Eat This Not That

Here is a secret that someone might not have told you yet about getting married--you gain weight. It's inevitable. Within the first six months or so of marriage, you will definitely not be at that ideal cute weight you were for your wedding. And your husband, who used to live off of Top Ramen and quesadillas, will also gain weight. There is really little you can do about it, so you might as well accept that sad fact right now.

But! It is spring time, which means summer is coming close, and since I am going to be in a swimsuit 4 days out of the week starting June 6th, I decided that now is the time to slim back down a little bit.

I've been using the "MyFitnessPal" application on the iPod to help keep track of calories and exercise--I've found it to be a helpful way for me to be mindful of what I put in my body.

However, today I was invited to The Cheesecake Factory for my friend, Kierea's birthday. I've never been, but I've always been slightly afraid and intrigued by it because it is always showing up on the "Eat This, Not That" emails that I get from Men's Health magazine. Owen always asks me, "Why are you getting emails about men's health?" but I love reading those types of articles. Anyway, they always make The Cheesecake Factory sound like the devil, and only recently has this restaurant released nutritional information about their menu. I didn't think it was real, but you can check it out for yourself here! There are like three things on the menu under 1,000 calories, and most of them are side dishes!! Here are some facts about some of their most popular choices:

The Grilled Chicken and Avocado Club


Sounds innocent, right? I mean, the chicken isn't even fried! Well think twice. According to many sources, there are 1,752 calories in this sandwich, 28 g of saturated fat, and 2,309 mg of sodium! Eat This, Not
That says that you would be better off calorie-wise eating 11 scoops of Breyer's Mint Ice Cream. The lowest calorie sandwich on the menu is actually the Grilled Cheese (who would have thought??) which still has 1,052 calories. Yikes!

Bistro Shrimp Pasta


Owen always wonders why I never want to order pasta at restaurants. Well how about this one for evidence--2,819 calories, 77 g saturated fat, 1,008 mg sodium, and 184 g carbohydrates! Eat This Not That says this is equivalent to eating 3 orders of McDonald's Big Mac with fries, or 14 Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Who would have guessed? There's green stuff in there so it looks healthy right? I am so glad that I have studied the menu before going! And I am also grateful for California state law which requires chain restaurants to release their nutritional information. People need to know what they are getting their bodies in to!

So you're probably thinking, "Okay, never going to that place ever again" by now, and that might actually be a safe choice, but I was determined to find something reasonable. And I don't just want a salad (only the ones listed as "Weight Management" salads are even below 1,000 calories, and how embarrassing is it to order that??). If I wanted a salad, I would make one at home and save the $15. But if I am going to a place called The Cheesecake Factory, I want to order some cheesecake, darn it! So here is what I have decided to order:

Margherita Pizzette -- 609 calories -- $5.50

Source

I know it is supposedly only an appetizer, but after looking it up online for photos, it sure looks big enough for a meal to me! And appetizer price = cheaper! 

Lemon Raspberry Cream Cheesecake -- half slice = 365 calories -- $6.50 (more expensive than my real food, sheesh)

This is the lowest calorie cheesecake aside from the "Low Carb" ones which just use artificial sweeteners instead. And if I am going to splurge and eat a cheesecake, I want one with the real stuff thank you very much. The good part is that I love lemon and berry everything, so hopefully this will satisfy my desire! Now the tricky part will be only eating half of it--that's what husbands are good for, right? :) 

Wish me luck tonight and happy eating!