Thursday, 24 September 2009
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Four Great Tips For Sticking To Your Diet When You Eat Out
When it comes to eating out, you know it’s ALWAYS crucial to plan ahead, especially if you’re trying to lose weight or maintain your diet. But, that’s so much easier said than done, right? Even if you skip your “enemy-fast food restaurants” and go for the “healthy” ones, it’s hard to keep track of the calories you’ve consumed.
I’m not saying eating out is completely off-limits if you’re on a diet, but like I said, it’s vital to “plan ahead.” With that in mind, here are four-GREAT-tips I got from Fitness magazine.
(1) Make reservations- Waiting for more than 30 minutes for a table and watching others eat while you wait can actually make you eat more. According to Susan Roberts, Ph.D., author of The Instinct Diet, “the sight and smell of food stimulates the body to begin the digestive process.” Also, try not to sit near a TV or read while you eat since it can divert your attention away from the food, leading you to overeat.
(2) Take a bathroom break- A hectic day can cause you to “unhealthy” foods for dinner. According to Marc David, founder of the institute for the Psychology of Eating in Boulder, Colorado, “When you’re anxious, your instincts tell you to reach for high-fat comfort foods to soothe yourself.” So, take your time to go to the bathroom to relax and calm yourself before you order.
(3) “Read between the lines”- Try to avoid food with descriptions, such as “luscious,” “juicy,” or “creamy” because they can actually make you eat more. According to Brian Wansink, Ph.D., author of Mindless Eating, diners were 27 percent more likely to get dessert when it was called “German Black Forest double-chocolate cake” instead of “plain old chocolate cake.” (Wow, I think this is so true!)
(4) Pay with cash- What does paying with cash have to do with eating healthy? Wait till you hear this. “When you pay with a credit card, you lose sight of the cost of the meal, so you’re more likely to splurge on extras such as appetizers and cocktails.” (I would’ve never guessed!)
Do you know any other tips for eating healthy and sticking to your diet when you eat out?
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- From: kimjh125
- Name: Joo
- About Me: I'm a runner and a health fanatic. I currently live in NYC.
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Comments (12)
i would never thought of the cash one D:
thanks!
This has already been mentioned in another post but what I do is ask for an appetizer, and just take out some into a salad plate and eat that portion only. The rest I doggy bag it!
Well, the cash one is especially useful for say, a local coffee shop. I just spent like 8.50 tonight on TWO drinks. Approximately 28 ounces of liquid.
But these are very nice tips, and I bet they'll help you, the author out the most. To teach is to learn. Stick to your advice, and keep writing your columns, and you'll be the after picture, all the time.
Request Dressing for Salads on the side. I use a lot less than I would if they put the dressing on in the kitchen.
The cash thing makes sense. I pay in cash a lot more than I used to and I have noticed I get healthier meals and smaller portions/eat less.
As a bodybuilder, I just bring my own food or custom order at restaurants.
Don't be embarrassed to ask for what you want. You go into a restaurant with some idea of how much a place is going to cost, so you have that amount set aside in your head. So, even if you ask them to NOT bring rolls, or to leave the rice off your plate, you aren't really losing anything, but it may help you stick to your diet.
And don't hesitate to ask for substitutions, sure, your steak comes on the menu with garlic mashed potatoes, but you see that the fish comes with steamed veggies, just ask them to substitute,. I rarely find a problem with this. I tip my wait person accordingly for any inconvenience.
Salads can be wolves in sheep's clothing. Many entree salads contain 1200 calories or more, don't let the word salad lull you into a sense of security, read the fine print.
If you eat with another dieting friend, order one entree and split it.
Get an appetizer (smaller portion) and no entree
Drink a fiber drink , or eat a handful of dry roasted nuts,before you leave the house, when you sit down at the restaurant, drink a glass of water, you will be MUCH less hungry when you browse
the menu.
Don't always think about what you CAN'T eat, focus on what you can. If you read a menu with the idea "oh, I can't have that..." you are more tempted to splurge, than if you read it looking for tasty things that are on your diet. You can enjoy eating out if you are focusing on the cans rather than the can'ts.
The cash tip is awesome, I've never thought about it that way. Generally I pick things with smaller portions if I can, or I cut my meal in half and ask for a doggy bag right away.
I also don't go in with the "I can't have anything" mentality, because I figure it this way: Most restaurants, even with "healthy" options, are still going to be a little more calorie loaded than a normal meal. I should be able to treat myself, but in moderation. I won't eat all of that burger and fries - I'll share the fries and cut the burger in half. Stuff like that. :)
calorieking.com is my favorite site when preparing to eat out.
that's nice infos, thanks
I think it's always best to research a restaurant's menu first and know what you're ordering before you go. Many times I've chosen what I thought was healthy at the restaurant only to find out it's packed with calories later. There's a new website that specializes in providing nutrition information: http://www.goodfoodnearyou.com/ You enter your zip code, and it lists different menu options nearby in order of lowest calories, carbs or fat. I haven't used it yet, but it sounds quite helpful.
#4 makes a lot of sense. I guess it's the same as paying with cash when you go shopping so you can't spend as much.
If you only dine out once in awhile, I think it's ok to let go of the guilt and get what you really want. But if you constantly eat out, these are great tips.