The Gourmade Happiemeal Diairies: Day 5

And finally, we get to Day 5.  Final day for my one week's worth of Happiemeal by Gourmade!  Lost another 1.2 lbs!  Wheeeee!  Loved the food so much that I'm actually sad that the 5 days had passed by so quickly!  

Friday's Menu

Friday's Food

Breakfast:  Chicken Embutido with Quail Egg

The real deal!  If you're a fan of embutido, then you'll surely love this!  Love the sweet-salty combination of this well-loved dish.

Lunch:  Beef Kebab

Happiemeal by Gourmade really know their meats.  I've raved about their meatballs yesterday, and today is no different.  The beef kebab is also as delicious.

Dinner:  Tuna Cheese Burger

Ooooh.  This is possibly my favorite of all meals.  I popped it in the microwave for 30 seconds, and out came the softest bun with a non-fishy-smelling tuna burger.  The portion was pretty big too!

Snacks:  Papaya and Banana Mini Muffin

I liked yesterday's apple muffin better.  The banana muffin wasn't as moist as I expected it to be. 

In the end, I managed to lose a sum total of 7 lbs in 5 days.  I say that's a very, very good thing - given that the food is mostly yummy and carbs are incorporated into the meals.  This goes to show that you actually can eat everything as long as it is taken in moderation.  Would I do Happiemeal by Gourmade again?  Oh yes!  In a heartbeat!   This is what I call dieting without feeling like you're on a diet.  In my opinion, it works way better than eating diet food that's bland and boring.  With Gourmade, you don't have to worry about that.  As a matter of fact, the only thing you'd have to worry about is when the next meal will be!  So guys and girls who want to jumpstart their diet, or who just want to eat healthy without worrying about gaining weight, I suggest you give Happiemeal by Gourmade a try!  You won't regret it :)

For more information about Happiemeal by Gourmade, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/gourmadeph

The Gourmade Happiemeal Diaries: Day 4

Day 4.  Lost yet another 1.2lbs from yesterday's weigh in.  I am still in awe as to how I could lose about a pound a day while eating great tasting food.  Not bad, I must say... not bad at all!

Thursday's Menu

Thursday's Food

Breakfast:  Mini Pancake with Choco Cream Cheese and Caramelized Banana

The pancakes tasted so-so, but I can't taste the cream cheese in the choco cream cheese spread at all.  The banana, on the other hand, tasted more like kamote (sweet potato). 

Lunch:  Chicken Teriyaki with Sauteed Mixed Vegetables

One of my favorites.  The chicken teriyaki was marinated nicely, and gives off a good flavor.  Sauteed mixed vegetables is also tasty.

Dinner:  Baked Meatballs Wheat Pasta in Tomato Sauce

The wheat pasta was dry and not so appetizing, but the meatballs more than makes up for it.  It was meaty and oh so flavorful!

Snacks:  Chebap and Apple Muffin

Chebap, as it appears, is Vietnamese corn pudding.  It's basically coconut milk with corn and tapioca pearls.  Tastes heavenly.  The apple muffin, on the other hand, was also really delicious.  I heated it in the microwave for 30 seconds, and it came out moist and a bit chewy!  

For more information about Happiemeal by Gourmade, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/gourmadeph

The Gourmade Happiemeal Diaries: Day 3

Day 3.  Lost a whopping 2.4 lbs from yesterday!  My initial reaction when I stepped into the scale was "Am I dreaming or is the scale broken?"  Turns out, neither.  I am 100% sure I'm fully awake when doing the weigh-in, and I weighed myself again to check - and yes, I lost 2.4 lbs! 

Wednesday's Menu

Wednesday's Food

Breakfast:  Tapa Breakfast Burritos

Loved the Tapa Burritos.  It's basically rice, tapa and a bit of cheese. The serving was just right too.

Lunch:  Marinated Blue Mackerel in Garlic and Olive Oil with Mung Bean

Again, hated the brown rice, but I liked the garlic.  It added the flavorful twist needed to spice up the boring brown rice (LOL, can you tell how much I hated the brown rice?).  Mackerel was a bit tough and dry.

Dinner:  Chicken Melt Sandwich

Tasted like nornal chicken sandwich.  Wish the chicken pieces were bigger though.

Snacks:  Cassava Cake and Shortbread Biscuit

My initial reaction when I saw the cassava was "are they sure this doesn't exceed the calorie count?"  It felt like cheating, because it tasted like normal cassava cake!  The shortbread biscuit was pretty good too!

For more information about Happiemeal by Gourmade, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/gourmadeph

The Gourmade Happiemeal Diaries: Day 2

Day 2.  Lost 1.8lbs.  Wow.  1.8 lbs overnight is a lot!  There's nothing more satisfying than seeing the pounds melt away before your very eyes.  So, bring it on!  Here's what I'm having for Day 2:

All stacked up and ready to eat!

Tuesday's Menu

Tuesday's Food

Breakfast:  Savory Oatmeal with Chicken and Poached Egg

Wow.  Tasted like arroz caldo, yet it's healthier since it's made of oatmeal.  They also cooked the poached egg perfectly.  A bit runny, yet not too raw.  Just the way I like it!

Lunch:  Coq Au Vin with Crushed Potatoes

Grrr... this was strike two.  The crushed potato was spoiled, kind of like what happened to the pad thai last night.  It was already sour when lunch time came around.   Shame, because the tomato sauce was quite tasty. 

Dinner:  Tuna and Chili Pasta and Garlic Bread

Didn't taste much garlic in the garlic bread.  As for the pasta, I'm usually afraid of tuna because of its usual fishy smell (AND fishy breath after!) but this one was not too fishy at all.  My only complaint was that the tuna wasn't enough to cover the whole serving of the pasta.

Snack:  Choco Oatmeal Cookies and Pineapple

Meh.  The choco oatmeal cookies was a real downer.  Tasted old, like it was baked a week ago.

For more information about Happiemeal by Gourmade, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/gourmadeph

The Gourmade Happiemeal Diaries: Day 1

After all the holiday pig-outs, all the restaurant hopping, and all the "trying-for-the-sake-of-trying" gluttony that happened...  hard as it may be to admit, but the pounds have piled on and it's time to jumpstart that diet.  AGAIN.  If you've read about my Lunchbox Diet Diaries last year, then you'd know that I've already tried this kind of diet.  Yes it worked, but the lazy me did not continue with it, happily went back to my wayward eating habits, and thus, hello unwanted pounds!  Well, this time I'm back with a vengeance and plan to go through with the diet no matter what!

With so much diet food delivery companies around nowadays, it might be hard to choose which one is for you.  This time around, I only had two things in mind.  First, is that the price must be budget friendly.  And second, is that they must come highly recommended by friends/acquaintances.  Guess who passed those standards?  Happiemeal by Gourmade!

So, what's Happiemeal by Gourmade?

Happiemeal by Gourmade is a diet delivery service that delivers calorie counted meals 5 days a week.  At 1200 calories a day, they give you 3 meals and 2 snacks for Php 2000 (plus Php 300 delivery charge for my area).  Need a higher calorie intake?  Gourmade can adjust to your calorie needs by offering meals at 1500 and also 1800 calories.  Plus, they also offer a pescetarian (only fish as meat) menu.

My Happiemeal!

Monday's Menu

Monday's Food

Breakfast:  Tortang Talong and Tinapa Fried Rice

Not much a fan of brown rice, but the tortang talong was delicious!  They managed to mash up the eggplant so finely that you could barely tell it's eggplant.  It's kind of like eating egg frittata.

Lunch:  Beef Salpicao with Garlic Rice

Just when I thought that the tortang talong would be the tastiest meal of the day, here comes the beef salpicao!  Again, couldn't say I liked the brown rice, but the beef salpicao blew me away!  It was very tender, and very flavorful!  The sweet-spicy flavors was a party in my mouth!

Dinner:  Pad Thai

Guess we should have put this in the refrigerator, because there was a certain smell to it when we ate it for dinner.  It was a little bland too.

Snack:  Banana Dipped in Chocolate

"Is this even diet food?"  That was my first reaction when I bit into the banana dipped in chocolate.  I was half expecting tasteless bland chocolate but nooooo.  It tasted like normal milk chocolate bars that melted.  Could not resist scraping the rest of the chocolates at the bottom of the container even after the bananas were long gone.

So how was my first day?  It was hit and miss.  With the exception of the pad thai, all the others were really delicious.  I mean, if diet food tasted this good, then sign me up for the next few weeks, or even months!  Looking forward to greater meals for the days to come!

For more information about Happiemeal by Gourmade, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/gourmadeph

The Lunchbox Diet Diaries: Day 5

Day 5!  And just like that, we've reached the end of the week.  Lost yet another .8 lbs today!

Friday's words of encouragement and menu

Friday's Food

Breakfast:  Daing na Bangus with Home made Atchara and Red Rice

Surprise, surprise!  The bangus was very juicy!  I've had my fair share of tough, dry bangus to last me a lifetime and I was seriously expecting something like that, since it's reheated from the microwave.  Good thing they've exceeded my expectations!  Hooray for the chefs over at the lunchbox diet! 

Lunch:  Parmesan Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

Chicken was as tender as it was on the first day of our diet.  Pasta was also cooked just right.  Wish there were more parmesan though, I could barely taste it!

Dinner:  Sichuan Pork, Veggies & Cashew Stir Fry and Red Rice

This was the tastiest meal of the week.  I loved the pork strips and I loved the mixture of the veggies.  It smelled so good!  And since there was a bit of sauce from the pork juices, I used the rice to mop up the sauce.  Yum!

Snack:  Cracker and Yogurt 

The yogurt was definitely a more filling alternative to the fruits.  I had dinner at 9pm and normally, my stomach would already be growling by 6pm.  Surprisingly, I lasted till 9pm!  

So what do I think of the lunchbox diet?  

It's very doable!  Actually, the secret to any diet is that you'd have to have self-control.  Food is not the enemy here.  The right amount and the right food can help you in your weight loss journey.  The lunchbox diet just shows us that even carbs (pasta, red rice) can aid us lose weight when eaten in small portions.  Overall, I lost a grand total of 5.6 lbs.  Hubby, on the other hand, lost a whopping 10 lbs!  And yes, we did cheat a little bit.  Just a teeny tiny bit.  We're only human.  :)

So would we do it again?  

Yes!  Another good thing about the lunchbox diet is that they prepare a different menu every week.  That means you won't get stuck eating the same food over and over again.  Now, if you're looking for something to jumpstart your weight loss, why not try out the lunchbox diet?  I'd definitely recommend it!

 
For more information about the Lunchbox Diet, visit their facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/lunchboxdietph

The Lunchbox Diet Diaries: Day 4

Day 4!  More than halfway done for the week.  Not so lucky today, just lost .8 lbs from yesterday's weight.  But heck, anything is better than nothing, right?  Actually, most people say that it's a general rule that people on a diet are not supposed to weigh themselves everyday.  I guess it's the OC-ness in me that I just needed to see how I'm progressing every single day, to keep me motivated.  

So anyway, here's what we're having for today!

Thursday's words of encouragement and menu

Thursday's Food

Breakfast:  Chicken & Leek Fritata and Pandesal

The fritata was a bit tough and dry today.  But the pandesal is still fabulous.

Lunch:  Gwama's Pork Hot Pot and Red Rice

Pork was tender and tasty.  But I wish they mixed it with some other vegetables other than radish.

Dinner:  Thai Style Sole Fillet and Red Rice

I would've loved the Thai style sole fillet except for one thing.  As usual, the fish was salty.  From experience, I've discovered that sole fillets tend to absorb salt too much.  So when I cook it, I usually just put a pinch of salt right before cooking.  Hope the lunchbox diet crew can look into this concern.

Snack:  Ponkan and Almond Cookie

I could barely taste the hint of almond in the almond cookie.  Also, some sugar granules have not fully melted into the cookie so it's a bit weird to chew sugar.

For more information about the Lunchbox Diet, visit their facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/lunchboxdietph

The Lunchbox Diet Diaries: Day 3

Day 3!  Lost another 2 lbs!  Wow, if this thing keeps up, then my diet just might be finished in a month (wishful thinking, LOL).  So here's what we're having for today!

Wednesday's words of encouragement and menu

Wednesday's Food

Breakfast:  Jerk Chicken Breakfast Sandwich  

Today's breakfast was shockingly filling.  2 huge slices of wheat bread with chicken breast strips.  Had a hard time keeping the chicken breast strips from falling off, but taste-wise, the bread was soft and the sandwich was delicious.

Lunch:  Beef Keema and Red Rice

This was basically ground beef mixed with a couple herbs and spices.  Tastes very middle eastern, not much of a fan.

Dinner:  Sole Fillet with Tomato-Pesto Melt Topping and Red Rice

The menu says tomato-pesto melt topping, but I couldn't taste the pesto at all.  

Snack:  Pear and Cracker with Caramelized Onion Dip

I looooved the caramelized onion dip.  Who knew Skyflakes and caramelized onions were a match made in heaven, right?

For more information about the Lunchbox Diet, visit their facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/lunchboxdietph

The Lunchbox Diet Diaries: Day 2

Day 2!  Guess how much weight I lost from yesterday?  2 pounds!  Ok ok, maybe it's because I pigged out on Sunday, that's why I lost so much when I ate so little yesterday.  Will have to stick to the diet for the whole week  before I could officially say how much weight I lost with this diet.  Anyway, here's what's going on for today:

Tuesday's words of encouragement and menu

Tuesday's Food

Breakfast:  Oatscaldo with Shredded Chicken and Green Oil

The oatscaldo was meant to taste like arroz caldo, but made healthier by using oatmeal.  Well, they succeeded!  For someone who does not eat oatmeal, I wanted more!  Oops!

Lunch:  Lemongrass Beef Stew Pasta

The smell of the beef was a bit too strong for me, and it tasted a bit bland.  The pasta was cooked well done though, which is how I really like my noodles.

Dinner:  Pork Tenderloin with Sweet & Sour Onion Sauce and Taters

It's not everyday that you'd taste reheated pork that isn't as hard as a rock, so plus points for the lunchbox diet crew!

Snack:  Apple and Raisin Bread

Sadly, the raisin bread didn't taste as good as it looked.  It was too dry.  Hubby mentioned it's like eating paper.  LOL.

For more information about the Lunchbox Diet, visit their facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/lunchboxdietph

The Lunchbox Diet Diaries: Day 1

Early this year, Hubby and I made a promise to each other to go on a diet.  It's sort of our new year's resolution that got delayed and we only started taking it seriously last week.  Believe me, it's hard to jumpstart a diet when there's so much temptation around you!  BUT, for health and vanity reasons, we had to force ourselves to get up and go.  And to start off our diet, we went with the Lunchbox Diet.

What is the lunchbox diet?  The lunchbox diet is a company that delivers to you calorie-counted meals, 5 days a week.  1200 calories for one whole day's worth of meals, to be exact.  I've done a research online about delivered meals and this is one came out as one of the more promising ones, so I figured, why not?  After a few exchanges through text message, I made my deposit and waited for Monday.  

Early Monday morning, our brown paper bags were delivered. 

Fresh from delivery

Monday's words of encouragement and menu

My lunchboxes

Monday's Food

Breakfast:  Sunny Fritata and Pandesal
Their pandesal was really delicious!  It was so soft, it's like biting into marshmallows!  Sunny fritata was not bad either, I liked biting into small kernels of corn.

Lunch:  Fish Fillet with Romesco Sauce and Red Rice
The fish was quite salty, I have to say.  Good thing they included the sauce for lunch, it balanced off the bland rice and the saltiness of the fish.

Dinner:  Chicken Tambourine and Red Rice
For something that was reheated through the microwave, the chicken came out really soft and moist!  It almost felt like we weren't eating diet food.

Snack:  Banana + Leek and Cheese Muffin
The muffin was a little bit dry.  Though I couldn't imagine cheese and leeks being put together, surprisingly, it's very palatable.


So how did we do on our very first day of the lunchbox diet?  I'd say we did great.  Yes, there were hunger pangs, but that's already expected given the amount of food that was provided.  Don't expect huge servings of food because this is, after all, a diet.  The good thing about it is that the food is not as bland as I expected, and those who can't live without rice wouldn't have to worry because they substitute white rice with red, which supposed to be a healthier alternative.  

So how much, you ask, is this lunchbox diet?  Would you believe it if I tell you that you get 5 days worth of meals (3 meals a day + 2 snacks) for a grand total of Php 1700?!  That only comes out as Php 340/day.  Combined with their free delivery service, I say this is very affordable.

Stay tuned tomorrow, I'll be blogging about our lunchbox diet experience, day 2.

For more information about the Lunchbox Diet, visit their facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/lunchboxdietph