eating out

I don’t know you peeps but in my experience there is just no way to lose weight if I constantly eat out. There is just no way. And I love eating out and therefore I have had to learn to make smart decisions when I eat out and plan ahead in order to not terribly disturb my weight loss journey.

So… let’s talk about restaurants. I love them 😆 and what’s not to love: yummy food, no prep, no cooking, no clean-up. It’s awesome. The main problem with eating out is that we have very little control on how it is prepared and therefore a simple meal of 600 calories at home may easily turn into a 2000-calorie monstrosity at your favorite food joint. What’s a girl (or guy) on a diet to do?

Toni’s Restaurant Tips

TIP #1 Check the menu before you go – Most restaurants share their meals’ nutritional value on their website. Check it before you head out so you have a better idea what are your best choices. There are also apps that can help you make smarter choices at the dinner table. I usually check my copy of Eat This, Not That! or the website. In any case, the trick is to be prepared before you set foot in the restaurant.

TIP #2 Plan out your week – I usually know how many times I’ll be eating out during the week so if it’s only one day I may allow myself to splurge and have a “cheat-meal” with no regrets but if I know that I will be eating out three or more days the next week then I make sure that I choose healthier options with plenty of greens and sauces and/or dressings on the side.

TIP #3 Check your alcohol and/or skip dessert – The biggest change I made to my lifestyle was limiting my alcohol consumption. I barely have any anymore unless I’m out with friends and preferably if I know I will be dancing and therefore burning it off. I also rarely have dessert and if I do I try to share it.

Do you plan your eating out adventures? Got any tips?

As a general rule I don’t like to compromise too much when I eat out. Yesterday, my book club gals and I held a White Elephant party at a local Italian restaurant. Since this was an extra special occasion I gave myself permission to eat freely. Here’s how I prepare ahead of time anytime I eat out:

Get some tips on what to try and what to avoid: I took a look at the American Heart Association website and found these tips for eating Italian food.
Check the menu online beforehand and make a plan. I decided I would have chicken scallopine (with Artichoke hearts, mushrooms, smoked pancetta, and lemon butter), skip the alcohol, and that I would probably have the tiramisu.

I pretty much stuck to the plan but the waitress made a mistake and split my tiramisu in half so I gave it to a friend in exchange for half of her chocolate cake. #sorrynotsorry (although I was a little sorry later)

So… OK… I really didn’t follow much of the AHA’s recommendations and unfortunately I paid the price. The food was amazing but it didn’t go down so well. I woke up around 4 am with what felt like a mild gallbladder attack and by 7 am decided to go ahead and take a shot of apple cider vinegar diluted in water followed by a fruity breakfast. Thankfully I was feeling better within the hour but I’ve had to spend the day eating fruits and nuts and drinking green tea and lots of water. As I am writing this I am still feeling a little uncomfortable and I hope that the gym will help tonight.

Lesson learned! Next time I will go with the piccata instead and only have half a dessert (if that) – The AHA recommends skipping the creamy desserts and choosing italian ice instead but this restaurant didn’t have that option. I will be much more careful next time. I have also noticed that fatty dinners are much more troublesome than fatty lunches so I will need to keep this in mind in the future.

Nonetheless I had a great time with my book club friends and got a lot of compliments on my outfit which is always nice. On the note, I just have to share that the blouse I wore had been in the closet for over two years. I finally like how it looks on me. The pants are size 10. And most surprising of all, the blazer is my mother’s, size small (petite). I really loved how I looked. 😀

Here are a few pictures (click to enhance) before heading out, enjoying the festivities, and finally with the gift I brought home.