FRESH IN PROGRESS - Mary Langford

I'm happy to report that in the three months that have passed since my last Fresh Dining delivery, I have managed to maintain a total weight loss of 28-30 pounds. For someone who has repeatedly gained and lost the same 25-30 pounds her whole adult life, this is nothing short of miraculous...

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As promised, here are some helpful hints for all of us to keep in mind when planning our own eating strategies:

1. Plan ahead. Have healthy-choice groceries in the house. If you know your day calls for a meal out with a colleague or friend, have a low-calorie breakfast at home, like egg whites with fresh veggies and a small portion of fruit...

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Today is March 17th, exactly one year to the day since I began on Fresh Dining. I am THRILLED to be 30 years lighter than I was last year at this time. While I'm not yet to my goal (those old compulsive eating demons still bite me in the butt sometimes), I'm EXTREMELY happy to be where I am, weighing what I do, right here, right now. I LOVE how I look in my jeans, and I'm pretty darn happy with how I look NAKED, too...

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This has been an amazing week. When I began on Fresh Dining, my pants were size 12 (and some of them were too small), and only one of my belts still fit me. I'd gained 40 pounds since our wedding, which had only been seven years earlier, and I was completely disgusted with myself...

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Well, I survived Valentine's Day almost unscathed. My husband knows me well enough to know that had I not gotten chocolates of some sort, I'd have felt disappointed. Fortunately, because he knows I'm eager to reach my goal weight, he only bought me a little box this year...

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How is it possible that the end of January is already upon us? Holy Pete! Where has the time gone?

The year for me has gotten off to a difficult start. To begin with, a very exciting business trip I had planned in early January fell through at the very last minute. Not only was I hugely disappointed, but I'd put my Fresh Dining foods on temporary suspension for my time away, and ...

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Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I for one am ready to bring on the New Year!! I have come so far with my weight loss and have accomplished so much in these past few months. But I am ready to get to that goal once and for all and stay there!! I will blog more, get laser-beam focused like I was prior to Hawaii, and march on to that pre-wedding weight at long last...

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Some gifts do come in small packages! Even Christmas gifts. Like the 29 inches that my waist measured this morning! Not only that, but my belt is another notch tighter. When I began on Fresh Dining, I could barely wear this belt at its first notch -- now I'm up to notch number 5.

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'Tis the season ... not only to be jolly, but to find candies, cookies, pies and goodies at nearly every turn. While I am quite happy to be heading into this holiday season a thin person (thanks to Fresh Dining's delicious foods), I still have a few more pounds to lose to reach my goal. And given that most holiday seasons I put on 5-7 pounds...

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A good test of where I am on my skinny scale is my black Zena jeans. I've had them for 15 or 20 years now. They're tattered and torn and I love them to pieces. When I began this Fresh Dining journey, I could barely get them up past my knees. With every so many pounds I lose, I try them on again, as extra added incentive. Two weeks ago I was able to get them on, up over my hips, but the zipper was not in any way, shape, form or manner going to come together, nor was the button ever going to button.

This morning, I tried them on again and, much to my happiness, I could zip them and button them once more!! Yippee!! Granted, they're still a smidge too tight to be wearing out, but it is great progress. There is definitely more room in all of my clothes, and several of my pants are on the verge of going bye-bye because they're too baggy now. The funny thing about this is that my weight has temporarily plateaued. But I remember clearly from my days on Weight Watchers that this is not at all uncommon. And it's during these times that it is especially important to keep focused and stick with the program. Most likely, I will step on the scale one morning and be down two or three pounds all at once. I am so looking forward to that day.

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I am always amazed when someone says to me, "You're skinny!!" ...

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I remember so clearly stating before we left for Hawaii that it was my intention to lose weight while we were away. I have learned so much on the Fresh Dining program, and while I definitely ate far more sensibly on this vacation...

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Our trip to Hawaii was amazing!! It was wonderful to spend our days relaxing on the white sandy beach of Waikiki, under clear blue skies and a beautiful bright sun. We also spent hours lounging on inflatable rafts in the comfort of the warm ocean, with its waves lapping up against us ever so gently. We were in seventh heaven...

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I am deliriously happy today! As of this morning I am down 26 pounds from where I started, and now only 14 pounds away from returning to what I weighed on the morning I married Sam, April 29, 2000. That's miraculous, especially given all the b-day celebrating that we've done in the past couple weeks. Fresh Dining continues to work, sometimes in spite of me...

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Today was an amazing day!! I got up super early -- 4:45 to be exact. Since I am not by nature a morning person, I stumbled into the shower in an effort to make myself more awake. Afterwards, I ate my Fresh Dining breakfast, dressed, and was headed out the door by 6 a.m. to pick up my friend Carole at her hotel suite in Santa Monica. She's visiting from Massachusetts, and nothing -- nothing was going to make us late for our 10:00 appointment, as it was with none other than Anthony Hopkins!! ...

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Well, I'm finally 50 years old!! I find that completely mind-boggling because inside myself, I barely feel a day past 35. But 50 I am, nonetheless. The big day has come and gone, and I not only survived, but have been having a glorious time ever since. This has been -- and continues to be -- one of the happiest birthdays of my life...

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Today's foods were so delicious, I'd be remiss if I didn't share them here. Every single meal was incredible! I continue to be amazed by the wide variety of flavors that...

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It's amazing what a difference 23 pounds will make!! Several blog entries back I mentioned these goofy little body tests I do to track my progress and inspire myself as I'm losing weight -- my favorite being The Thigh Test. I stand naked in front of my bathroom mirror, feet together, and bend at the waist. Then I slowly...

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Amazing! Amazing! Amazing!

When Sam and I got the news, I nearly dropped the phone. Our dear friend Noelle has made arrangements for us to celebrate my 50th (eeks!) birthday in style...

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I am now more than halfway to my weight-loss goal and gosh, is it ever fun!! Friends and acquaintances have been so complimentary of my new physique -- I've even been accused of having a "tiny" waist!! That's something I hadn't heard in years. But the greatest fun of all is shopping for clothes...

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It’s hard for me to believe this, but in six short weeks, I will be turning 50!! I am frequently told I look years younger than I am, and I’m grateful for that, but the changes in my body are telling...

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Hubby Sam and I have just returned home from a 5-day trip to Cincinnati, where we went for my mom's surprise 80th birthday party. She was not just surprised; it's fair to say she was shocked. She thought she was going to the Community Wellness Center for a little luncheon with her kids & some of her grandkids. But when we pulled into the parking lot with her, she was greeted by over 100 of her friends and family members, who were holding a banner that read...

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A funny thing happened today. My Fresh Dining foods have always been tasty, but the meals lately have been extraordinarily delicious to me. I'm unabashadly enjoying every morsel of every meal (and desserts, too!). So much so that I became convinced that, by some clerical error, I was no longer on Fresh Dining's weight loss program but rather a program designed for people who are simply wanting to eat healthy. So I called up one of the Customer Service reps to tell him of my suspicion that I had been inadvertently switched to a different plan...

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Today was an amazing day. It was my little friend Samanu's 4th birthday. The party began at 11 a.m. at a nearby park and lasted a couple of hours. While I could have easily substituted my Fresh Dining lunch for the delicious Hawaiian food they were serving, the truth is ...

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I am learning a tough lesson about myself. When I don't want to eat something, it's easy for me to say no ... the first time. But when someone is persistent, it's very hard to continue to say no, even when everything in my body is screaming DON'T EAT IT, YOU'LL REGRET IT!!! ...

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I'm getting more and more excited about my weight loss with each passing day. As of this morning, my grand total was 14 pounds lost!! ...

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While I have never actually counted, it's my guess that 3-4 breakfasts per week are egg dishes, and 3-4 lunches per week are salads. Probably because both are full of nutrients and are excellent foods for promotion of weight loss. One might think this menu would get boring...

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I never realized how neurotic I am about certain body parts until I started keeping this blog. Like my thighs, for instance. I have not one, but two tests I put my thighs through when I am losing weight...

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It has been a very long day, so I will keep my blogging brief tonight. I am delighted to report that I lost 2.3 pounds this week, making my grand total weight loss to date 12.1 pounds...

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I've been unfaithful. There. I said it. I didn't think it would happen to me, but it did. I gave into tempation. All the resolve in the world to be totally faithful to my ... (is she going to say husband or Fresh Dining program?) ...

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I have always been a big sneaker. I'd sneak a little bit of this here and a little bit of that there, and before I knew it, five or ten pounds would sneak onto my body. I don't know who I thought I was sneaking from...

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I have this crazy ritual. Each morning, as soon as I wake up, I run my hands over my tummy and my hips to see if they seem any smaller...

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My friend Darwyn and I met for breakfast this morning. We went to The Griddle on Sunset Blvd. near Fairfax. The Griddle is known for its delicious breakfasts, and though I was a little apprehensive about having another non-Fresh Dining meal...

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One of my favorite things to wear is a little black jacket I picked up a few years back. Every time I wear it I get complimented. I don’t know fabrics very well but my guess is it’s a faux suede. Whatever it is, I sure feel good when I wear it. Funny enough...

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Looking back at the last six months, I can really see now just how much denial I was in about my weight gain. I had convinced myself that the new rolls I had in my tummy and under my bra were partially due to aging...

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I am a member of an organization called the Association of Celebrity Personal Assistants (ACPA). In fact, it was through the ACPA that I was first introduced to Fresh Dining, when they hosted our ACPA holiday party last year. They went all out for this party, which was held at Fresh Dining’s headquarters in Burbank. They decorated the place beautifully, with lights, a huge Christmas tree, and even fake snow. Entertainment Weekly was there and took lots of pictures...

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Monday again, weigh-in day, but this time I was excited to see what the scale might say. I was not afraid, for I knew I'd had a really great week and I suspected I'd lost at least a pound...

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Who is this kind man that comes in the quiet of the night, picks up today's empty Fresh Dining bag and leaves tomorrow's food in its place? It's all so surreal to me. I never hear him arrive, though I'm usually sitting on the couch just ten feet away from my front door...

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Well, it’s Monday and that means it’s weigh-in day for me. Last week, when I thought certain I’d lost, I was shocked to discover that I’d actually gained a pound. Even if it was brought on by having had way too much bubbly water (packed with sodium), I was still disappointed by having a gain so early on in the plan...

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One of my dearest friends on planet Earth is Noelle Hannemann. Noelle’s dad is a singer and entertainer, Nephi – the Polynesian Man. Nephi lives in Honolulu and is visiting Noelle, so Noelle, Nephi, hubby Sam and I spent Easter morning and early afternoon together. We drove out to the Pacific...

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Since March 17, when I first began with Fresh Dining, I have been trying to practice conscious eating. By that I mean that I try my best to eat without any distraction. No TV, no stereo, no talking on the phone while I’m eating. And here's the hardest one for me - no reading. I eat sitting down, but never in the car...

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For the past six years, I have believed with all my heart that my friend Philippe, who is a very talented French chef, made the best butternut squash soup in the whole wide world. Philippe was the personal chef to a very famous man for whom I worked for nearly five years, and since I lived on this man’s property for six months of each year, I sampled Philippe’s soups many times – all of which were extraordinarily tasty...

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If today were April Fool’s Day, I’d swear someone played a trick on me. Much to my chagrin, the scale did not register a loss, but rather a gain of about a pound. I was distressed...

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Whew! I made it through the weekend unscathed! I am so proud of myself. Saturday night I requested we eat at a restaurant where I could order seafood, as I thought broiled fish would be my safest bet...

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I’m nervous about the upcoming weekend. Saturday night will be my first dinner out since I’ve been on the Fresh Dining foods, and I’m a little afraid I’ll feel like a kid in a candy store...

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I have decided to weigh myself once each week, on Monday, and since today is Monday I was eager to step on the scale this morning. Eureka!! I have already lost five pounds!! This program works!! I am not one to ever lose weight when I’m sick...

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I have been sick with a horrible flu since Tuesday. That’s five days already and it doesn’t seem to be anywhere near out of my system. I’ve been coughing my fool head off and have even managed to crack or severely bruise one of my ribs in a coughing fit. Ouch!! I have stayed true to the Fresh Dining foods except for two salads which I had absolutely no appetite for and could not eat...

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I am LOVING my meals!! 99% of everything so far has been completely delicious. I just peeked a look at tomorrow's meals, too, and there's not one thing in there I don't like. Though I must confess, I forgot to tell my customer service rep that I strongly dislike Middle Eastern foods and today’s snack was babaganoush. I tried it and … well … it’s not my thing...

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After dinner tonight, hubby Sam and I had passes for a screening of THE HOAX. It was at a theater in Westwood and we parked about a block and a half away, in the appointed structure. Much to my amazement, as we stepped onto the elevator, so did Camryn Manheim, the actress best known for her role on THE PRACTICE...

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It’s 1 a.m. I fell asleep on the couch a couple hours ago and my husband just woke me up to tell me my very first Fresh Dining bag has arrived. We are so excited – especially me! The menu on the top of the bag looks completely amazing...

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I went into a state of shock today. I had asked a friend at work to take my “before” photo for the website. Egads! I am properly horrified. How is it that I can see in the mirror something so different than what is reflected in that photo? Sure, I knew I had gained weight. My clothes all seemed to suddenly shrink and nothing was fitting anymore. When I finally braved the scale, the number was shocking enough. But I had no idea I looked like that. As far as I’m concerned, tomorrow can’t get here soon enough. I am more determined than ever to take this weight off – and keep it off, once and for all.