In this section: + Introduction + Amy’s Staff tried the diet + Frozen foods help people diet + Diet Tips + Tips for Exercising + Vivian Diaz’s weight loss story

Introduction to the Diet Plan
Many of our customers have said that they have lost weight eating Amy’s, either on their own or with a well-known weight plan such as E-Diets, Good Housekeeping, Jorge Cruise* or Weight Watchers that recommend Amy’s. So, we got to thinking…Wouldn’t it be great if we had our own Diet Plan? With the help of Sonoma County dietician, Jill Nussinow, we created The Amy’s Diet.

We offer a two-week plan where you eat Amy’s meals 2-3 times a day plus lots of fruits and veggies. It is fun and easy-to-follow and you can expect to lose two pounds a week (some lose more). There is a 1500-calorie and 1800-calorie option — both far below the average American diet of 2200-2700 calories and still tasty and satisfying!
 
What follows is the Diet Plan, along with an inspiring story from someone who successfully shed extra pounds eating Amy’s. We have also included some simple ideas for burning more calories through exercise.
 
Try out our diet and write to us, let us know how you did and send pictures. Making small changes such as eating more grains, fruits and veggies and simple exercises (yoga and meditation are also great)—will improve your health and well-being.
 
Enjoy the Amy’s Diet on the road to a healthier new you.
 
If you have health concerns, consult a doctor or nutritionist before you start this or any diet.

*Jorge Cruise is a weight loss expert and author of the best selling book,
" The 3-Hour Diet"

 
 
Amy’s Staff tried the diet
Twenty Amy’s employees recently tried the Amy’s Diet Plan providing a terrific opportunity for friends and co-workers to lend encouragement and support to each other and to make suggestions on how to improve the program.  We learned about portion control and about how many calories a body needs to maintain weight—generally between 1800 and 2200 depending on one’s level of activity.

Some of us felt more energetic after replacing “junk food” with Amy’s. Some found that committing to eating breakfast helped them better control their hunger pangs and snacking.  Others discovered the pleasure and simplicity of preparing brown rice and vegetables. Most of us realized how easily the Amy’s Diet Plan incorporated delicious and healthful fruits and vegetables into our daily appreciation of food. Many felt that engaging in a vegetarian diet provided a nice change of pace and the meat-eaters amongst us expressed surprise at not having really missed meat!

+ Read more about their thoughts after following the diet.

 
Frozen foods help people diet
Dietician, Jill Nussinow suggested that many of our unhealthy eating habits arise from “eating patterns”. Diets can help break those patterns.  
 
Prevention Magazine recently reported that one value of eating frozen foods lies in helping you to learn about portion sizes. “I often advise patients to eat frozen meals for a week or two and then keep the little trays and use them while making dinner as an easy way to eyeball portions,” says Madelyn Fernstrom, PhD, director of The Weight Management Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
 

Vivian Diaz’s weight loss story
Finally, we wanted to tell you about an inspiring story from Vivian Diaz who lost 130 pounds incorporating Amy's meals into her diet.

 
Dear Amy's
 
I have written you in the past about my weightloss and wanted to update you and thank you again for continuing to create wonderful products that I love!  
 
I started on my quest in Jan. 2005 and so far to date I have lost a little over 130 lbs.  I am down to a small size and loving the new me.  I eat so many of your foods and love them.  If I would have known about Amy's foods before I started my weight loss I would have bought them a long time ago. Thanks to Jorge Cruise and the 3 Hour Diet Book I discovered your foods.  I will never stop  eating them!  
 
I have a tight schedule between work and working out. I am a teacher so I am up pretty early and need to quickly get started with my day.  I love your Tofu Scramble pockets for breakfast and because I am a teacher I only get a few minutes to eat lunch at school, but thanks to your other pockets I get a healthy, satisfying meal for lunch each day.  My favorite meals are your vegetable lasagna, your cheese enchiladas and your stuffed pasta shells. I also love your soups for lunch too.  I have a freezing cold classroom and your soups always hit the spot and warm me up.
 
I have gotten many of my friends to try your foods as well.  Some days in the teachers lounge all you smell are the Amy's burritos and cheese enchiladas. One of my close friends wanted to lose some weight before her wedding and started eating with me at school. She got hooked on your cheese enchiladas.  She ended up losing those few extra pounds and looked beautiful in her wedding gown for her wedding.   
 
I look forward to finding your new line of foods in the stores.  I can't wait to try them!  I end up having to travel all over the city to find my favorite Amy's foods because they don't sell all of them in one place, but it is worth it.  My entire freezer is stocked up with all kinds of Amy's meals. Thank you so much for continuing to create such wonderful and healthy meals.
 
Sincerely,
Vivian Diaz