If you're looking for a weight loss plan that will get yours summer slim-down off to a great start be sure to check out Evaluate a Weight Loss Program in 5 Easy Steps to make sure you've got all your bases covered!

There are a few things we all crave this time of year... ice cream, hot dogs on the grill and mmm... strawberry shortcake! And I found an easy way to get my berry-cake-cream fix without blowing my day's calorie count: Weight Watchers Smart Ones Strawberry Shortcake!

The cake is moist and flavorful, the cream is rich and satisfying, and the strawberries taste like the next best thing to the fresh berries we pick every year at a farm down the road! The preparation was a snap -- just let it thaw out (instructions say you can microwave it, but I simply let it thaw out since I was on-the-go and didn't have access to a microwave).

It has 170 calories and six grams of fat. According to Calorie Count Plus, regular strawberry shortcake at a restaurant I formerly often enjoyed this treat at has over 500 calories and a whopping 25 grams of fat. Honestly, I would swap the restaurant version for this cake any day for the cost savings, convenience and portability. But the fact that it has less than half the calories of the version I previously enjoyed is a-ok by me!

The Weight Watchers Smart Ones dessert selections, including this shortcake, is found in the frozen dessert section at your grocer. I nabbed mine when it was on sale for $2. Since there are two slices in pack, it's a pretty good deal for $1 per serving.

It's time for a celebration, amigo! Just because you're watching your weight, you don't have to give up celebrating Cinco de Mayo with some Mexican fare. Just follow a few of our easy guidelines for ordering, or, take our handy quick guide with you for easy reference:

• Healthy Choices at Mexican Restaurants
• Mexican Dining on the South Beach Diet
• Mexican Restaurants Quick Guide

About.com exercise Guide, Paige, posted a great new feature to her site recently called Weight Loss Survival Skills. As Paige says, weight management success isn't as basic as getting a workout regularly and counting calories -- it's much more than that, and that's why survival skills like these come in so handy!

Out of all my female friends, only one loses her appetite when she is under pressure; the rest (myself included) reach for the nearest comfort food -- and plenty of it -- at the slightest sign of stress. It seems we're not alone. A 2000 study found that women may be at particular risk of stress-induced eating and weight gain. Learn more with our recent feature, Women, Stress and Weight-Gain.

It seems there is another health condition that can be worsened by obesity -- asthma is worse in obese patients, based on recent research. Obesity can also cause inaccurate results in asthma-related tests, the same study says. To learn more about asthma, visit the About.com asthma Guide site, or, read more about the study at Science Daily.

About.com's Nutrition Guide, Shereen, has posted a very informative article at her site. We all know we need to eat more fruits and vegetables, but how do you know when enough is enough? This article will help you understand what a serving size of typical types of fruit is and how many you should aim for -- eating more produce is key for better health, good nutrition, and weight loss!

The "I Tried It!" blog will bring you my review of a diet food that I have recently tried!

Today, I tried a product from Mrs. Smith's called Heavenly 100's in chocolate mousse. As the name implies, this treat has only 100 calories. I was very pleased with the flavor and texture of this product. It is lighter than ice cream and is not overly-sweet like some "diet" desserts. The flavor of the mousse is quite similar to the frozen chocolate dairy dessert available at a fast food restaurant.

Tip: The box says you can either let the mousse stand for a few moments before consuming or microwave briefly. I attempted the latter and thought it became rather "soupy" and melted along the edges completely, so I would recommend sitting it out for a few moments instead.

Heavenly 100's come in a two-pack of two single serving lidded cups and retail for approximately $3. There are additional varieties available, such as strawberry mousse. Check out your local grocer's frozen food section in the area where frozen pies are stocked to find them.

Have you tried our free e-course? Sign up today for our free weight loss e-mail course, Weight Loss 101, where we cover all the basics from counting calories to staying motivated. You can also choose to receive our free weekly newsletter where you will receive the latest articles and news.

Did you know that dairy foods are an important part of eating for weight loss? Women typically swear off dairy foods when they're trying hard to lose weight, but that could be a big mistake.

Without getting enough calcium, the body may actually be prompted to create more, bigger fat cells, according to research by Dr. Michael Zemel of the University of Tennessee. If you eat enough calcium you could prevent the hormone that gives these signals from prompting you to create bigger fat cells and more of them.

Read Say Yes to Yogurt! to learn more about Dr. Zemel's research and how dairy can help your diet.