Weight Loss News

It’s 11:30AM and the hunger pangs are starting to distract you from your work.  A coworker swings by to see if you want to head out to Chipotle Mexican Grill. At first you think "it’s not a part of my current weight loss plan," but then the hunger pang strikes again with such a vengeance that it forces you to say "Let's go!"

We’ve all been there; so distracted by our busy lifestyles that we don’t have time to prepare a healthy lunch or dinner ahead of time. The reality is that if any weight loss plan is going to work it has to fit into your current way of life. Yes, there will be some sacrifices that you’ll have to be made in order to meet your goal weight, but in order for any program to be truly successful you have to find ways for healthy eating and choosing healthy options to fit into your current lifestyle, period.

A lunchtime trip to Chipotle can throw your weight loss plan into a tailspin, if you don’t know the right choices to make. Luckily there are some healthy options for enjoying a Chipotle meal.

Chipotle is a relatively new Mexican fast food chain found in cities across the country.  In 1999, Steve Ells the founder of Chipotle, learned about the inhumane way pork was raised in the US and decided to go au naturel, and as of 2010, 100 percent of the pork and chicken and 60 percent of their beef comes from animals that were raised in humane conditions and fed a pure vegetarian diet without antibiotics or hormones.

So rest assured, your choice is already animal-friendly. Next step is to select a healthy option. If you visit Chipotle and are on a weight loss plan watching calories, I’d consider selecting one of the following four healthiest items:

1. Barbacoa Burrito Bowl with black beans, cheese, lettuce, and tomato salsa (410 calories)
2. Crispy Chicken Tacos with cheese, tomato salsa and lettuce (495 calories)
3. Steak Salad with black beans, cheese and green tomatillo salsa (435 calories)
4. Guacamole with 3 crispy taco shells (330 calories)

When you’re dieting, I’d highly suggest that you pass on:

1. Chicken Salad with black beans, red salsa, cheese and chipotle-honey vinaigrette (720 calories)
2. Chicken Fajita Burrito with source cream and corn salsa (810 calories)
3. Vegetarian Burrito with black beans, cheese, guacamole and red tomatillo salsa (830 calories)
4. Chips with red salsa (610 calories)

Here’s the skinny scoop. The first four selections include lean meats that are high in protein and condiments that are low in calories and deliciously fresh. Pile on the fresh veggies to get your fill, instead of sour cream, cheese and vinaigrette dressing. In fact, try and skip the dressing all together – it’s full of unnecessary calories and hides the flavor of the fresh meats and veggies.

When in doubt skip the burritos all together. I bet the veggie burrito sounds less fattening, but it’s clearly not. Burritos are held together by a flour tortilla that is 10-15 percent of your daily caloric intake and definitely not included in your weight loss plan.

When eating out with your friends and coworkers at places such as Chipotle, you can choose wisely and keep your weight loss plan in check!