The Bait and Switch

by Jake3000
(Los Angeles)

A lot of fast food restaurants are offering salads as "healthy substitutes". What customers don't realize is that the ranch or blue cheese dressing + bacon bits and extras can rack up to hundreds if not even thousands of calories. One of the most insidious culprits is Baja Fresh - their so-called salads have chicken, cheese, sour cream and even guacamole smothered over top. These are not light lunches, they are heavy meals!

One of the best ways to eat light is to eat smaller portions. In America, restaurants purposely deliver larger quantities than is necessary to give the sense of abundance, but the normal plate may be a third the size. Split your meal in half and save some for later, or simply have the waiter remove the plate when you are halfway through to avoid temptation to pick away at it.

To work off the extra calories, I always go for a good steady-paced walk after a meal. Every meal - breakfast, lunch and dinner. At the very least this motivates me to pursue further exercise or at least gets my metabolism working away at the calories I have consumed.