RED LOBSTER

Sometimes it takes me a second time to order a food item at a restaurant in order to get precisely what I want.  For example, the first time I ordered a Jimmy John's Unwich, it automatically came with mayonnaise which practically doubled the calories of the lunch.  After that mistake, I switched to mustard and have cut out hundreds of calories considering how often I now go to Jimmy John's.  Another example was the first time I ordered a salad at Applebee's, it came drenched in sugar enriched high calorie dressing, and this meal too, practically doubled my calories that I had planned.  These days, I ask for the salad on the side, sometimes I dip my fork in the salad to get a small taste, other times I skip the dressing altogether.

Red Lobster offers a limited number of choices for a low calorie meal.

One must be careful about the various side dishes, sauces, and dressings

that might be added to anything that one orders.

Two nights ago I decided to see what I could select for a dinner at a Red Lobster.  I ordered a Wood-Grilled Shrimp Taco meal which came with Wild Rice Pilaf.  I did not realize that the side dish of wild rice pilaf added an additional 170 calories that I wasn't counting on.  The nutritional guide published by Red Lobster listed the Wood-Grilled Shrimp Taco as 600 calories - but once ordered, it automatically came with the rice which I hadn't realized was not part of the listing showing 600 calories.  No harm was done, my total calories on Monday were still only 1180.

On Tuesday, I had a plan.  Did I mention that the Wood-Grilled Shrimp Tacos were absolutely delicious?  On Tuesday, I started with breakfast at Starbucks and skipped the blueberry topping with my oatmeal.  I made a point of having an 80 calorie Turkey Tom Unwich at Jimmy John's.   As dinner approached my calories consumed were a mere 240.   This left plenty of calories to 'spend' at Red Lobster.  My Tuesday night Red Lobster Meal started with 70 calorie Garden Salad as appetizer.  My main course did include one side dish of 50 calories of broccoli and the high point of my meal was the 600 calorie Wood-Grilled Shrimp Tacos!  By days end on Tuesday, I was still under 1000 calories.

RED LOBSTER GARDEN SALAD, NO DRESSING 70 CALORIES

RED LOBSTER WOOD GRILLED SHRIMP TACOS w/BROCCOLI   $11.65    650 CALORIES

Yesterday, my day began again at 7AM in the Eastern Time Zone darkness at the Marquette YMCA.  I had a little better luck setting the machine for the kind of workout that I wanted.   I successfully set the machine for the resistance, my age, my weight but failed to properly set the time.  So after 21 minutes, I made note of my progress, took a five minute break, and got right back on the machine for another session lasting 24 minutes.  My total workout was 45 minutes and the total calories burned was 627.  Perhaps this morning, when I return to the YMCA,  I will get all the settings correct.

An early morning elliptical selfie...I take an twisted joy wearing my WHITE CASTLE cap when I workout.  I expect it is going to be a very long time before I experience the legendary WHITE CASTLE CRAVE again - now that I am a health conscious fat burning machine. 

MENU

breakfast    STARBUCKS classic oatmeal (no toppings)                                 160 calories

lunch          JIMMY JOHNS turkey tom unwich                                                80 calories

dinner        RED LOBSTER   Three Wood-Grilled Shrimp Tacos w/broccoli                   

                                                Garden Salad w/smidge of Caesar Dressing     720 calories

  

total calories consumed     960 CALORIES

CALORIES BURNED

7:00AM YMCA elliptical machine 21 minutes     292 calories

five minute break

7:26AM YMCA ellpitcal machine 24 minutes      335 calories

total calories burned    627 CALORIES

TOTAL NET CALORIES     333 CALORIES