Tips from Linds

Still laughing! As a friend of this blogs creator, I promised to post something useful. I have been a chef/trainer since 1999 and have tons of ideas on how to get healthy and still live your life. Health isn't about how you look, it's about how you feel. I truely believe it's about a gradual lifestyle change not a "diet starts tomorrow experience." Biting off more than you can comfortably chew is a sure way to fail, time and time again. I have trained ladies who just had gastric bypass surgery, recent cancer survivors living their life to the fullest to a 50 year old grandpa who is in the best shape of his life, all dedicated. I think the best tips are the ones that we can apply to our actual lives because who are we kidding, fast food happens. Guilt and the feeling of failure can toss you off of your rapidly moving wagon before you figure out what happened. Don't fall victim to this anymore....know how to eat guilt free through the drive thru. Ok, so there are a few places that we should all just steer clear of but if you have to go there, remember portion control is the best way to keep your control. I am going to outline the best and worst choices that my research has found so far:
Best choices:
Wendy's
Grilled chicken sandwich- 310 calories, 8 gr. fat
Small fries- 270 calories, 13 gr. fat
Broccoli cheese potato- 470 calories, 14 gr. fat

You could enjoy the sandwich without mayo, all the veggies on it, and still have your fries. Stay away from the soda fountain, try unsweetened iced tea instead and you have just had a fast and smart lunch on the go. The potato would be the meal but you could pair it with a tossed salad and fat-free dressing to increase your fiber intake. Increase the fiber to jump start any lifestyle overhaul. Be aware and add veggies and fruit to any and everything you can.

Chik-fil-a:
Grilled chicken sandwich- 280 cal, 3 gr. fat WOW!
Chicken noodle soup- 110 cal, 1 gr. fat
Chicken salad sandwich- 320 cal, 5 gr. fat
Deluxe chicken sandwich- 300 cal, 9 gr. fat

Stay away from all the fried options most days but choose chik-fil-a on the days that you cannot live without it because even their bad options are better for you than KFC! This is my favorite place to drive- thru, everything is tasty and is just as good with bbq sauce as it is with mayo. Try a side of soup instead of fries.

Stay away from:
Arbys:
Thier chicken broccoli baked potato sounds like a good choice but it has over 800 calories! Their menu just doesnt have as many "better choice" options for us.

Schlotzsky's:
Large original has 1130 calories, thats a whole days worth!

Pizza Hut:
1 bread stick has 130 calories. Ouch!

Taco Bell:
Contrary to popular belief, the bean burrito is not so great at almost 400 calories. We all know that nobody eats one item at this place, ok. Where they really hit you hard is on the fat... the 7 layer burrito has 22 grams of it!

KFC:
Chicken pot pie 770 calories and 40 grams of fat. Need I say more?

Krispy Kreme: 3 Donut HOLES 220 calories!

McDonald's:
Large Coke 310 calories. Fruit and yogurt parfait sits at almost 400 calories, the nutritional value is a marketing myth.

I will post some healthy cook at home recipes soon. Take left-overs to work so you can save the eating out money and calories.