The classic song Summertime starts with the lyric, "It's summertime and the living is easy..." After 11 years in the diet business, I think the next line should be, "It's summertime and the thought of dieting makes me queasy..."In the weight loss business, it's known as the summer swoon -- that time of year when we tend to put our weight loss plans in park and zoom instead into a serious stretch of family, friends, fun, food and fat. Maybe this year will be different. After all, don't you hate being overweight when you're heading into the end-of-year months that...

So you've started down the path to better health and weight. You have the best of intentions. You're cruising along and eating great food, getting lots of exercise, and totally enjoying how it makes you feel more energetic...And then... BAM! You find yourself at a catered office party featuring buckets of chicken wings and tubs of potato salad.This, my friends, is just one of the unavoidable road bumps that stand between you and your healthy destination.Luckily, we can spot the road bumps ahead of time and have a plan of action for avoiding them.The 5 Road Bumps1) Office foodYou and...

Seven has always been considered a lucky number, so how about we make today your lucky days and roll out seven great tips for improving your digestion so you can feel better and diet more effectively?It sounds cliche but small changes like these can lead to big accomplishments.While none of these seven suggestions are difficult to follow, they sure can lead you to a better body and a better life.The Simple 7 Steps to a Better YouChew more!Many health experts believe that if you don't chew your food long enough you put your digestive system under stress. And any kind...

If you're like millions of other party-minded Americans, you'll be hitting a number of cookouts this summer.And, as you probably know, backyard barbecues and other food-themed gatherings pose special obstacles to you, the health-minded dieter.So, other than staying home and eating alone with your delicious Diet-to-Go meals, how do you escape dietary damage at a summer party?Start with these four tips 1. Arrive late, leave earlyThe more time you spend around food -- from Uncle Joe's special cheese-stuffed burgers to Aunt Millie's decadent 7-layer chocolate cake -- the more food you're gonna eat. It's simple human nature.Add alcohol to...

For many people diagnosed with diabetes, the first thought is, "Oh no... I've been sentenced to a life of boring foods!"Not only is that NOT the case, but Dr. Howard M. Shapiro and Chef Franklin Becker are here to show you how you can continue to eat great while you control your diabetes.You can even eat delicious brownies as you'll see from the following exclusive excerpt from the new book Eat & Beat Diabetes with Picture Perfect Weight Loss: The Visual Program to Prevent and Control Diabetes (Harlequin).Get ready to dig in to some yummy recipes and, as you'll see...

There's been a lot of talk about sodium lately. In fact, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration is considering stepping in and forcing food makers to cut back on the amount of sodium they add to their products.As the registered dietitian for Diet-to-Go, I am pleased to report that our Balance menu and vegetarian menu continue to meet the recommended guidelines for sodium.By most standards, Americans are urged to limit their daily intake of sodium to 2,400 milligrams - about one teaspoon.On average, you'll get less than 2,400mg of sodium per day with your Diet-to-Go low-fat and vegetarian...

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following was written by Dr. Patrick Havey of The Health & Wellness Institute. It is his unique take on what health care really means -- and why our system is so messed up.Health care has been a very heavily debated subject for many years.The subject in Washington has been how to help those who have not been able to get insurance coverage that enables them doctor visits, medicines, surgeries or other treatments that may be needed.In a country where our health care technologies lead the world, many people make the conclusion that it is almost criminal not...

Lost weight? Congratulations! Okay so you've done remarkably well with slimming down however please keep in mind that a diet is not something you go "on" and then "off."No, a healthy diet is something you sustain for life.When you stick with a healthy diet, you have far less of a risk of gaining back the weight you lost on your diet.6 ways to keep off weightDo the MathIt is extremely important that you keep an eye on how many calories you eat in a day. Consuming a few hundred extra calories a day will soon add up to a few...

Meet Chef Susan Irby. Over the years, Susan has worked with multiple Master Chefs including George McNeill, Todd English and Ming Tsai. But perhaps her biggest claim to fame is her nickname: The Bikini Chef.Yes, Susan used to cook while wearing a bikini but her moniker has more to do with the fact she gets you in the swim of things when it comes to cooking with "figure-flattering flavors."The host of "The Bikini Lifestyle with Susan Irby" is currently making a splash with her hot new book, Substitute Yourself Skinny (Adama Media). The book serves up 175 super slimming recipes...

At Diet-to-Go, we pride ourself on the fact we go the extra mile to take care of our customers. So when we got the results of a recent survey, we took the time to pore over them carefully... and to make the menu changes you told us you wanted.Two things stood out.First, even though the Diet-to-Go meal plans meet the guidelines of major health organizations like American Diabetes Association and American Heart Association, you were concerned about your sodium intake.Second, you wanted a little more variety in our three five-week menus: Low-Fat, Vegetarian and Low-Carb.So after digesting this information, our...

It's been a few weeks since your last fix of Diet Blog Carnival, but the greatest show on dieting and healthy living is back in town. This week, we're featuring five more great blogs submitted by readers just like you. This week's hot topics include saving money while food shopping, 12 cheap ways to stay healthy, and disciplined disobedience while you diet!We love the many varied submissions you send us, so please keep your eyes open for blogs that have to do with healthy living, diet, fitness, motivation or nutrition... and send them to us here at www.diettogo.com!Today's Top 5Disciplined DisobedienceThis...

Wendie Pett is a nationally recognized name in the fitness industry. She's passionate about motivating and encouraging people to make fitness and nutrition part of their daily routine.The essence of total beauty - mind, body and spirit - is what Wendie Pett is all about.When I decided to launch my "7 Questions With..." series of blogs, I quickly thought of asking Wendie to take part. I love her approach to health and fitness and I adore her vivacious personality.Check out what Wendie has to say about getting visibly fit at any age -- and about the three biggest mistakes we...

Phill Connell is back again with another insightful look at living with diabetes. Today Phill Tackles the topic "Dining Out with Diabetes."Waiter... we're ready to order!Dining Out with DiabetesMy long-running theme with Living With Diabetes is that it's the habits that kill you, not the treats. Eating out is always a great pleasure, but if you overdo things, drowsiness can spoil a great evening then rushing to the restroom all night can make things even worse!If you go to restaurants every night, of course you have to be very careful. But if you're like me, eating out is a treat....

True or false: Skipping breakfast is a great way to jumpstart your diet. FALSE! Bypassing breakfast - or any meal for that matter - is a recipe for dieting disaster.Chew on this fact: Skipping meals tends to trigger food cravings, binge eating and weight gain.Studies have shown that people who skip breakfast are actually heavier than those who start their day with a healthy and hearty meal.Another interesting morsel: People who eat four to five light small meals a day lose more weight than those who try to get by on one or two meals.Here's the meat of the matter:...

We're all pretty good about sticking to our diet when we stay home and dine on properly portioned meals like those provided by Diet-to-Go. But what about those times when we're forced to leave our comfort zone and forced to eat at a... GULP!... a restaurant? According to recent statistics, the average American eats out 4.2 times a week. That's four opportunities to dive into the pre-meal bread basket and blow away your diet resolve.But, when armed with a few handy little tips, it's also four opportunities to stick to your guns and steer clear of the buns. We know...

Julia Havey is on a mission to help overweight Americans overcome their bad eating habits and slim down once and for all.The best-selling author and in-demand speaker is living proof that her approach to weight loss really does work.By practicing what she preaches, Julia not only managed to drop 130 pounds, but she has also kept off the weight for more than a decade now.Julia is so passionate about her quest to curb the obesity plague she's willing to give away her expertise to anyone who wants it. Julia recently sat down with Diet-to-Go to answer seven questions about her...

Since I started working for major online dieting companies way back in January of 2000, I've come to realize that when it comes to the subjects of dieting and weight loss, millions of people the world around are starving for help.Computer work has allowed me to become friends with an army of health-minded individuals from countries near and far. One of the most unique individuals I've encountered (but never met... at least, not yet) is today's guest blogger, Katrina Pajarillo of the Philippines.Kassy is a conscientious young woman who has been through the ups and downs of dieting. On her...

When my phone rings it's often a client wanting to change their life and do what it takes to get healthier.They insist they are ready to empty their kitchen cupboards, replace with all new healthier choices, completely change their way of eating, join the gym moving from a sedentary life to spin classes all in one fell swoop.A week later they are so sore they can't walk, hungry from eating nothing but broccoli and if they have a family, said family is ready to jump ship. When it comes to adapting a healthier lifestyle, it's best to think small and...

I'm 50 years old and I have been dieting for much of my adult life.My first real weight loss attempt was during my college years -- and it was a doozy. I ran for miles while wearing a rubber, long-sleeved top... and I did oodles of sit-ups while holding a weight on my chest.The end result: I lost weight. But it was only temporary due to my crazy fitness program.And let's not forget the fact that my weight came back because I was a 20-year-old college student at a major university. Can you say beer -- and lots of it?Oh,...

Our good friend Phill is back again and he's ready to blog about more lessons he's learned while living with diabetes for the past two decades.This time around Phill tackles a subject that's extremely near and dear to my heart -- and that's the tasty matter of snacking.Take it away Phill... and be sure to enjoy that time away with the kids.By the way, that's Phill pictured at left. As you can see from his ear-to-ear grin, family man Phill hasn't let a little thing like diabetes dim his tremendous joy for life. Snacking With DiabetesIn my last blog here...