If you are having trouble finding ways to eat out with your friends or family while you are on a diet, you don't have to resort to becoming a hermit. Eating out is not something that you want to do every day, but occasionally, it can serve as an important way of treating yourself for a job well done. You just have to make sure that it doesn't become the gateway to falling off the diet wagon.
Many people feel that once they are on a diet, fast food and restaurant food is off limits. This can lead to people chastising you for not being "fun," or being "too caught up in dieting." These people may not understand how hard it can be to try to keep to your diet and keep your friends. It's easy to get lost and not know where to turn when you're trying to find a way to keep going out without having your weight go up.
There are many ways that you can make healthy choices and still enjoy the whole experience of eating out. Let's look at a few ways that you can banish your guilt when you eat out.
1. Substitute your entrée choices.
Yes, that burger or steak may look terrific, but it may not be the best choice. Try looking online before you got out to eat to get an idea of the nutrition information for their menu. This can make it a lot easier to just order instead of agonizing over the menu at the table. Instead of that fatty burger, try to get sea bass or grilled chicken without oil. You'll still be able to enjoy your meal and your friends will be able to enjoy your company.
2. Skip the drinks.
Alcoholic drinks and soda are packed with empty calories and quickly add up. Stick with just plain water and you won't have to worry so much about what you order. Look at this way, would you rather have a lean steak or four glasses of beer? Find the right way to minimize your caloric intake.
3. Split large entrees or deserts.
This is a great way to build camaraderie and avoid pigging out on desert. You'll get a few bites, but you won't be able to eat the whole thing.
4. Don't starve yourself all day in expectation.
When you know you're going out to eat, it's all too easy to forego your other meals so that you have more freedom to eat a few more calories at dinner. This is a very bad idea and can make it easier to pig out at dinner because you are so hungry. Eat a good breakfast and a normal lunch so that you won't be tempted to eat everything in sight at dinner.
Lastly, it's ok to indulge every once in awhile, so long as you don't make a habit of it. It's also a good idea to equate the amount of exercise you would need to do to work off what you'll be eating. When faced with an extra hour of grueling cardio, that burger may suddenly seem a bit unappetizing.
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Originally posted 2008-08-14 05:16:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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9 comments ↓
its that last one which derailed so many of my clients’ best laid plans.
it seems as though it would make sense—-but the body always rebels.
Any time I ever starve myself nothing good comes of it… I wish I was better at splitting my calories over 5 or 6 well spcaed meals, but alas I have to do other things besides eath all day.
[...] main concern over calorie cycling is the focus on being able to eat whatever you want, just as long as you are within your set calories for the day. While that sounds great in theory, [...]
4 glasses of beer or a steak? No question, beer every time.
I’d also take beer over steak any day.
My dad actually has this diet that he made up himself that would seem to work for you two, (Mark and Julie). He calls it the Beer Diet–first total up the calories you want to eat that day and subtract from that the number of beer calories that you want to drink and the remaining calories make up your bank for the day…unethical maybe, but it worked for him.
Many people believe they have to eat everything they see at a restaurant. You can also ask the server to box half of the meal for later. This also will keep your portion size small.
I’m a textbook case of #4. Especially around holidays. I skip breakfast on those days just in anticipation of dinner. This is gonna help me, especially this month with the NFL playoffs about to start. Bring on the GRILLED chicken…lol
As soon as I read the first paragraph about how to eat out healthily, one of my websites articles instantly came to mind. My article is called “Foods to Avoid to Lose Weight”. You can find it at http://www.fitnessfoodfight.com/node/23
Trust me, I know what it feels like to be a Food Hermit…It is awful. Nothing is worse than the moments you are alone with your rice and beans while your friends are eating lobster smothered in butter.
I find that there are much better alternatives to plain rice and beans. For example, you could put seasonings such as fresh garlic in the rice/bean combination. You can also mix that into a salad bowl with spinach and other fresh vegetables. That would provide an organic alternative to multivitamins by providing quite a few of the essential micronutrients and minerals.
Good luck with your diet!
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