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| A typical restaurant serving of pasta |
You probably already know by now that I am not a fan of calorie counting or dieting. In fact, I wish we would all just eliminate the word DIET because of all the negative connotations that go along with it. DIET usually means sacrifice, delayed gratification and having to give up foods we really enjoy and eat what necessarily don't enjoy. When we do that; we're just miserable. And we make everyone around us miserable.
When I use the word DIET , I am referring to a style of eating. A plan for life. A plan you can stick to forever and actually enjoy!
This doesn't give us license to "pork out" whenever we want. Common sense should tell us that indulging too often in too many rich, fatty foods or an excess of sweets will eventually result in weight gain. I never tell anyone to count calories, but 3500 calories above and beyond what you normally eat will cause you to gain a whole pound of fat. 3500 calories seems like an awful lot, but it's really not difficult to rack them up during a weekend of indulgence, by eating at a Fast Food joint, or even when dining out at your favorite restaurant. A meal complete with appetizers, a rich indulgent entree, dessert, and a few glasses of wine or a couple of cocktails and VOILA! You've gained one pound. Possibly more.
This okay if we only dine out occasionally. It's as easy to lose a pound as it is to gain it- as long as our daily diet is well-balanced and healthy and we exercise. We don't have to starve. We can lose that pound in a week simply by burning 500 calories more than we eat every day. It's not rocket science.
In today's day and age, with our hectic schedules and lack of time, some of us eat out more often. Despite our good intentions, it's very easy to pack on the pounds because of all the options available at restaurants and the size of the portions we are served. If we are not careful, we can put on a whole lot of excess weight: sometimes up to twenty pounds in a few months. Weight has a way of sneaking up on us. Almost overnight. One morning we wake up and our clothes don't fit. Sound familiar?
I once dated a guy who ate dinner out in fine restaurants almost every single night of the week. He rarely ordered appetizers, filled up on salad, and only ate half of his entree. There were times he indulged in a rich and fattening meal. Other times he ate very sensibly. Regardless of what he ordered, his rule was to only eat half of what was on his plate. He never gained a pound.
So you can eat out and not gain weight if you practice a bit of discipline and follow a few simple tips:
Skip the appetizers. Order a salad instead and ask that it be served during the appetizer course. You can request a double order of salad, if you wish. Why not? I do that all the time. If you feel left out because everyone else is ordering appetizers, stick with something light such grilled veggies or fresh sliced tomatoes with mozzarella. Split an appetizer with someone else. You can also order a side dish of vegetables such steamed broccoli or escarole from the menu and ask that it be brought to you at the same the appetizers are served. And..... say no to the bread or just allow yourself one slice and then request the bread basket be taken away.
Watch your entrees. It's okay to occasionally enjoy something rich and indulgent. If you really want the pasta in cream sauce, go ahead and order it. Hopefully, if you dine out very often, you are making better choices and sticking with lean protein, whole grains and lots of vegetables. Even the serving size of healthier options on the menu are mostly likely going to be huge, as well. When you order your entree, ask the waiter to bring an extra plate along with it. When you are served, place half of your meal in the empty dish and immediately request it be wrapped to take home. This will prevent you from overeating just because it's there. You also have additional meal for another day.
Another great idea is to order your entree from the appetizer menu. These are much smaller portions. I do this very often. A small appetizer, a large salad and/or a side order of vegetables should be more than enough food.
You can also order from the Kid's Menu. This way you're guaranteed to get smaller portions. Many restaurants will allow you to this. If you must eat Fast Food; no one will question why you're ordering a Kid's Meal. You can also order off the Value Menu. Those portions are usually smaller and you won't be tempted to Biggie Size it.
These are just a few little tricks of the trade to help keep you fit, free and fabulous.............
