Diet #14, Diet Chef

Last week, I gained 3lbs. I weighed myself this morning and literally leapt off the scales. 10st 5lbs. I gave them an accusatory look, shook them to check they were working, and then realised that I have only one person to blame. Actually, more than one, a list. Here it is:

Friend A: For having a birthday, and organising a delicious dinner at Aviv. For forcing me to eat three courses, including hoummos and deep fried lamb for starter, lamb kleftico for main course (with chips, not salad), and a chocolate "volcano" for dessert. Delicious, but rubbish volcano, could barely have melted the ice cream on the side, let alone stopped all international flights for a week.

Friend B: For coming over for tea, and only eating one of the delicious cadbury marshmellow biscuits that I so carefully selected for her, leaving me to eat the remaining 15. I couldn't leave them - it would have been too much temptation for this week.

My husband: For not hoovering up all of this food so that I wouln't be tempted.

Diet Guru Lisa Jackson: For making me believe that listening to her cd twice a day and running up a few stairs would automatically make me thin.

I, on the other hand, completely refuse to take any responsibliltiy for this dreadful turn of events. Other than the slight deviations from the diet this week listed above, I have been nothing short of angelic. I have run up hundreds of stairs, and walked for miles. I've eaten salads for lunch, drank americano's rather than latte's, and had virtually no crisps or chocolate.

So with renewed determination, this week's diet is Diet Chef. You may have seen them advertised on television (if not, you can see their ad here). For a little less than £50 a week, they'll supply all your food - breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack. It's carefully calorie controlled, like slimfast, but with actual food - which has the benefits of not feeling so much like you're on a diet, and also not sending out such horribly negative messages to my daughters. The food comes with a diet booklet, reminding you about all the usual things: exercise (do some), water (drink more) alcohol (drink less), eating out (don't), and so on.

 Although they say that all the food is "chef prepared", there's quite a dramatic disconnect between the images on their website, and the food when it arrives.

Their pictures:

 and mine:

However, I reluctantly started this morning with the Granola for breakfast, and it was really good... Maybe this week won't be such a chore after all.