Monday, August 3, 2009 by Becca.

Why the heck is it so hard to eat healthy in a restaurant?

I went to Buffalo Wild Wings on Sunday (not my choice) and I couldn’t believe how unhealthy!  Yeah, they have salads on the menu.  I know better than to assume those are actually a good choice, though.  I wound up ordering a grilled chicken wrap, figuring the tortilla had to be a better choice than a bun.  I also wasn’t about to order a grilled chicken sandwich, hold the bun, seeing as I can go get a chicken breast anywhere.  So I asked if, instead of the usual side choices (french fries, coleslaw, etc…), I could have a side salad with lite Italian dressing on the side.  In other words, I was trying to be logical and sensible in my choices.

When my meal came, the salad was piled high with giant croutons and shredded cheese.  And I mean PILED.  Think titanic proportions.  I’m actually scared to think about what their entree salads look like!  So note to anyone going to Buffalo Wild Wings - if you order the side salad, ask for either no cheese and croutons, or get them on the side!

There was a positive to all of this, though.  The salad dressing was actually in a single serve pouch, which I assume is what they use with take-out orders.  That was nice since I actually trust the packaging a little more than a restaurant just telling me it’s lite dressing.  (Dea and I both have worked at restaurants - trust us, NEVER take their word for it!)

Am I the only one frustrated by trying to eat healthy out in the real world??

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Monday, August 3, 2009 by Dea.

They aren’t the “bee’s knees,” either.  I had to take a week off from exercising because I sprained my knee.  And unfortunately, the story isn’t exactly exciting.  I was sitting in a chair.  Yeah, that’s right, apparently sitting in a chair is now dangerous activity for me.  People with osteo-arthritis are prone to weird strains and sprains like this.  Lovely.

After a week off from exercise, I’ve been eager to get back into motion.  Eating healthier is only half the plan for me.  I need to move more so that I will be able to move at all, if that makes sense.  Keeping my knees healthy may help me avoid surgery for a nice long while.

Today I tried  some deep water aerobics.  Basically, it’s the same sorts of moves as normal water aerobics, but in the deep end of the pool with a floatie to keep your head above water.  It’s zero impact, which is great news for anyone with joint problems, arthritis, or who want to start exercising but feel clumsy or too heavy to do anything with impact on the joints.  I love it.  If you can find a class, I highly recommend it.  I’ve taught water aerobics, so I was winging this on my own while my five year old played shark beside me.

It felt very, very good.  Moving, tiring out the muscles, and bringing up the heart rate was a nice change.  I don’t hurt either.  I know it’s not as much of a calorie burner as tomorrow morning’s spin class will be, but this is a good change of pace.  It has a lot of benefit for toning, and for core muscles.  It also has the huge plus of being in the pool, and I love the water.

My physical therapist said that was a really good thing to have done.  He worked on my traitorous knees, and I left feeling stronger and more relaxed.

Next up, I’m thinking of trying Pilates.  Stay tuned!

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