Just for the taste of it...

Thanks to all of you who read my first entry! And a very special thanks for your kind words! One of the most common things that people have said over the past few days in response to the first entry has been, "I find it so hard to eat well and exercise because I am SOOO busy." Believe me, you're preaching to the choir. As a busy family, we used to eat out SO MUCH. We've pretty much got that down to 1-2 times a week as a family now because I have been able to be home at 5pm and cook dinner each night. But one of the things that used to make Jonathan and I laugh was when we would go grab a quick bite at McDonald's and someone would order a #1 (Big Mac Meal) with a Diet Coke. Really??? It's only reasonable that someone would want to conserve those calories from a Coke or Sweet Tea while consuming a 704 calorie sandwich with their 500 calorie large fries. I was reminded of this while eating at Chick-Fil-A for lunch today. The couple ordering next to me was discussing the fact that they wanted to substitute fruit for the fries because they didn't want "those fattening fries." So the associate then asked if they would like to try the New Banana Pudding Shake...at which they answered "of course, that sounds great." So I HAD to look it up as soon as I got back to the office. 780 calories for the small (note: they didn't get the small)!!! Wow. Good thing they saved the calories from not having the fries.

And I have to tell you another story...Jonathan got a HUGE kick out of this one. I was at the gym one Friday afternoon. I always bring my big water bottle to drink as I am doing my 3+ miles on the treadmill. So as I am mid-workout, this lady jumps on the treadmill next to me. I see that she puts her drink in the cupholder in front of her. I nearly fell off my treadmill as I saw what her drink was. It was a Java Chip Frappuccino! At 560 Calories and 21 grams of Fat, I hope she's still on that treadmill. I swear, I would have taken a pic with my iPhone had it not been weird. Now all these stories to make a point: I think people are just ignorant about their choices. They just have no idea how bad it is for them. This is in NO WAY a blog against Fast Food. I do not blame McDonald's nor will I sue them as others have tried, but I blame it on the fact that there is not enough education about how bad things can be. The information is there...usually posted near the back of the restaurant by the restrooms. Sometimes it's located on the back of the tray liners. It's ALWAYS available online. And I've found some great iPhone apps that I use to make healthy choices when I grab a bite out. There is almost ALWAYS something that you can get somewhere that is low in fat or calories. You really just have to use your resources. Here are a few of my fave fast food meals:

CHICK-FIL-A:
Chargrilled Sandwich
Side Salad (take off the cheese)
Fat Free Honey Mustard Dressing (use only 1/2 packet)
Unsweet Tea

McDONALD'S:
Classic Grilled Chicken Sandwich (no mayo)
Side Salad
Fat Free Dressing

SUBWAY:
Tons of choices from the under 6 grams of fat
No Cheese!!

WENDY'S:
Grilled Chicken Sandwich (no sauce)
Side Salad or Plain Potato (chives only)
Unsweet Tea

I've also given up ALL sodas (including Diet sodas). Unsweet tea and water are now my drinks of choice. I also wanted to say to those busy folks that if you make a change or two at a time, you may not even miss it. For instance, use fat-free milk in your coffee or cereal this week instead of 2%. Park as far from your office as your parking lot allows and enjoy the extra steps. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Switch from sweet tea to unsweet tea. Please continue to go to Starbucks, but order a Tall Iced Coffee with non-fat milk instead of that Java Chip Frappuccino (or order one of the Frappuccino Light Blended drinks). Trade the poptart for a protein bar for breakfast. Fiber One has a GREAT protein bar that's only 90 calories and gets me through until lunch without being hungry.

I'm no expert...I'm just someone that has known the right thing to do but has neglected to make the right choices - until now.

Saturday night, we went out to dinner at an amazing restaurant in Covington called Schwings. They are known on the northshore for their fried seafood. I had heard so many awesome reviews and I was dying to try it. Needless to say, it was PACKED. When we walked in, the entire restaurant smelled of the most awesome fried seafood you can imagine (my weakness). BUT- I decided to get the boiled shrimp salad with fat free garlic vinegarette dressing. IT WAS DELICIOUS. Although the fried seafood at the next table made my mouth water, I was strong. And I learned that it was possible to make great choices even down here in Southeast Louisiana. Here is a pic of Maddie enjoying Schwings:

Another accomplishment this week: We went to the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Old Metairie on Sunday. We have some of our old Richland Avenue friends that have a house near the route. Each year, they have the most amazing spread of food for the parade: dips, gumbo, red beans, hot dogs and chili, sandwiches, desserts, etc. Well, I was able to avoid the bad things and munch on grapes and a turkey on wheat. Below is a pic of Morgan at the parade. She was content to sit back on a chair and munch on the bag of carrots she caught as endless floats and trucks passed by.

The weather was beautiful and we were so glad to be able to enjoy the day outside with family and friends. Meanwhile, Jon and Maddie hit Sam's Club (they are not fans of parades).

Notice the missing cart cover. Hope he used the sanitizer. ;)

That's all for now. Remember to make great choices! And whatever you do: don't order the banana pudding shake from Chick-Fil-A or use the treadmill while drinking a Frappuccino. You may end up in my next blog. :)

Janel