Hi Everyone,
This is my first post.
I did a lot of research here and elsewhere online (but, believe me, this forum was by far the most educational, as I weighed the pros and cons of each and every home delivery plan out there for a month) and finally decided upon BistroMD. My first delivery arrives tomorrow and I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve, checking the "Santa Tracker" nonstop. It's fun to be this excited.
Anyway, I like to avoid wheat gluten (as I was getting horrible migraines and joint pain a few years back--plus I put on 60 pounds in one year while we were trying to figure out what was poisoning my system), so that has made shopping around for the best home delivery system (or ANY system, really, I didn't feel that it *had* to be home delivery, although I really like that whole convenience factor) quite a challenge.
Every company I emailed for information about their gluten-free menu options (Jenny Craig, Deliciously Yours, Purfoods) took days to respond and either sent me a form letter explaining that my "dietary challenges would make it impossible for me to enjoy their plan" or didn't really know what I was talking about, making suggestions that were not at all realistic or well-informed.
(At this point, I figured, "If I'm spending this much money per week, these folks had dang well better be taking good care of me.")
So, I shot that same email over to BistroMD, figuring I'd get the same level of service, and I have to say that I was BLOWN AWAY with how awesome they are. I received an email within two hours from a registered dietitian who enclosed both a gluten-free menu (with full nutrition counts) and a gluten and oat-free menu, so that I could see my full range of options.
Now, granted, the choices ARE limited when you try to eat gluten-free (I won't get to experience about 70% of their menu offerings), but honestly, that's the case no matter WHO feeds me, ANYWHERE. I always have to limit my options in order to avoid gluten (and believe me, just to stop the migraines, it is worth skipping the pizza I crave), so I'm used to it.
I was just so PLEASED by the response I got--prompt, well-informed, helpful, supportive before I had even chosen to become a customer--that I immediately signed up and then wished that I had emailed BistroMD just two days earlier, so I wouldn't have to wait an additional week to get started (they only ship on Mondays, so that's why my first delivery will be here within a few hours).
Just the idea of having gourmet, prepared, fresh, gluten-free food delivered to me, all in the right portions and glycemic index for me to (hopefully) lose weight and (definitely) get healthier is so nurturing, so exciting to me. I read somewhere--I think here on these message boards--that we need to keep in mind that we're not to compare the costs of these programs (and BistroMD is the most expensive of the bunch; I researched 'em all, so I know) that it's not just food we're buying. It's portion control, calorie counting, preparation, menu planning, delivery... and in this past ten days I've been waiting to get started, I've been watching what I spend in any given day between groceries and takeout and meals in restaurants and drive-thrus and snacks and cocktails... and I think I'll actually end up saving money on BistroMD, once it all comes down to it.
And to not have to worry about "getting glutened"? Oh, I'm in heaven!
I just hope the food is way yummy. I'm so excited. I took my measurements yesterday so I'd know exactly where I'm starting. I have already lost 15 of the 60 pounds I gained while we were figuring out my gluten sensitivity a few years ago, and I'd like to lose 50 or 55 more. But I'm not really driven by the scale. I'm a tall, big girl, so I know I'll never weigh less than 165 (nor would I try to. Believe me, I'm hot at 180, so that's fine by me too). I like to go by my measurements, the fit of my clothes, how easy it is for me to move and live without huffing and puffing. All that cool stuff.
Anyway, I just wanted to post about my already wonderful experience with this company and say THANK YOU to all of you who have posted your experiences with the various companies--as well as the official reviews of these plans by the 3FC admins--because all of you really helped me come to my decision about what I was looking for in a plan and what I could live with, what I should expect.
Honestly, I was not expecting a company to be able to take care of me "gluten-free" after the third or fourth company emailed back with such non-helpful responses to my requests. I had resigned myself to choosing the "least offensive" company and doing all sorts of work, subbing out food items that *my research* had shown would likely contain gluten. That's a lot of work for someone spending so much on a service, right? So, I'm thrilled already. It's a challenge to have dietary restrictions AND try to lose weight at the same time... so, I hope I have a good run of this. I'm planning to do at least two months with BistroMD and I'd like to continue to share my experiences here, as I go. I just think it's really helpful to others who are researching programs, and I know y'all really helped me out!
Okay, so there's my very long first post. Again, thank you. And I look forward to getting to know you all... and I hope getting to share SUCCESS with you as well.
Cheers,
full of grace