Dining out means we are enjoying our social life no matter how much money we spend and extra calories we eat. You may not like to believe, we eat 29 percent of our meals away from home which takes up to 44 percent of our total victual budget. The estimated truth has been delivered by US Department of Agriculture and the National Restaurant Association who predict that the percentage could grow to 53 percent by next year. Personally, I just like dining out on weekends after passing hectic weekdays! The above estimations cannot actually demotivate me about going out for dinner. Nevertheless I cannot disagree on the point that a feeling of guilt haunts me afterwards?after all, my husband is not going to like those extra pounds!!
Now, the question was, how can I stick to my guns while eating away from home? Hey, there are ways following which I was not being wheedled by the sumptuousness of food and its names while ordering my dinner. If I could, you can also do it! Read the strategies I followed and take charge of your next dining out adventure. There are three steps in the whole dining out process to keep yourself within eating limit for your weight loss plan:
Before Leaving the House
Before leaving house, you need to understand your cravings, what you wish to eat today? Is that pasta, or meat? Deciding what you would like to eat, will narrow down the possibilities of barging out of your daily calorie budget.
After deciding on what item would you like to eat, logon to the websites of all the restaurants you know to check what they have to offer. You can also call them up to get the information. This way, you will be able to avoid the menu and so there will be less temptation.
Reserve the table beforehand, waiting may increase your hunger and you will eat more than required.
Have a small, healthy snack before leaving, to avoid pre-meal munching later in the restaurant.
Choosing a Restaurant
The process of choosing a restaurant will decide if your diet plan is going to die in it or you would abide by your diet plan. Make your dinner plan beforehand so that you can adjust it in your week?s food chart. Think and decide;
Choose a place where you can have a varied menu so that it becomes easier to find healthy food to your taste.
Go for fish restaurants and restaurants with extensive salad bars. They normally have healthy dishes to offer.
Avoid those restaurants which promote Entertainment & Eating, generally food does not get focus and so they have less variety and serve choked full of fried, fatty and huge dishes.
Carry a pack of wheat or rye crackers with you, I will tell you why you would need it.
When You Sit Down
As you sit down in the restaurant the smell of food all around can make you feel hungrier and you might jump on the free munchies that show up right away. Bread baskets, rolls, tortilla chips or Chinese noodles are bottomless pits of calories. Not to mention all of the butter that usually comes with these.
Ask for any healthy alternative like a glass of spicy tomato juice or vegetable drink as they can easily bridge the hunger gap. If they have nothing of that sort, take out the pack of crackers that you carried with yourself and munch a little to ward off hunger.
Order water right away and start sipping.
Ask if there is a lower-fat alternative spread instead of the butter.
Limit your alcohol order, alcoholic drinks are just calories with no nutrition value.
Ask your server to take away the dessert menu; with huge, tasty close-ups of caloric landmines?you know the reason why this is on your table.
Order your Food
While ordering you need to keep in your mind the bad preparation words are buttery, breaded, buttered, fried, pan-fried, creamed, scalloped, au gratin, a la mode. The good preparation words are grilled, baked, steamed, broiled, poached, stir-fried, roasted, and blackened. You also need to know fatty and lean meats; Pork: fairly lean except sausage, bacon, and ribs. Fish: all fairly lean or contain healthy fat. Chicken: fairly lean especially when skin and fat is removed and white is leaner than dark meat. Ground beef products (in order of most to least fat): ground beef, ground chuck, ground round. Eye of round and roasts are leaner, while steaks and ribs have more fat. Remember it as a rule of thumb, red sauces are usually better than white or yellow. Avoid sauces made with milk, cheese, oil or mayonnaise. Don?t eat the skin of chicken, turkey or duck.
Request for fish or meat to be broiled with no extra butter.
A recommended serving size of meat is 3-4 ounces. If you order a 9 ounce steak, make sure there is some left. Avoid vegetarian options with cheese, nuts and other non-vegetable ingredients. A salad and a healthy appetizer can make a great meal! Prefer fruit as a dessert without syrup or whipped cream.
Lemon meringue pie or other meringue pies are generally decent choices. Plain ice cream isn?t terrible till it is restricted to one scoop and you plan another 20 minutes on the bike! To plan every step before dining out means less time on your treadmill. Follow the above steps and enjoy your guilt free dinner every time you are eating out.
The author, Monalisa Hyden, addresses health and fitness issues. If you wish to help yourself and your loved ones to fight obesity, you can log on to http://www.adipexpower.com for more information and advice. | |
