ITG Diet Blog

In the past few years, GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have emerged as a promising class of medications for managing type 2 diabetes. These drugs  work by mimicking the action of the hormone GLP-1, which stimulates insulin secretion, suppresses glucagon secretion, and slows gastric (stomach and intestine) emptying. While GLP-1 medications offer several benefits, they also come with limitations and downsides that patients and healthcare providers need to consider.

{{ A Cautionary Tale against Neglecting Proper Nutrition }}

In today's society, the pursuit of weight loss often leads people down various paths, including the temptation of quick fixes offered by weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and several other GLP-1 antagonist medications. While these meds may promise rapid results, they come with a host of downsides that underscore the importance of prioritizing proper nutrition and lifestyle changes for long-term health and well-being.

We all have goals that we’d like to achieve throughout our lives. When it comes to our health, there are a lot of outcomes to strive toward, and so many ways to get there. Sometimes, creating a goal may seem like a daunting task, such as when we make a New Year’s Resolution to change our diet to lose weight, or to start an exercise program to get in shape. Creating these larger goals can seem challenging, so how can we make them look and feel more attainable?

When it comes to getting healthy and losing weight, it’s safe to say that many of us are looking for the quickest route to get there. These days, it’s all about fast results. However, that weight wasn’t put on in a day. Using a quick fix such as medication sounds appealing, but is it healthy? It took time for us to gain weight, so losing it in a healthy way should probably take some time as well. New drugs, designed for diabetes, are being used off-label for weight loss to get that quick fix that so many people are looking for. Will we ever learn? Is there really a quick fix for weight loss?

You’ve been doing great on the program, sticking to the guidelines, watching what you eat, not cheating, and losing pounds every week. Then, that day inevitably arrives: you’re invited to dinner at a friend’s house; a surprise guests brings over wine and snacks; you decide that you can take a day or two off to enjoy some fun foods and beverages. Then… the next day, you feel puffy, bloated, tired, and fatigued. You check your weight on the scale. It has spiked dramatically!

Have you noticed that when you eat or drink off-program foods, your weight tends to immediately increase? It may be one or two pounds but could add up to even more! What is going on inside your body, and why does this happen so quickly?

If you have been carrying extra weight for too long, making the decision to get to work on your health and weight loss goal is a big step to take. You must also realize that it is a major commitment, changing how you think about the foods you eat for life.

Getting started on this goal in the midst of holiday season might seem like a recipe for disaster. FOMO kicks in when you think of all the holiday dishes that you WON’T be eating. However, it’s better to get your mindset right and your program started before the holidays arrive rather than waiting until the New Year.

We've had a lot of changes at ITG the past couple months! We've added lots of delicious new bars and foods for you to try. We have been busy working with our new distribution centers to ensure that your packages arrive as quickly as possible.

Your order may arrive in 2 packages on 2 separate days. Check your email for a "Shipment Confirmation" email from ITGdiet.com. Make sure to add info@ITGdiet.com and Joseph@ITGdiet.com as email contacts so that you receive the your messages. They tend to go to junk, spam, or promotions folders in your email.

For assistance with the ITG website, shopping, using the FREE shipping codes, and to check in with Coach Joe for your weekly appointment, get in touch!

Email Joseph@ITGdiet.com and/or Info@ITGdiet.com

Call Coach Joe direct at 727-641-1679

Live Chat on the ITG Diet homepage (look to the lower left of your screen and begin the chat there - monitored Monday through Friday during daytime hours)

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Are you ready to survive Halloween? Are you passing out candy, or taking the little ones Trick 'r Treating?

This is the first year decorating my house for Halloween AND the first time I've bought a massive bag of candy to pass out. As I was choosing what to buy for the kids, I thought of how I was going to make sure I wouldn't eat any of it before the big day.

Here are some of my tips to help you make it through the holiday and still have fun passing out candy!

One of the most important tools your Coach will use each week, whether you are working with them in person or online, is the Daily Food Diary. In order to see continued results and be able to make adjustments, make sure you are filling out your Diary completely.

French fries are an American staple… they go great with hamburgers, smothered in chili and cheese, or dipped in zesty ketchup. Fried foods in general are delicious, there’s no denying that. However, is there a link between eating these golden fried foods and your mood?

Being overweight or obese in the United States has grown to critical levels over the past few decades. Throughout 1970-1980, foods with added sugars surged in popularity. The obesity rate in the United States in the 1970s was 15%. Today, in 2023, it is more than 42% of the adult population. Sugar intake increased in children back then, and our addiction has continued to spiral out of control. Recently, prescription drugs meant for diabetics have come into focus as celebrities and many doctors have promoted the benefits of using them to reach weight loss goals more quickly. However, off-label use of these drugs could spell a recipe for disaster, especially since their long-term effects are currently unknown.

You’re losing weight, losing fat, and losing inches off your body. It’s not magic – it’s science! But where is all that fat going?

When you drop pounds, do you sweat it out? Urinate it out? Breathe it out? The answer is… all of the above!

Are you ready for some football? If so, you need to prepare and be ready for some healthy recipes to help you survive the big game! ITG has many recipes that you can view and print for free to help you stay compliant, whether you are on Step 1, Step 2, or you are looking for healthy recipes to maintain your goal weight in Step 3 of the ITG Diet Plan.

If you're a savory, crunchy, salty snack lover, we've got some great news for you! ITG has just added BBQ Curls. They've got a sweet and tangy barbecue flavor with lots of crunch. Plus, they're just 3 carbs and 110 calories per serving!

Enjoy them on their own as a snack, or chop up your lettuce, slice your vegetables, make some Creamy Dijon Dressing, and pour those BBQ Curls right on top for a delicious topping that gets you the protein you need at meal time! You can also use a variety of Walden Farms Dressings, available direct from ITG.

Try the new BBQ Curls, or enjoy Cheesy Curls and Sour Creamy Oniony Curls for a little more variety!

When you first get ready to start the ITG Diet Plan, you'll fill out a Health Status Intake Form. On the very first page, there are a few extremely important questions you will answer that can help your Coach prepare you for taking those first steps.

Can you feel the chill in the air? As the cold, snowy days approach, wouldn't a delicious cup of something hot and sweet really hit the spot, warm you up, and make you forget about winter for a minute? If you said "Yes," we definitely agree!

When you visit your local coffee shop for their tasty drink selections, remember that the ingredients aren't listed on the side of the coffee cup - so check online and make sure you aren't derailing your healthy eating routines in any Step of the ITG Diet Plan. Every 4 grams of carbohydrates is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of sugar.

We have seen some very innocent-looking concoctions so full of sugar that they give us a sugar rush just looking at the nutrition facts! Some of the most popular drinks ...

The holidays seem to arrive more and more quickly each year! If you are currently on the ITG Diet Plan and are wondering how you will survive this year’s feast, look no further! Each of the recipes included below is a delicious alternative that you can enjoy while on all stages of the ITG Diet Plan. Let us know which are your favorites - and who knows, you may even fool some of your family and friends into enjoying some healthy side dishes with you!

When you're working toward your health and fitness goals, it can be tough to stay accountable and on track. Whether you're working with a coach, trainer, a friend, or a family member, there are still many ways that you can continue holding yourself accountable when no one else is around.

Gaining weight can be a cause for stress, such as when you can’t fit into clothes or find it difficult to partake in activities you did with ease before. Beginning to gain weight can cause a cycle of putting on more pounds over time, which in turn causes more stress. You can’t simply eliminate all sources of stress in life, but you can learn ways to keep it from controlling your thoughts and eating behaviors.

These days, there are a lot of things that worry us – the economy, global crises, the effects of the pandemic, inflation – the list goes on. That worry and stress tends to show up in the form of extra pounds on the scale. Why is this?

Sometimes it seems that there just isn’t enough time at the end of the day to sit down and enjoy a healthy, home-cooked meal. There’s the planning, shopping, prepping, and cooking – all of that can end up taking a lot of time to accomplish. If you’ve got a busy schedule and can’t always find the time to cook a healthy meal, you may have turned to a meal delivery service, or ordered take-out from a restaurant. You’re trying to stick with healthy choices but are these options going to help, or hurt, your progress?