One of the things that helped me lose more than 100 pounds was controlling what I ate. That meant eating at home and not eating out as much.
Now, by not eating out, I mean that I stopped relying on fast food as much. I ate out a lot before, yes, but it wasn't like I was eating at a sit-down restaurant every night. But fast food is not the only place where you can down 600, 700 or 1,000 calories without really breaking a sweat - it's just the easiest.
Men's Health rated the five worst restaurants (well, four of them are restaurants) in the nation.
So if you need another reason to not eat out (or at least cut down on it; I mean, you can't avoid restaurants altogether), then take a look at these calorie disasters.
5. Claim Jumper
I've always known Claim Jumper for their gigantic portions, which the mag mentions. Claim Jumper features a beef-rib supper worth 2,253 calories and a chocolate-chip calzone worth 1,794 calories.
Here's their items, at least the ones with nutritional info available, per CalorieKing.com
4. Regal Cinemas
The lone non-restaurant on the list. Going to the movies can be an expensive proposition if you add in the candy and sodas and popcorn and whatever else you might want to indulge in. But what sets Regal apart is that they offer a bucket of popcorn for free. And who doesn't mindlessly eat popcorn while watching a movie? That's a death trap.
Now, popcorn is actually a good snack, but it's a good snack when prepared at home. At the movies, it can be too much of a good thing.
3. CiCi's Pizza
I've never heard of this place so I'll have to take their word for it. But according to the mag this place offers a five-dollar endless pizza buffet, which includes some 170-calorie-per-slice pizza choices.
I don't know if I'd have the willpower to stop piling pizza on my plate if it was endless like that. Best to just avoid that place altogether.
CiCi's Pizza on CalorieKing.com
(Further research reveals that there is a CiCi's Pizza by me, in Chino Hills, and there's another in Gardena... and one in San Diego... but those are the only ones anywhere nearby, which is a good thing)
2. Red Robin
Red Robin makes the list at number two because a) they offer bottomless steak fries with each burger - two baskets of fries equal 868 total calories - and b) half of their gourmet burgers are more than 1,000 calories.
And if you think you'll get a wrap there and be good, their Whiskey River Wrap has 1,112 calories and 2,500 mg sodium. Yikes!
Red Robin on CalorieKing.com
1. Shula's Steak House
Again, not heard of this place. The red flag is the restaurant does not have nutritional stats for its foods (according to the mag) and that's never a good thing. The mag says their 48-ounce steak has about 4,000 calories. That's just insanity.
Obviously, no stats available at CalorieKing.com
8 comments:
I remember when I lived in California we loved going to Claim Jumper! :) I still remember the HUGE portions (I think I even have pictures around somewhere). Do they still have that 7 layer chocolate cake? I remember 4 of us couldn;t even finish one slice...it took up an entire plate :) It is no wonder America is so overweight!
Haven't eaten "fast food" since spring training. I love Claim Jumpers!! That chocolate cake.....Our favorite new spot for eating out is Soup Plantation (or Sweet Tomato)! Their sunday breakfast is why I run!!!!!
Thanks for ruining Red Robin for me Luis! Just kidding. I get the Whiskey River Chicken Burger minus cheese and mayo and it is fairly reasonable calorie wise and fat wise then.
With the exception of ordering pizza, we rarely eat food that we don't prepare at home. Since it's so seldom, I don't worry much about calorie intake.
The last time we went to a restaurant was back in May. It was really disappointing. The food was mediocre and the price was waaaaay too high. It came to about $150 (including tip) for five of us.
I've never heard of the steak place, but since I don't eat red meat, I'd be ok there - may even lose some weight - hehe....but that CiCi's we do have and though I haven't been there in ages, not since the wee-ones were very wee, but I tried to stop at 2 pieces once. FAIL. They make these pizza cinnamon rolls which are to die for!!!!!! Never been to Claim Jumper, but we do have one. Yeah, food is evil. :(
Thank GOD none of those places are near me, actually I have never heard of most of them.
In an effort to lose weight, or at least lose the temptation to eat, I cleared out my pantry and freezer today and gave it all to my brother and his NINE kids (it was a lot of food...working on cooking shows I squirrel away a ton of leftover 'props') they could really use the help and I could use to lose a few. Six bags later I am already feeling lighter....., and I know those kids could use that food much more than my husband and I could. Hey it's all about being thankful and giving right? Claim Jumper? What he heck does that mean anyway? No claims accepted for heart attacked induced by our food?
"The mag says their 48-ounce steak has about 4,000 calories. That's just insanity."
So is a 48 ounce (3 lbs) steak....
When I was in the intense phases of my weight loss, bringing my own popcorn into a movie theatre would cause me some embarrassement. I was afraid people would think I was cheap.
Now that my weight loss is pretty much done, I STILL bring my own bag of microwave 94% fat free popcorn into a movie but instead of being embarrassed I eat it loud & proud. I want people to know that there is an alternative to the cr*p they sell at the concessions.
(But I do buy a large Diet coke from the concessions so people don't just assume I'm cheap.)
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