Friday, April 20, 2012

Operation Bikini Body



Bikini season is just around the corner now, and it is time to step up my game.  This was me 3 years ago and 22 pounds ago.  The pic is from my honeymoon.  Excuse the lack of make-up.  I didn't plan on ever showing this pic to anyone.  I'm not sure it is feasible for me to go back to that weight.  I look at the pic and think maybe I was too thin (gasp! is that possible?).  Either way, I desperately want to lose 10 lbs before I'll be caught in a two-piece again.  

Yesterday I did an hour on the elliptical until I reached 700 calories burned.  The first 30 minutes I did all at once.  The remaining 30 minutes I broke off into 10 minute increments and mixed weight training in between each increment for a total of an hour.  Yesterday evening I felt rundown so today I am taking a "recess" approach to my exercise regimen. 

Do you remember when we had recess in grade school?  We would have little breaks in the day to go play on the playground.  Then we would also have gym class.  We didn't have an aversion to sweat.  The thought that it was gross to get hot and sweaty had never occurred to us.  Maybe our culture is too afraid of getting stinky to get proper exercise.

My "recess" approach is that I am breaking off 20 minutes of the elliptical trainer three times a day.  Eventually I want to do 30 minutes three times a day.  I did my first 20 minutes this morning, and it actually seemed fun.  I'm going to do an additional 20 minutes this afternoon.  I'll mix in some in some upper body and ab exercises before doing an additional 20 minutes on the elliptical. 

After doing so much cardio yesterday I was craving carbs for dinner.  I tried Amy's Light & Lean Spinach Lasagna (only 250 calories with organic vegetables & pasta).  It was delicious!  I highly recommend it.  It was full of flavor and filling.  When I weighed in this morning I was down a couple pounds for the week.  Yay!  For breakfast I had my Starbucks Espresso Doubleshot (140 calories) and a slice of 45-calorie multi-grain toast with 1 tsp. of natural peanut butter (32 calories).  For lunch my husband and I ate at Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue here in Kansas City.  At first I wasn't too thrilled about the idea, but my husband said, "why don't you try the fish?"  I was sold.  I tried the Jack's Trout BBQ Lunch.  It is a half boneless Ruby Red Trout grilled with a sweet barbecue glaze.  I subbed in a loaded baked potato for the fries, and I only ate about a third of it (the third w/the bacon, cheddar, & sour cream. Shhhh!).  The trout was amazing.  If you don't live in the KC area, then you might try to grill this delicious fish at home. 

Barbequed Steelhead Trout Recipe

30 Recipes for Grilled Trout

If you would rather have it made for you (like me!), then try the grilled trout at Longhorn Steakhouse or Red Lobster.

Forgive me for the racy pic.  I needed the inspiration.  I hope my blog post inspires you to step up your workouts, too!  Have a great weekend!


Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Smarter Choices at Longhorn Steakhouse

There are several options for eating low-calorie at Longhorn.  You may start with one of the side salads and order soup as your main course.  You might opt for one of their lower-calorie entrée salads.  If you choose a protein-packed entrée, then stick with one of the leaner entrees that I have suggested.  Keep in mind that it comes with a salad and a side.  The lowest calorie salad is the mixed green side salad (110 calories) with fat-free ranch dressing (45 calories).  Skip the starchy sides and order green vegetables.  If you are craving the loaded baked potato (430 calories) or the sweet potato (370), then order it as your entrée.  Be strong and skip the bread loaf (510 calories) so that you don’t break the calorie bank.  Try not to go over 650 calories with your order combination.  There is nothing wrong with getting a box, because you have leftovers.  If you enjoy your meal, then you can enjoy it twice!


Starters
Chilled Shrimp Cocktail with Cocktail Sauce 190
French Onion Soup (bowl) 320
Ranch House Chili (bowl) 210
Shrimp & Lobster Chowder (bowl) 250
Loaded Baked Potato Soup (bowl, order as a meal.) 470

Dinner Entrees - Salads
Grilled Salmon Salad – Mixed Green with Fat-Free Ranch 605

Dinner Entrees – Legendary Steaks
Flo’s Fillet 7 oz. 450
Fire-Grilled Bone-in Sirloin 470
Flat Iron Steak 440
Flo’s Fillet & Lobster Tail (Calorie Splurge!) 500

Dinner Entrees – Seafood
Grilled Trout Topped with Shrimp & Lobster 490
Redrock Grilled Shrimp 130

Dinner Entrees - Flavorful Under 500
Flo’s Fillet 7 oz. 420
Renegade Sirloin 6 oz. 400
Sierra Chicken lighter portion 340
Grilled Fresh Rainbow Trout 380
Salmon 7 oz. 410

Ribs, Chops & More
Cowboy Pork Chops 400

Side Dishes
Fresh Seasonal Vegetables 90
Fresh Green Beans 36
Mixed Green Side Salad 110
Caesar Side Salad with Caesar Dressing 350
Fresh Steamed Asparagus 80
Steakhouse BLT Salad with Dressing 320
Strawberry Pecan Salad with Dressing 380

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Low-Calorie Dinner Options at Chili's



Chili’s Grill & Bar

Salads (Dressing included unless otherwise indicated.)
Caribbean Salad with Grilled Chicken 610
Caribbean Salad with Grilled Shrimp 590
House Salad No Dressing 150
Dressing, Honey Mustard No Fat 70
Dressing, Low Fat Ranch 80
Soups (without crackers)
Chicken Enchilada Bowl 380, Cup 190
Chili’s Terlingua Chili with Toppings Bowl 360, Cup 180
Loaded Baked Potato Soup Bowl 410, Cup 210
Southwest Chicken & Sausage Bowl 330, Cup 160
Lighter Choices (as served)
Classic Sirloin 260
Grilled Chicken Salad 420
Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Steamed Broccoli 610
Lighter Choice Grilled Salmon 480
Margarita Grilled Chicken 550
Not “Just” Sides
Black Beans 100
Black Bean Patty Only 200
Rice 190
Steamed Broccoli 80
Sweet Corn on the Cob with Butter 200

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Low-Cal Options at California Pizza Kitchen

I have blogged in the past about how I like the small frozen pizzas from California Pizza Kitchen.  Rather than repeat myself, this time I just want to cover low-cal options to order from CPK restaurants.  I went through the nutrition facts on the CPK website, and these are the options that I came up with.  I hope they have a restaurant in your neighborhood.

California Pizza Kitchen

Small Cravings
Spicy Chicken Tinga Quesadilla 510
Korean BBQ Steak Tacos 440
Asparagus & Arugula Salad 189
Mediterranean Plate 368
The Wedge Salad 278

Appetizers
Dynamite Shrimp 547
Lettuce Wraps with Chicken 543
Lettuce Wraps with Shrimp 527
Sesame Ginger Chicken Dumplings 465

Soups
Artichoke & Broccoli Soup Bowl 203, Cup 101
Sedona Tortilla Soup Bowl 500, Cup 273
Dakota Smashed Pea & Barley Soup Bowl 347, Cup 174

Half Salads (Fat-Free Vinaigrette available on request.  Calories reflect standard dressing.)
Chopped Half Salad, No Avocado 585
Carmelized Peach Half Salad 471
Camelized Peach Half Salad with Grilled Shrimp 567
Roasted Vegetable Half Salad 298
Roasted Vegetable Half Salad with Grilled Chicken Breast 536
Roasted Vegetable Half Salad with Grilled Shrimp 394
Roasted Vegetable Half Salad with Sauteed Salmon 528
Original Chopped Half Salad with Garbanzos 494
CPK Cobb Half Salad with Ranch Dressing 475
CPK Cobb Half Salad with Ranch Dressing & Beets 495
CPK Cobb Half Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 508
Classic Caesar Half Salad 253
Classic Caesar Half Salad with Grilled Chicken Breast 490
Classic Caesar Half Salad with Grilled Shrimp 349
Classic Caesar Half Salad with Sauteed Salmon 482
Chinese Chicken Half Salad 331
Miso Shrimp Half Salad 437
Thai Crunch Half Salad, No Avocado 544
Field Greens Half Salad 402
Field Greens Half Salad with Gorgonzola 502
Field Greens Half Salad with Grilled Shrimp 498

If you cannot fathom going to California Pizza Kitchen without ordering pizza, then stick with eating only HALF of the thin crust pizza.  You can split it with a friend or take the rest home as leftovers.
Half Roasted Artichoke & Spinach Thin Crust Pizza 478
Half Roasted Artichoke & Spinach Thin Crust Pizza with Chicken 515
Half Pesto Chicken Thin Crust Pizza 518
Half Margherita Thin Crust Pizza 519
Half Four Seasons Thin Crust Pizza 497
Half Tricolore Salad Pizza 501

The pastas and sandwiches at CPK break the calorie bank so if you order from these menus only eat half your entrée and take the rest home.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Easy 150 Calorie Desserts

Betty Crocker Warm Delights Minis
 
I must admit I do not always crave dessert, but when I do have a sweet tooth I indulge it during my mid-afternoon snack.  I always save around 150 calories for my snack.  Normally I try to make a smart choice that offers a balance of carbs, fat, protein, and fiber.  However, every once in awhile that goes completely out the window to satisfy a craving.

There are several portion-controlled, low-calorie dessert options available at the grocery store.  The following is a list of some of my favorite options.  If your grocer doesn't carry a product on the list that interests you, then make a request!  Be sure to share your favorite low-cal desserts in the comments.

The Betty Crocker Minis are generally located in the baking aisle.  They are super easy to make.  You just follow the instructions and nuke 'em.

Betty Crocker Warm Delights Minis Molten Chocolate Cake 150  My Favorite!!!!

Betty Crocker Warm Delights Minis Molten Caramel Cake 150

Betty Crocker Warm Delights Minis Decadent Dark Chocolate 150

The Skinny Cow and Smart Ones desserts are generally available in the frozen ice cream/dessert section.

Skinny Cow Ice Cream Snack Cups, Assorted Flavors 150 to 170

Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches, Assorted Flavors 140 to 160

Skinny Cow Ice Cream Cones, Assorted Flavors 150

Skinny Cow Ice Cream Bars, Assorted Flavors 100

Skinny Cow Mini Fudge Pops 40

Smart Ones Smart Delights Brownie A La Mode 130

Smart Ones Smart Delights Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sundae 140

Smart Ones Smart Delights Chocolate Fudge Brownie Sundae 140

Smart Ones Smart Delights Key Lime Pie 150

Smart Ones Smart Delights Peanut Butter Cup Sundae 140

Smart Ones Smart Delights Strawberry Shortcake 120

Smart Ones Smart Delights Turtle Sundae 140