Eating Out and losing Weight
By Nancy Adler
Can it be done? Eating out and staying on track in your nutrition and fitness goals? Eating out to often can be difficult for those who are trying to stick to a healthy eating plan. While it’s easy to restrain yourself and stay true to your diet when you’re eating at home, it’s also easy to throw your inhibitions out the window at a restaurant and eat whatever you want.
Are you going to be eating out with a family member or friend? If so, give them a heads up about your diet and let them know that you’re planning to stick to it. It’s not fair to ask someone else to abstain from eating an unhealthy meal. If they want to order a hamburger or a cheesesteak, they should be allowed to do it. But at the very least, letting others know about your diet will force them to rethink the way they talk about food at the table. They’ll be less inclined to talk about how good all of the unhealthy food looks and might even follow your lead and go with a healthy meal.
In addition to telling whoever you’re going to be eating out with about your diet, you should also put some real thought into where you go out to eat. If you choose a place that serves nothing but unhealthy options, you’re going to be setting yourself up to fail. Instead, try and pick a place that has some healthy choices for you. Steer clear of the places that only serve foods that are high in fat, carbohydrates, and everything else you’re staying away from. It’ll serve you well in the end.
Portion Control can be a big problem at a restaurant. More often than not, restaurants serve huge meals to their customers with more food than they can possibly eat. When you have a lot of food on your plate, you’re going to be tempted to eat it all. Rather than doing that, decide how much you’re going to eat before you start and then stick to it. I would like to reinforce the rule of “never take leftovers home” If they were full of sodium and fats, they will be a second time .
Many people overeat while dining out simply because they eat too quickly. They shovel food into their mouths too fast and don’t give their brains time to process what’s happening. Before they know it, they’re stuffed and can’t believe how much they ate. It’s a common problem that lots of people face at restaurants.
Instead of eating quickly, slow yourself down and chew your food. In between bites, talk with whoever you’re eating with and avoid rushing through your meal. It’ll allow you to enjoy your meal more overall. It’ll also help you catch up with your family members and friends as you eat.
Before you started your diet, you might have yelled “YES!” when the waiter came to your table and asked that question, “ would you like some dessert tonite?” But now that you’re dieting, it’s important for you to stay away from sugary treats that aren’t good for you. That means skipping the pie, cake, and ice cream at a restaurant.
It won’t be easy to do this at first. But eating dessert could end up reversing all the good you just did for yourself by sticking to your diet during your meal. So make a strong effort not to indulge in dessert when the waiter asks if you want any.
You don’t need to avoid eating out altogether when you’re dieting. You simply need to be smart about your approach to eating at restaurants and other establishments.
You can eat out regularly and still lose weight as long as you choose the right foods to eat and stay away from anything that will make you revert back to your old ways.
Nancy Adler is a certified nutritionist and practitioner in Linwood. Her office is located in Cornerstone Commerce Center, 1201 New Rd. Learn about her practice at www.nancyadlernutrition.com (609)653-4900
You may listen to Nancy every Sunday at 2 pm Nancy Adler Nutrition LIVE! NewsTalk 1400 WOND
