last week was so huge, that I had to literally pad my hands with three paper towels per hand to carefully lift it up and out, and put it on the lid as I was unloading! It was a happy problem to have! That's usually a good sign that things are OK when you still see dry ice. They put in so much extra last week, that the box was heavy to drag in! I'm happy to do it, if it means I get things nice and frozen! I love that they work with you. If there is something you don't want to receive anymore, they will remove it no problem. That profile I filled out, has been a lifesaver! No more meatloafs, Greek inspired lentils or Philly cheese steak for me! Yay!!

I love love love love (did I mention love) those Zone bars! OMG! No after taste at all like I am used to with Atkins, and incredibly delectable and filling! They are about 170 to 180 calories each, but if you really want something filling with high protein, they can't be beat. They leave Atkins in the dust (and no stomach cramps)! They are so incredibly delicious that it's hard to believe you are not eating a straight on candy bar. The dark chocolate strawberry is to die for! They actually mix in real strawberries with the dark chocolate! The Mint chocolate is just incredible! That takes care of my serious chocolate cravings when I get them (that or some hot cocoa with fat free milk)! Also those bars keep me full for hours (Atkins bars never did that for me). They are nice and bulky, and really very filling.

I like to bake my own cheese for a nice no carb snack, and really love those Wasa crisp breads with strawberry cream cheese. Sometimes i will have some baked cheeze it's, but not very often (that's when I just have to splurge)! Anyway onto another week. Good luck everyone! :)

speaking of dry ice a good tip for anyone reading that may be thinking about Bistro MD. When you get the box I know you will be excited to see what is in it. So read that important sheet on the top that says DONT TOUCH THE ICE. The first week I got it i happend to grab it from the bag and didn't think twice and stuck it in the sink. The second week I was so excited to look at what my goodies would be that I went to grab the bag and quickly let go. Let me tell you the numbness I Ifelt was unbelievable. So PLEASEEEEEEEEEE anyone reading DONT TOUCH THE DRY ICE either put gloves as lisa mentioned or grab it good by the bag not the actual ice.

Can't wait to get my order this week to see the difference in meals from Biggest Loser Meal Plan to the normal Bistro Plan......off I go to order those extra snacks with the free shipping that price is unbetable.

You are sooooooo lucky you didn't get burns from that! You have no idea!

Not only will dry ice burn you badly, but it can burn through bone and tissue. I was horrified at how they demonstrated this in a nauseating horror movie I saw with Lindsay Lohan from a few years ago (I could not believe she agreed to do that film)! The killer used dry ice to cut her limbs off! I was so disgusted that I barely made it through the film! It was called "I know who killed me" and it was disgusting (and I never looked at dry ice the same way again)! I already knew it was dangerous if mishandled in any way, but that was just mind numbingly awful!

BE VERY CAREFUL WITH DRY ICE! It's fine if you know not to touch it directly, but never handle it without gloves or paper towels or some kind of barrier between you and the ice! I remember that this was what eDiets told me when I asked them why they do not use dry ice. She said it was because it was dangerous (and food poisoning isn't)! I would rather have a huge neon sign put in that is literally taped to the top of the box that warns me about dry ice, than to have food shipped across the country in this heat with regular gel packs ground! You just have to be careful and you are fine. I touched a piece once by accident, and I know that numb feeling well! I ran my fingers under warm water for a while! It completely melts in 24 hours after I get my shipments, and then its fine to break the boxes down, etc.

Oh and for a bit of trivia. They used to use dry ice in horror movies to make mist and fog. Its the freakiest thing. You will see this for yourself if you run water over it (not advising you to do that, but it's definitely freaky)! It's instant Halloween!

i spoke to soon about the price being unbeatable. Lisa hopefully you didn't order yet from Amazon because I think I found a sweeter deal. About $8.42 a 12 pack. Shipping is a flat 4.99 so if you order at least 2 12 packs it is automatically lower than the $12 Amazon with Free Shipping. And there is a greater variety on their site....I think they have all the Kay's Natural products.....I want to try out their breakfast cereal that is $6.76 a 12 pack. Here is the site

http://search.evitamins.com/search?w=kays%20naturals

Unfortunately I placed my order on Amazon for 4 12 packs and than noticed the evitamins site and tried to cancell my order. It allowed me to cancell the two 12 packs the other two were showing as not having been processed yet.....oh well you live an learn :)

Ok recieved my Bistro box today and both blocks of dry ice were still in tack so everything was frozen soliid. menu looks very similar to what I had under the Biggest Loser Meal Plan by Bistro. All meals were ini trays. Only differences I noticed were:

1)it is slightly more expensive I think $10
2)Day 6 Diner is not provided
3)My Breakfast muffiin was acompanied by a Protein Hot Chocolate
4)One meal was different had not seen it at all (Blue Cheese Meatloaf).

Other than that the same. Here is what I recieved on this shipment. (On page 7 of this thread is a sample of the meal plan I had with Biggest Loser Meal Plan by BisitroMD).


Day 1
Breakfast: Chicken Mushroom Crepe (they subbed it (due to mushrooms) with Omelet w/ Veggie Paty)
AM Snack: Proticcino Shake
Lunch: Turkey wity Quinoa
PM Snack: Parmesan Protein Chips
Diner: Moroccan Warm Lentil Salad


Day 2
Breakfast: Stuffed French Toast
AM Snack: Pineapple Orange Shake
Lunch: Vegetable Chili (subbed out (not sure why) with Vegetable Burrito)
PM Snack: Dried Sirloin Beef Strips
Diner: Broccoli and Beef Dinner


Day 3
Brunch: High Proteini Bagel with an Egg White Patty and Canadian Bacon
AM Snack: Crisp N Crunch Fudge Graham Bar
Lunch: Peanut Chicken
PM Snack: Sour Cream and Onion Crunch O's
Diner: Chicken with Greek Inspired Lentils


Day 4
Brunch: High Proteini Bagel with All Natural Maple Almond Butter
AM Snack: Kiwi Strawberry Shake
Lunch: Picadillo
PM Snack: Honey Almnd Cookie Bites
Diner: Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin


Day 5
Breakfast: Spinach Mushroom Crepe (they subbed it (due to mushrooms) with French Toast
AM Snack: Crisp N Crunch Peanut Bar
Lunch: Chicken Breast Stuffed w/ Spinach & Feta w/ Roasted Baby Carrots & Green Bean Almondine
PM Snack: Chili and Lime Soy Snack
Diner: Salmon Fillet with Roasted Pepper Puree


Day 6
Breakfast: Corn Moffin w/ Protein Hot Chocolate
AM Snack: Crisp N Crunch Double Berry Bar
Lunch: Steak House Wrap with Creamed Spinach
PM Snack: Chili Soy Snack
Diner: <My Night>

Day 7
Breakfast: Buckwheat Pancakes
AM Snack: Mini Chocolate Criisps
Lunch: Blue Cheese Meatloaf
PM Snack: Mini Chocolate Cheesecake
Diner: Ham & Turkey with Couscous and Butternut Squash (subbed out (not sure why) with Curried Chicken w/ Couscous)

Just curious does anyone know how many weeks rotation Bistro has I think I recall reading 6 but could be wrong.

I recall 6 weeks also, but I'm not sure why. So jealous that you got meals I've never had yet. Like the Picadillo, Peanut Chicken, and the Chicken with Greek Inspired Lentils. And I swear, if they send me Arroz Con Pollo again this week, I'll freak. Every week I've gotten one! :D I put a note in my profile about it.
About all the substitutions, I had a number of subs my first week. Maybe this is like your "first" week, since you switched over from BL. I think they fill those orders last.

Here's my week 4...
Breakfast 1: Spinach Mushroom Crepe - love it!
Lunch 1: Grilled Pesto Chicken (new to me!)
Dinner 1: Asian Style Vegetable and Beef (new to me!)

B2: Omelet with Canadian bacon and Apples
L2: Arroz Con Pollo
D2: Poached North Atlantic Salmon Filet

B3: Stuffed French Toast (new to me!)
L3: Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf (good, but I like the blue cheese meatloaf better)
D3: Chicken Marsala with Brussels Sprouts (new to me!)

B4: High Protein bagel with maple almond butter (love the bagel - flaxseeds!)
L4: Steak House Wrap
D4: Roasted Turkey Pomegranate

B5: English Muffin with Egg White Patty and Turkey Sausage
L5: Shrimp Primavera (subbed out for Curried Chicken with CousCous)
D5: Chicken stuffed with spinach and feta with pomodoro sauce, mashed eggplant and wheat penne (LOVED this one!)

B6: Buckwheat Pancakes
L6: Beef Tips in Red Wine Sauce
D6: none

B7: Mixed Berry Crepe (Like this!)
L7: Pasta Putanesca with Chicken (new to me!)
D7: Vegetable and Beef StirFry (new to me!)

Thanks for the update on Amazon Tzoavva. :)

Actually it was like pulling teeth to get a straight answer about the difference in foods. I called Bistro three times and asked this question of three different people. One higher up individual said that the food was the same, and that they were just giving Biggest Loser people a discount due to their agreement with the network. That I might get a packet meal here and there, but no real difference otherwise.

That was strange to me, because it went against everything I read out here before in other Bistro threads where the Bistro old timers said they had a 6 week rotation, with more variety than the Biggest Loser. This is when I was trying to decide if it was worth switching to Bistro for better variety. I finally called and got a rep who said she's been with them forever, and that there is indeed a difference between the plans (I thought so). She even went into detail, and she turned out to be right. I began noticing meals I had not received in the previous weeks at all (and I got about 5 packet meals that first time on Bistro). She said Biggest Loser people do not get the steak, and she was right on that. I also finally got to try the Cherry and Apple stuffed chicken, which I was told I could not have on Biggest Loser. They even looked that up for me, because I really wanted to try it and I was on Biggest Loser at the time (I have yet to see or taste even one cherry in that meal). It's OK and everything, but it basically just tastes like apples and chicken. They said I would need to be on Bistro to get that meal.

There were others that I saw coming through eventually that I had not seen in my previous weeks on Biggest Loser. It does not happen all at once. It's not like your first week on Bistro, everything is different or anything. You get an infusion a little at a time until you begin to see the newer pattern. I can't think of all the names, but my guess is that you get maybe 7 or 8 new foods and that does not include any of the Bistro breakfasts because I don't get the breakfasts to gauge that. This other person who ended up being right about the other stuff, said there is more variety and more of a rotation. I bet their lives will be simpler now without the Biggest Loser on board because that would confuse the heck out of me working there! I know that it confused me as a customer. Everyone had a different answer when I called! One thing to consider is that now everything could be totally different anyway. It's a new ball game without the Biggest Loser plan, so they may have a whole new system for all we know as far as rotation goes.

I love the food, however I have noticed that I am starting to get almost the same meals every week here the past two weeks. I don't know if maybe I gave them less to work with when I filled out my profile or what (probably). I will never eat the Greek Inspired lentil stuff again (not for me). I also said no Meatloaf's, Chili's or Philly Cheese Steak, but they have plenty of other meals, so it shouldn't be that much of a problem. I haven't seen that Santa Barbara Chicken for a while. I was told you would not lose any meals by switching, but that you would only gain more variety. I also notice that they pay attention to my favorites from my profile, because they give me those nearly every week.

Oh and I said no Mahi Mahi, but I have also not seen Tilapia for a while either. My last two weeks have been almost identical. It's all good food, but that will get tiresome after a while. Maybe I just got stuck in a rotation where it just so happens that the last two weeks had more of the ones I don't like (hoping that's all it is).

I know that Bistro users get hot chocolate, but I have my own anyway. I get 7 lunches and 7 dinners because I am ala carte Bistro. I do not get their breakfasts or snacks. Because I pay per meal, I make sure that I get 7 lunches and 7 dinners (I don't want a my night).

P.S. I had so much dry ice in this last one, my eyes nearly popped out. The box weighed nearly 50 pounds! The good news is that everything was frozen solid again! Yay :)

Oh and I got no packet meals this time either. They did say they are phasing those out (and I won't miss them at all). Much more convenient in trays.

Now that I look more closely at the menu you put out, I see why I got so many of the same foods again. Many of the ones I don't care for were in this weeks. Oh well. I seem to never get enough of the Chicken Fresco or the Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken! I was getting a California Inspired Wrap, and a Philly Cheese Steak every single week (that was making me nuts)! No more thank God!

Great info Lisa. I am one of thos type of people I document/keep everything so I will track things for the next 5 weeks and post my findings as the weeks go by. I have all 6 weeks of menues that I kept from BLMP (week 5 & 6 were repeats of 1 3or4 with minor changes). I actually took pictures of all meals from the first 4 weeks to post on a blog at some point when I fiind the time. Even though BLMP is gone if the food is also used on Bistro I am sure future Bisto customers or interested folks will enjoy it.

Also, I got this week's box and my menu looks the same as TZ's. DIfferent substitutions of course. I was so disappointed that they subbed out the Beef and Broccoli for no reason - it's one of my absolute favorites! I got Pork in Papaya instead. I remember somebody saying they really liked that, so maybe I'll be happy with it! Still - boo! But excited that there's quite a few new meals to try.

Hi guys! My name is Kristi and i am excited we have a little board here! I've been through the 3FG boards before but am new to Bistro MD. I've been on for about 2 weeks, heading into the third. I am very weight loss resistant and am finding this isn't any different as far as helping that issue. I haven't lost any weight but am still giving it a month before I give up again. I think some support might help. Just like with exercise, when you are working hard and in this case paying so much money and don't see results you get a little disheartened and maybe talking to those of you on this board I can at least feel a little less alone!! It's nice to find people to talk with about this plan.
I love the food so far. It's great to come on here and see that for the most part our menus for this past week were exactly the same. I wasn't really sure about that. I had requested at least 2 meals a week w/seafood in them so they did sub out a few things for me this week. The food is yummy and I LOVE not having to think about what I am going to make to eat every day.This just leads to bad decisions as I am usually very hungry at the end of my work days. I am doing the 5 day Bistro MD plan with snacks. I was considering cancelling the snacks but as with many other foods on this plan I have found that i surprisingly like most of them. However the supply of those stupid protein shakes are building up rapidly here. I am also writing about the plan in my blog which I'll try to post in my profile. I haven't been on this site since my last adventure in dieting before I gave up and put on probably another 30 pounds (bad thyroid and recovering from really bad metabolic syndrome and insulin issues last time I went to endo's). SO I saw a few people had just started but was curious about anyone on here who has been on the plan for a few weeks and has seen some results? Did you lose immediately or did it take a while for the shift to happen? I usually supplement my evening sweet cravings w/ jello sugar free chocolate pudding that I loved when I was on south beach. The soy snacks are good but I am considering cancelling as some say soy is bad for thyroid disease. Well anyway! Thanks for being here! Yay!

Welcome Kristi!
I just hopped over to your blog and it's like you can read my mind! Well, on some things. :D I enjoyed the same meals and I also hate the turkey pomegrante with a passion. I employ many of the same cooking tricks you described. Hope you continue to enjoy the meals!

I've been eating BistroMD for 4.5 weeks now. I've lost 20 pounds, from 288 to 268. I may be atypical though, since the meal plan represents a SERIOUS calorie reduction for me. I've done some calculations and I'd guess that I'm eating around 1000 calories less each day! Maybe even worse! I've been tracking and aim for 1350-1500 each day. Some days are a litle lower (very rare!), some are a little higher, and a few (3) have been in the 2000s. My average for the whole month is around 1600cal. I've been really conscious to not let the number get too low.

Like you, I've been soooooooo relieved that I don't have to think about food. I LIKE not having the freedom of choice. And it helps that I like this kind of food - chicken and veggies are my favs. It was just so much easier to stop at McDonalds and get a burger and fries. I do still crave french fries. :D
I hope your weight loss kicks in soon -- stick with it and post back!

Great blog Jen thanks for shariing. I read thru most of it and deffinately teh food seems the sam with what I have had so far. Honestly can't say there were many more choices on your list either because of my dislikes or yours are somewhat the same that could be the reason. Deffinately anyone wondering if the should start Bistro or not should check out your blog. It really gives you a good idea what to expect.

kristi also checked your blog out as well. Awesome idea about writting the date (L1, D2, etc..) on the side
i write it on the top and stack them in the right order but having it on the side and with a bright marker is so much smarter. Will do that next week :) thanks.

Thanks guys! Jen, that's an awesome weight loss! Congrats! I hope it starts working for me soon. I'm considering giving it at least 2 months before giving up. It's too expensive to stay on without seeing results but I am still hoping for the best.

Thanks guys! The only restriction I have on BMD food is no shellfish. I'm not that fond of shrimp, and I don't need all their cholestrol anyways.

Kristi - I hope it picks up for you! And that was another thing that was similar between us - that pic of your freezer could have been mine! It crakced me up, cause I label them exactly the same way. :D

I had one of my top three meals tonight - that chicken with spinach/feta/penne/eggplant. I just love it. So far, this is working really well for me. I think a pretty big part of it is the blog. Being able to track my food intake online from anywhere has been helpful. Also, it made me more aware of WHEN I was eating. It was easier to push off dinner an hour, even if I was hungry, when I knew my last snack had only been say 2 hours ago. And I'm treating this like a big science experiment - keeping track of all sorts of stats makes it feel more like a game!
Anyways, have a great day tomorrow!

I hear ya Tzoavva. I do the same thing. I was thankful that I saved all the menus as well, when it came to filling out my profile. It made it easy for me to just look at those old menus to remind me of the foods I didn't want! My daily journal has also been very instrumental in my weight loss. When you write everything down with the calories and time, it really opens up your eyes. Helps me to stay on track.

Welcome Kristi!

Here are some helpful links that will help you figure out exactly how many calories you need to maintain your current weight, so that you can figure out exactly how much less you need to eat to give you the weight loss you are looking for. Once you understand how these calculators work, they can be very helpful (though a bit confusing at first). Some very eye opening things I found when I did my research on all of this. As you probably know, for every 3500 calories less you burn per week, that equals one pound in weight loss. If you want to lose about 2 pounds per week, you want to try for a deficit of 7000 calories per week. Sounds simple enough, but I found its a bit more complicated because there are some calculators you have to do first to determine a few things for yourself individually first.

Lets say you are 5.5 and weigh 250 pounds. You have a sedentary lifestyle. If you go to the calculator below, it says you would need 2250 calories per day to maintain your weight if you did nothing else (depending on age or lifestyle, which you enter into the calculator). Then what you want to do is go to the second link, which calculates how many calories are burned even when you are sleeping (major eye opener for me). You need to take all that into account to get as accurate as possible. So lets say hypothetically you sleep exactly 8 hours a night (480 minutes). You would burn 857 calories during those eight hours. Then lets say you watch TV for say 4 hours total per day. You would burn 476 calories just doing that. Then lets say you spend maybe 5 hours worth of reading documents and the computer at work. That translates to about 595 calories (as living creatures, we are constantly burning calories). Then lets say you work out 45 minutes a day on the treadmill, that's another 350 calories burned. If you add all the calories you burn per day, which in this hypothetical case totals 2278 and subtract what you are eating now on this diet from that (lets say it's 1400 calories per day). That gives you a deficit of 878 calories per day. Again it's calories burned against calories taken in. If you add up that deficit of 878 per day times 7 days, you get 6146 per week which should give you about a pound and half of weight loss per week (and that's leading a sedentary lifestyle). If you lead an active lifestyle, you will burn even more. That's a minimum. This is how I figured out what I needed to do in order to lose about 7-8 pounds per month, and it's been very accurate so far. I am right on track. It's not just eating 3500 calories less than you already eat. It's calories you eat against calories your body burns. I've been pretty much losing 2 pounds per week, now that I understand what I need to take in to create that deficit. If I have a 1200 calorie day, I will lose even more without making any changes to my lifestyle. Once you get it, these online calculators can be a major help. Hope it helps you (it's early here, so hopefully I got all my numbers right)! :)

http://www.shapefit.com/dailycalorie-calc.html

http://www.fitwatch.com/phpscripts/searchexcategories.php?category_id=01

http://shapefit.com/calories.html

I'm using a pretty cool app to track on my iPhone called my fitness pal. it's pretty great and I've added a lot of the Bistro foods I have had to it. And you guys must be my good luck charm because it finally hit the scale today with 2.5 down since 8/24. For me that's great because it hasn't dropped even .1 since 8/18. I feel relief because I didn't want to have to cancel it. My goal was 6 pounds in the first month and it's 5 so yay!

Yay Kristi! :D

It's like a machine that has been used to going in a certain direction for years. You just had to give it some time to stop cranking in one direction, and start turning the other way. We didn't gain this weight overnight, so we aren't going to lose it overnight either. I just love this diet! The food is truly the best diet food I have ever tasted in my life. I plan on sticking with this for some time to come.

Good news about your weight loss! Remember that it just takes time. Miracles won't happen overnight. Your body has to adjust, and you will hit plateau's now and then. You just need to ride them out, and step up your game when that happens. I'm losing a steady 2 pounds a week, and have been since late May. I've tried them all, and this diet is the only one that has ever worked for me. The food is very high quality, and extremely filling. Thrilled to have yet another week on Bistro! Everyone keeps telling me how fabulous I look. I'm loving it!! :carrot:

I'm actually having some difficulty sticking to it - I really missed salads, so I got some salad greens and low-cal dressing. I also absolutely missed chocolate so I finally ordered some low-cal chocolate pudding and hot chocolate from DietDirect.

With these adjustments, I'm much "happier", but it does seem to have slowed my weight loss. I probably need to get better about closely tracking, but all the days I have tracked I've been at most consuming ~200 more calories per day. Which over the course of a week should only come out to 1/3rd of a pound less lost.

Anyway, I'll keep working on it, but completely going without chocolate and fresh greens was driving me nuts after about 3 weeks. Also it's been my TOM so that might be screwing things up.

Don't feel bad, I NEED chocolate every day! So much so that I decided when I dropped the breakfasts and snacks from Bistro, to use some of that calorie space for my chocolate needs. I find that by doing lunches and dinners only, I have so much more calorie freedom, and still feel very satisfied by those two delicious meals per day.

My meals come to about 700 calories per day (averaging what Bistro lunches and dinners are). That leaves me with almost 700 calories worth of snack room which is why this is working so well for me. It keeps my blood sugar stable by allowing me more snacks throughout the day, and lets me have my chocolate too! I usually have a Zone bar every day because those are so delicious (hard to believe they aren't candy bars)! So much better than Atkins, and no painful bathroom issues from them. They are rich and yummy. I will also have a cup of real hot chocolate mixed with fat free milk at night, if I am having an extra bad chocolate craving day. So even on my bad chocolate days, that's not even 400 calories worth of chocolate snacking. I still have another 350 calories to spend to stay on track. I could easily have a huge salad, but I have severe IBS, and salad food is out for me. I have horrible cramping and pain from that (its why I don't get the chili's and burrito stuff). My veggies need to be cooked. I usually have an apple and some cheese, or Wasa Crispbreads with peanut butter or strawberry cream cheese on them (with Lactaid chewables).

On the weekends, I allow myself a real breakfast and have two slices of bacon with two fresh eggs for breakfast. So far this is working well for me. I think it's because I don't feel like I am dieting. I am getting everything I want, and focusing not on carbs and fat, but calories. I count the calories, and that is working better for me than anything else I have ever tried.

I hope you find your way out of that plateau soon. I know this can be frustrating at times, but in the end it is so worth the trial and error. :)

I had my favorite meal so far tonight. Salmon with roasted pepper puree. it was by far the best meal of all of them!!

That's an interesting idea to remove the snacks - some of them I like quite a bit, but a lot of the soy snacks in the silver packs and the fruit shakes I really don't like and have pretty much stopped eating them. And pretty much any of the ones I like I can get at DietDirect for about the same price.

I also tend to eat breakfast so late, that I don't eat lunch till 4, and then I sometimes just eat a salad for dinner around 9 with some low-cal pudding or a hot chocolate and end up only using 2 of my meals. I have maybe 10 extra meals in the fridge now so I actually asked they only send me the 5-day pack this week and I'll probably request it next week too till I catch up.

I realize I am mangling the meal plan horribly, but I think what works about it for me is when I'm hungry there's always easy, healthy, tasty food there. And pretty much nothing else in the house. :P

I may have to look into the Zone bars - I actually found some of the Atkins bars were pretty decent (the nut nougat roll is pretty fantastic actually - I would eat those on a diet or not), but the bathroom issues are kind of iffy. Not to 'TMI' but if I had plans for the evening I would only eat half a bar at most so I wouldn't feel any effects.


Edited to add - I had a huge craving for salt and vinegar chips, so I ordered a trial pack of soy salt & vinegar crisps from DietDirect and they were actually really tasty. Not quite the same greasy crunch as a potato chip but the salt and vinegar tang was perfect and the crisps were crunchy but not too hard. I may have to get a box of those and cancel the BistroMD snacks.

Yeah I find if I go straight to lunch as my first meal, I do better. I don't eat breakfast and can't tolerate all that soy, so I had to stop their snacks. I figured one Zone bar was enough per day (and I get my chocolate cravings satisfied)! They are VERY filling, and the dark chocolate strawberry bars are to die for! I used to love Atkins bars, but there was always that aftertaste and that horrible cramping for me.

God those vinegar and salt chips sound so darn good!

My doctor was right on the money when he told me to stop counting carbs and fat grams, and count calories instead because that is what it all boils down to anyway. I focus on eating more protein and less fat, but I don't count those things now. Its made my life simpler and I don't feel like I am screwing up the diet at all. I eat two Bistro meals per day, and use the missing meal calories as snack room. It's been working like a charm for me. I just don't feel deprived. When I have reached 1400 calories a day in my journal, I know I am done. :)

Now I am craving salt and vinegar chips! lol!

I used to never eat breakfast either, but I have been for the last few years. Of course until recently that meant a stop at McDonald's... :o I really like the Bistro breakfasts. It's been helping me to distribute my calories more and not use like half the day at 8pm. I don't get the snacks either - it's nice to have some free space to fill in on my own.
I've been mangling the menus also. In fact, I stopped posting the day's description on my blog because it never matched! I figure as long as I am eating one of the meals, it doesn't really matter which one! Had the beef tips in wine for lunch - it was great!

Love love love the Beef Tips In Wine Sauce! One of my favorites! :)

Its funny because I was the opposite until Bistro. I was a huge breakfast person. My favorite meal of the day was the Diet To Go breakfasts when I was on that one. I had always eaten breakfast my whole life. I hate to admit that most of Bistro's breakfasts don't appeal to me. I finally realized I could save some money and just go straight to lunch and get more smaller meals (snacks) throughout the day. It works for me, but I do sometimes crave breakfast. When that happens, I just move things around. I will have one of those Jimmy Dean DLite breakfast sandwiches (puts Egg McMuffins to shame they are so good) or eggs and bacon if I really want to go all out. I keep it in the house just in case.

Jen I noticed on your blogg you marked the bagel and egg and sausage as 157 cals. Did bistro provide you that info? I am asking because there is a site that has all the bistro meals info and it doesn't match with what you have it listed as.

Bistro's suplier for the bagel is Western Bagel and here is the info just for the bagel (which is 140calories so not alot of room for the egg and sausage):
http://www.westernbagel.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=41269

With that info above and the info for the
Sugar Free Light English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich (Egg White and Sausage) [150 calories]
http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/nutrition-calories/food/bistro-md/english-muffin-breakfast-sandwich/

and the info for just the Sugar Free Light English Muffin [90 Calories]
http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/nutrition-calories/food/bistro-md/sugar-free-light-english-muffin/

That makes the Egg and Sausage patty to be at about 60 Calories.

Here is the specifics by the way for the Egg and Sausage and the Egg and Canadian Bacon
Egg White Patty and Canadian Bacon (60C/1Fat/1SatFat/14mgC/370mgSod/2gCar/0Fib/1gSug/9gP)
Egg White Patty and Turkey Sausage (60C/3Fat/1SatFat/18mgC/230mgSod/2gCar/1Fib/2gSug/8gP)

Lisa,

The way awesome research you did above with the info about calories in and out. Way way deep need some time to soak it in :)

Awww thank you for that about the calorie information I provided. I found it totally fascinating when I first read through all of it. I had no idea we burned that many calories when we slept, and did menial tasks such as reading or even watching TV! I was floored. Who knew!

By the way I don't have a blog, and never provided calories on that (in fact I don't eat Bistro bagels or their breakfasts). You may have meant to say Jen when you said that. I believe she is keeping a blog of sorts (or one of the other women).

Anyway hope everyone has a great evening. :)

TZ, That info about the breakfast calories was on my blog. I did email Bistro to get the info. After I did some calculations, I noticed that the bagels that come with egg and ham are slightly smaller. I actually pulled them out of the freezer and compared them and it really is smaller. The numbers show that the smaller ones are only 90cal.
I've posted the info they sent on my blog. http://boxweek.blogspot.com/2010/09/nutrition-info.html
It shows a lot of the snacks and most of the baked goods.

Cheers!

my bad I corrected it from Lisa to Jen. Must be sleep deprived :)

I will print out the info you posted. Even on that post they sent you they have the bagel listed as 140. I will weigh the bagel I get tomorrow to see if it matches the western bagel website. I usually get two bagels a week one with an egg paty and one eitiher cream cheese or almond butter and they are always the same size.

It is odd the list it on their sheet as well. Nice to see the break down of the the egg and actual sausage and canadian bacon. Just visually checking things seems odd for that batch of food on the list. anyway time for sleep will check it in depth tomorrow. Thanks for sharing.

Got my delivery today! It's my fav day of the week! When I first started I actually was thinking that they should email us our menus for the week when they send out the box. But I would miss that surprise factor so much. Different menu for me this week but it's my 4th week and you all are a bit ahead of me. Only one or 2 lunches I haven't had before. All the dinners are new to me.

Great! Hopefully you'll come back and keep us informed of your progress? :-)

Got my box today as well. Like a kid excited also to see what new is in there. After 9 Weeks with Bistro [6 under BGLMP] these items below were new to me:

Shrimp Gumbo
Pineapple Teriyaki Meatloaf
Chicken Bowl

Box Number 6 arrived today. Though I'm still on day 2 of the last box! I seem to get behind a day or two every week. Plan to hold a box in the near future. Fortunately, I have a HUGE freezer! :D

Bistro managed to perfectly sub out the item I didn't want: shrimp and arroz con pollo.

Items New to Me:
Vegetable Burrito
Cheese Tortellini
Turkey Bolognese
Jerk Tilapia (in fact, I've never had tilapia before!)
BBQ Pork
Pineapple Teriyaki Meatloaf

Just had the Veggie chili - I like it better that the CHipotle meat version that comes sometimes. I added a bit of frozen corn and some avocado, brought cals up to 350. Dinner is Morrocan inspired Chicken. Loved the Turkey/Cranberry/Quinoa yesterday! Except that it came with one of the VERY few things BMD sends that I find inedible: that side of squash puree was like glue. Seriously. I can't eat that or the broccoli souffle.

Good day to all!

I don't mind the squash purees but I despise the broccoli one. Ew. Parmesean Makes it somewhat edible though. I got a little behind this week too. work was crazy so I think I just finished up my last week's food. I had the Piccadillo for dinner. I pan crisped the plantains and had a little bit of sour cream with the entree. I put this one off because I thought it sounded yuck but it was soooo good!

Yes the broccoli puree I can't stand, and I like broccoli. It's just such an odd texture and overpowering flavor.

The broccoli puree tastes and smells awful. The same thing with that strange spinach that comes with the Steak House Wrap (love the wrap itself). I love their other chopped spinach sides, but that strange creamed spinach concoction is yucky.

Love most of the selections I got this week. Can never get enough of the Feta and Spinach Stuffed Chicken with the Roasted Eggplant (God I love their roasted eggplant sides).

The salmon is good, but I got spoiled by Diet To Go's salmon. It always smelled and tasted so incredibly fresh and fluffy. It's decent though. Love everything else.

Agree about the creamed spinach - it's edible though for me. I usually mix it into the steak wrap. And the stuffed chicken with penne and eggplant is my number one fav dish so far. Love it! I'm clocking in this morning at 263lb - that's five pounds down from last week! I've averaged 1500 cal a day this week. May need to up it a bit. since 5 pounds in a week is a bit much. Never ever ever thought I'd ever have to worry about that!

I really liked the BBQ Pork with corn & green beans tonight. Very tasty, although it is one of the higher calorie meals (at 410).

It also seems like I've gotten over my plateau - down 2 lbs this week, and my BMI is in the "overweight" range now! Woohoo. :)

I've started eating 2 Bistro meals a day and either eating a 3rd salad out at lunch, or snacking on smaller things throughout the day. I've been religiously keeping track of my calorie intake with the "Tap & Track" iPhone app - I don't bother going through the menus to find every specific food item, just quick add the calories to the counter, so it takes hardly any time at all.

I enjoy the Bistro breakfasts except for the english muffins, so I've switched to the 5-meals a week plan and spacing them across 7 days. I think I'm still going to have too many meals, but we'll see how it goes.

awesome job Jen keep it up. I am going to sit down and start calculating my calaries to see what I am averaging and to try to increase food intake I burnned 720 calories this morning at the gym so deffiniately sticking with only 1200 calories isn't enough. Have to figure out how much I ineed to add though on top o fthe Bistro MD meals. I also got my shipment of extra Kay's Natural snacks that I ordered so I figure ifi I add another 2 of those a day and a protein shakle that should be another 600 at least. I am at 243 lbs and should be loosing but the scale isn't budginig so will try to do a major food boost this week and see how it goes. First need to get organized :)

Jen, I also noticed you are eating WW bars. Do you also go to the WW meetings? I am a WW member and go in every week to weigh in even though I eat Bistro food. Thinking about chartiing the WW Points for each of the Bistro meals just to see at what range I am eating based on their standard as well. Anyway off I go to get some gas in car.

Congrats my2cats on your weight loss this week. Keep it up.

Lisa the salmons with DTG were the best....I do miss some of their meals I will admit.

Cherrycolor I also loveeeee the picadillio. Deffiniately a recipe i want to track down to make.

Yay My2Cats! Nice loss. It's nice to hear about your "hybrid" plan. I am already worrying about how to go of BMD, although that's a ways off.

And Thanks TZ! Tracking calories has been really helpful to me. It's not that different from WW points, but when BMD comes with all the info already and much of the nutrition info I read is based on calories, it was just easier this way. I also look at carbs. Aim for 45-60g per big meal and 15-20g per snack. Not religious about that though, just starting to think about it. Family history of diabetes...

I've used the WW online since 2001 (I went back today and looked at the entire weight chart, couldn't believe it's been almost 10 years. I would've guessed I started in like 2005!) Logging online worked okay for me - when I was serious about it. I think part of the problem was that they gave me so many points (since I was so heavy) that I didn't reeeeally have to change my eating habits much. Probably works for some people that way - for me, it just sucked me back in. I went to meetings for about 4 months, in like 2008. Didn't work for me, though I know it works for lots of ppl. I got tired of listening to the same people complain about the same things. Perhaps I just found a bad group, but I never really connected with anyone. And the weigh-in in front of someone wasn't motivating because, quite frankly, I didn't really care what she thought. I didn't know her. So I quit spending the $40 a month. I still spend the $15 for online, but thinking about whether that's really necessary. I actually only eat the WW bars because a friend told me about them. I keep one or two in my purse to ward of hunger-that-turns-into-a-fast-food-stop! The chocolate-pretzel one is the bomb!

That's enough for my long-winded response -- Have great lb losses this week ladies!

Thanks all!

I'm not sure "offroading" with the diet is the best thing, but I missed salads and fruit so much (and let's admit it - chocolate) , it seemed a necessary change. I find myself appreciating the meals a lot more now because I don't feel like "Oh god, I have to eat this now, even though I'm not hungry/not in the mood for x, y, z/would rather just eat a salad.")

I still don't eat anything I have to guesstimate the calories on, so most small neighborhood restaurants are out. (Oh pad thai, how I miss you. Some day.) I think the most important thing is being accountable for your calories, so I'm careful to track everything and not go above my set calorie limit more than once a week (I give myself a few hundred extra calories 1 night a week as a way to eat out more freely, and to stave off metabolism slowing).

I think my real test will be when I start eating foods I can't easily track. I don't intend to do that until I reach goal, and then I'll go more by the scale than calorie-counting (eg if I stay in a 5-lb range, great, if I get out of that range, back on calorie-counting until I'm within it again). That may lead to a little 5lb+- yoyoing, but I want to be able to eat things that don't have a nutrition guide (food prepared by friends, small local restaurants, etc), so I think it's a "realistic" method for me, that will still keep me in check from gaining a ton of weight again. I will just have to weigh once a week no matter what, and use that to guide my actions.

I've been "off-roading" a bit too, as evidenced by the entire week of meals in my freezer at the time the next box was delivered. I think you're exactly right though, as long as I still track what I'm eating and it's within the limit, I doesn't really make a difference.
For me, the Bistro plan isn't really a diet. I'm trying to teach myself how it feels to eat "right". It's not like I'm never going to eat another cupcake again, I just need to be more aware of how it fits into the overall day or week and compensate.

Oh, and TZ... I haven't had the BMD Picadillo yet, but here's a link to one I used to make. This is pretty healthy if you reduce the amount of olive oil and use ground turkey (I did those things and liked it better.)
http://jtrecipe.blogspot.com/2009/11/cuban-style-picadillo.html

That's a very good idea Tzoavva. That's why those calculators are so helpful. I was stunned to learn of how many calories we burn sleeping, watching TV, and living in general. I thought you had to exercise to burn calories, but we are burning them constantly it seems. That's how I realized that it was OK to have 1400 calories per day, and still lose weight. I took the amount of calories I burn daily and subtracted what I take in doing this program, and that gave me the information I needed to figure out what I can get away with, and still lose weight.

I think one of the reasons I am doing so well on this one is not just because of the wonderful food, but because I am not looking at it as a diet. That's what always messed me up before. It's when I was so militant about it, that I did terrible. I felt like I was holding my breath, and waiting to exhale. I see this as a marathon, and not a sprint. I am looking at it long term as a lifestyle. That is why I like the two Bistro meals per day because it allows me a lot of calorie room to live a little, and still lose weight by focusing on calories total per day. My meals are healthy and balanced, and I choose the snacks I feel like having that day. That way I feel as if I am just living my life and not really dieting. I can exhale and eat foods I enjoy along with this program, because for me it's what the calories total at the end of the day. By not going over 1500 calories tops, I am still losing steadily per week. I love this food! Just by doing this program, I am already learning new habits organically. It happens naturally because you find you can't eat the same portions anymore, and you get to learn what foods are best and what foods will only make you hungrier. If I could find this type of quality food in my grocers freezer, I would do that but nothing comes close. That's why I may use this food as a maintenance of sorts once I lose the weight. It's very good quality.

We've been out most of the weekend, and already friends are noticing my weight loss. That always feels good, and gives me the incentive i need to keep going. Hope everyone has a wonderful Labor day weekend! :)

I agree with you Lisa. I keep reminding myself that this is not a diet, but a major overhaul of my eating habits. This is how I should be eating. That includes the occasional cupcake or cookie. Last weekend it including a seriously high calorie brunch, which I'm paying for in slightly increased pounds this week. But I think that's part of the process. i am now reflecting on whether that brunch was really worth it... I don't feel bad or like I failed, just like I might want to make a more informed choice in the future. Not to mention that I felt like crap after that many glasses of champagne!
ANyways, still planning to get them off by Saturday. Serious planning for the entire week to try to balance out last Sunday.
Have a great thu-fri!

I think that's why we are probably going to make it this time. I'm looking at this in a way I never looked at dieting before. I am seeing it as a complete lifestyle change for the longer haul, and the food is just a prop. It's so delicious that it's making it easy for me to stick to their meals, and yet I can have the snacks I want too. For me it's all about the calorie total per day, and that is working very well.

I was on Diet To Go, and loved most of the food, however the meals were so high in calories that it left me no snacking room period. In fact they told me on more than one occasion not to snack on the low carb plan, and I can see why in retrospect. The calorie content is so high per day that you don't have any wiggle room at all. There were 1400, and even 1500- 1700 calorie days in there! Most were at least 1100 to 1200 for the food alone for the day (and this is without ANY snacks)! What I love about Bistro is that they have managed to create these absolutely delicious and filling meals that only average about 300 calories per day (some are 350 and 400). The meals are so satisfying, and yet so low in calories! It leaves me plenty of wiggle room, and therefore I do not feel so suffocated on this plan. This is exactly what I was looking for!

I have blown it too, so don't feel bad Jen. I've had a few Starbucks Frappucino's here, and there and had two ice cream cones last week. Normally I would have felt really terrible, but I simply looked up the calories of the frappe and entered it in my journal and realized that on that day, I would just not have any snacking room for other things, so that was the price I paid. Same thing with the ice cream cones. They were not healthy choices, but I stayed within my calorie range anyway. It's that wiggle room that made it possible. I fall too. I love candy, cookies and all things evil lol! I did what you did. I just dusted myself off, and realized that it was just a "bad" day and tomorrow was a new one.

I just had the BBQ Pork Tenderloin yesterday, and thought I Had died and gone to heaven. I realizes that this is the only one I have ever been on where I actually look forward to eating! The food is so good! I did have a look at the new Biggest Loser plan, and the food does look wonderful, but until they start using dry ice, I am not going there (and I don't think they ever will). If I eventually get too sick of the food here (which for now I can't imagine), I would only maybe try that one in the winter. The food did look interesting, however right now Bistro has my heart (and stomach)! :)

Hey there! I'm on Day 4 of BMD (7 days no snack) and I just had to contribute to this thread (been lurking a lil while:^:)

The food (so far) has been really GREAT! I totally agree with the poster who mentioned how she "looks forward" to the next meal.

I have to remind myself that I'm on a diet. I do, however, find myself still craving that midnight snack....but it's a mental thing...not physical. Previous to me starting the program, my diet was extremely horrible! I've gained over 60 lbs this year alone because of it. Mickey Dees (daily), Baskin Robbins by the pint 4 times/wk...FAT...FAT...and uuhhhh...between the piles of SALT...MORE FAT!!!

Although it's only day 4 for me...I'm already seeing positive results. Previous to my start of this program, every morning that I woke up, the bottoms of my feet would be killing me! I could barely walk for about 1/2 hour...went on for about 2 months...

Now...since starting the program...I no longer have that pain. I can only conclude that I should have a real whoooosh of weight loss at the end of this week...as my body is flushing itself of excess water (which probably cause the pain in my feet).

Sorry for the long ramble...just sooo excited! BTW, today's lunch called Picadillo was truly OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!!:carrot:

Mickey Dees (daily), Baskin Robbins by the pint 4 times/wk...FAT...FAT...and uuhhhh...between the piles of SALT...MORE FAT!!!

I can totally relate Joyful. I was the same way and after 5 weeks, I can realllly notice a difference. I always read about "I have soo much more energy when I eat well." I get it now. I really do feel less sluggish! And I have fewer headaches. And it's easier to get up in the morning - wait, maybe that's because I've been trying to go to bed early! :D

Welcome to the thread! And I'm looking forward to congratulating you on an l-b loss this week!

Thanks Jen!:) I too can already feel the effects on my sleep and the quality of it (especially since I suffer with insomnia).

Saturday is my "MY NIGHT" and I was wondering if that is my night to eat WHATEVER I want or do I still need to keep it low fat/low cal? What do you all usually have on your MY NIGHT?

I'm hoping I can go to my favorite Jamaican Restaurant and get me a plate of peas/rice, curried chicken and cabbage...wooo hoo!:p

I still try to make smart choices on what I'm eating and how much. I still aim for around 500cal and I track it in my calorie count. That said, there have been 3-4 times in the last 6 weeks that I ate more than I should and I'm still losing. Those were usually the result of being in a situation that was out of my control. Picnic lunch while rafting on the river, sunday brunch with friends, or baseball game out of town. I know I still have "control" unltimately, but I'm okay with occasionally going overboard. And I know those occasions are going to come up sometimes. I don't want to force others to modify their behavior because of my situation, ie "We can't go to pizza after the game because Jen is trying to lose weight." So, when I CAN control my options, I try to make good choices. I save the "off-program" moments for sort-of emergency situations.

Of course, all that applies to someone who currently weighs much more than you. What works for my weight now may not work so well for you. You are almost already at my goal weight! Are you really shooting for 140lb?!

Thanks again Jen! I was 150 lbs one year ago....it's a size 6 for me...I'll admit, it is quite thin for my frame (large)...and I prolly look about 125 lbs...but I feel my best between 150-155. At 209.4, I'm a size 16...so I have lots of muscle under all this FAT! haha!

Update: Just corrected my weight...not 196.4, but actually 209.4...I write it down and donno what when wrong there, but want to start out accurately!:p

I must chime in here to note for anyone out there wondering about the taste of the fish dishes. Well..I just had the salmon w/spinach quinoa and OMGoooodnessssssss...was it FANTASTIC...and I don't even like SALMON!!!

So far...Although I'm only on day 5, I have received a total of 3 weeks meals (had delay in starting...summer, beach, icecream..haha). Anyhoot, one thing I've noticed is the variety and I am soooo looking forward to the next couple of weeks! My meals arrive timely, frozen (w/dry ice to spare), and well packed. There has only been 1 or 2 meals that I didn't absolutely love or felt I could live without them, but that were tolerable. Those 2 dishes were: turkey w/cranberry and butternut squash (babyfood consistency...blaah), and stuffed french toast (may take some getting used to...a bit soggy I thought).

Elsewise, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the food! I've read all the reviews and comments, but honestly, WHO, unless a CHEF by trade is going to take the time to prepare such a gourmet variety of low cal/low salt/low fat/high protein meals such as these? So what if out of hundreds of meals, you don't LOVE a few? I could live on this food for life...never gettting tired (I'll chime in about this statement in a month..haha).

Ok...so after almost finishing my first week...I have only ONE PROBLEM with the program....I had NO IDEA about this "MY NIGHT" or FREE night...more like FREE to Bistro MD since I'm paying for it anyway! lol! Their website explicitely states 7 day program has 7 dinners, etc. not 6! I think if that is the case Bistro MD should be more UPFRONT about it on their website when checking out.

The reason this peeves me a bit is because, I honestly LOVE this food so much (and I don't even add salt...NO NEED) that it would take great effort for me to prepare a meal even close and it probably won't taste as good:( I don't want to get into eating my favorite foods (jamaican spicey and yes, fatty) for fear of slipping back into bad habits and yes, heartburn:p Maybe I can have a cheat meal after one month or after my first 20 lbs of weight loss, but week one...naaaaahhhh...I'm not buying the whole "this is train you about portions" excuse....I'm well aware of portions and of the fact that I'm eating about 3-4 portions in every order of take out jamaican!...I just don't care when I'm eating that way....for me, I do better if I stick with something I enjoy (especially if it's good for me)...why mess up my taste buds with salty, fatty foods?

Sorry...rambling again....needed a lil rant there...feel better now:)

Have a great weekend all!

I thought it was BS too, at first. And I still feel like I'm paying for something I'm not getting. But I've developed a bit of a backlog of meals, from when I end up out for dinner or lunch with friends (or like tonight, when I fell asleep watching TV before I even ate dinner!). So, I usually just eat one of the leftover meals. I have yet to actually cook a meal for myself.

Ok...after much agony, I SURVIVED my FREE NIGHT! I did wind up having my favorite jamaican dish (curried chix, rice/peas and cabbage) from my fave take out...but I portioned it in my bistro plastic trays...and weighed it at about 14 oz. It was DEVINE! Surprisingly, the smaller portion WAS ENOUGH...and my tummy didn't feel like it was going to burst afterwards...also NO HEARTBURN! haha

My weigh in is tomorrow, so we'll see if it had negative effects on my weight loss. I have a swimming pool and a gym at home, but unfortunately, the only thing that's gotten any use is the pool...couple times this week. I'm really going to have to step up my exercise next week to at least 30 min of cardio 3 times/week.

Anyhoot, back on program this morn with Buckwheat berry pancakes and canadian ham....YUM!

Surprisingly, the smaller portion WAS ENOUGH...and my tummy didn't feel like it was going to burst afterwards...also NO HEARTBURN! haha

I've had the same reaction to portion sizes... and it was smart to use one of the plastic trays to dish up the food! I've been thinking about starting a little collection of them so that I can freeze up my own portioned meals after I go off Bistro.

My weigh-in was yesterday, and I lost 5lb last week. Overall, I'm down 30lb. Dont' really feel that different yet, though some clothes are fitting better. And it was easier to make the 3 mile trek to and from the football game yesterday, up and down hills and stairs.

The football game did kill my diet though. Although it was entirely my fault. This was the first time I totally overate without making a conscious decision that it was worth it. I know that sounds weird, but when I go out to brunch with friends, it feels like I'm deciding "yes, it is worth eating extra because I'm enjoying the food/activity. I'm willing to work harder to burn it off this week." That was NOT the case yesterday. I was disappointed with my lack of will power. I just ate because food was there and I couldn't help myself. I'd forgotten what it felt like to be soooo full. I didn't like it. So, a good lesson and not unrecoverable. I ate around 2600cal, so I'll just balance out the rest of the week.

Best to all!

Today's weigh in: 203.6...WOOOOO HOOO!!! Down 6 lbs!!!!! I didn't even exercise...I think I'm a believer now! I was beginning to wonder that I wasn't even on a diet!:o Now I know how celebs lose weight so easy....diet gourmet food....now all I need is a personal trainer..haha!

Jen - 30 lbs lost...THAT'S INCREDIBLE!!!! You must be so excited...before Bistro MD, I tried my own lil low carb high fat diet....worked out 5 days a week (45 min cardio high intensity) and lost about 1 pound/week!:p Okay...so you have a lil slip up at the game...but the good thing is that you caught yourself, analyzed your behavior and will be better prepared next time. That's half the battle. One of the biggest setbacks on any diet is stumbling and not being able to get back up. So KUDOS to you!

Anyhoot...just finished my morning bagel and creamcheese...YUMMY!!!!:)

Just finished trying the Jerk Tilapia with Yucca (a South American starchy veggy) and peas...Oooooooooooooohhhhhh Myyyyy was it Hmm...hmmm...GOOD! FRESH...FLAKEY...too good to believe its frozen!

I started exercise this week...nothing spectacular....just a 10 min hip hop video which I'm loving...haha! Every week I will strive to add an additional 10 minutes...but its really exhausting...you'd be suprised what 10 minutes of hip hop can do for you!

Still loving this food though...I really have to slap myself every now and again, just to make sure I'm not DREAMIN!:p Well..ok...maybe that's a bit 'dramatic', but I do have to remind myself that I'm on a DIET...I feel so spoiled.

Yay for you Joyful! :yay: I'm glad the weight loss kicked in -- that's great! And congrats on the exercise... any exercise is good exercise. My doctor says the "best exercise is any kind of exercise that you'll actually DO!" :D

Thanks for the encouragment. Knowing I lost 30lb feels good, but I don't really see much change yet. I'll keep on keeping on though. :)

And I'm glad you posted about the tilapia; I was kinda nervous to try it tonight. You must be behind about a week on meals too? I'm glad I have a big freezer!

Thanks for the encouragment. Knowing I lost 30lb feels good, but I don't really see much change yet. I'll keep on keeping on though. :)

We never SEE the weight we lose...OTHER people do though!:p Glad to hear your gonna keep hammering away at it! Over the years I've been down to a size 6 and all I saw was what I could pinch around my midsection. The one thing I learned is to congratulate myself for every achievement...no matter how small...cuz then when I make goal this time...I'll actually be able to APPRECIATE IT! Keep on truckin!:carrot:

And I'm glad you posted about the tilapia; I was kinda nervous to try it tonight. You must be behind about a week on meals too? I'm glad I have a big freezer!

Jen - Haha...yup...I'm a week behind:p I ordered early before the holidays, but didn't actually start the diet until 1 1/2 weeks later! Had to get in my last trip to the beach (which means FROZEN CUSTARD) before I started my diet..lol!

Started a new past-time...Walking my dog!!! It's been great for the both of us. He's a 90 lb German Shepherd (1 yr old)...so he's not been "walkable" in the past. Surprisingly, he's a dream to walk now...and I feel protected while I jog/walk. I've been doing 45 min to an hour and we both love it!

My weigh in is Mondays...but I can already tell I dropping lbs/inches extremely FAST! My pants are fitting loser and the mirror clearly shows a thinner me..even my 11 yr old daughter notices (and she's brutally honest..lol).

The food continues to "thrill" me and I must also say, the customer service at Bistro MD is really GREAT! They've resolved my issue with the "free meal day" and was very courteous about it. I couldn't be happier with the program. My fourth shipment just arrived yesterday and two of the meal trays were cracked and broken (in transit), so I've contacted BistroMD for a replacement. I'll post an update, but given Customer Service past performance, I do not anticipate any problems.

This morning was a cup of protein hot coco and choco-chip muffin...YUM! Can't wait for LUNCH!:)

Hey Everybody. I'm brand new here and started MDBistro about 5 days ago. Waaay better and more filling than Jenny Craig. I think half the reason these are so filling is because most of the meals aren't all pasta dishes like many of Jenny's are. BistroMD seems to plump up the meals with lots of veggies and larger portions of meat. Jenny Craig is mostly a little handful of bland pasta. I'm finding this far easier to stick with because the meals are filling and you don't feel as cheated after you eat and you do with other diet meals. I've only been at it for a few days but I haven't been hungry at all.
But oh gag! Most of these snacks are pretty lame. I'm thinking about canceling the snacks and doing my own..but I really prefer individual sealed bags. If I have bigger bags left unopened, I'm doomed. Those of you replacing the snacks...what are you doing instead?

I think I'm opting out of the turkey though. The first turkey dish I had was disappointing. Do the turkey dishes get better?

So far I've only had 1 meal I really disliked with Jenny I hated most everything minus the Chicken Fettuccine. I think I might actually be able to stick with this one for 20 lbs! Woot Woot!

30 lbs! Way to go Jen! Was the lost all on BistroMd and how long did it take you? If you already answered this, sorry for asking again. :)

Oh another interesting thing I find about this diet..is the lack of rich chocolatey desserts and snacks...well I did get one. This was a disappointment to me, but now that I think of it..it's probably a good idea. I really believe, half the reason I muck up diets in the past like weight watchers and jenny craig..is those sweet, semi satisfying chocolatey desserts. Those tiny little chocolates snacks, just make me crave more chocolatey desserty snacks. Chocolate is like crack to me..I get a little taste of it and I'm craving more. Maybe without getting a small hit off the chocolatey crackpipe my sweet cravings will go down a bit? So far, I don't seem to be fiending so much for sweets. (knock on wood).

We seriously need to all write BistroMD a "Down with the Brocolli Puree" letter. wtf? It's so nasty! lol

Welcome Super Curls!
Totally agree about the broccoli souffle stuff - just put a batch down the drain tonight in fact! I had to seriously hack the turkey dinner - souffle replaced with frozen broccoli, and I picked through the veggies to keep the sweet potatoes, but ditch the parsnips. There are only a couple of meals that I really dislike, most have been great!
It took me about 6-7 weeks to lose the 30 lbs. BUT I started at 288lb, so 30lbs is only like 10%! I wouldn't expect the same time frame if you weigh less to start with. And, yep, it was nearly all on Bistro. The portions, type of foods, and cutting out fast food have worked so far.
I think the food is filling too - I'm hardly ever hungry. I've also been trying to time my snacks/meals so that I'm eating every 3-4 hours. I snack on all the things I miss when I'm confined to frozen foods - apples, bananas, carrots, salad, hummus, nectarines, grapes, celery. I also eat things like rice cakes with peanut butter and I break big bags of POPchips or Pirate's booty into individual servings. I aim for snacks that are 100-150 cal, just to keep from feeling hungry. I've been averaging around 1500cal a day.

Joyful: Good for you - walking all the time! I have a german shepard too! She's a little under a year and around 80lb. Never thought I'd have a dog that big, but she was too sweet to pass up! And I agree Bistro has great customer service - called a couple of times and got immediate help. I just have to remember to call before 5 EST, I'm still at work out here on the west coast!

Oh, more snacks... I've been eating string cheese for the protein boost. I love a big batch of the Light microwave popcorn. The orville Reddenbacher Light is around 100cal for half the bag! And for chocolate fixes I eat around 25 dark chocolate M&Ms or a chocolate pudding cup or Drumsticks makes a Lil'Drum that is 135cal for a mini icecream drumstick!

I posted some snack ideas I found or use on my blog...
Cheers!

It's my Weigh In DAY and I'm down another 3 lbs!!! So far 9 lbs in 2 weeks..Woot..woot!!:carrot: This is CRAZY!:dizzy: Almost truly too good to be true...

Welcome SuperCurls!!!:)

BistroMD seems to plump up the meals with lots of veggies and larger portions of meat.
This ^^ is SPOT ON!

Those of you replacing the snacks...what are you doing instead?
I don't buy Bistro's snacks, instead I eat 1 piece of fresh fruit, an Atkins choco-peanut butter high protein bar (yum and satisfies my need for choco-crack..lol), and if I'm hungry late eve (my weakness in my past mickey dees life), I just snack on raw cucumbers...ummmm...love em and they you can eat a whole cuke for about 35 calories, 26 oz (1 serving) of mixed nuts, and also light activia yogart (key lime..ooohh so good).

I think I'm opting out of the turkey though. The first turkey dish I had was disappointing. Do the turkey dishes get better?
Yeah...I have to agree with you on the turkey dishes, especially the one with spinach mixed in...I think it's called the "light Turkey Meatloaf"?..blaaaahhh, but I did try the bacon cheeseburger turkey meatloaf with yucca fries...that was kindy yummy:)

I really believe, half the reason I muck up diets in the past like weight watchers and jenny craig..is those sweet, semi satisfying chocolatey desserts. Those tiny little chocolates snacks, just make me crave more chocolatey desserty snacks. Chocolate is like crack to me..I get a little taste of it and I'm craving more. Maybe without getting a small hit off the chocolatey crackpipe my sweet cravings will go down a bit? So far, I don't seem to be fiending so much for sweets. (knock on wood).

We seriously need to all write BistroMD a "Down with the Brocolli Puree" letter. wtf? It's so nasty! lol

YOU NAILED IT AGAIN...spoken by a fellow Chocoholic! That's why I think the Atkins choco-peanut butter bar works well...it's got about 18 grams of protein mixed with the carb...so must make for less of blood sugar spike. In any event, it satisfies that choco craving

I have a german shepard too! She's a little under a year and around 80lb. Never thought I'd have a dog that big, but she was too sweet to pass up!

Awwwwhhh...you've got a widdle baby boo too that weighs almost 100 lbs! haha!! Mine used to be an ankle biter...he'd wait until you were about to go down the stairs and BAM...nomnomnom right on them ankles! He just turned a year old July 17th and I am finally starting to see some of the little KID leave him...although...he's still mostly a child..but he is getting better. Can you walk your dog yet...or is he/she walking you? Mine walked me for a while, so that's why I stopped taking him out and just let him go in the backyard..haha...he was getting too strong and well quite frankly, it was embarrasing being walked by your own DOG!!!

Update: Just heard back from Bistro regarding those damaged meals...and replacements are being shipped with this week's order. BEST customer service EVER!!!

So do you think it's safe to snack on celery or carrot sticks when you've used up all your snacks and meals in the late night? Today I've been hungry more than usual. Snacks are gone and after I eat my dinner I know I'm gonna be starving late tonight.

Strawberry shake is kinda yucko and totally didn't feel me up at all. :mad:

Started my period and am down 2 lbs! That NEVER happens. I always gain on my period. Woohoo!

Thanks for the snack tips! I think I'm going to cancel them and get my own. I just have to be careful not to keep too many extras on hand..because I know I will cheat knowing that I have plenty. It's much easier to stay on track when your mind is ticking..if I eat an extra bag of snacks..I'm going to be short this week!

Oh I have so little resistance to temptations.....

Celery for sure is a freebie - you'd get sick before the calories really mattered. Carrots have some calories, so i wouldn't eat an entire bag or anything. I really like the freedom to pick some of my own foods. You could make your own little schedule for snacks, just like the menu. That way, there's still a limited number of items. I do try to plan ahead and only buy what I need. I've had to really cut back at the grocery store. I'll buy like 1-2 apples or just 1 banana at a time instead of what I normally got (like 4-5).

Just tried the new breakstone cottage cheese singles w/fruit...OMGooooodnessss!!!! It's a terrific snack and only 100 calories! I've only tried the pinnapple so far...but gonna get more next shopping trip. 8grams of protein, but it does contain high fructose corn syrup (only downside...I guess), but I love it and for only 100 calories...it's a newbee for my snack list. Just thought I'd share. Have a great week all:)

2 words....



LASAGNA ROTALLINI...


YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYY

Dinner was great! Remind me again...am I on a diet?:p

I really NEED to start a BLOG!!!:p

Anyhoot...just an update. I've been doing GREAT with all the bistro foods, feeling slimmer, skin looking clearer, sleeping better and I now have a renewed ENERGY.

I've been walking my dog locally last week, but this week I've started something new...I've been taking my doggie to the park and running for 30 minutes. I'm really NOT a runner and at first got out of breath at 30 seconds then walked 2 mins...then 30 secs running. Well, it is now Thursday (my 4th running day) and I'm proud to announce that I'm up to 2 mins running, 1 minute rest, etc. My goal is to be able to run for 30 mins straight without walking. My dog really helps me (when, of course, he's not chasing squirrel..lol) stay motivated, cuz every morning, he's looking at me with this longing sweet face like...ok...I'm ready for my run now! How can I say NO to a face like that? I just can't so even when I feel lousy I take him to the park and after a few minutes....I'm in the zone!

Hope everyone is doing well and staying on track to a healthier YOU!:)

Ran 3 miles on track today w/no Doggie! Life is good!:) Up to 3 minutes run, 2 min walk and repeat....took 45 mins...then cool down and stretch...

I'm really amazed at the increase in my energy...I may actually be able to run a 5K by December! Tonight's my "FREE NIGHT", but instead I'm keepin it Bistro MD and having the Salmon...nomnomnom...yum yum...one of my fav dishes! It's been 3 weeks and so far I am really LOVING this BistroMD. This morning I tried the Sweet Potato pancakes with turkey sausagee...oh my was it GOOOOOD...better than anything I could have ever made....and certainly better than Mickey Dees....that's probably why I don't really WANT a FREE NIGHT away from my gourmet food. But..it is NICE to know that I can take a free night should I never need one (i.e. dinner with friends, missing a favorite food, etc.)

See ya all on Monday...that's my weigh in day...lol!:p

How do I start a blog...I really need to...I hope all my rambling here can help someone though...

Hi all! Weighed-in today and I'm down 3.5lb for the week! YAY! That's a total of 33.5lb in the last 2 months. Not tired of the food yet and there are still a few meals that are new to me... can't wait to try them. Veggie chili today - which I love - and Morrocan chicken for dinner. Made my own breakfast (don't really like the muffins too much) of english muffin, deli ham, cheddar and apple slices for 260cal! Yum!

Way to go Joyful with the exercise!!!! That's great! That's the one area I still need to work on...

I'm going to have to stop the BMD program for now unfortunately. Disappointing but true. I'm so glad it's working for you ladies but for me it's not doing anything except draining my wallet. I love everything about this plan and I wish I didn't have to stop it but without seeing any results, the money just isn't worth spending. I am planning on getting all my blood work done and working my endocrinologist again to see if there is something even more wrong with me than before. Then I will probably try south beach induction until I can get my metabolism going again and then hopefully come back to Bistro after that. I'm pretty bummed.... I know it's not BMD, it's my stupid body chemistry. I'll miss it and wish you guys the best of luck. I hope to come back in about a month. I still have next week's delivery and a few weeks of no carbs before I can restart. Good luck all!

I'm in TOTAL SHOCK RIGHT NOW! It's my weigh in day and I'm only down .6 lbs!:( AND...I ran 6 days this week? AND...I skipped my "MY NIGHT"? Hmmmm....oh well....but didn't think I'd hit a stall so fast? AND...it's not even that TOM? Like I said...SHOCK!!! Maybe I'll try adding my MY NIGHT (ergo Jamaican food) this week and see if that shakes things up a bit.

Jen - Woot..woot...Congrats on your 3.5 lb weight loss! Glad to hear your back on track. 33.5 lbs is nothing to sneeze at....especially for 2 months worth of work..that's nothing short of AMAZING! I'm hoping for that kind of success...keep it up...you motivate me!

cherrycolor - I read your blog, and well, sorry to hear about all of your obstacles, but really happy to see you sticking it out in your battle! As I just found out this week....it is truly dishardening when despite your best efforts you see no or very little progress! But this is a life-long battle, so we must stick it out and continue the fight for our health, for without that we have nothing anyway! Hang in there:)

I'm still hanging in there. Crazy busy the past two weeks or I would have checked in sooner. I've been on Bistro for four months now. Their customer service is incredible. The problem I am having here lately is that I am getting almost the exact same food week after week. :(

Lately I open my box only to find the same food again and again. Its wonderful food, but after a while, it gets old if it's the same stuff. I love steak and lobster, but if I had it every week, I would probably not love it so much anymore. I will maybe get one or two different ones each week, otherwise the weeks are exact repeats. It's been 5 weeks of the same food basically. I asked them about 6 or 7 meals that I hadn't seen in a while (was looking over older menu's):

Santa Barbara Chicken
Stuffed Cajun Chicken
Blackened Chicken Breast
Teriyaki Chicken
Chicken Cordon Blue
Chicken with gravy and black lentils
Bali Chicken

I was told that they are probably gone for good (not sure if they will come back she said). Darn....I like this food a lot, but I really wish there was more variety (there was when I started). I had to add the chili's back (even though they bother my IBS) just to get more variety! I'm noticing that they only seem to have about 12 lunches and 12 dinners tops (I don't get their breakfasts or snacks). I guess with them no longer having Biggest Loser, some changes have been made. I thought there was more of a rotation, but I'm noticing less and less selection. Shoot......

I'm going to keep trying to hang in there. I may try something else for a while just for a change of pace, and come back to Bistro. We'll see.

Lisa I am also noticing the same thing. At first thought it was just me. Under the Biggest Loser Meal Plan I felt like the variety was greater. After switching over I didn't see any major additions show up (i do not include Mushrooms so that may exclude alot of meals) but regardles started to get bored and weight loss for me with Bistro hasn't been so great. I was averagiing about 4-5lbs in month and I weigh in at 240sh. With Diet-2-Go I did it for 10 weeks lost 19 first month and I think another 5 the second month. So time for change for me. I just drafted an email and and sent it off to put my account on hold. I may try DTG again but this time not the Low Carb plan. Or I may try Seattle Sutton or even consider Biggest Loser under ediets. I will let you know which route I choose. I too may return later to Bistro but just now I think I need the break.

Hey Tzoavva! Good to see you! It's great to know that it's not just me. I thought the same thing too. I thought maybe it was just me being on this too long, and getting sick of the food. I was sure there was more variety when I started on Biggest Loser too. I had to go back over my old menu's to see that it was not my imagination. You know I have to be honest in saying that I went to Ediets Biggest Loser site, and the food looks incredible (and I do mean incredible)! I wasn't expecting that. I mean downright yummy looking. What I could not help but notice is that they have 30 dinners and 30 lunches! That's a lot of choice!!!!!!!!!!! You can pick your meals every week creating your own very specific variety for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I like that.

They all look so good. There were only one or two that looked like food I would not want to eat due to my personal taste. That's the variety I wish they had here darn't! Not only that, but their breakfasts look really good! That chicken apple sausage they put in many of the breakfasts looks incredible! I remember Aidells Chicken and Apple Sausage, and wonder if that's their supplier. God I loved those!

God I am so torn here. The only bad thing is that you cannot drop something like snacks or breakfasts. You can throw it away or do whatever with it, but they send you the whole program (breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack) so there is no further discount to drop something. They did offer me a 10% off for the life of the program if I wanted to sign up (she said it is a promotion they have going on right now), so I am leaning in that direction for now. It's cheaper and I would get all meals and snacks, and not really have to buy anything else if i didn't want to.

I must admit that some of the breakfasts would probably be eaten by me as they do look pretty good, and others I could pawn off on my BF or something. I am not so interested in the snacks at all. They do look very healthy, and good for people who do not want any sweets in their diet, and love nuts and dried fruit (lots of pumpkins seeds and trail mix stuff). I would probably still have my cup of cocoa at night or one of those scrumptious Chocolate Strawberry or Chocolate Mint Zone bars instead (can't be without my chocolate)!

The thing that has me worried is that they use regular gel packs (and of course they swear up and down that they have no problems with that system). I have serious doubts about that when I have had a few near misses (and one full blown defrost) with Bistro who packages stuff very well, and using the best method which is absolutely dry ice. They are also not as friendly there. I have to admit that their reps are not very warm and bubbly if you know what I mean (and I've called now twice in two weeks). I am seriously considering giving them a try since fall is here. I would only do this one during the fall and winter, and then maybe switch back to Bistro for the spring and summer depending on what my situation is at the time. It is getting cooler here now. I am going out of town this weekend, but when I get back, I think I will switch for a bit and just see what it is like. If it disappoints me, I know I can go back to Bistro. I thought about jenny Craig again too, but they have the worst variety of all. I always die on that one. Its great if you love soup soup soup soup soup (though the french toast and the desserts were always wonderful)!

I'll let you know how I make out! :)

JOyful - Sorry to hear you had a tough week! I had a no loss week recently, so I know how you feel! Hang in there and keep on track - I bet you do great this week.

Lisa and Tvoavva - Do you have a lot of options turned off for meals? Over the last 7 weeks, I've gotten 23 different lunches, 23 different dinners and 15 different breakfasts. That's with shellfish turned off. I'm not tired of them yet, but maybe someday... Let us know how the other plans turn out -- would be nice to know about alternative, just in case!

I have certain meals turned off that I honestly can't eat, but when I look at the meals I have been personally given over the past 5 weeks, and add up the meals I have turned off, I still come up with 12 or 13 options including the ones I have turned off. What matters to me is that I am still getting the same variety of lunches and dinners irrespective of the meals I have turned off. This is every week. This has been my experience. It is what it is. It's what I have experienced, and I have been on this program for a little over 4 months.

I think we need to share honest feedback out here good or bad (whether it jives with someone else's experience or not). It doesn't lessen the credibility or reality of our feelings or our experiences. I notice some people who are missing in action, and that's probably because they are leery of coming out and saying anything negative. This is not a sale site so please share! It's vital that we all feel comfortable enough to share out here good or bad, otherwise I would not be interested in coming here anymore for honest feedback. I've been getting the same menu for weeks and weeks. If I am to do the math and take what I have as "turned off" meals, and take what I have been given for the past 5 weeks, I come up with about 12 meals for lunch and 12 meals for dinner or close to it give or take a meal here and there. Too many meatloafs and chili's for me (I also notice that the chicken seems tougher lately as if maybe there is a new supplier or something). I have meals building up in my freezer that I just can't look at anymore. If you love meatloaf and chili, I am sure you are indeed getting more variety. I've never seen so much meatloaf and chili on a meal plan before in my life. If you are getting the variety you need, God bless.

Oh and Tzoavva one other thing that was a bit encouraging about the new Biggest Loser. They have 4 warehouses that food is shipped from. My closest center is only a state away, so I may be only dealing with a one day transit time, which would be a great change of pace for me (and make up for the fact that they do not use dry ice)!

I'll let you know how I like the program. If it's awful or something, I will be back. I must say that their food looks truly incredible, and exactly the kind of food that would be less likely to put me off. More fish variety, pork that looks yummy, and more traditional turkey dishes. That was another thing that was making me crazy. Normally I love turkey to death, but I am not thrilled with the turkey here (which I hear a lot of), but I have eaten it anyway. I will miss the lovely customer service people at Bistro very much.

Lisa you hit it spot on about everythiing. I love Bistro don't get me wrong but after the BLMP was abruptly stopped I figured my variety with Bistro would increase. The only item I have turned off is mushrooms and as I said earlier I saw a greater variety the first 5-6 weeks I was on the program when they sponsored the BLMP. I know the variety exists cause they toss one thing here are there that is new but when you get an almost identical menu with just one or two items different you just feel like your getting burned out. If my results were better on the scale I may have decided to stiick it out but I expected better results and I know I was sticking to the program and workinig out to much so all this has just made me feel like it is time again for a change. We pay a good amount of $$ for our meals we should at least be enjoying them not once in a while but more then less. Another thing i noticed last couple of weeks is the seal on the meals are torn. Not sure if this is happening because things are being repackaged in the new box covers or what but one or two at first was OK but this order I think at least 5-6 of my meals were cut open.

Lisa I did JC years ago too and I am not sure if I would do it again to many food not in freezer and made me weary about eating what is it called I think freeze dried or something like that. Anyway I prefer fresh meals that you feel you could have cooked. That is why Bistro has been good to me on that part it felt like food I could cook if I had the time. ediets BLMP looks great I agree the only concern is as you said they don't use dry ice...so summer heat waves hopefully are gone so now may be a good time to try them. I need to find out where the nearest center is. I am in the DC Metro area. Any chance you recall if one is near by? I also looked on the internet to see if anyone had blogged their ediet Biggest Loser Meal Plan experience yet and didn't find anything. Only thing I recall reading is ediets portions are smaller. which is fine with me since I need to eat more then 1200 calaories I will supliment with the snacks that Bistro offers. I thiink I have tracked down preaty much all of their vendors they use. This way I will not miss something I enjoy with them. I am sure after 10 weeks of another program I will want a change again which is what it is all about, eating healty, tryiing to lose weight, not having to cook ....at least for me at this point of my busy busy life.

.......soooo stay tuned for updates. Need to figure when I need to order to have it come riight after my final bistro box arrives next week.

Hey Tzoavva, I think you may be in luck. I was told that mine would ship out of their NY warehouse (I'm in PA now). I would never do this program in the spring or summer, but I'm thinking like you are right now (perfect time to try this as we sail into fall and winter). They are offering a 10% promotion right now, which is perfect timing for me.

I think the rep said that you need to let them know of any changes by Friday at noon for the following week. She said that if I decided to join this week BEFORE Friday, I would get a shipment next week for sure (either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday). Once you are a member, you can make changes as late as Friday. I told her that I already have so much stockpiled food (have yet another order coming already tomorrow), and that I would not want a delivery until the week of October 11-15th. She said they could arrange that without a problem, and hold my first shipment until that week (you can choose to have it start when you want it to). I already let Bistro know Monday that I do not want a shipment for next week, so I am squared away there (though I will need to break the news that I have to put things on hold for longer). Today is the cut off at Bistro (Wednesdays) so if you want to start Ediets for next week, you would need to contact Bistro right away to stop the order from coming next week and them billing you this week, and then contact Ediets to make sure you get a shipment next week.

I've just got so much stockpiled food now. I can't look at half of it anymore. I'm so burned out. I wish I could hold out a while longer until the weather really cools off completely, but I just can't keep going with this same food or I will lose my mind. I guess I will just have to brave it with the gel packs and hope for the best. If its a disaster and the food only looks good, I know I can always switch back. I do remember doing Purfoods which is owned by the same company, and their chicken was the best chicken I have ever tasted of any diet. Very fluffy and fresh. Sounds like this is their most gourmet offering of all three diets. The food really does look outrageously delicious. Only a couple of chili dishes, and maybe one or two meatloaf dishes with the kind of variety I need.

A warning though. They are not warm and fuzzy like Bistro. Not particularly friendly. I was a little put off by that, but not enough to have it be the deal breaker to at least see how I like the plan. They also do not cater to allergies and stuff like that, so if you don't want mushrooms, you have to see which dishes have them and not order them or pick them off. I was blown away by how scrumptious the food looks, which is why I kept finding myself going back there. I can be brutally honest because I don't think there are any interns out here to shoot me down.......yet. You will know when you get one because they suddenly need to make a disclosure after everything you say to let people know that they may not experience the same thing (like we wouldn't know that on our own, or that this person is simply sharing their experience that may differ from our own). I can make up my own mind, and am grateful for honest feedback! lol!

Anyway good luck Tzoavva. I will keep in touch and let you know how I make out on this. I will probably come back to Bistro anyway. Just not right away!

Editing to say that I just signed up. I found out that you can pick your own delivery day! That's awesome. You can pick either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday each week. I asked that question for you, and the rep said that if you live in the DC area, your shipment would also come out of NY. You can change your delivery day at any time if you find that another day would be better for you. I hated to make that call to Bistro, but I did and they were so sweet. They totally understood, and said that they have about 10 or 12 new meals coming within the next couple of months (they have been hearing the outcry, so we are not alone or imagining a thing my friend)! I am pretty sure I will be back eventually to try the new foods when they finally do come out and circulate. I love Biggest Loser's little interactive tool where you choose which meal you want, and save it until you get your whole week set up that way. It even tells you in red, the cutoff date for the order you are setting up. Excited! Please note again that their customer service leaves a lot to be desired. Asking simple questions is like pulling teeth. If the food is really good, I can live with this aspect, but I won't like it (and if you are asking a consumer to pay over $600,00 a month for food, you should be prepared to answer questions). Good luck to everybody no matter which plan you are doing. I will pop in and let you know how I make out (and you can count on me for honest feedback when I do)! The good...the bad...and the ugly! :)

Lisa thanks again for the valuable info. I actually emailed Bistro last night to put a hold on my order till further notice so this weeks shipment is the last one for the time being. I know I will come back but just need a change. So this weeks shipment will put me thru all of next week. I have company comming over at the end of next week (for a week) so was goiing to take a brake a week and start ediets. Since the special may go away I will go ahead and register and have the shipment sent next week and freeze it. I don't want to delay the delivery to the following week because I may be touring my freinds around and don't want a box to show up while they are here. So I will get one week and then pause it one week. Once they leave i can start right away and make sure I have another one rolling in right behind my guests departure. So technically Lisia we will start the same week only my shipment will be from the week before. I figure on week two we should be on the same cycle and can share comments. I will create an eDiets thread on here and start posting there since it will be more geared to anyone interested in finding out about their plan.

So for now I will still read this thread but don't to disrepect the intention of this one. I love bistro just need a brake and I will be back that is for sure. I will miss you all...good luck on your weight loss and take care for now. Lisa hope to see you on the ediets thread.

I think we need to share honest feedback out here good or bad (whether it jives with someone else's experience or not). It doesn't lessen the credibility or reality of our feelings or our experiences. I notice some people who are missing in action, and that's probably because they are leery of coming out and saying anything negative.

Lisa, I imagine this is directed at me and I'm sorry if you misinterpreted my questions. I honestly wanted to know if you had a lot of options turned off or not... It was in no way intended to minimize your feelings. We all have different tastes and different tolerances for foods. I agree that you should definitely be able to make those comments and I imagine they are helpful to some people. By the same token, I should be able to express my experience with the program without suffering any backlash. I hope you find the next program more palatable -- best of luck to you!

You have indeed been very "expressive" Jen (from day one in fact). I remember this only to well, as after I relayed my disappointment over a shipment that came completely defrosted (and another person expressed their concerns over the exact same issue as well), you suddenly appeared on the scene, and felt the need to do damage control and let people know that they should not be scared off by this. That this not may not happen to them (as if they would not have known this on their own)! A disclaimer was insulting, and rather unnecessary.

I think it's a given that we are only giving our personal opinions, and can only speak to what has happened to us on a personal level (I think the site already has a disclaimer in place). I would certainly never assume the right to speak for you or feel the need to couch anything you have said. I would never feel the need to put out a disclaimer after you have "expressed" something that wasn't robotically cheerful and perfect. You see I would find that to be rather rude, and so I would not consider doing this to you or anyone else. I would not want you to feel uncomfortable about coming out here, and expressing yourself fully for fear that your personal experience will be analyzed, or have disclaimers put out on your behalf. I do not have a vested interest in the company, and can't imagine why anyone would take anything we say out here personally enough to feel the need to do that. I would see this as honest feedback from real clients who are going to share the good, and the bad. I've had lots of positive things to say about Bistro out here (and in fact some have signed up with the program because of those positive comments because they have told me as much).


Then after a couple of us came out recently to express our concerns over the fact that we are getting the same food week after week, once again you were indeed very "expressive" and "helpful" Jen. Maybe the problem is with the foods we have turned off. You should feel very positive as you have indeed been very free to "express" your feelings. You are quite "expressive." I hope you continue to do so. You are doing an excellent job for Bistro. I am sure that people will feel confidant in expressing any issues they may have with the program, with you around to assist them. You make a wonderful cheerleader. I'm sure I will be back as Bistro has such wonderful customer service, and the people are lovely (Ediets is known for their horrid customer service as found by looking through older threads...if they are still out here). Good luck to you as well. Enjoy, and have a wonderful day! God bless. :)

Beef Tips in Red Wine Sauce - Simply one of the best MEALS (not to mention diet food) that I've ever eaten!!! YUM!

Wow....this thread hasn't seen this much action in a minute!:o Sorry that the program hasn't worked out for some. Please let us know how this new Biggest Loser diet plan works out. I checked it out, but I'm still in the "loving Bistro MD cheerleading squad"!:p

Personally...I'm on week 4 and I've been astounded at the variety, but then again the only thing I have removed from my meal plan is eggs, so that could be the case with the limited meals. In any event, this diet is quite expensive and I agree that you should most certainly be HAPPY with the foods, whatever your restriction.

I agree with all about Bistro's customer service...its A+ and for me, that counts for alot. If I have any problem, Bistro corrects it with no questions asked....a package arrives damaged, they send replacements stat! They even allow you name your favorite dishes so that they will ship more of those foods to you. I could go on and on about the quality of their foods and the healthy sized portions (I love to eat...obviously:p)

One last thing, I've noticed that since I've started exercising regularly I've noticed not just the scale moving down, but inches are melting off. Not to mention the overall physical and mental health it has given me.

As far as the food, I feel like a celebrity, like I have an in home chef cooking for me daily. Do I love EVERY MEAL? No...but I do LOVE most! And for the ones I don't absolutely want run red lights to get back home to, they are at least tolerable. I mean...what's the alternative...cook for yourself? Unless you are the galloping gourmet, with a kitchen the size of MTV's Cribs, and 5 frigs in the house, I doubt anyone could store, cook and prepare the variety of foods provided by Bistro MD, not to mention the time, skill and cullinary degree it would take to be able to make that kind of food.

I HATE cooking and for ME, I absolutely love it! That said, if I don't lose at least 10 lbs/month, I'll drop it like a hot potato...cuz I KNOW I'm doing everything I should be to lose the weight (ergo exercising and drinking plenty of water).

I'm so thankful for boards like this where I can get all sides of the coin, but in the end, I believer every individual makes up their own minds...:)

Wow – seriously Lisa? I'm really surprised.
The comment that has you so upset (here) (http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/3446925-post116.html) was purely informational. You indicated you had a problem with shipping and I wanted people to know that I hadn’t. In fact, I even said that people “might not” have a problem to acknowledge the fact that you did. There’s been enough discussion about it here that it would have scared me off of the program before I started and that would have been unfortunate since it has worked for me.

I didn’t “suddenly” appear on the scene – I had been posting for 3 weeks before that date. I’m not a Bistro plant and I have no vested interest in the company. In fact, if you read my posts I think they’ve been more critical of the food than not.

I would never feel the need to put out a disclaimer after you have "expressed" something that wasn't robotically cheerful and perfect. You see I would find that to be rather rude, and so I would not consider doing this to you or anyone else. This is exactly what you did -- the only personal attacks have come from you. While you are vehemently defending your right to express your personal opinion and experience, you’re also attempting to deny me the same right. I made no attempt to put you down or tell people that you were wrong. There was no "disclaimer." I simply stated what had happened to me. As far as I can tell, the only real issue is that my personal experience is different from yours and I “rudely” shared it with others. Kudos, you’re doing an excellent job of creating a forum where others can freely share their experiences – keep up the good work. No response necessary - there's no need to clog this thread up with more discussion.

I didn't expect you to get it Jen. I really didn't. You are a piece of work. I won't be responding to you any further (You are as obnoxious as you are clueless). I gotcha just fine hun (loud and clear the first time).

4 Cheese Ravioli = ECTASY!!! Oh and sweet potato pancakes and turkey sausage = GREAT WAY TO START THE DAY! In the 4 weeks I've been on this program, I've still yet to try the fruit crepes, but they sound devine. The mirror is LOVING me this week, but I feel that my boobies are starting to deflate...lol...this all being a sign that I will be having a swoosh of weight loss this Monday! can't wait to weigh in!:D

Thanks Jen for the encouragement. I've been down this weight loss road before so I know about the stalls, no weight loss weeks, etc., but somehow it doesn't make it any better:( It does help though to hear it from someone who's lost the kind of weight that you have. Keep up the good work.

Hey listen...this program may not suit every person's physical or financial needs, it is simply ONE means to an end. I don't even think I've LOVED every meal I cooked for myself, so I don't have any unreasonable expectations that I should LOVE every meal from Bistro. That said, to each his/her own, whatever "floats ya boat"...do onto others as you'd have them do to you...ok...that's all the words of wisdom I have for ya this morning! lol!:)

NOW...back to Bistro....what's on your plate today? nomnomnomnomnomnomnomnomnom!:p

Thanks Joyful for getting me back in the right frame of mind! I have the Sweet Potato Pancakes for b-fast this morn! That light syrup is so much better than I would have thought... Lunch is Chicken Pesto - I know I have had that before, but I can't remember if I liked it or not. Then dinner is at Oktoberfest, doh! Oh well, I refuse to completely skip all the fun things -- it'll be a good exercise in moderation. I just wish I didn't have to weigh-in tomorrow morning! :o

Thanks Joyful for getting me back in the right frame of mind! I have the Sweet Potato Pancakes for b-fast this morn! That light syrup is so much better than I would have thought... Lunch is Chicken Pesto - I know I have had that before, but I can't remember if I liked it or not. Then dinner is at Oktoberfest, doh! Oh well, I refuse to completely skip all the fun things -- it'll be a good exercise in moderation. I just wish I didn't have to weigh-in tomorrow morning! :o

LOL...you'll do fine....especially after how hard you've worked all week:cool: Enjoy yourself...that's what its all about anyways!:hug:

Hi all:

I'm new to this thread. I just started Bistro MD to help me get back on track after a busy time with work and a friend in need taking up a lot of free time left me with my eating all over the place.

The first meal -- chicken mushroom crepes with sweet potato hash was pretty tasty and filling. I'm not crazy about the snack chip things, so I called up to get snacks taken off. I think I rather eat fresh fruit or veg for snack.

I had no problems with delivery so I feel like it's an optimistic start.

Wish me luck! :)

A.

I'm not crazy about the snack chip things, so I called up to get snacks taken off. I think I rather eat fresh fruit or veg for snack.

I had no problems with delivery so I feel like it's an optimistic start.

Wish me luck! :)

A.

Welcome to the Bistro thread!!!:carrot:

I'm on the 7 day (NO SNACK) plan, so I agree...gotta eat something RAW and FRESH at least once a day!

Some snack ideas from my snack pantry:

Activia light yogart - 60-70 cal.
1/2 atkins choco-peanut butter bar - 120 cal.
26 grams of mixed nuts/seeds - 140 cal.
100 cal pack cottage cheese and fruit - 100 cal.
raw veggies (celery, cucumbers, etc.) - 35 cal.
1 slice of fresh pinnapple (1 cup) - 76 cal.
1 pear - 98 cal.
1 plum - 30 cal.
1 peach or nectarine - 61 cal.

Hope this helps and welcome again!;)

Thanks! That's so thoughtful!

I just had the salmon with spinach and rice -- I don't love dill, but I could just scrape that off.

I'm on 5 days for now since I'm not sure how my weekends will play out, but we'll see over time if I can keep those in check or need structure then too.

A.

Welcome astrophe!
I'm a no-snack person too. I love the snack suggestions Joyful made! I also like those mini 100cal bags of light popcorn, rice cakes with a bit of peanutbutter(120cal), string cheese (80cal), Chocolate Cheerios (100cal) (just as a snack, no milk), bananas (90cal) and those mini Drumstick ice cream snacks (135cal).
Have a good first week!

Ok...so I ran 5 out of 7 days this week...sunday is my day off;) We had so much rain this week, but I braved it all but 2 days. I've stuck on plan and even did 45 on my elipticle this week. I'm going swimming in my pool today and doing some yard work. A bit pooped this morning, so I only ran 2 miles...I usually run 3 miles and walk 1 for a total of 4 miles....but donno what's wrong with me today...just out of it.

Monday's weigh in...and it better be good...especially since I'm noticing every day this week how my boobies are actually deflating!:o haha....I looked at my honeymoon pics and asked my ex-hubby "why didn't I realize how fabulous I looked then?" I remember going on a diet, and I look like a trialathlete! Not even one pinch of fat....all lean muscle and weighed about 150lbs wearing a size 6! I told him I must have had body dysmorphia..haha...saaad, but true:p This time though....I will totally appreciate my new fit and trim body.

I'm on a mission to lose this fat and won't stop until I do...believe this! ok...nuff pep talk to myself this morn. HOpe you all enjoy your weekend!:)

Oh my goodness Joyful. That's so impressive - all that exercise. I might actually be inspired to get out and about myself! :D
I get what you're saying about looking back at old pic too. I wish I could go back and tell my high school self that 160lb is a perfect weight for me. I was always bigger than all the tiny high school girls and I thought I was massively bigger. Wish I had been happy with that weight instead of giving up...
I had a pretty crappy week -- only down a pound! BUT I know why and I think I can fix it this week. I was trying to keep calories lower than normal and I think I overcompensated in the evenings because I was so hungry. Also, my mom made me this apple crisp and I just had NO IDEA how many calories it was. And I ate it anyways, like 5 servings over the last 3 days. Once I did the research, I dumped the rest of it. And I'm more resolved now to really know what I'm eating (especially before I eat 5! servings of it...)
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Good Morning fellow Bistro Buddies!!!:)

Today's Weigh In - 195.4 LBS!!!! Yeahhhhh!!!! Down 5 lbs....how's that for a whoooosh:p

The only thing I did differently this week is I had my delishous fat loaded Jamaican Food on Saturday for din-din. I do watch my portion sizes though. I use the Bistro black dishes to eat out of so that I don't go wacko and eat myself into oblivian!

Jen - that's impressive that you lost 1 lb after your mom's apple crisp (which just happens to be my favorite dessert in all the world - with a lil ice cream of course..lol) Once you start exercising, your body will be a bit more "forgiving" when you have those lil extra treats;) In any event...34 lbs is nothing to sneeze at...

So far for me it's been 14 lbs loss in 4 weeks. Today marks day 1 of my 5th week on Bistro. My goal is to stay on it for 90 days. Yup...it's my own 90 day challenge. My goal is also to get down to 165 by the end of the 90 day period. So...with this whoooosh of weight loss...I'm further motivated to get back on the race track this morning for another 3 mile run 1 mile walk. Can't afford to stay on this diet forever....so I've gotta make each week count!:)

Hope you all have a fun Bistro week!:)

Stoked after this week's weight loss. Did 45 min on recumbent bike yesterday and ran 3 miles and walked 1 mile today! Feeeeeelzzzzz GREAT!:)

Bistro foods not my favorites this week, but still alright...who cares...as long as the scale's moving in the right direction!:p At least I see the Picadillo on this week's menu...that's one of my all time favorites! Unfortunately I'll have to wait to Sunday to eat it..grrrrhhh! Guess it's ok to have something to look forward to though:p

Have a great week all!

Yay! Excellent work Joyful! Way to go! I'm hoping for a better week, but I better get my butt in motion! Your exercising is really impressive.

I had a crappy meal today too. The turkey with pomegranate sauce is not a fav at all. The broccoli souffle AND the funky root veggie (except the sweet potato) are ick. My solution was to take it for lunch and save the better lunch meal for dinner. At lunch, I don't have options, can't leave work... I either eat what I brought or I don't eat at all. I knew I wouldn't want to come home to that turkey dinner... :D Now that would be tough to do for the whole week though!

After my 3 mile run, the 4th mile I decided to sprint for 30 seconds and walk for 1 minute and repeat....LOVED IT!!! Woah does that ZAP your energy though? When I came home, I couldn't get any work done....did something I hadn't done in years...I TOOK A NAP! A REAL NAP FOR 2 HOURS??? lol!

My TOM is due end of this week, maybe that explains the extra tiredness. Think it's about time to start incorporating weights into my routine. Don't know how I'm gonna do this without cutting down my running days. I was thinking Mon - Wed- Sat (running for 1 hr) and Tues, Thurs, Fri (30 cardio on bike or elipticle and 30 min. weights). How's this sound. I don't want to start losing muscle and I think I need to start lifting these deflating boobies of mine!:p Also, I'm hoping that strengthening my legs on my squat rack may help me to become a stronger runner?

Any suggestions?

Jen - When I first started exercising, I was scared too...I was way out of shape...so I started only walking..actually just walking my dog. Then I worked up to 30 sec run and 2 min walk and repeat. Now I'm up to 6 min run and 2 min walk. Just something to keep in mind..I'm sure your Shepherd will thank for you for it;)

Thanks for the suggestion Joyful. It's what I'm been trying to convince myself of... something is better than nothing. It's nice to her someone else agree! I feel like "exercise" should be me walking or running for 45-60 minutes. I can't gear up for that (cause I hate it), so I just don't do it. My goal this month is to walk at least 25 miles. One mile a day. It's something! :D Agree about the weight lifting - I actually investigated doing a few training sessions at the local gym. Still thinking about it. I'm in pretty decent shape for someone who was 100 lbs overweight, but I don't want to lose any muscle.

ALSO, I had a great food day. I love the berry crepes, the turkey bolognese is great and I have the feta-stuffed chicken with veggies for dinner... YUM! Ate cottage cheese with pineapple (Knudsen makes those little snack packs) and chocolate cheerios as snacks (100cal each). The chocolate cheerios are great as a snack - chocolatey without being too unhealthy. I don't like them with milk though!

I feel like "exercise" should be me walking or running for 45-60 minutes.

Naaaahhh...if that were true...I've only started exercising this past week...haha! I started just walking the dog and that was locally for about 30 minutes which goes by real quick when walking the dog. I worked my way up to taking the dog to the park. Then when I got tired of him trying to break away for every squirrel in site, I decided it would be better to walk the track and leave the dog home!:p Oh and KEEP IN MIND I'M TOTALLY NOT A MORNING PERSON!

Then I found out that I actually enjoy being outdoors early in the morn. and the fresh air, birds chirping and running/walking is a great way to clear my mind and start my day. I eventually went out and bought some running gear (ipod arm band, sweat band - Walmart, of course), which I use with my polar heart rate monitor/calorie counter and usually I listen to one of my audiobooks.

Point is....start out slow. Don't worry about how much you can walk or run, just go by your heart rate and how you feel. That's always been the pace I keep....if my heartrate starts climbing over 170's I start slowing down...when it hits 173-175, I WALK...don't care how close I am to my distance goals. This is the best way IMHO to pace yourself.

I love the berry crepes, the turkey bolognese is great and I have the feta-stuffed chicken with veggies for dinner.

You know we eat EXACTLY the same now...we must be on the same week or something....haha! Ya...that's my fav breakfast, and I absolutely adore the feta-stuffed chix...LOVE..LOVE...LOVE IT!!! But my all time favorite is the beef tips in red wine sauce...when are they bringing that back???? I'm just finishing up week 5, but I have already recieved weeks 6 & 7 and NO BEEF TIPS!!!

Ok, just finished running today...6 min run 3 min walk for 4 miles. with last mile walk and sprint. My legs are officially killing me....I'm really tired and just want to curl up into a ball and go to sleep...unfortunately today is 1/2 day at school and have to pick up my grandkids as well...so there goes any opportunity for a NAP:( I guess that's ok, cuz my grandkids keep me going anyway!:)

Today's breakfast was the protein bagel with cream cheese. I bought my own 1.25 oz cream cheese packs (1/3 fat - 80 cal.) and use those. Sorry, but the little 3/4 oz packs that Bistro send is just simply not enough. And for only a few calories more....it's worth it. Strong run today...so good to have protein bagel on run days (note to self:)) Looking forward to today's lunch...one of my faves...Picadillo...YUM! and din din is chicken with roasted apples (never had this one...but sure sounds delish!)

Boobies are deflating daily.....why can't we lose fat from places like our buttocks first...why are the boobs the first to go? Point to ponder for the day.:?:

Today is blaaahhh!:( Weigh in day - only 1 lb lost:( Not shocked though...since my TOM just started yesterday...but still...blaaaah!

Work out 6 days a week, you expect more...hopefully next weeks weigh-in will be a big woooosh! Well, my clothes are starting to feel loose on me...so I guess that's a good sign.

Will run this morning even though I feel like bird poo!

Have a great day all!:)

For some reason I had to choke down today's breakfast - spinach mushroom crepe w/cubed sweet potato? Anyhoot...I should make a note to self that it's lousy to eat this meal 1/2 hr before a run...about the 2nd mile, I started to regret it!:o

Anyways....GREAT NEWS...today, I RAN MY FIRST MILE...NO BREAKS...NO WALKING...RANNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!! YEAHHHHHH!!!! 1 mile in 12.5 minutes...ok..ok...I know time stinks...but I still DID IT!!! Will continue to meet this time all week and hopefully next week's time will be 11.5 minutes!:)

Major accomplishment, cuz when I started, I could only run for 30 seconds, walk 2 minutes, alternate. Today, I ran for 1 mile, walked for 3 min, ran for 3/4 mile, walked for 2 min, ran for 1 mile, walked for 1/2 mile and ran for 1/2 mile.

Given the fact that it's my TOM, and I feel incredibly weak, lousy and just plain blaaaahhhh...I'm suprised to have such a strong run.

Bistro foods are well...good, but I am seeing a little redundance in the breakfasts....kinda getting a little sick of the crepes...may just ask for bagel or pancake replacements for next few weeks.... In any event, I'm losing weight, my energy is high, so I'm truly NOT COMPLAINING!!! haha...especially since when I cooked for myself, I rarely even ate breakfast! Bistro has truly been the BEST thing for my health and overall well-being. So...no REAL complaints.

Donno what happened this morning...but I ran like a bandit!!!:o Ran 1st mile in 10.5 minutes!!! Rest 3 min. Ran 2nd mile straight today...rest 3 min...ran 1/2 mile...rest 1 min...ran 1/2 mile....rest 1 min....ran 1/2 mile...rest 2 min...sprint 45 sec...rest 1 min...sprint 30 sec....whew...I'm tired just writing all this....all in all another STRONG run...could I be turning into a REAL Runner??? Stay tuned...

BTW, had buckwheat berry pancakes...yum..yum...and didn't come back up during my run!:p I've gotta contact Bistro and tell them not to send more than 1 crepe per week...they are "crepe'ing" me to death here!

Hope you all have a great day:)

Just checking in. I am continuing to lose weight. This week is has been slow, but I hurt my foot and couldn't excercise this week at all. So I lost 1.5 lbs this week, but I haven't got a lot to lose, so that's pretty ok. This diet still continues to be rather painless. I got rid of the snacks. I loathe the snacks. I ordered some shakes and bars from dietdirect. I still have a bunch of those hideous soy chips piled up.

I love the Curry dish! I spiced it up with a little more curry and it was really yummy. I found a few more meals that I really enjoyed but I can't remember the name. I love all the fruit crepes! I could eat them at least 3 times a week! The veggy sausage patty is pretty good for being a veggy patty! I am getting a big sick of those BLAND, overcooked "omelets" and bagel and cream cheese day is always kinda boring. These bagels aren't that yummy. Oh god I hate the 2 turkey dinners. I opted one out and they sent me another turkey dinner with a slight variation...both are gross! I'm also not to pleased on days that we just have plain ol' spinach as a side, wish they'd dress it up a bit, because it's so boring.

I might gripe about some of the meals, but on the whole..this is definitely the best DIET MEALS I have ever had and most filling. They do a damned good job disguising some pretty blah tasting healthy foods. These meals are full of high protein and high fiber veggies that I could usually never manage to choke down.

Since I've been on DietMd, I have noticed that I rarely have gas (aren't you glad I shared that with you??) I never have an upset stomach and my cravings for pizza and Thai and Chipotle ect ect have really gone down! My stomach has definitely shrunk because I can sometimes go without eating the snacks and not have my tummy growl.

This is so much easier for me than Jenny Craig ever was! I still do crave chocolate, but not to the extreme that I did before. I do like their chocolate shakes but hate all the fruit ones. Does anyone know if those shakes can be purchased online?

Well there's my update. I am EXTREMELY happy with this diet and really feel that I will without a doubt reach my goal this time around. It's really not a struggle so far!

yaay! Congrats to everyone else who is doing so well and shedding those pounds!

Curls - Glad to hear your loving the Bistro program. 1 1/2 lbs is certainly not bad especially for not being able to work out. Thanks for checking in...it's inspiring.:)

Jen - I "sea" what ur doing here...dropping those lbs on the down low!:p 39 pounds in a little over 2 months??? r u maaaaad!!!!! haha! That's OUTRAGEOUS...I want to be you right now! I'm so hoping that can happen for me. I need to hear about what your doing so I can do it too!:) Anyways...hope everything else is going well for you...congrats lady!

Ok...now off for my 4 mile run!:) Feeling good this morning...hope to have a strong run. Next week going to try running up and down the stairs at my track...gotta keep movin!

Had yet another crepe this morn..(spinach ricotta and veggie patty).....hoping it doesn't try to come up during my run...blaaaaahh! lol Have a great day!:)

Did 4 miles this morning...strong run...felt GREAT!

Breakfast was my favorite...berry crepes and turkey sausage..YUMMM!!!!

Now onto lunch for some turkey/beef chili and it's JAMAICAN FOOD for din din...woo hooooooooooooooo!!!!

Have a great weekend all!:)

Thanks Joyful! I'm down another 3.5 pounds this week. The last time I was at this weight was 5 years ago. And I was at 250 for about 5 more years before that too. Give me another 17 pounds and I will offically be at my all-time low adult wieght. :D yay!
The only reason this is working quicker for me is because I started higher than you! ...in 50 more pounds, I'll be asking you for hints! Right now what works for me is the ready-made food (no need to stop on the way home) and keeping track of calories every day (averaging 1500-1600). It's almost been like a science project for me. So far, pretty painless (knock on wood!) Tackling the exercise issue is next!!
Agreement on the omelets - there is virtually nothing that can be done to make them tasty. The spinach ricotta crepes are much better with a little cheese (laughing cow is especially good) or avocado. I had the chicken burrito bowl today and I loved it! Added a bit of tomato, avocado, and fatfree sour cream.
Glad to hear you ladies are doing well!!

Ooh I had a few new tasty meals this week.The Sirloin Tips and Mushrooms is good and enjoyed the spaghetti squash side. Chicken Arroz was nummers as well. I like the burrito too but added a bit more cumin and salsa that was very low cal. Now that Burrito..I was impressed by how tasty it was..I mean..did you see what was in it? It's like a cabbage or zucchini burrito or something with like 6 beans in it. I am always AMAZED how they manage to trick us into thinking we are eating a regular burrito when its stuffed with crazy vegetables. lol

The meals seem to be either SUPER yummy want to lick my bowl clean or pretty icky and I choke it down..doesn't seem to be much in the middle. lol But for the most part, the best diet food I have ever gotten. I even did the Zone Fresh Food Diet which was INSANELY expensive. I find this food to taste way better and I never was this full or lost weight as steadily as I am on BistroMd.

Jen your weightloss is so friggin excited!! You are definitely inspiring me! Joyful, I need to get some of your energy and work-out. I am soo unmotivated to work-out. You are doing so well!

Those spinach crepes are on my icklist on my profile. I even hate the sweet potatos that they serve with them. Those berry crepes though...I could eat them 4 times a week and be happy. That's one of my favorite breakfast meals.

Anybody have any hints as to how to make the "plain spinach" edible? Any way to season it up?? It's just so gross and SPINACHY. I feel like popeye. My friend who is a personal trainer says all this spinach and fiber is great for keeping our sugar from spiking and really assists in weightloss and to keep eating it...but I really am having a tough time getting that plain spinach and the spinach puree down.

For my free day..I've mostly just been doing a grilled chicken salad and drinking as my cheat. Every time I do. I wake up a lb heavier! Alcohol really does a number on my diets. I have been trying to only do it on girls night out once a week. When you drink alcohol what are you doing? What's the least evil alcohol to drink? I've been doing cherry vodka and diet coke. I prefer cranberry juice and cherry vodka but have been trying to do the diet coke instead...which is a bummer because I have been trying to quit aspartame as well.

My jeans I was wearing before I started are now frumpy and I can wear the jeans that were too tight before. My skinny jeans I can zip..but couldn't possibly wear because they give me outrageous muffin top, but I can zip the suckers again! yay! It's just a matter of time.

Jen - I'm still impressed...41 lbs...holy cow!:o Your doing great...exercise will come in due time:)

Curls - I lol'd at your post....yeah..some of the meals I too just choke down. But I get through it by telling myself, this is healthy, if I eat this goop (brocolli soufle, that is), I am going to get down to my goal weight...then chug!

Well guys...today is absolutely depressing for me. Weigh in day and I'm only down .6 pounds:( This after being ideal on my diet plan, working out 6 days a week hardcore...and generally being more active!!! Good news is that my body fat % went down 2%? Yeah..whatever, with this much weight to lose, I doubt anyone will be able to convince me that I'm just GAINING MUSCLE...right now I have plenty of muscle, it's the FAT I NEED TO LOSE!!!! GRrrrrrrrrhhhh!!!

Ok...I'm fine now...just needed to rant a bit. I'm going to throw myself out the door now and drag my unenthused legs onto the track for a quick run. Have a great day all!:)

Feeling better now...had a GREAT run! I've decided that I will run forever, if only for my sanity! Endorphins are GREAT! Ran 1 1/2 miles straight today...3 minute rest, then 1 1/2 miles, 2 min rest then spints and walking the last mile.....legs and lungs are totally getting stronger. Oh and I think I found out where the weight is being redistributed....MY BUMMMMMM!!!! It puts Jay-Lo to shame now...haha!

*Edit* - Forgot to add...I ran the stairs at the park...3 times up...3 times down....doubled up on stairs on way up...

I like it...and really felt it in my bum and hamstrings. Will end each running session with that.

Take care all!:)

Cheese Tortellini yumyum!

Tried doing a friends copy of "Insanity Workout".
ARE YOU KIDDING ME??
hahahahahahahaha!

I was dieing before the warm-up was done. The people doing the work-out on the CD were actually falling over in exhaustion themselves, sweating rivers and looking like they are going to pass-out and they were SUPER FIT, ripped people!!

Too insane for me. Oh well. I will probably go back to my kettle bell aerobics tonight.

I gotta say....with the exception of breakfast (buckwheat pancakes and bacon), I absoluted HATED today's foods. Lunch was veggie chili which I couldn't even force myself to finish, and dinner was turkey with cranberry..I hate cranberry...the turkey was dry and I'm just plain SICK of quinoa.

Decided to try not running everyday, but to lower it to 4 miles/day 4 days/week and do 20-30 min cardio on my elipticle or recumbent bike, followed by 30-40 min weight lifting (yes, I have my own gym so no excuses for me!).

Was really tired today and napped for hours this afternoon...just feeling blaaah...guess I kinda missed my run...always feel so much better. Ok...off to do my workout. Later ladies & gents (possibly?)!:)

Just wanted to pop in and say hello. I'm one of the old timers on Bistro over a year ago that was grumbling when they changed the menu. I'd lost over 50 lbs, and decided to try some other programs as a change, and then tried to do it on my own. WELL....that didn't work! So here I am back again after finding that 50lbs that I lost :eek: I just ordered tonite. It looks like they've changed alot of the meals since the initial menu re-do, so this will be an adventure.

Don't know if they're still shipping any of the food in the pouches, but for the record, I just opened the pouches while they were still frozen, put everything on a plate, and nuked it. Depending on what it was, sometimes I'd nuke the meat for a 2-3 minutes before putting the veggies in with it. But I'm waaay to lazy to mess with the boiling thing.

Anyhow, good to be back. I'm looking forward to getting rid of some of this stuff I'm lugging around!

Welcome back KLC!!! I'm sure you'll make your goal this time around...I guess we just keep getting better with time and experience! :carrot:

Ok...didn't work out at all yesterday...decided I needed it as a rest day:( Anyhoot...felt a bunch better today and cuz it's raining here in my neck of the woods...decided to do 30 min on my elipticle and 30 minutes on my weight machines....muscles sore...but I feel good! Still miss RUNNING!!! Hopefully, no rain tomorrow and I can go..go...GO!!!

Bistro foods look better today. Breakfast was one of my fav's sweet potato pancakes w/turkey sausage. Lunch is salsbury steak and din din is jerk tilapia...yum!:)

Good thing happen yesterday. My 24 yr old daughter comes over and says..."wow mom...aren't you the skinny one these days" That made me feel better...cuz she's brutally honest! I have to say, the mirror and my clothes clearly show a significant fat loss, donno why the scale is creeping though? Hopefully next monday will be my whooosh...I need one badly:(

Have a great day all!:)

Welcome back KLC!!! I'm sure you'll make your goal this time around...I guess we just keep getting better with time and experience! :carrot:

Thanks! It's good to be back. I'm really looking forward to the breakfasts. They look alot better now than they were "back in the day".

...decided to do 30 min on my elipticle and 30 minutes on my weight machines....muscles sore...but I feel good!
...
I have to say, the mirror and my clothes clearly show a significant fat loss, donno why the scale is creeping though? Hopefully next monday will be my whooosh...I need one badly:(


You probably answered your own question with your first comment. Muscle weighs more than fat. So if you're firming up, it could well be camouflaging weight loss. Some wise old folks around here used to say if you don't like what the scales are saying, talk to the tape. If your measurements are going down, you're going in the right direction, nomatter what the scales say. Congrats!!! Sounds like you're doing great!!!
:bravo:

Welcome back KLC! Best of luck going forward! And you took the words right out of my mouth about the measuring tape -- are you tracking your measurements Joyful? I bet there is a significant change there! I've been measuring once a month.

I'm sad to hear that you don't like the veggie chili - it's one of my favorites! Isn't it weird how our individual preferences can be so different? I'm with you on the turkey though - all the turkey dishes are ridiculously dry. Though I guess that's why they are low in fat! :p

I've been a little off-track the last 2-3 days. Ate too much at mom's for dinner last Saturday, but I was okay with one high day. That blossomed into a repeat on SUnday with leftovers and on Tuesday I was ridiculously focused on munching. Ate an extra 800 calories that day! Though it was mostly stuff like light popcorn, ricecakes, carrots, hummus, (oh, and a portion of apple crisp). So I guess it's improvement from before -- if I'm falling off the wagon eating fairly healthy foods. At least it's not a binge at McDonald's!! :o And I feel better and more on track today.

AND I actually RAN on my treadmill yesterday. I've been feeling a little lighter on my feet and kinda jogging to jokingly "race" to the car with people. So I decided to see what's the fastest I could complete a mile on the treadmill. I eventually ended up switching back and forth between walking at 3.5mph and running at 5 mph, for 1/8 mile increments. It was sort of a revelation that I could even run for that much! It only took 15 minutes and I was sweating for sure. Also a little sore today. I'm sorta excited to try again tommorrow! My issue with the walking is that it takes forever to work up a sweat and feel like I'm accomplishing something. This seems far more effective!

Sorry for the long-winded post! Have a great evening all. I get to try the Chili Verde tonight which is new to me! :twirly:

Hey Jen!!!!

Yah...I've had the veggie chili before and didn't find it this detestable...for some reason all that tomato just got to me this time..blaaah! Anyhoot...I just chucked it and ate a grilled chicken breast filet:)

Oh and YEAHHHHHHHH!!! I'm so proud of you!!!! Woot...woot!!! Felt good, didn't it?? haha! Yah..there's nothing like running to bring out your inner warrior! The first week is tough, especially if you are as aerobically challenged as I was when I first started:p But after that...you get into a zone...a good one and the sense of accomplishment is like no other. I hope you stick with it. I look forward to hearing about your progression. You are going to be surprised at what your body can do and how fast your endurance in running will grow! Just remember, take it slow. What I mean by that is...let's say right now you can only run for 30 seconds/walk 1 min & repeat. Well...don't jump to 1 minute tomorrow cuz you feel you got it in you. Stick with the 30 secs/walk 1 min for at least 5 days before you up your time. This being because it will take your joints longer to adjust to the constant pounding than it will take your lungs to adjust. Hope this helps.

Ok...sorry for being long winded this morn...but I was just too excited to hear about Jen's running. Ok..now...here's where I'm at. Went to a running store the other day and picked up a new pair of running sneakers. BEST INVESTMENT EVERRRR!! My ankles and achilles tendon were bothering me, so I thought maybe trying a better pair of sneakers would help. The guy at the running store was great. He watched me run and fitted me with the perfect pair of sneakers to correct my arches and instep. I've never heard of this brand before, but they were about $100. It's Saucony Progrid Guide 3. While I was there I tried on a pair of the BEST SOCKS IN THE UNIVERSE....I loved them so much a bought a pair (to the tune of $10/pr). They are made by Balega. Believe it or not, they really help with traction when running and are soft and breath easy....I never thought I'd ever pay $10 for a pr of socks...but these are really worth it.

Ran this morning and boy did it hurt!:( Taking 2 days off running was not a good idea. But after the first mile, it got better and by the 4th mile, I was clearly in the "zone". Finished 4 miles in 51 mins. Ran all but 8 min of walking. Back to my old self again. I think the reason why I feel like bird poo when I'm not running, is cuz running works out the "brain/mind" and relaxes it as well. No other exercise seems to do that for me.

Well...till next time America...:)

Hello everyone. I'm Darryl, and I registered here yesterday because I just got my first BistroMD shipment, and this looks like the most active forum on that topic.

So far in my weight loss journey, I've been a classic hopper. I've had several year-long (and successful) periods on NutriSystem, but there comes a time when I just can't look at another processed packaged meal. I had immediate good result with MediFast, but couldn't bear to stick with it for more than a few months. Last year, I treated myself to a months worth of Diets To Go, and I liked it overall, but couldn't help wondering if BistroMD would be even better. So, now's my chance to find out.

So far, my main challenge is the microwave. There's probably a learning curve to heating these meals so they are just right. Yesterday, I put the still-frozen "bangers and mash" meal in my underpowered (500 watt) microwave, and never quite got it to heat through. (And fearing this would be my lot in life, I actually bought a new 1100 watt microwave last night!) This morning, I accidentally overcooked breakfast. (Sweet potato pancakes, thawed in the fridge) In fact, the little plastic syrup container burst open and leaked all over the sausage compartment. Should I have removed that first?

Anyway, I'm sure I'll get the hang of the new microwave and proper heating soon enough,but if anyone has any recommendations or suggestions, I'd be happy to hear 'em.

Hello everyone. I'm Darryl, and I registered here yesterday because I just got my first BistroMD shipment, and this looks like the most active forum on that topic.

Welcom Darryl...lots of good info on Bistro here!:)

So far, my main challenge is the microwave. There's probably a learning curve to heating these meals so they are just right. Yesterday, I put the still-frozen "bangers and mash" meal in my underpowered (500 watt) microwave, and never quite got it to heat through. (And fearing this would be my lot in life, I actually bought a new 1100 watt microwave last night!) This morning, I accidentally overcooked breakfast. (Sweet potato pancakes, thawed in the fridge) In fact, the little plastic syrup container burst open and leaked all over the sausage compartment. Should I have removed that first?

It took me a few days to get it right too;) First, I learned that the meals heat best if defrosted in frig before cooking. In short, I take out the next days foods (B/L/D) and place them in the frig the day before. Then I heat all meals at 3 min. When they are defrosted, the food cooks more evenly and for less amount of time.

I heat the pancake dishes for slightly less time. Usually about 1 1/2 min - 2 min. Yes, I leave my syrup container so it can heat up with the rest.

Hope this helps and welcome again!:D

Welcome Darryl! It took awhile to get the right cooking times for me too. I don't really read the recommendations anymore. I try to always defrost before, like Joyful described. Then I heat for 2 minutes and check it. I can usually feel if the bottom of the tray is still cool in the center OR I stick a butter knife in the thickest part of the food and see if it is still cold. Lunches and Dinners usually need more, so I swish it around a bit and go another minute or two, then check. Usually 3 minutes total does it, occasionally 4. Breakfasts always need less, like 2 minutes. I usually take my syrup and berry sauce out and heat seperately.

If I've forgotten to defrost first, then I normally buzz it for a minute and then let it sit in the microwave for 5 minutes or so to let the heating disperse. Then for a couple more minutes.

Occasionally I'll remove the veggies part way through, before the meat is done, otherwise they get overdone. Depends on the veggie and how picky I'm feeling.

This is what works on my microwave... I always aim low and add time. There's almost nothing worse than an over-microwaved meal! Best of luck on your first week!

Joyful, thanks for the encouragement on the exercise! I was feeling inspired by your posts! :flow2: I'm heading home soon and plan to try it again.

Does exercise make you hungrier? It makes me super hungry. Does that go away eventually??? :dizzy:

Oh, and I'm eating your favorite turkey with cranberry quinoa right now. :eek: I can handle the turkey and quinoa, but WHAT is with the butternut squash glue??!?!

Hmm, I enjoyed the Squished Squash.

As far as exercise, I've been bicycling pretty aggresively lately, and it makes me feel ravenous. I've been trying to tame that by nibbling very slowly on a small number of wheat crackers until the next mealtime. (about five of them over the last four hours.) It's very close to suppertime, though, and I'm eager to get to it!

Jen - Yes, when I started running I got a bit more hungry....especially after my run!:o What I've done is just added some extra protein (3 oz grilled chicken breast). Especially important now since I've finally added "weight training" to my workout regimen. The key adding calories is the "type"...protein..protein...protein! I learned this from my weight lifting days (in 2008).

Anyhoot...Good News (I hope)!!!! Bistro MD has finally added new foods to their menu!!! I received my week 9 package yesterday (even though I'm currently finished up on week 7). There were about 7 new meals included. Some of which look really good, and finally there's a dish with real mashed potato (not mashed cauliflower..lol).

Ok...off for my 4 mile run today. Hoping for an easier time than yesterday. Can't believe it, but I did an upper body workout (weights) 2 days ago and my arms are still killing me. The plan today is to get my run this morn...and do my weights later this afternoon/eve. This should be fun!:p

Ran 4 miles in 51 minutes..woot..woot!!! Much better today...it was a strong run, not agonizing like yesterday. I will NEVER take 2 consective days off running again...or at least until I can run 3 straight miles without stopping. Right now I can run 1 1/2 miles without stopping and speed is getting better (about 10 min./mile)

Weights should be fun today...I'm actually kinda looking forward to it. Like the feeling of sore muscles in my trouble spots. Tells me I'm doing something right!!!

Ok...all things Bistro. Ate Spinach/Mushroom crepe w/cubed sweet potato for breakfast. Ate all the crepe (which actually tasted pretty good), but got full and could only eat about half the sweet potatoes. Tried to eat an hour before my run...and fortunately it did not come back up during my run (sorry for TMI). Looking forward to dinner (my faves...salmon w/red pepper coulis..yum!). Lunch...ehhh..its ok...bacon cheesburger meatloaf..eh...I'll choke it down..haha!

Have a great day all.:)

Thanks for the heads up Joy about the new foods can't wait to see what they are so when I come back to Bistro I can enjoy them. I watch Jen's blog so I am sure she will be posting her packing slip/menu at some point and will see some of the things if she also got them.

Jen if you see this note are you still taking pics of the actual ingreedients list/nutritional info? I enjoyeed seeing it for your new items in the past since I didn't get alot of the items and always wondered if it was because of mushrooms being in it. I would reference your pic and confirm so I knew if it was something I should tell Bistro to include or not :) If you still take the pics hope you post them up for the new stuff. So hopefuly you are still taking pics of the nutritional info.

Tzo - I can't wait to try the new menu! I'm also curious how things are going with e-diets....don't forget to let us know!!!

Ran 4 miles this morning...best time ever...49:43!!! Unfortunately, that "runner's high" was short lived as when I returned home, I learned that my brother is gravely ill and in the hospital ICU. I've got to take a 6 hour drive to see him and so I'm really worried.:(

I hope everyone has a great weekend and appreciate every breath you take as the next one is not promised!:)

Tzo -- I'd be happy to post the nutrition info! I got kinda lazy about it when I started getting mostly meals I'd had before. I'd just reference the old pic -- but it would still be nice to be able to have record of the carb count, fat, sodium, etc for the new ones. Thanks for the reminder!

I had a crappy week as far as lb-loss goes... In fact I gained a pound! :( I had two days where I just kept muching on all my snack foods -- watched more TV this week. Connection? I think so! I was just so focused on the action of eating -- I wasn't hungry. In fact I felt uncomfortably full most evenings/mornings, like I was never really empty of food. This used to be standard opertaing procedure, so I guess that's some improvement - that I felt crappy! Even so, I might have broken even, but I went out Friday night with friends. Had an early sandwich and beer. At like 11pm, we stopped at In-n-Out and I got a burger and fries -- what!?! I think I finally just cracked up after 85 days of this! I don't feel terrible though and I DO feel like I'm ready to handle this week and be more focused. Honestly, the junk food wasn't even that good after the first couple of bites... I guess I learned that, for me, I shouldn't completely avoid the junk or I crack. But also that a little bit will do me. Well, that's my public confession ;) Off to clean out the freezer -- gotta make more room for this new shipment!

Joyful -- Sorry to hear about your brother. Drive safe and I hope things turn out okay!