Healthy Restaurant Picks - Uno's

Thursday, April 30, 2009

On a better note, like I said, a lot of restaurants do have good healthy options. Here's some faves of mine from Uno's, as well as some other healthy options that, if I ate meat, I am sure I would love from Uno's:

Uno's lists all their nutrition info online, and even has a whole "under 500 calories" section on their site. (www.unos.com)

Veggie Soup - 150 calories
Cuban Black Bean & Lentil Soup -180 calories
Grilled Chicken with Mango Salsa - 220 calories (without side dishes)
Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Mango Salsa - 240 calories (withous side dishes)
Gorgonzola Walnut Salad - 280 calories
Grilled & Skewered BBQ Shrimp - 300 calories (without side dishes)
House Salad with Grilled Chicken - 320 calories
Eggplant, Spinach & Feta Flatbread Pizza - so, this entire pizza is 810 calories, but you can easily split this with someone for 405 calories each, it's plenty of food - and it's really yummy! (Also, the cheese & tomato flatbread is the same # of calories)

Some things on their menu that i thought were not bad as far as calories were actually pretty bad, so it's always good to check online before you go to a restaurant!

Diet-Busters!

As much as restaurants are getting better at including healthy options, they also keep adding things that are like 1000+ calories (like the giant omelette breakfast sandwich from Burger King, the Double Thickburger at Hardee's, etc.). The newest diet buster I keep seeing ads for is this, the Domino's Bread Bowl Pasta:



Now, the website doesn't give the nutrition info, but this just CAN'T be good for you, right? I mean, pasta inside a bread bowl? I found these calorie listings online for them on another site:

670 calories - Pasta Primavera
700 calories - Chicken Alfredo
730 calories - Three Cheese Mac-N-Cheese
730 calories - Italian Sausage Marinara
740 calories - Chicken Carbonara

Diet Pills & How NOT to Lose Weight

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

I think if I went through my ENTIRE weight-loss journey of ups and downs in life, you'd be reading for hours; but I wanted to do a brief summary just as a warning, to tell you how NOT to lose weight.

I've been 5'11" since 7th grade. At that time, I was a lanky middle-schooler and was 135 pounds. Over the next few years, I grew up, went through puberty, etc. and not surprisingly gained weight. I was at about 165 pounds my junior year of high school. My mom noticed and decided we ought to go on a weight-loss plan together that summer. Except, I took it way too far - it went from "oh, I should eat a little healthier" (not hard to do, given that in my meat-eating days of high school, I went to McDonald's or Chick-Fil-A basically every day!) to "how few calories can I eat in a day" to "perhaps some diet pills would help me lose more" - this turned into a bad eating-disorder situation, where I became convinced that 600 calories a day and 6 Metabolite pills was great for me. Well, I did lose weight - I got down to about 140 pounds, which is pretty low for someone 5'11" - and also started to develop a heart condition from all the caffeine/ephedra in the diet pills. That's when I knew it had to stop.

Me in 2002, Senior Yr. of High School, about 140 lbs - look how bony my shoulders are - eww!

In college, I didn't use any diet pills anymore (thank goodness), but I did still struggle with eating habits. I was working out 5 days a week with the women's boxing team, and yet eating 1,000 or less calories a day. I was still only about 145 pounds.

Me freshman year of college.

Luckily, after freshman year, I wised up and realized I could maintain a healthy weight of between 155-165 just with my boxing workouts and eating, well, almost whatever I wanted, given the calories I was burning. I'd usually gain some weight in the spring in the off-season, but then lose it again in the summer/fall. I, of course, again thought I was fat all the time at 160 pounds or so, which is laughable now - I'd die to be 160 again!

Hey, look, I finally look healthy in this pic - this is junior yr. of college

So, the real trouble began 2nd semester senior year - no more boxing...like ever...and I was continuing to eat whatever I wanted. In the last three years of law school, I have gone between 169 at the low end and 192 pounds at the high end. When I finally realized I was 192, and just couldn't get married in that kind of state.

The dreaded "before" pic

I started to get my butt into gear - over the next couple years of the engagement, I went up and down a lot, but did get to at least my 20 lb goal and got married at 172.


Me at the rehearsal dinner

So, now I am trying to see if I can work hard to lose that last 10 pounds, but more importantly, I want to do so in a healthy way, no matter how long that may take :) Oh, and the best news of all is, I have FINALLY gotten my resting heart rate down to a healthy level, meaning I can finally run!!

A Novel Cardio Warm-Up

Even when doing a full hour of just strength training with my PT, she always has me do a cardio warmup to get my heart going. Here's some cardio warm-ups that she's had me do that I definitely would not have done on my own :)









Elliptical Intervals - Often, instead of just a few minutes on the elliptical at a medium intensity, Kerry would have me do a minute of lower intensity (about 130 stripes per min) then a minute of super high intensity (at least 180 strides per min). Try it, even just for 5-10 min, it's hard to do!





Bicycle Arms Workout - So, this is a cardio warm-up, but also an arm exercise - and it is pretty darn hard! (Note - you need two people to do this). Here's what you do - get on a stationary bike, and start going; have someone behind you hold the middle of a workout band, and give you the handles of the band. Then, push the band forward while holding a handle in each hand. The motion should be like a chest press:




Good luck with your warmups :)

What to Do at the Gym

I think there's a lot of conflicting messages out there about what to do at the gym - for example, look at the two trainers on Biggest Loser - if you read their books, etc. you'll see that Jillian feels that strength training is #1 priority, and cardio is secondary, and Bob feels just the opposite. Personally, I do about half and half, I do about 3 days of each a week, and then one day off.

I've posted several workouts in the past (http://becomingafitbride.blogspot.com/search/label/workouts), but here's a refresher on some workout ideas:


Cardio:
I used to do all elliptical because, well, it's easier than the treadmill, at least for me. I used to just do an hour on it a few days a week, and that was my entire workout routine. After meeting with a personal trainer, I realized (1) I need to do strength training as well; and (2) I need specific goals to step up my time on the elliptical. So, if you're doing cardio, try to do a certain distance, a certain intensity, strides per minute, etc. and up that goal a bit each week.


I now sometimes add in the treadmill as well because for me, it's quite a challenge. I can't burn as many calories on it, but I have been pretty proud to have gotten from 1/2 mile without stopping to 3 miles now. So, even if you're like me, and think you could NEVER run, trust me, you probably can, it just takes some work!

Legs: Aside from doing the elliptical and treadmill, the best leg workouts are the tried and true classics of squsts and lunges. There's no excuse not to do these, since no equipment is even needed!

Arms:
I think this right here is probably the best arms workout I have gotten from my PT - http://becomingafitbride.blogspot.com/2009/03/kick-butt-arms-workout.html - keep in mind that this is basically a full hour of arms, and if you're doing other strength training, you should reduce this to 20 minutes by just doing one set each of the exercises as opposed to 3. And if you're low on equipment, just doing push-ups, while hard, will be GREAT for your arms!


Here are some 1-hour sample strength training workouts, one created by my PT, and one by me, that include arms, legs, etc. -
http://becomingafitbride.blogspot.com/2009/02/diy-strength-training-workout.html
http://becomingafitbride.blogspot.com/2009/01/full-one-hour-strength-training-workout.html

Hope this helps those needing some inspiration of what to do at the gym!

Snack Time

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

I could never ever be on a diet without snacks - which is why I love things like Weight Watchers, where you eat a reduced # of calories, and are supposed to eat all of your fruits, veggies, etc., but also aren't banned from eating certain kinds of foods. Because, well, I love snacks. Here's some of my favorite low-cal snacks:


Pringles Baked Wheat Stix (I like the pizza and cheese ones)


Smart Food Popcorn Clusters (I have only tried the chocolate cookie caramel pecan ones so far, but am going to try the others soon!)

100 Calorie Guacamole Packs (you can eat this with something like fresh veggies to make it a super healthy snack)


Fresh snow peas and light salad dressing




Dannon Light n' Fit with Fruit

Happy snacking :)

Yummy Lunch Recipe

Monday, April 20, 2009

Andrew and I have decided to start our own weight loss competition amongst ourselves; and so, we went to the store last night and got lots of healthy groceries with which to make a lot of new recipes. My first recipe was from Weight Watchers' Take Out Tonight, it's a Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Sandwich, and is soo easy to make, and has very few ingredients - my kind of recipe! They are between 175-250 calories each, depending on what kind of english muffin you use.



Ingredients (for 4 servings):
1 large red bell pepper, halved and seeded
1/4 lb (4 oz) goat cheese
4 english muffins
Arugula leaves

Preheat the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil; place the bell-pepper pieces, cut-side down, on a baking sheet. Broil for about 10 minutes, until lightly charred. Then, wrap the pieces in the foil and let them steam for 20 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, peel and cut in half.
Spread 2 tablespoons goat cheese on the bottom half of each muffin. Top cheese with roasted red pepper and fresh arugula; cover sandwiches with muffin tops.

Fitness Video Roundup

Friday, April 17, 2009

So, I am thinking of getting a fun fitness video that involves dancing or something like that - the only video I own now is Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred, which is definitely a good workout when I do it, but I'd like something that's more fun. Some things I am considering:





Flirty Girl Fitness DVD's (pole dancing type stuff)

Dancing with the Stars Cardio Dance


Core Rythms

Anyone tried any of these? Any suggestions?

Delicious & Nutritious Breakfast

I know I had kinda given up posting all the things I eat, but now I am thinking I might get back into it, and even with pictures this time! Here's my breakfast today:



60 Calorie pack of Dannon Light n' Fit Yogurt (they sell them in packages of 6, it's 1/2 vanilla yogurt packs and 1/2 strawberry)

1/2 Granny Smith apple

1/4 cup Trail Mix Crunch cereal


Less than 200 calories of yumminess - and it has dairy, protein, fruit, etc.!

The Incredible, Edible Egg

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

One thing I ALWAYS have on my grocery list is EggBeaters - they're just always good to have around for last-minute recipes, whether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can make breakfast wraps, omelettes, frittata, spanish tortillas, quiches, etc. And Egg Beaters are so incredibly low in calories - 1 cup has about 100 calories.


I have already posted some recipes I like with eggs, but here's some more:




Broccoli & Cheddar Quiche (Weight Watchers) (makes 8 servings, each serving is 5 points/about 250 calories)

6 oz pie crust, 9-inch, refrigerated
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup(s) red onion(s), chopped
1 1/4 cup(s) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup(s) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 large egg(s)
2 large egg white(s)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp table salt, or more to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or more to taste
10 oz frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well-drained
1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Press pie crust into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch, removable-bottom tart pan or a 9-inch pie pan; refrigerate until ready to use.
To make filling, heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer onion to a large bowl and add ricotta cheese, cheddar cheese, egg, egg whites, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper; mix well and fold in broccoli. Spoon mixture into prepared crust and level surface with a wooden spoon; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake until a knife inserted near center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing into 8 pieces. Yields 1 piece per serving.


Spanish Tortilla (Weight Watchers) (6 servings, 3 points/150 calories per serving)



3 medium potato(es), baking-variety, peeled, thinly sliced**
3 large egg(s)
3 large egg white(s)
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
1 1/2 tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion(s), chopped

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook for 5 minutes (potatoes should be about halfway done); drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, salt and pepper; set aside.
Heat oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and potatoes; cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Spoon potato mixture into egg mixture; mix thoroughly.
Reheat skillet over medium-low heat. Add potato-egg mixture and let cook for 2 minutes. Flip and cook on other side until eggs are set, about 2 minutes more. Slice into 6 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving.


Overnight Scrambled Egg Bake (Weight Watchers) (8 servings, 7 points per serving/350 calories per serving)


16 oz fat-free egg substitute
12 oz fat-free evaporated milk
6 slice(s) white bread, or potato bread
6 oz extra-lean ham, approximately 11% fat, cubed (I substitute fake meat)
1 cup(s) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese


Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Beat eggs well and add milk.
Place bread on bottom of baking pan. Toss ham and cheese over bread. Pour egg mixture over top. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
Bake covered egg mixture at 350°F for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Cut into 8 portions and serve.

Low Fat vs. Non-Fat

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

In making recipes from the Hungry Girl book as well as Weight Watchers, the one big difference in a lot of these is that the dairy products are all either low-fat or non-fat. Although I already was eating a lot of low-fat items, I was wary of non-fat cheese. However, I have actually come to like the Kraft Free singles for use in things like tuna melts:





And the Kraft Free shredded cheddar is good as well:




However, there are some things I have just never really liked fat-free. I really dislike both fat free cream cheese and fat free mayo, so I substitute the low-fat versions, and in small quantities, I find that to be just fine. Anyone else out there come around on some non-fat stuff? Any favorites?

My New Fave Breakfast

Monday, April 6, 2009

So, I have been trying to get away from eating breakfasts that are all egg, fake bacon, etc. all the time, because although they can be low in calories, they often don't have a ton of nutritional value. So, one of one of my new fave breakfasts is to make my own fruit & yogurt parfait.



I just cut up a few strawberries in half, get out some Vanilla Dannon Light n' Fit, and then soem low fat granola, and layer them together in a cup. It's also really yummy as a dessert!

I'm Baaaack!

Sorry for the long delay, I was a little busy, ya know, getting married, going on a honeymoon, etc. :) Some highlight pics showing off my 20 lbs that I lost for the wedding :)







But of course, I am still looking to lose more, and to keep up being healthy and get back into working out daily after my week of laziness on the honeymoon. So, I am back, and will be posting recipes, workouts, etc. again!