Steve S. didn't need pills or surgery to drop 100 pounds. The retiree from Maryland says all it took was a little faith, a three-day-a-week workout plan and a lot of really good food.Super slimmer Steve got serious about weight loss last January after his doctor's scale registered 407.He found success with Diet-to-Go's perfectly portioned meals."Diet-to-Go makes it easy," says Steve, who at his highest weight wore a size-58 waist."They make it easy enough to make substitutions for meals and I don't have to worry about what's for dinner, food shopping or cooking. I simply pick up my meals at...

Children ages 10-17 who are eager to live a healthier lifestyle, lose weight, and build self-esteem while having fun are invited to participate in the Imagine Me! I'm Up for the Challenge: 5th Annual New Image Camp Essay Contest.Kids have the opportunity to win a 3-week campership at one of the only the ACA accredited weight loss camps in the country: Camp Pocono Trails in Reeders, PA.The retail prize value of a campership that is 3 weeks and 3 days is $4,290. Entries are now being accepted for the summer of 2011.Interested applicants will be required to submit an...

EDITOR'S NOTE: Diet-to-Go guest blogger Mia Redrick has made it her mission to help harried moms everywhere learn how to take care of themselves -- mentally and physically. Today she turns her attention to helping you achieve personal growth. Personal growth.We've all heard the term and most of us have a general idea of what it means. But when we try to put it into words, it becomes difficult... especially if you're a mom.Personal growth is about being more of who you really are.For moms, it's about showing more of who you are to your kids. Often, it requires us...

For many who strive to lose weight and get into shape, their initial solution is to diet.But sometimes simply reducing your caloric intake and minimizing meal portions isn't enough.Sometimes you actually need to add more food into your meal plan-especially those that will help you workout harder so you can burn off extra calories. 5 Metabolism Boosters You Drink or Eat WaterIn order to help speed up your weight lost and give your metabolism a little boost, it's imperative that you drink lots of water throughout the day (and not just when you're working out).This is because, according to researchers,...

It's American Heart Month. Do you know the warning signs of heart attack or stroke?Why is it so important to worry about our heart health? Well, according to the American Heart Association, "Cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, are our nation's No. 1 killer."The purpose of American Heart Month -- an event that has taken place each year since 1963 -- is to urge Americans to join the battle against cardiovascular diseases.To learn more about the American Heart Association and its efforts to save lives, go to www.americanheart.org.Meanwhile, here are the warning signs that you may be at risk of a heart...

Over the past few weeks, I've come to a major realization -- I am too fat and much too angry to continue in the direction I'm headed. And I badly need to get back on track towards a healthier weight.I was doing great late last year. I was following the Diet-to-Go Balance meal plan and losing weight while eating great. I lost 15 pounds before my Florida vacation.But then I began to sabotage my diet and self-destruct.When I started drinking full-strength Pepsi again last week, I knew I had hit soda-on-the-rocks bottom. It was time to throw my gear...

Diet-to-Go really made the grade with Paula Waters, the lucky winner of our recent "free week of food" giveaway.Paula, a teacher in Arlington, Texas, was so pleased with the quality and taste of the 1,600-calorie low-fat meal plan she chose after being randomly selected after we reached 2,500 fans on Facebook, she's now a paying customer! We'll be giving away another free week of food when 3,000 health-conscious folks click the "Like" button on our Facebook page.As I write this, that number reads 2,724.So, tell your friends to go to www.facebook.com/diettogo and "Like" our page!The faster we get to 3,000...

We're still celebrating American Heart Month here at Diet-to-Go. where our low-fat and vegetarian meal plans meet the guidelines of the American Heart Association and other major medical organization.Diet-to-Go chief editor John McGran recently sat down with Janet Bond Brill, author of Prevent a Second Heart Attack: 8 Foods, 8 Weeks to Reverse Heart Disease (Three Rivers Press), to discuss the ways you can lower your risk of heart disease through diet and a little exercise.So whether you've had your first heart attack or simply want to eat better for a healthier heart you can't beat this insightful advice from...

EDITOR'S NOTE: Guest blogger Cynthia Parrott is a busy working woman who manages to find the time for fitness, diet and the writing of great advice for health-conscious women.The other day I ate macaroni and cheese -- from a box!Okay, so you might be laughing and thinking, "So what?" Boxed mac-n-cheese might be a regular staple in your house. Kids love it... it's quick... it's easy... and it's dinner in less than 10 minutes!But for me, a health and nutritional consultant and an advocate of REAL food, such convenience foods are a big no-no.I stand on my soap box daily...

It's Valentine's Day and I must confess - I am hopelessly entangled in a love affair... with chocolate. I am not worried about my wife being upset. She is embroiled in her own passionate relationship with chocolate.Odds are you and your loved ones also share this love for the melt-in-your-mouth goodness of good old chocolate.You might think that chocolate and healthy living cannot live together. Wrong! Food scientists have discovered that chocolate does indeed have health attributes. Now don't go grabbing a king-sized Hershey's bar. The majority of the benefits are associated with the flavonoids that are found primarily in...

EDITOR'S NOTE: Diet-to-Go guest blogger Mia Redrick has made it her mission to help harried moms everywhere learn how to take care of themselves -- mentally and physically. Today she turns her attention to helping you you achieve your biggest dreams. When was the last time you really allowed yourself to dream? How about, when was the last time you not only allowed yourself to dream but to dream big?Huge dreams aren't just for children or young and single adults. Moms can have big dreams, too.The problem is that we often limit ourselves because we feel that our dreams...

EDITOR'S NOTE: Wendie Pett is a highly sought-after speaker who offers talks on fitness, nutrition, life balance, motivation and all manner of topics related to wellness of mind, body and spirit. Today she comes to Diet-to-Go to get to the heart of the matter -- the issues affecting your heart. It's not all about extra fat and a lack of exercise. Home Is Where the Heart IsIf home is where the heart is, why do so many people neglect their heart, both physically and spiritually?Is your heart suffering due to a lack of exercise or to the foods you...

The Kardea Gourmet: Smart and Delicious Eating for a Healthy Heart (LINX) is being published this month to coincide with American Heart Month. Written by Richard Collins, MD and Robert Leighton -- with Susan Buckley RD -- the book is part cookbook and part nutrition handbook, but it's all about guiding your journey to a heart healthy, delicious style of eating.The Kardea Gourmet is a collaboration of three people: a preventive cardiologist dedicated to keeping people healthy; a gourmet home chef, foodie and former chocolate executive with a cholesterol problem; and a registered dietitian who spends her days coaching people...

She's lost 30 pounds, but it's not the numbers on the bathroom scale that matters most to Rachel. What really matters to this Diet-to-Go slimmer are the numbers on her blood test results.After following Diet-to-Go for a year now, Rachel is happy to report her blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides all fall well within the healthy range.Also extremely happy about Rachel's much-improved numbers and greatly lowered heart disease risk: her doctor. Rachel, 58, turned to Diet-to-Go last year after she suffered a heart attack in 2008."From a cardiac perspective, my doctor is very happy for me getting this far," says...

EDITOR'S NOTE: Meet executive chef Michael Davis, a man with a passion for good food and great cooking techniques. As an occasional guest blogger for Diet-to-Go, Chef Davis will teach us what we should be eating and tell us how it should be cooked so we can match his expertise in our very own kitchen.We're going to Disney!!!Our dietary goals should be kind of like heading to Disney. You wouldn't just get in your car and head there without doing some planning.There are so many details in taking a trip like this that you would probably consider: take your car...

Increasing fruit and vegetable intake from five to eight servings a day prevents heart attacks and prolongs life.For every additional serving above two per day, there is a 4% decrease in the rate of heart disease deaths (European Heart Journal, published online January 18, 2011).Not eating enough fruits and vegetables is a major risk factor, in itself, for heart attacks and premature death.FYI: Eight servings a day of fruits and vegetables will weigh approximately 1.5 pounds.The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture have just released a report recommending that Americans eat vegetables, fruits, whole...

EDITOR'S NOTE: Living a healthier lifestyle is a truly global ambition. With that in mind, meet Dr. Racha Sankar. She operates a bariatric center in Damascus, Syria but earned her degree in diet and nutrition at Florida International University. Our worldly friend is here with a blog about carbs and diabetes. Welcome Racha!Eating Carbs is an Art: The 5 PrinciplesAs a nutritional consultant working in the field of obesity and its related diseases, I often hear tales of frustration like:"I have not eaten rice, pasta and bread for the past three months... still I cannot control my blood sugar!""When we...

After adopting a pair of lively young girls, music theater managers Jean and James knew it was time to clean up their act. The motivation to get healthier and more energetic inspired the Iowa couple to lose a combined 150 pounds with Diet-to-Go!"Our weight loss was motivated by wanting to attend our youngest daughters' high school and college graduations and to see them marry and start families of their own," a glowing Jean tells Diet-to-Go."I am 48 years old and I have not weighed this little since before I became pregnant with my oldest child... and that's 23 years ago."So...

A diet of fruits, vegetables and nuts lowers the bad LDL cholesterol in two weeks by 33%, far more than the same diet with added grains and low fat diary (23%), and even more than by the National Cholesterol Therapeutic Step-2 diet recommended by doctors for people with high cholesterol (7%).Even more important, the ratios of LDL/HDL cholesterol are reduced by 24%, 12%, and 5% respectively (Epidemiology, March 2006).This study by David Jenkins and many other studies show that the most effective way to lower high cholesterol and blood pressure, prevent heart attacks and prolong life is to avoid taking...