That's Fit

Did you indulge in a little bubbly on Thanksgiving? Mariah Carey might have -- but not until after 3 PM.

Mariah shared on Wednesday's episode of Ellen that she doesn't drink early in the day -- her excuse for not toasting with Ellen, who wanted so badly to get the superstar to admit she's pregnant. Mariah promises there is no baby on the way. It was just too early for a drink, she said. Plus, champagne is too fattening for her.

What's your too-fattening food or drink? I'm thinking anything Ben & Jerry's qualifies. Stay tuned -- Monday's Diet Derailers post will tell all about this disastrous dessert.

When you think about the herb, thyme, what comes to mind? Probably rich, French country dishes, with so many calories and so much fat that it makes your hips bigger just thinking about it!

If you avoid cooking with this fragrant herb, though, you are missing out on thyme's amazing health benefits, like antioxidant power and antibacterial properties. Thyme is such a flavorful herb -- wouldn't it be nice to enjoy it in some healthy dishes?

Remember, you can substitute fresh thyme for dried in almost any recipe (just use a little less) to get more of the beneficial oils in the herb.

Watch out if you ever order the Boston Market Creamed Spinach side dish. It comes packed with 280 calories, 23 g of fat, and 580 mg of sodium. It may taste great but bad things do come in this small package. Same goes for McDonald's Cinnamon Melts, featuring 460 calories, 19 g of fat, and 370 mg of sodium.

Ah, Wendy's large fries. Gotta love 'em. Gotta avoid 'em too, unless you like a quick dose of 550 calories, 26 g of fat, and 480 mg of sodium. Steer clear of Chipotle Chips & Guacamole too. Calories: 710. Fat: 37 g. Sodium: 740 mg. Need I say more?

AOL Health has more to say on this topic -- the experts there uncover 14 other fattening fast food side dishes. Check out just how disastrous they can be to your diet, right here.

At this point it's common knowledge that fast food is full of fat and calories, and we've all seen plenty of scary headlines declaring the "deadliest fast foods" and citing outrageous calorie counts. Plus it seems we find different numbers wherever we look -- so if you're trying to get an accurate reading on your favorite indulgence you've probably found yourself stuck in the +/- 300 calories range. Yeah, that's helpful.

So I'm presenting this list, from A Calorie Counter, with all of that in mind. It's one list that I think looks about right as far as the numbers go, and I always think lists like this are fun. One thing I know for sure: at 1680 calories I won't be having a large White Castle chocolate shake anytime soon!

The list ranks the top 272 items total, so take a look -- you might be surprised at where your favorite indulgence lands on the list!

Only if you eat about ten thousand of them! Yucky, yuck, yuck! I can't tell you how many people have asked me this strange question throughout my 18 years in the fitness industry. Too many to count. So! To anyone else who may be concerned about the belly bulging effects of fingernail chewing, here is my answer.

I'm not exactly sure how many calories are in each nail per se, but since they are made of keratin, a sturdy fibrous protein....it couldn't be much.They'd probably just run right through you. In fact, I think you'd have to chew through the hands and feet of everyone you know to even equal a moderately satisfying snack. Hmmmmmm. Yummy!

The cold weather brings cravings for more comforting meals made of heavier foods, which unfortunately also means extra calories. The holidays aren't here yet but they're just around the corner, so if you're looking to head holiday weight gain off at the pass then get into some good habits now. By simply avoiding (or eating in careful moderation) fall's most fattening foods you can go into (and come out of) the holidays without gaining a pound! Now how great would that be?

I'm confused. Do the editors of women's magazines want us to lose 10 pounds instantly or stuff our faces with the sugary, fatty treats they advertise? The magazine sitting in front of me right now -- I won't mention any names -- features a full-page ad for Hostess 100-calorie packs of cupcakes. One hundred calories -- great, if you don't care about the fat and sugar in these sweet little treats.

In the same magazine, there's a recipe for chocolate cupcakes topped with chocolate frosting and a lollipop too. There's more -- macaroni & cheese; sweet, salty, and crunchy granola bars; waffles; Rice Krispies Treats; and creamy salad dressings. Then, readers learn how to lose a quick five pounds. Hey, I have an idea -- how about not eating anything splashed all over the ads?

Maybe it's how magazines stay in business -- by fattening up the audience and then enticing them into setting hard-to-reach diet and exercise goals. And so readers never make progress and keep coming back for more, sure one day to find the magic fix for looking and feeling good. The funny thing is, there is a fix. It's just not magical. Eat less than you burn. Or burn more than you eat. Either way, it's simple. So I say, enjoy your women's magazines. Just ignore the food ads and heed most of the diet and fitness advice. Then, you'll be on the right track.

You may think you know what you're doing when it comes to eating healthy while eating out at restaurants, but do you really? Do steamed veggies and egg white omelets sounds like healthy fare? Because they aren't usually, at least not as much as you might think.

Truth is restaurant food usually tastes as good as it does because chefs and cooks have any number of tricks up their sleeves to add fat. Fat makes food taste great, sadly, and so they put it in and on everything. Besides steamed veggies (which are often coated in oil before and after steaming) and egg-white omelets (which are cooked in loads of oil in the skillet), other high-fat restaurant shockers include seemingly plain toasted bread and buns, grilled meats, and even sushi.

To get the healthiest fare you have to both educate yourself and make a point to communicate with your servers and tell them exactly what you do, or don't, want (i.e. no butter or oil added at any step of the cooking process).

Pizza is one of those things I have to avoid like the plague unless I'm really in the mood to blow some calories, because no matter how hard I try I can't eat just one or two slices. Pizza is one of those foods at the top of the "junk food" food chain, and for good reason -- most commercial and restaurant pizzas pack outrageous amounts of calories, fat, and salt.

But they're just so good!

They are, and as much as I love them I have found that homemade pizzas (personal sized for me, since I have no portion-control willpower whatsoever) can be just as good, if not even better in some cases. Try this recipe for a healthy personal pizza to satisfy your next craving, and feel free to play around with your own toppings and crust options for the perfect blend of flavors. Party on pizza people!

Possibly the most famous of all diet foods: the salad. Popular restaurant order of dieters worldwide? The salad bar. The salad, and the salad bar, came by these stereo-types because they can be very low-calorie and full of nutrients. But like anything, they can easily go the other way if you're not careful.

I came across this article that covers pretty much everything you usually see on a salad bar, and has the pros and cons of each and whether you should be tossing some in your bowl or not. Some surprises for me included radishes and alfalfa sprouts being on the "don't bother" list while cottage cheese gets the green light -- I totally would have thought that was the other way around!