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Chef Tim Says...

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Dr. Tim Says...

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Dr. Tim Says....

We're Ten Years Old This Week

The beginning of 2009 marks ten years of Dr. Gourmet on the web. It was the beginning of 1999 that we put up our first web pages. For a long time the site was informational only and updated occasionally. We set out to change that about 3 1/2 years ago and to build the definitive evidence -based website for eating healthy.

I've learned a lot along the way to be sure. Most importantly there are 6 areas that research have been shown to help with folks eating healthy and losing weight.

1. Meal Planning: Those who plan their meals including when, where and what they are going to eat do better.

2. Portion Control: Meal planning is key especially because it allows folks to know just how much they are going to eat.

3. Food Diary: Those who keep track of what they eat lose weight and keep it off. It's helpful to track calories but even writing down what you have in a daily journal is enough.

4. Goal Tracking: It's been shown that keeping track of your weight frequently helps you to lose weight and eat better.

5. Exercise: This seems like a no brainer but it's really important and any exercise at all is better than none.

6. Groups: Working on your goals in a group makes all the difference. This can be just within your family, friends at work or support groups like Weight Watchers.

I knew that we wanted to be able to offer our users a website that any doctor would be happy to refer their patients to. There is so much misinformation on the internet that finding quality sites can be difficult and this often frustrates physicians. At the same time I knew that we should offer not just information but the tools for you to put this information into action.

This week marks the re-launch of our online software that helps you achieve your goals through the techniques that research has shown to be most effective. The Dr. Gourmet Diet Plan Software helps you plan by creating two week portion controlled menu plans complete with shopping lists based on the number of calories you should be eating for a healthy weight. The completely free plan uses Dr. Gourmet recipes but also allows you to use recipes from your own Recipe Box in planning menus.  

We now offer a Food Diary where you can keep track of what you are eating. There's also an Exercise Diary to help you follow your calories burned.

All of this is complemented by a Goal Tracking feature that lets you follow your weight loss progress as well as Body Mass Index and Waist to Hip Ratio.

Groups lose weight better and The Dr. Gourmet Diet PlanPlan is the only software that will create plans and tracking for your whole family.

We have tried to back all of this up with the knowledge you need to be healthier. There are hundreds and hundreds of recipes from comfort food to gourmet. Not only does the Dr. Gourmet website offer extensive information about eating healthy weight loss and for a number of health conditions, we understand that knowing what is in the food we eat is important. The new Recipe Box feature offers users to enter their own recipes for use in meal plans but it also analyzes the recipes and provides Nutrition Facts.

As we move into our second decade (wow!) I want to thank you for being so supportive. The emails that we receive from you are really special to us and are the fuel that keeps our engine going.

Timothy S. Harlan, M.D.
Dr. Gourmet
January 5, 2009

Last updated: 01/05/09