Along with singers -- Lady GaGa and Christina Aguilera, and Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Kate Upton (if you believe all of the haters), I, too, am currently saddled (or rather, saddle-bagged) with some extra el bees. 

In part, it’s due to a lingering rotator cuff injury (in a one-two punch with an earlier struggle with plantar fasciitis) that derailed my fitness regime.  But mostly, I blame gluttony in spending way too much time this past summer hanging out with my boys – Ben & Jerry and Ernest & Julio. 

Now that school has started back up and life is more regimented again, the timing seems optimal to recommit myself to improved fitness and nutrition.  I know the P.C. thing to say is that my motivation revolves around the pursuit of good health.  But that’s actually a bunch of hooey.  For me, it’s all about fitting back into my “skinny” jeans, clogged arteries be damned.   

In a perfect world, I would prepare home-cooked, nutritious meals every night to aid me in this quest. But with kids participating in a multitude of afterschool activities and me being in grad school full-time, the reality is that sometimes I end up eating on the fly.

So, stumbling across the recent online article, “The 14 Best Fast Food Meals Under 500-Calories” http://fitbie.msn.com/eat-right/tips/14-best-fast-food-meals-under-500-calories/tip/4  on the Fitbie site was a good omen and one I thought worth sharing with other harried people out there.  Per the link, here are the suggestions (my list is shorter than 14 since our region doesn’t have all of the fast food places they mention.)

• McDonald’s – Premium Grilled Chicken Classic with a side salad with Newman’s Own low-fat balsamic vinaigrette and a medium iced tea.  480 calories, 13 grams (g)  fat (2 grams (g) saturated fat), 1,945 milligrams (mg) sodium.
• Wendy’s – Ultimate Chicken Grilled Sandwich with a mandarin orange cup and medium iced tea.  480 calories, 7g fat (1.5g saturated fat), 980mg sodium.
• Taco Bell – Two fresco soft beef tacos with Mexican rice and a bottle of water.  470 calories, 17g fat (6g saturated fat), 1,760mg sodium.
• Subway – 6-inch double roast beef sub with veggie delite salad with fat-free Italian dressing and medium iced tea.   455 calories, 8g fat (3.5g saturated fat), 2,100mg sodium. 
• Quizno’s – Small, honey bourbon chicken sandwich with a cup of chili (no crackers) and a bottle of water. 460 calories, 11.5g fat (2.5g saturated fat), 1,540mg sodium.
• Pizza Hut – Two slices Thin ‘N Crispy pizza (12”) with quartered ham and pineapple and a medium Diet Coke.  360 calories, 12g fat (5g saturated fat), 1,110mg sodium.
• KFC – Three Crispy Strips with green beans and 3” corn-on-the-cob and a medium Diet Pepsi.  475 calories, 22.5g fat (6g saturated fat), 1,165mg sodium.
• Dunkin’ Donuts – Ham, egg and cheese English muffin sandwich with English Breakfast tea.  350 calories, 15g fat (6g saturated fat), 1,040mg salt.
• Cosi – Bombay Chicken Salad with a tall café blend coffee, 481 calories, 17g fat, 1,094mg sodium.
• Burger King – Whopper Junior with mayonnaise with garden salad and a 10-ounce Minute Maid orange juice.  445 calories, 12g fat (4.5g saturated fat), 520mg sodium.
• Arby’s – Chicken Fillet Sandwich, Roast with applesauce and a 20-ounce Diet Peach FruiTea.  470 calories, 16g fat (3g saturated fat), 934mg sodium.

If you’re still skeptical that you can eat fast food to help you lose weight, I offer you one word – Jared!  He recently made an appearance at the new Fort Belvoir Hospital Subway and was living proof that you can both Eat Fresh and rock your “skinny” jeans or rather, in his case, “skinny” khakis. 

Patch readers, what are your strategies for eating healthy when you're pressed for time?