The biggest dilemma for most of us watching our weight is menu planning. We can work out like fiends at the gym, but eating the wrong foods—or simply too much of any food—can play havoc with our bodies.

And for busy professionals who simply don’t have time to cook healthy meals, that dilemma doubles.

“Believe it or not, doctors and nurses have the worst eating habits,” says Chef Mario, founder of Diet at Your Doorstep, Inc.—a Boca and New York-based company that takes all the guesswork out of what’s for dinner..or breakfast and lunch for that matter.

Mario, who is 60 but says he feels like he’s 24, is living proof that his specially designed meal plan works.

“Three years ago I was fat, I had high blood pressure and then a five way bypass really served as my wakeup call,” the congenial former restaurateur says.

“My wife underwent a kidney transplant so we were very concerned about health issues,” he continues. “I did lots of research and came up with the concept that eating five small meals a day not only helps you lose weight, but also improves your health.”

Mario lost 71 pounds and Estelle, his wife dropped 35. But even more importantly, his cholesterol went from a nosebleed 400 to a very respectable 167 points—without medication!

Mario says the meals are specifically designed to the client’s needs—including special programs for nursing mothers or diabetics.

“Even my own doctors are using Diet at Your Doorstep when they saw what it did for me,” he jokes.

The concept is simple. Each evening from Sunday to Thursday you get your next day’s meals delivered in a stay-fresh cooler. Each of the five mini-meals is color coded to match the menu provided.

“We figure it costs about $36 a day for our program—less than a meal out in a restaurant,” Mario explains.

And the food is awesome! Mario and his partner Dan Mommo, who lost 38 pounds himself, brought a sampler platter to MBS one evening.

The mock sushi rolls made with zucchini and chicken tasted like the real thing! Add to this, meals like Curry Chicken Salad, Succulent Shrimp Salad and Penne a la Bolognese and you’ve got meals fit for a king—a fit and healthy king.

Our own fitness guru Michael Papamichael and his wife, Fran, are on the program.

“I’m like any other working stiff,” Michael says. “I have a tight schedule and usually grab meals on the run. Often I’ll grab the quickest meal—usually high fat, fast fare that’s showing up on my waistline.”

Michael finds the five meals satisfying and convenient.

“You don’t have to think about your next meal,” he explains. “And you know you’re getting proper nutrition in a calorie controlled environment. It’s easy. I love it!”

Papamichael adds that it’s every trainer’s nightmare to work with someone who trains hard in the gym but can’t handle the nutritional end of the bargain. These clients may build muscle, improve their cardiovascular system, and improve their flexibility, but the body fat content stays the same or worse yet--goes up!

“Diet at Your Doorstep solves that problem,” he says. “The food is excellent. They devised a diet just for me based on my food preferences and even included snack suggestions if I get hungry after dinner.”

Mario adds that eating five small meals a day helps stabilize your blood sugar level so cravings are reduced.

“This also speeds your metabolism so you lose weight faster,” he says, adding that all his meals are free of preservatives, additives, wheat, sugar and dairy.

“I use herbs, garlic and special vinegars for flavor and soy products to add protein and body to the food without unnecessary fat,” he says. “The meals are formulated to burn calories. You need 150 calories just to digest each meal because of the dynamic action needed to absorb and break down the food.”