So why do millions of folks throughout the world turn to commercial diet systems to prepare and package their food? There is very little science to what NutriSystem, Jenny Craig, The Zone Diet and Weight Watchers do. They measure quantities and package it up. Yes, some measure the glycemic index, calorie levels, etc., etc. If you sit there and measure all these variables you may as well be an accountant as a profession. My grandmother, who was a very wise woman, said "everything in moderation." Now, of course, she said this to encompass everything, not just eating. But she had the right idea. If you eat too much of anything it will cause problems. Yep, you could probably eat too much salad too. (When you’re running to the restroom late at night you’ll know why 
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And besides, commercial diet food has proven to be OK, to barely edible, to ugh, I wouldn’t feed that to me neighbors dog much less my own! So why do we torture ourselves with nasty to blah food when we can make it ourselves?
Oh, weight (pun intended), it’s the convenience factor.
Well, believe it or not, with a little bit of planning and a few hours time you can be your own Personal Chef and prepare your own meals and snacks so you can succeed on your own diet plan (no, lifestyle change!). Seriously, you could do this yourself. You have plastic containers like Rubbermaid and Tupperware. You probably also have Pyrex containers too. Ziplock and Glad have disposable containers and plastic bags. You have all the tools needed. This is in effect meal planning. A topic most people shy away from because they feel it is too time consuming. And meal planning is what we do as Personal Chefs.
One Sunday every other week (or whichever day off you have) put aside 4-6 hours to prepare meals and snacks for yourself. It takes just as much discipline to do this as it does to endure the food you’d buy from the diet systems and you’ll know they taste that much better- and what’s in them! Besides, I’m only talking about making meals, not necessarily snacks. There are plenty of options out there for snacking. They even have specific 100 calorie packages too. Not to mention nature’s prepackaged items like fruit and nuts which are healthy and tasty.
Now we say 4-6 hours when you’re cooking for one. We put aside 6-8 and sometimes up to 10 hours for a cookdate for a family of 4. In the long run it is time well spent for you. Because during the busy week all you have to do is re-heat and eat. Then pop the dishes into the dishwasher.
When you have your meals planned, mapped out for you throughout the week, you’re more likely to stick with it, especially if you enjoy what you’ll be eating instead of dreading it.
Ultimately, if you’re looking to lose weight you’re better off adjusting your activity levels and watching what and how much you eat instead of counting calories. Because counting calories is an inexact science anyway. And do what my Grandmother used to say – eat everything in moderation.
