Eating out often doesn’t have to be detrimental to your weight loss goals. Once you familiarise yourself with the strategies involved, it will become a lot easier for you and possibly quite enjoyable. For some, eating out is a way of life for various reasons, mainly because of business or work purposes. You can control your calorie intake as long as you know your weight loss goals and therefore committed to achieving them. Let me share some tips that I use when eating out, which may help you as well.
Six ways to bypass weight gain when eating out.
- Find out firsthand what’s on the menu. This is essential as you want to make sure there are several different nutritional needs options. It’s very beneficial if you’re eating in a place with lots of healthy salads, baked veggies and leaner sources of protein. Usually, many restaurants are happy to discard the sauces used in particular dishes — especially if you have a food allergy. Sometimes you may have to tell them this to get a specific food altered for your own needs. I always do this (but I have allergies, so it’s legit), but there is no harm in wanting a meal that’s dairy and animal protein-free. Just ask for a vegan dish, and always double-check the ingredients when it comes out to you. I’ve had an instance where a vegan meal turned out to contain real cheese (which is deadly for me), and if I didn’t pick that up, I would have needed a trip to the hospital! Be super careful and always ask if you don’t know.
- Bypass the starter bread and any sneaky fried chips as an add on. the breadbasket and any additional snacks before dinner can ruin your meal. Most people eat so much of them (and ask for seconds) that they’re no longer hungry for a good quality meal. The funny thing is, we don’t want to waste what we’ve ordered and will eat it anyway — despite feeling so full. If only they served bread as an add on to your actual meal, so perhaps by the time you eat something nourishing, there will not be an empty carb craving.
- Moderate drinking is a must — stick to the one glass of wine. A glass of wine with dinner is perfectly appropriate (if that’s your thing) but remember that one can turn into several. Enjoy the whole experience and take your time with food and alcohol. At times it can be…
