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!

Subway has been an icon for healthy fast-food restaurants for years. Jared himself proved that subway was a great way to lose the weight and keep it off. With a whopping 245lb weight loss, Jared ate his way to weight loss through subway sandwiches. Healthy? Probably not to eat for every meal, but low calorie healthy subs in moderation is the way to go! Even NBC’s The Biggest Loser promotes Subway as a great weight loss tool as Jillian Michaels and Bob Herper brings the contestants in for lunch each season.

With some any options to choose from, Subway has created great quick pick options for those watching their waistline, like the Under 6 Subway club. Six-inch sandwiches under 6 grams of fat include the Veggie De-lite, Ham, Roast Beef, Subway Club, Roasted Chicken Breast, Turkey Breast and Ham, and Turkey Breast. Not to mention the new egg white breakfast sandwiches and salads.

WARNING, however Subway might be considered a health food icon, there are several high calorie options. Below is a great tool to use when deciding what to eat at Subway. It will provide you with the lowest calorie subway option:

Breakfast:

Skip the Omelet Sandwiches and opt for the muffin melts. If you are really looking to cut the calories, skip the cheese and choose the egg whites. This will save you calories and fats.

EAT THIS (Lowest Calorie Option):

Egg White and Cheese Muffin Melt:

- 140 Calories

- 3.5g Fat

- 18g Carbs

- 490mg Sodium

Black Forest Ham, Egg White, and Cheese

- 160 Calories

- 4g Fat

- 18g Carbs

- 680mg Sodium

NOT THAT (Highest Calorie Option):

6-inch subway MBT:

- 560 Calories

- 28g Fat

- 49g Carbs

- 1490mg Sodium

6-inch egg white Subway Sunrise Melt:

- 440 Calories

- 13g Fat

- 49g Carbs

- 1660mg Sodium

Salads:

Salads are always a great choice in cutting out extra calories and carbs, however those calories can add up fast if not careful. Monitor the amount of cheese and salad dressing. These little guys add up FAST! Always ask for salad dressing.

Sandwiches

Sandwiches are great for an on the go lunch. The best part is that you can make it the way you like it. Opt for the Wheat instead of the White. Adding tons of veggies are not only great for the antioxidants, but are high in fiber to fill you up and keep you satisfied to the next meal. However, beware of the cheese, mayo, and hidden fats

EAT THIS (Lowest Calorie Option):

6-inch Turkey, no cheese, no mayo:

- 280 Calories

- 3.5g Fat

- 47g Carbs

- 910mg Sodium

6-inch Oven Roasted Chicken, no cheese, no mayo:

- 320 Calories

- 4.5g Fat

- 49g Carbs

- 750mg Sodium

Veggie Delight on Flatbread (Flatbread only adds 10 calories!):

- 240 Calories

- 5g Fat

- 41g Carbs

- 450mg Sodium

NOT THAT (Highest Calorie Option):

6-inch Tuna Cold Sub

- 530 Calories

- 30g Fat

- 45g Carbs

- 930mg Sodium

6-inch Spicy Italian

- 520 Calories

- 28g Fat

- 47g Carbs

- 1830mg Sodium

6-inch Meatball Marinara

- 580 Calories

- 23g Fat

- 70g Carbs

- 1530mg Sodium

Condiments

While condiments are a great addition to any salad or sandwich, these too rack up the calories and fats to a low calorie option. Here are some of Subway’s condiments to avoid when putting the finishing touches to that sandwich/Salad:

NOT THAT:

Mayo (1 tbs)

- 37 Calories

- 4g Fat

Southwestern Sauce (1.5 tbs)

- 86 Calories

- 9g Fat

Oil (1 tbs)

- 45 Calories

- 5g Fat

Creamy Italian Salad Dressing (1 tbs)

- 65 Calories

- 7g Fat

Ranch Salad Dressing (1 tbs)

- 88 Calories

- 10g Fat

Subway has great healthy options but if you aren’t educated, you could be stuck with a 600 calorie, 30g of fat sandwich. That’s almost half of one’s daily intake. Just remember when designing your sandwich that every little thing counts. That little squirt of mayo just added on 5g of extra, un-necessary fat. . . and lets face it, most employees don’t just put a tablespoon of mayo on a sandwich!

Have fun designing your Healthy Subway Sandwich!

My parents surprised me with a ticket to fly home this weekend for my birthday! I still can’t believe that I’m going to be 25 tomorrow. That’s a whole quart of a century. . . Man I’m old!

It’s been a great weekend having my parents to myself. Brother and husband and busy at a conference so I’ve been loving all the one on one time with my mom, dad, and of course my dog Wicket! Tons of window shopping, Coffee bean and Tea Leaf, and you can’t forget Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt… Just like the good ole days prior to getting married and moving off to Arizona.

Yesterday my mom and I had a lunch date at The Cheesecake Factory. For one who is very indecisive, this was the wrong place to pick. My goodness, the menu is like a book! You can find anything and everything ranging from Chinese to Mexican and American food. . . OH, and not to mention the 25 different types of cheesecake!

It’s great to have a variety, but the poor waitress has to come around several times before I could finally say “I am ready to order.” I decided on an egg white veggie omelet and my mom choose my all time favorite, the Navajo Sandwich.

Ok, I thought the menus were big… the portion sizes at The Cheesecake Factory are over the top! You definitely get your money’s worth with these portion sizes.  It’s places like these where a to-go box is a must a great meal for the next day! Needless to say, it was a great lunch and time well spend with my lovely mother!

I though in light of the over-sized portions I would share with how America as a whole has increased portions. Here is a comparison of portion differences since the 1960′s and now:

The crazy thing is that we aren’t just seeing it in restaurants, we are seeing it at home. Everything in your kitchen- from the size of your plates to the way food is packaged has you hearing “eat more, eat more!”

Portion control is very important, but one thing that I am learning is to pay attention to my body and listening to it when I am either full or hungry. It’s quiet the skill to master but once you do, those enormous proportions won’t even be an issue!

My brother and I went to the Souplantation for lunch yesterday. Souplantation is a soup and salad bar.

Thinking we would get a low calorie lunch, loaded with veggies and fiber, we were so excited. . . Little did we know that we had fallen into a dietary disaster.

Soup and Salad bars are great alternatives to any restaurant, but if you don’t watch it, your meal could become worse than just ordering hamburger, fries, and a shake at McDonalds.

Now, you are probably thinking, how can you go wrong with a salad? These little suckers are so deceiving! Just because there are veggies on your plate, doesn’t mean it’s healthy when they are swimming in a pool of ranch dressing and loaded with cheese and croutons.

And salad bars usually don’t just come with a salad. At Souplantation you get the bakery, soups, and dessert all added into your meal. Who can resist those cute little muffins screaming, “Pick Me, Pick Me?”

Seconds anyone? Because salad bars are coined healthy, people usually enjoy going back for seconds. I always use the excuse that I need to get my money’s worth. But really, one large full plate is more than enough. Going back for round two can sabotage your diet and lead you into further temptation when you walk by those muffins screaming your name… don’t torture yourself like that!

Healthy and all, these types of places deceive people into think that they are eating healthy, so they go on a free for all. . . eating everything in sight. It’s dangerous people! They really should have a warning sign up or something. I had to rolled out of the restaurant by the time I was done.

Here are some tips that will help you stay within your daily calorie budget when eating at a Salad Bar.

* Go in with a plan! Know what you want to eat and what you want to avoid

* Skip out on the pre-tossed salads! These salads can have hundreds of calories and fat

* Get the dressing on the side and dip your fork into it instead of drowning your poor little veggies

* Skip out on croutons and bacon bits. These bad boys are loaded with fat and unnecessary calories

* Watch out for pasta salads. They usually are not as healthy as you think

* Choose a vegetable soup if soups are available

* Get only one side to your salad

* I would say skip the bakery all together, but who am I kidding… limit yourself to one and skip the butter and honey.

* Opt out of the ice cream and head towards the fruit and jello.

Question: What is your favorite Soup and Salad Bar Restaurant and what do you enjoy to eat there?

I love Souplantation / Sweet Tomato… they are the same company.

The blueberry and bran muffins are my favorite. The best part are the tops!