ATTENTION ALL WEIGHT WATCHER FANS

Applebee’s is the ONLY restaurant that is partnered with Weight Watchers to create health, low calorie meals on their menu. A perfect restaurant to choose from when trying to eat healthy without the stress of trying to figure out how many points you are eating while dining out.

Applebee’s Weight Watchers Menu comes with a variety of plates to choose from and they aren’t just veggies and salads. Separate from the Under 550 Calorie plates, Applebee’s just recently released 3 new menu items specifically for Weight Watcher fans and also for those wanting to look good in their bikini this summer. These plates have received amazing reviews from people all over the state and leave you feeling full and happy! Now lets get to the 3 new Weight Watchers plates…

 Cabernet Mushroom Sirloin- 12 WW Pt Plus

7 oz. of a juicy grilled Sirloin with sautéed Portobello mushrooms & onions, potatoes, and garlic broccoli

Creamy Parmesan Chicken- 12 WW Pt Plus

Grilled chicken breast with creamy Parmesan sauce, steamed spinach, and mushroom rice pilaf

Grilled Jalapeno-Lime Shrimp- 8 WW Pt Plus

Grilled chipotle lime shrimp mixed with black bean corn salsa with lime juice and chopped cilantro, served on a mix of grilled zucchini, marinated tomatoes, onions & red peppers and steamed white rice.

Three great options that are loaded with flavor and taste! Now, you might be thinking that 12 points for a meal might be more than you are wanting to spend when dining out, however splitting a meal cuts your points down in half.

Share with a friend or ask your waiter to place half of your meal in a to-go box PRIOR to serving it… that way you aren’t tempted to eat the whole thing. Never forever that veggies are free with weight watchers so load up on those veggies and order an additional side of broccoli if need be.

So the next time you aren’t sure where to dine out on that Friday night, give Applebee’s a try and check out their new Weight Watchers Menu. Let me know what you think!

The Skinny on Chick-Fil-A

Chick-Fil-A has swept the U.S. with their slogan of eat more chicken and you will know why after eat at Chick-Fil-A. Their chicken is by far the best chicken out there, or at least that is my own opinion.

From Breakfast to Dinner or a snack in between, Chick-Fil-A is a perfect stop at any time of the day. However, not all their items on the menu are as healthy as they seem. Some items carry up to 20g of fat! Follow this guide of what to eat and what not to eat to stay fit while enjoying the savory flavor if Chicken!

BREAKFAST

EAT THIS: Chick-N-Minis 3 Count
280 Calories & 10g Fat= 7 WW Pt Plus

NOT THAT: Sausage Biscuit
590 Calories & 41g Fat= 16 WW Pt Plus

EAT THIS: Yogurt Parfait w/ Granola
290 Calories & 6g Fat= 8 WW Pt Plus

NOT THAT: Chicken, Egg, and Cheese Bagel
490 Calories & 20g Fat= 13 WW Pt Plus

EAT THIS: Multigrain Oatmeal w/ Toppings
280 Calories & 11g Fat= 8 WW Pt Plus

NOT THAT: Chicken Breakfast Burrito
450 Calories & 20g Fat= 12 WW Pt Plus

EAT THIS: Fruit Cup

70 Calories & 0g Fat= 0 WW Pt Plus

NOT THAT: Hash Browns
270 Calories & 18g Fat= 7 WW Pt Plus

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LUNCH/DINNER

EAT THIS: Chargrilled Chicken Salad (NO TOPPINGS OR DRESSING)
180 Calories & 6g Fat= 5 WW Pt Plus

NOT THAT: Chick-N-Strips Salad (NO TOPPINGS OR DRESSING)
460 Calories & 22g Fat= 12 WW Pt Plus

EAT THIS: Chargrilled Chicken Cool Wrap
410 Calories & 12g Fat= 11 WW Pt Plus

NOT THAT: Chicken Salad Sandwich
490 Calories & 19g Fat= 13 WW Pt Plus

EAT THIS: Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich
290 Calories & 4g Fat= 7 WW Pt Plus

NOT THAT: Chicken Sandwich
430 Calories & 17g Fat= 11 WW Pt Plus

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SIDES

EAT THIS: Chicken Noodle Soup (Medium)
140 Calories & 4g Fat= 4 WW Pt Plus

NOT THAT: Waffle Fries (Medium)
390 Calories & 21g Fat= 10 WW Pt Plus

EAT THIS: Chicken Tortilla Soup
230 Calories & 5g Fat= 5 WW Pt Plus

NOT THAT: Chicken Salad Cup
350 Calories & 22g Fat= 9 WW Pt Plus

EAT THIS: Side Salad without Dressing
70 Calories & 4.5g Fat= 2 WW Pt Plus

NOT THAT: Carrot Raisin Salad (Medium)
260 Calories & 12g Fat= 7 WW Pt Plus

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Hope this helps when you are debating between which food item to get at chick-fil-a. You can never go wrong with the healthy options… they are so good you won’t even realize how healthy they truly are.

Chip-O-Top-Lay, Chipoodle… oh right, Chipotle!

Chipotle Mexican Grill is a great fresh fast-food mexican chain that allows you to build your own taco, burrito, salad, or burrito bowl. From the looks of it, one would think it would be healthy, but hidden underneath that burrito lays over 1,200 calories! Yep, you heard me right. . . maybe it has to do with the fact that their burritos are bigger than my face. You definitely can’t say that you don’t get your money worth here! ! !

Calories add up fast and you don’t even realize it when you add a little guacamole here, a scoop of sour cream there, a hand full of cheese, and oh wait… don’t forget the lime chips… they are by far God’s gift to mankind! Oh man, I’m hungry! However, Chipotle can be healthy when you load up on all their veggies. 

So how do you eat healthy at Chipotle?

For one, don’t eat the entire Chipotle meal. Portions these days have gotten ridiculous… especially at Chipotle! Check out this older post on Visualizing Portion Control and then go compare your burrito… you might understand me then.

For those of you who are like me and “accidently” end up eating the whole meal without realizing it, cut your meal in half and bag it up before you even begin to eat. This way you aren’t mindlessly eating till it’s gone… and having to roll yourself out of the store

For a burrito or taco, skip out on the guacamole, sour cream, and cheese. . . this saves you nearly 400 calories. If you want to save an extra 300 calories, opt out on the burrito and go for the burrito bowl- without the tortilla

Just because you are skipping out on the tortilla, doesn’t mean you should add on extra rice and beans. Fill up your bowl with veggies and ask for lite rice and black beans.

And for those of you that want to be extremely good, go all the way for a salad. These are my favorite because the sauteed bell peppers and onions is a perfect addition to a tasty meal. Add in tomatoes and corn and you are set! 

TOSS THE SALAD DRESSING- 260 calorie, 25g of fat!

My go to Chipotle meal includes a salad with extra Lettuce, lite Black  Beans (for protein), extra Fajita Veggies, Fresh Tomato Salsa, Mild Salsa, and Corn Salsa and one Soft Corn Tortilla on the side = 305 Calories, 3.5g Fat, 12g Protein

7 Weight Watchers Points Plus Points

While Chipotle might have 1,200 burritos, there are ways around it. So make sure you have a plan before heading into the store.

This handy dandy Chipotle Calculator is great to building your own meal. Make sure to use this the next time you head out to Chipotle.

Question: What is your favorite combo meal at Chipotle?

Adios Amigos!

International House of Pancakes, AKA IHOP, is a perfect place to start your day off right with a delicious, inexpensive breakfast. However, while you may not be burning a hole in your wallet with the all-you-can-eat pancakes, you are definitely paying for it in your hips.

The calories found at IHOP can be outrageous with plates leaning close to 2,000 calories. The best part about IHOP is that they do offer healthy options if you can withstand the temptation of a Belgian Waffle pilled high with whip cream and strawberries.

Here is a list of foods to void and foods to enjoy while dining at IHOP.

Omelets

Avoid This:

Big Steak Omelet: 1220 Calories, 82g Fat

Country Omelet: 1140 Calories, 80g Fat

Colorado Omelet: 1120 Calories, 80g Fat

Eat This:

Opt for an egg white omelet, no cheese, and loaded with your favorite veggies. Ask for no butter when cooking. For example, an egg white omelet with spinach, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and ham gives you approximately 210 calories and 5g of fat!

What a difference from the 1200 calorie Country Omelet and that doesn’t even include your sides. Side Dishes for the Omelet can add on another 600 calories if you aren’t careful.

Avoid This:

New York Cheesecake Pancakes: 850 Calories, 34g Fat

Blueberry Pancakes: 640 Calories, 13g Fat

Harvest Grain’N Nut Pancakes: 700 Calories, 39g Fat

Hash Browns: 320 Calories, 20g Fat

Eat This:

Fruit Plate: 80 Calories

Combination Plates

Avoid This:

Biscuits & Gravy Combo w/Sausage Gravy: 1530 Calories, 103g Fat

Two Eggs, Hash Browns, & Toast: 1080 Calories, 61g Fat

South of the Border Burrito: 1380 Calories, 74g Fat

Eggs Benedict: 1020 Calories, 57g Fat

Eat This:

You won’t find anything under 700 calories with the combination plates, I would order the two egg breakfast with toast.  However, order it with egg substitute and no butter on the toast. This might look like approximately 300 calories.

French Toast, Waffles, Crepes

Avoid This:

Viva La French Toast, Blueberry with Sausage: 1380 Calories, 82g Fat

Original French Toast: 920 Calories, 52g Fat

International Passport Swedish Crepe: 1030 Calories, 77g Fat

Blueberry Cheese Blintzers: 1150 Calories, 69g Fat

Eat This:

SIMPLE & FIT Seasonal Fresh Fruit Crepes: 580 Calories, 24g Fat

Plain Belgian Waffle without Butter: 360 Calories, 15g Fat

Simple & Fit Whole Wheat French Toast Combo: 490 Calories, 15g Fat

Pancake Combinations 

Avoid This:

Pick-A-Pancake Combo: Original Buttermilk: 880 Calories, 50g Fat

Pick-A-Pancake Combo, Harvest Grain ‘N Nut: 1020 Calories, 64g Fat

Thee Eggs and Pancakes: 810 Calories, 42g Fat

Eat This:

SIMPLE & FIT Two x Two x Two: 400 Calories, 12g Fat

Pancake Platter: 490 Calories, 18g Fat

SIMPLE & FIT Blueberry Harvest Grain ‘N Nut® Combo: 560 Calories, 23g Fat

Original Buttermilk Pancakes, Short Stack (3): 490 Calories, 18g Fat

Syrups are a must for most IHOP breakfast entries. However syrup is loaded with sugar and calories with up to 100 calories per ounce, and lets face it, we usually don’t just use an ounce. Instead of these calorie loaded syrups, opt for the sugar free syrup with only 15 calories per ounce. And always ask for your entries without butter!

Enjoy your IHOP without all the calories for a great way to start off your day!

The sweet aroma of coffee filling the air in a warm, home felt Starbucks is the perfect way to start your day off right. Stopping at Starbucks on a daily basis to pick up your favorite coffee drink, you soon start to learn the barista’s name and they start to make your drink before you even order. It’s a sweet, rewarding relationship that leaves you coming back for more.

However, the Starbucks coffee addiction is not only expensive, but it can put a damper on your weight loss goals.

Starbucks is burning a hole in your wallet and you might not even be realizing it as you swipe that credit card. Starbucks Latte’s can add up to $4-5 per drink. That’s $35 per week, $140 per month, and $1680 per year. Not only are you paying for this through your wallet, but also you are paying for in your waistline.

More than 80% of American’s make their coffee with milk and sugar. With the unlimited amount of calorie loaded syrups to choose from, Starbucks can turn your bitter coffee drink into a deliciously sweet dessert in a cup. The delicious aroma of a hot white chocolate mocha latte leaves you with 620 calories and 27g of fat! Six of these bad boys will leave you one pound heavier than the week before you walked through those double doors at Starbucks.

But what if I told you there was a secret to not only saving calories but also saving money at Starbucks?

Strategically ordering your favorite drink at Starbucks leaves you with almost half the calories and half the cost. Follow these tips below to make the most out of your Starbucks drink.

Hot Coffee vs. latte
A Starbucks latte is majority steamed milk with 1-2 shots of espresso. Save over half the calories and cut off 75% of the price by ordering your drink as a hot or iced coffee with minimal fat free milk. With only 5 calories per cup of coffee, you are saving over 150-200 calories and 9-15g of fat with this switch. Still not sold? Try adding more milk with Starbucks “misto” instead of latte. “Misto” is just a fancy word for 50% milk and 50% coffee.

Syrups
The calories in Starbucks flavored syrup can be deceiving if you aren’t educated. Between 20-60 calories per pump, you could add up to 100-300 calories in syrup flavoring alone. But by all means, don’t skip out on this part. The syrup is the best part of Starbucks… However, take it into your own hands on how much syrup is placed in your cup. Ask specifically for only 1-2 pumps rather than the 5-6 pumps that are normally used. Want to save even more calories with your syrup flavors? Opt for sugar-free over regular syrup flavors. Sugar-Free flavors are 0 calories, and flavors range from vanilla, hazelnut, caramel, and cinnamon dulce.

Following these tips will not only aid in your weight loss goals, but will also save you up to 50% off your favorite Starbucks drink!

Starbucks Holiday Drinks Nutritional Facts

Below zero temperatures, snow to be plowed, and the dreaded thought of walking from the office doors and into a freezing car can bring down the excitement of the winter season. But with much cool brings the joys of a nice warm cup of Christmas joy. And not any cup of Christmas joy, but the Starbucks Christmas cup filled with the sweet aroma of gingerbread lattes, peppermint mochas, pumpkin spice and Caramel Brulée Lattes that warms the heart and hands.

With the holiday season in full gear and just a week left of Christmas shopping, so are Starbucks Holiday drinks in full sale. Between the Eggnog Latte, Salted Hot Chocolate, or the Caramel Apple Cider, one can find the perfect drink to bring back up the Christmas spirit. Starbucks can be one of our best friends to keep the energy of the Christmas season while shopping for your loved ones. However, these little drinks might not be so friendly to the hips, thighs and butt.

Everywhere you look the temptations of the holiday weight gain in lurking. Between the Christmas cookies your co-work brought into work or the Christmas parties full of peppermint bark and gingerbread men, temptations are everywhere. Saving calories for the Christmas parties and office temptations might be the trick to preventing weight gain this holiday season.

But what if you were drinking half your day’s calorie allowance in you favorite Holiday Starbucks Drink? Just check out these nutritional facts on your favorite Grande Starbucks Holiday Drink.

Caramel Apple Cider
Calories: 380
Fat: 8g

Caramel Brulée Latte
Calories: 440
Fat: 17g

Eggnog Latte
Calories: 580
Fat: 31g

Gingerbread Latte
Calories: 350
Fat: 17g

Peppermint Mocha
Calories: 420
Fat: 18g

Pumpkin Spice Latte
Calories: 410
Fat: 17g

Salty Caramel Hot Chocolate
Calories: 480
Fat: 20g

Toffee Mocha
Calories: 380
Fat: 11g

Statistics Speak for themselves.
While Starbucks holiday drinks may be the perfect way to bring in the holiday season, you might want to drink them in moderation. With any food or drink, moderation is key. Don’t deprive yourself of the great holiday drinks that Starbucks has to offer, but create a plan of when and how much you will invest in.

Here are a few tips to cut back on the calories and create a guilt free atmosphere when sipping on your favorite drink while in moderation!

- Ask for fat free milk instead of whole milk. This will cut out approximately 90 calories

- Opt out on the whip cream. While this is definitely a wonderful addition to top of a perfect drink, it also adds approximately 100 calories and 9g fat

- Choose sugar free syrups with any drink. This saves approximately 70 calories

- Skip the Grande and go for the Tall. Attempt to drink your latte slower and make it last longer. You will be surprised at how much more you will feel you have.

Cheers to the cups in Red!