The 17 Day Diet (30 page)

Yikes! I guess you have to ask yourself if you want to be overweight or rich.

When we dine out, most of our meals don’t even include a cloth napkin because we’re eating at fast food joints. Fast food restaurants are everywhere, even in hospitals. That means you can get your high-fat, high-calorie fast food and your medical care in the same place. Unfortunately, your insurance company does not reimburse you for these meals.

Hospitals claim these restaurants are not for patients, but for the visitors and employees. Sure. Anyone who works in a hospital knows that a lot of that food will be smuggled into patient rooms. When you’re sick in bed in the hospital, you know who your true friends are and they’re not bringing flowers and balloons.

Hospitals have gotten savvy in other ways. Did you know some even offer “room service”? That’s right. Meals are served bedside by waiters in a black tie and crisp burgundy jackets. This makes you feel like you’re in a restaurant, only you’re lying on your back in a hospital gown, staring up at the ceiling, and developing a new appreciation for acoustic tile.

“Hi, my name is Walter and I’ll be your waiter.”

Just when you think you get to place an order for filet mignon, garlic mashed potatoes and cheesecake, Walter says:

“Would you like red, green or yellow Jell-O with your meatloaf?”

Your heart sinks and you reluctantly say, “Red Jell-O.”

Regardless of where you eat out (hospitals or otherwise), you might be surprised to see just how high the calorie counts on some restaurant meals are. A healthy-sounding chicken fajita omelet at IHOP, for instance, weighs in at 1,360 calories. (According to the Food and Drug Administration, recommended daily calorie intake for adults run from 1,600 to 2,800 calories a day.) So eating that omelet takes a huge bite out of your recommended calorie intake.

What if you opt for the more “healthful” carrot cake over the cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory? Oops. As per the company’s materials in early 2011, one carrot cake slice offers 1,549 calories. Consider a Taco Bell Chicken Ranch Taco Salad with salsa in a shell: 910 calories and 55 grams of fat. Ouch. Or a medium-size Starbucks mocha coffee accompanied by a cinnamon chip scone has a whopping 770 calories, 30 grams of fat.

These numbers aren’t exactly trade secrets. You can find them on the restaurants’ websites, but in the next few years, they will start showing up on their menus as well, thanks to a small provision in the massive health care law signed in 2010. The new rule applies to restaurant chains with 20 or more locations.

On the next page is a look at more calorie surprises.

Unrestrained, this type of eating out is the perfect recipe for obesity and disease down the road. But we’ve trained ourselves to eat out. We’re just too busy too cook.

So what’s the answer? Eat only steamed veggies? Refuse to dine out? On the contrary. You can dine out successfully on the 17 Day Diet and enjoy your experience by learning how to navigate any menu. These days, more restaurants than ever offer low-fat, low-cal menu items, making it easy to enjoy a delicious, nutritious dining experience, if you know what to ask for. Let me offer some tips that will help you eat smart while dining out.

LEAN 17:
The 17 Most Fattening Restaurant Choices

Menu Item

1.
Cheese fries (4 cups with 8 tbsp. ranch dressing)

Calories*

3,010

Menu Item

2.
Bloomin Onion

Calories*

2,400

Menu Item

3.
Fried seafood combo platter (with 4 tbsp. tartar sauce, fries, coleslaw and 2 biscuits with 2 pats of butter)

Calories*

2,170

Menu Item

4.
Fried chicken dinner, with a biscuit and mashed potatoes

Calories*

2,000

Menu Item

5.
Combo lo mein noodle dish

Calories*

1,820

Menu Item

6.
Kung Pao chicken with rice

Calories*

1,600

Menu Item

7.
General Tso’s chicken with rice

Calories*

1,600

Menu Item

8.
Fettuccine Alfredo

Calories*

1,500

Menu Item

9.
Cheesecake

Calories*

1,500

Menu Item

10.
Molten chocolate cake with ice cream

Calories*

1,270

Menu Item

11.
Spaghetti with meatballs

Calories*

1,200

Menu Item

12.
Beef and broccoli with rice

Calories*

1,200

Menu Item

13.
Lo mein

Calories*

1,100

Menu Item

14.
Stuffed potato skins (8 skins with 5 tbsp. sour cream)

Calories*

1,120

Menu Item

15.
Fast food shake, large

Calories*

1,010

Menu Item

16.
Fried calamari

Calories*

1,000

Menu Item

17.
Cheese quesadilla or chicken burrito

Calories*

1,000

* Calorie counts at particular restaurants may vary.

Know Before You Go

With most restaurants these days, you can go online and look at their menus. See what dishes look healthy—grilled items, salads, vegetable sides, and so forth. Decide before you go what you’ll order, and stick to your decision once you get there. Collect the menus in the restaurants you frequent so that you have them to refer to.

Sit in a Quiet Spot

Nobody knows this, but people who sit in the more distracting parts of restaurants (by a window or in front of a TV) eat considerably more. Commotion makes it easy to lose track of how much you’re putting in your mouth. If you’re making a reservation, request a quiet table. If you walk in and are offered a table in a busier spot, ask for one away from the action. It’s worth the wait.

Be the First to Order

You’ve decided to pick something light off the menu, but when your friend orders the decadent steak frites, you start to rethink your boring grilled salmon. To sidestep the temptation of your friend’s less healthy dish, place your order first. If you can’t order first, then make your decision, close the menu, and repeat your selection to yourself to help you stick to it. If you’re dining at a restaurant you visit often, just ask for your favorite healthy option without ever opening the menu.

Have It Your Way

Before ordering your selections, ask the server about the details of the meal. This will help you make more informed choices. Some questions to ask include:

•
How is this dish prepared? Can it be modified?

•
What ingredients are used?

•
Do you have any low-fat or low-calorie options?

•
What comes with this meal?

•
Can I make substitutions?

•
How large are the portions?

Don’t be afraid to make special requests. For example, ask that foods be served with minimal butter, margarine or oil. Ask if a particular dish can be broiled or baked rather than fried. Also, ask that no additional salt be added to your food.

You may also be able to make substitutions. If the ingredients are on the menu, the chef should be able to accommodate your needs. A common substitution is a baked potato for fries, or a double serving of vegetables instead of a starch. If your dish does not arrive at the table the way you ordered it, don’t be afraid to send it back.

If you don’t see something you like, ask for it. As a paying customer, you have the right to eat not only what tastes good, but what’s good for you. Be “weight assertive”!

Don’t Be Seduced by Menu Descriptions

Mouth-watering descriptions like “tender, juicy chicken breast” or “ripe heirloom tomatoes” are increasingly common on restaurant menus. Be extra aware of sensory terms like “velvety” mousse and nostalgic ones like “legendary” spaghetti and meatballs. Research shows that words that promote taste and texture or appeal to diners’ emotions can increase sales by 23 percent, and can even influence the way you think the food tastes. Words like these prep your taste buds to expect your chicken to taste juicy, so to some degree it probably will.

Make a game out of picking the colorful adjectives on the menu. See who can find the most in three minutes. If you win, everyone buys you dinner. That’s the rule of the game.

Stay Away from Snacking

The most damage often occurs before the actual meal begins: Appetizer trays are loaded with fat. Besides that, they take away your appetite for the healthiest foods to come. Avoid them. Even the freebies like chips and salsa at Mexican restaurants, a basket of rolls and butter at other establishment can pile up fat and calories that you don’t need. If you can’t exercise control, have your server remove the temptation.

Make a Meal out of Appetizers

Certain appetizers can be excellent choices for an entrée. The portion size of appetizers is often more appropriate than the extremely large portions provided in entrées. Consider healthful options such as steamed seafood (for example, shrimp cocktail), salads that aren’t loaded with high-fat ingredients (such as cheese and bacon), grilled vegetables and broth-based soups. You might also choose to combine the appetizer with a salad; the salad will bulk up the meal so that you feel more satisfied without adding a lot of calories. Be aware that some appetizers, particularly fried fare or items covered in cheeses, oils, and cream sauces, may be overloaded with calories and fat. Some fried appetizers can provide a day’s worth of fat to four people!

Be Salad Savvy

A salad can be your meal’s best friend or worst enemy, depending on how you toss it. Pile on fresh greens, beans and veggies, but don’t drown it with high-fat dressings or toppings like cheese, eggs, bacon or croutons. Pick calorie-friendly dressings (vinaigrettes, low-cal dressings, even a generous squeeze of fresh lemon).