But the real questions were: Does the program work, and is the food as yummy as Gunning raves? The average person, he says, loses about two and a half pounds a week on the diet. ZoneChefs, however, also offers an Event Zone option, which has helped people lose 10 pounds in three weeks.

ZoneChefs has about 75 celebrity clients (including Kevin Costner and Liza Minnelli), many of whom choose the Event Zone option. "Whether it be the Oscars or a movie premiere, whatever it might be, it seems like everyone wants to get into that great dress or that great suit," Gunning says.

With no red-carpet soirees scheduled on my calendar for the foreseeable future, I opted for the regular three-week plan. Registering was easy. I called the number and told them when I wanted to start receiving the food, and they did a brief profile: height (5'4''), weight (116 pounds), activity level (moderate), goal (lose five pounds) and food allergies/dislikes (no pork).

For average clients, like me, the program allows 1,200 calories per day for women and 1,600 to 1,700 for men, but it is always tailored to an individual's needs.

On the Monday morning of my first week on the program, I opened the door with some trepidation. But there it was: my little black bag filled with the day's goodies. I felt horrible for the delivery person who had to run it up my six flights of stairs! When I got to work I opened the bag and found individual Tupperware-style containers, all labeled with what I should eat and when. There are no exact time requirements with ZoneChefs, but they advise you not to let more than four or five hours pass without eating a meal or snack. You're given three meals and two snacks every day, all of which can be heated in the microwave for one to three minutes if necessary.