Who doesn't love loungy weekends!? Fashion goes by the wayside, replaced by fleecy leggings, gigantic Emu booties (socks optional) and a hoodie of some shade of gray. No eye makeup, no problem, just keep on your Ray-Bans. No bra and finding it's chilly outside--time to strategically place your scarf. We are Chillaxin.

Nothing feels more right, more complimentary, to my chill weekend than playing with Quigley in the backyard, going to Borders with my hubby to load up on celebrity smut mags and business motivation books (for balance), and going out for Sunday "BREAK (your diet) FAST."






Breakfast at a dive diner or even a chain is one of the surest ways to start your day off on the wrong foot. True, you need to fuel your body to get your metabolism revved, but we aren't climbing Kilimanjaro so I don't think we need the Denny's Grand Slam.

You can have a delectable morning munch at your local Perkins or Big Boy (every Sunday) and not derail your hard work. Here are a couple of tips and swaps:









1) Forget the orange juice: You've heard people say, "It's good for you. It gives you Vitamin C." True, but it is also LOADED with sugar (the white devil). LOADED. You've drunk your entire simple carb allotment for the day with one tall glass. As a substitute, drink water with lemon, but ask your server for an orange or half a grapefruit (way less calories and you get a couple grams of fiber).

2) Omelet Awareness:
- Skip the cheese! I know many feel that an omelet is naked without the cheddar or American, but really, after ordering it without the cheese for a while, you won't even miss it. This simple swap will save you hundreds and hundreds of calories.
- When ordering an omelet, ask for an egg white omelet with Pam spray. "Please no butter or oil." Most will be accommodating (I'm not throwing Waffle House in the category of accommodating). If you just can't stand looking at something so white, ask for one egg and the rest egg whites. It will look a lot more like your traditional omelet (and let's face it, all things look better with a tan). Eggbeaters are also an option, but they hurt my stomach so I prefer all whites.
- Order extra veggies, but beware. The mushrooms and onions are usually pre-sauteed in oil and butter. Stick with the veggies that you're pretty sure aren't pre-lubed in oil, like diced tomatoes and peppers.
- Don't be a meathead. Crazy fat when you include meat in the omelet. If you need to eat meat, get a side order. Then you can control not only how much you are eating, but also the cut. Do you think line order cooks care if they use the marbled, fatty cuts of ham in your omelet? No way, because you can't see it and damn, it probably adds more flavor.

3) Garnish. Hmmm, to the rest of the food world, garnish usually stands for petit veggies cut like roses or sprigs of parsley. In a breakfast restaurant it stands for the potatoes. Will you really miss them? Doubt it. Will you eat them if they are on your plate and lonely after your omelet or over-easy eggs are gone? Maybe. Don't set yourself up for temptation. Just say "no potatoes, no garnish."









4) Pancakes for Princesses: Not much protein or nutrition in pancakes, but let's face it... they are wonderful heaven. If you are going to do pancakes or waffles, automatically half your order when it comes to the table and put on a separate plate. Then ask your significant other (or someone you trust) to put them on the opposite side of the table! Also, don't dump on the syrup. Syrup is wicked for the body (even if you are at a healthy place and they tout it is "organic" or pure agave). When the syrup comes to the table, treat it like a dressing or dip. Dip your fork into the syrup and then you'll get just enough syrup taste in every bite.

Now I'm hungry, so I'm going to grab breakfast. Do you have any healthy, go-to breakfasts when dining out? When you dine out do you look at it as a license to shovel the food or "chisel" the physique? I would love to hear from you. And as always, keep counting.