Don't Ditch Dining Out to Lose Weight

chef cutting the vegetables

Avoiding restaurants altogether when trying to lose weight is a pretty impossible feat these days. At some point or another, you’ll be confronted with a situation or situations where you’ll have to dine out so it’s best to know how to make smart choices that won’t inhibit you from your weight loss goals.

Restaurants are making it easier and easier to know the nutritional information regarding each of their menu choices. Most post nutritional information online but a lot of restaurants are actually starting to post at least the caloric content of each menu choice right next to the menu item. Almost every restaurant, even fast-food restaurants, has healthy menu options but it can take some serious dedication and discipline to avoid the not-so-great choices, especially when others at your table are.

Try the following tips to control your diet while you are dining out:

Avoid the Fat and the Tempting. Refine from ordering food with the following words in the description: deep-fried, battered, creamy, pan-fried.
Drink Water. Water can help you feel fuller sooner and doesn’t contain any calories. Order water with your meals. Add lemon or lime if you prefer to add some flavor.
Start with a Healthy Appetizer. Choose wisely when it comes to the appetizer. Select an appetizer that provides a nutritional punch, not a fattening one. Make to get all the sauces on the side.
Don’t “Supersize.” Avoid larger portions. Most of the portion-sizes restaurants serve are already larger than they should be. Refrain from increasing the size of any portion as it can easily add up to 1,000 calories to your meal.
Don’t be Afraid to Customize Your Menu Selection. Menu selections are not set in stone – you don’t have to order “as-is.” Ask for healthier options such as grilled instead of fried or vegetables as sides instead of mashed potatoes.
Avoid Unhealthy or Tempting Restaurants. Sometimes it’s simply better to avoid certain restaurants altogether. If you have a bad habit of always eating chips and salsa at Mexican restaurants, avoid Mexican restaurants altogether when you go out so you are not tempted to break your diet.

Dining out doesn’t have to mean ditching your diet. While it’s not super easy to choose to eat healthy if your table-mates are indulging in all the foods your taste-buds are not so secretly craving, you can make healthy choices and stick to your weight loss diet plan and continue to lose.

And if you need additional assistance with your weight loss diet plan or need more guidance with dining out best practices, call Calla Slimspa today at 407-644-7546.