Investigation: Calorie Busters - What you don't know may hurt you...

Did any of you catch the Today Show on NBC recently?

They were discussing a recent Men's Health article about the worst foods from a nutrition standpoint.

Obviously, we all know that "Fast Food" is not good for us and if we are getting the majority of our meals at a drive-thru ordering through a clown's head, we're not getting healthy meals, regardless of our food choices.
But American's aren't just failing their nutrition at the drive-thru. "Fast Food" is also what you get at those larger chain restaurants, including Outback, TGI Fridays, Chili's, Applebee's, and the like.

Too many Americans think that just because you are sitting down in a comfy chair and a waiter is serving you that it is not "fast food". Well, I'm here to tell you different.

Much of what is served in these restaurants are no better, if not worse than what you would get from the Golden Arches. The worst part is, if you misjudge your calories by just 30,000 calories/year, that will attribute to a 9-10 pound weight gain by the end of the year!

And we wonder why so many people flock to the gyms in masses immediately following the New Year!

An recent inside investigation found startling findings - Here are some examples of typical dishes served at some of these local restaurants. I'm sure you will be just as surprised as I was to see how calorie and fat-loaded these foods really are. I have even compared them to more obvious "cheat foods" to give you some perspective on how bad they are for not only your health but also your waist line:

UNO's 6 inch "personal" classic deep dish pizza contains 2,310 calories and 162g of fat! This is just like eating 2 entire medium cheese pizzas from Domino's plus 2 more slices.

Macaroni Grill's regular order of spaghetti and meatballs in meat sauce weighed-in with a whopping 2,430 calories and over 205g of fat. You could get the same amount of calories from eating an ENTIRE PAN of homemade lasagna with tomato sauce, meat and cheese!

Ruby Tuesday's Turkey burger (a food many of us would consider "healthy") came in at 1,145 calories and 56g of fat. To put this into perspective, it would be like eating 2 Big Macs with cheese.

A typical indulgence at Starbucks, the Venti Strawberry Frappuccino was more like a meal through a straw at over 750 calories including 120g sugar! To get the same in one sitting, you could eat 6 Hagen-daaz vanilla and almonds ice cream bars.

And the worst offender of them all is Outback's Aussie Cheese Fries with ranch dressing. This "appetizer"
contains more than 2,900 calories and over 240g fat.
Instead, if you were to eat 14 Krispy Kreme donuts, you would still save 100 calories and 14g of fat!

Ok, so what are some tips to avoid the "fast food" fake out? Men's Health has a few suggestions:

1) Don't super size
- Sure it's a better value because you get more
for your money, but unless you want to add
inches to your waist, stick to the smaller
portions.

2) Order boiled or broiled - not fried
- Ask your server and if the restaurant wants
your repeat business, they will honor your
request for healthier alternatives.

3) Start with soup or salad and go minimalist on the entree
- Filling up on the lower-calorie/fattening
foods will help prevent over-eating more
caloric-dense foods.

4) Swap veggies for fries
- Sure, we all enjoy a crispy french fry now and
again, but if you are looking to save calories
on your meal, ask for the fresh, steamed
veggies (with no butter or extra salt).

5) Substitute cappuccino or wine for dessert
- Desserts can quickly add hundreds of calories
to an already over-stuffed meal. Opt for a
small coffee or lower calorie beverage instead
of the chocolate ice-cream explosion.

I enjoy sharing these tips on occasion because I know what it is like to struggle with weight loss. I hope you use these tips to help keep you on the right path to accomplishing your health and fitness goals.

If you need additional accountability, guidance or support, all of us at Fitness Together are here to help get you on track and stay focused to reaching your goals. If you need help, or know someone that does, please call us at 703-858-9220 or visit:
http://www.personaltrainingashburn.com/get-started.html
to schedule a COMPLIMENTARY consultation and learn how Fitness Together is the only guaranteed SOLUTION.

 

This is excactly WHY we don't eat out on a regular basis....