I've wanted to lose some weight for quite a while now (20lbs) and kept going on these "diets" only to cheat the next day practically....so i decided to try one of those popular diets where you buy their food which consists of  breakfast,lunch,dinner and 2 snacks a day

  You also add in your own fruits and veggies. Well, it was expensive and my husband didnt really want me to do it, but i insisted because i thought it was my last hope....

Well i received it in the mail, went through everything with a fine tooth comb and tried the food for about 1 day, dont get me wrong, the food was pretty good , but i was feeling guilty about the expense, thinking i can buy these same types of foods they offer in the store a lot cheaper and so i decided... i'm sending this back! and I did the next day! 

I went  to the grocery store and bought foods that are similar to the ones they offered in their plan and followed the same type of  regimen and this is basically what i did......(first i tossed out the chips and the cookies)

For breakfast I chose either 3/4 cup special k with soymilk , eggbeaters, 1 pkg of flavored instant oatmeal, a nutrition bar,or a slim fast drink (same types of stuff they offered) . 

A couple of  hours later i would have a piece of fruit, or some raw veggies (even a fresh tomato from my garden drizzeled with olive oil) then  for lunch i'd have a salad with low cal dressing with any veggies i wanted with maybe 1/2 can tuna in it or some canned white meat chicken, or a nice bowl of low fat, low sodium soup with a small handful of oyster crackers. 

I even made my own soup by using a large container of low fat chicken stock, adding onions, celery, parsnips, parsley, carrots, zucchini (from my garden), squash, anything kind of veggie you want!even some chicken meat (no skin) if you wanted and seasonings. cook till veggies are tender then i would freeze individual servings in containers and take out and microwave when i wanted soup for lunch or dinner, yummy! just add a salad, or i would have a frozen smart ones or lean cuisine for dinner with a salad or eat a yogurt

Then a few hours later i would have maybe a cup of swiss miss low fat hot cocoa( they had  hot cocoa too), or a weight watchers frozen choco mousse pop, or fruit or a handful of nuts, or a fat free pudding cup.(they had pudding too) I also bought packages of those 100 calorie snacks and would have 1 of those when the craving hit me (they offered little snack bags too) or id pop a bag of lite butter popcorn, 35 calories a cup! i would drink water and made my own iced green tea with lemon and splenda (or hot tea) anytime i wanted!

For dinner i would have soup and salad, or fish and baked sweet potato, steamed broccoli or grilled chicken, or salmon, (just no bread or white potato .....or butter or sugar) or a frozen smart ones with a salad. then later in the evening in front of the tv i eat a snack again.  i also had a note book and wrote down what i ate every day and they suggested some form of exercise, so i also did exercise, i started walking after dinner almost every day.

If i go to a restaurant i can eat fish, or chicken and veggies, and a glass of wine (or 2) i tell them not to bring rolls or butter to the table, but i have 1 day a week where i eat  what i want, like pasta or dessert, even a beer!

I have now started doing exercises like pilates along with walking, i just started my 4th week of doing this and so far i have gone down a pants size (almost 2 sizes ) and have lost 7 1/2 lbs. i'm enjoying walking, feeling lighter, and better overall! someone asked me just the other day...did you lose weight? i just smiled, so if i can do it anyone can, without having to buy those expensive meal plans. it can be done! and i'm on my way to losing those 20 lbs!