Sushi is a good choice when dining out!
I told you in Friday’s post that the meeting topic deserved its own post. Here ya go!
The average American dines out on average 4 times a week.
4 TIMES A WEEK!
Most of us would be like, “NOPE, not me!” While others might agree that is an accurate number. When we consider “dining out” as anything NOT cooked by you. The number might be more realistic. Think about lunches on the go, baseball games where you grab something from the concessions, swim meets, or quick dinners. I would say 4 times a week is quite accurate.
I think for some people, eating out sabotages their diets. Others, can eat out without a problem. Here are my dining out tips to help you dine out smarter to stay on track with your weight loss.
- Plan Ahead – There are so many resources out there that will give you information about restaurants. If you are a Weight Watchers member, there is the Dining Out Companion and E-Tools. If you are not a Weight Watchers member, a great online resource is Dotti’s Weight Loss Zone or My Fitness Pal. Both of these are great resources to look up information on what to eat BEFORE you go! For Dotti’s Weight Loss Zone, just click Restaurants in the upper navigational bar. On My Fitness Pal, click Food and then in the search bar, type the restaurant name or a food you would eat there.
- Bite It, Write It – No matter what you choose to order, track it. Use your weekly extra points plus, use your exercise points, just track it. Being in denial by NOT writing it down will just throw you off for the rest of the week. YOU deserve to track it!
- Watch the Alcohol – I don’t mean to watch it go in your mouth. It is fine to have one or two drinks but again, count it. Alcohol can be VERY high in points. Especially if you choose something fruity and fun to drink. They can cost you anywhere from 5-10 points plus EACH drink. Choose a glass of wine or a light beer. Just make sure you watch how much you drink and count it!
- Tell Others – Let the people you are eating out with know that you are trying to eat healthier or dieting. I have found that they are usually really supportive and help you make good choices. When choosing a place to eat, if others know you are trying to eat healthy, they won’t choose a place without good, healthy choices. If you don’t tell others, they won’t know that you are trying to make good eating choices.
- Order First - When it is time to order, YOU be the first one to order. That way, you can make a good choice before others make some not so good choices. You wouldn’t ever go back and say, “Oh…hold on…I think I changed my mind and I want the…” No, you stick with what you originally ordered so make sure you place your meal order before others.
- Eat Before You Go -If you know you are going to a place that does not have many choices for you, eat a small meal before you go. That way, you won’t be famished when you get there and want to eat it all. Choose some fruit or vegetables to eat ahead of time so you will feel somewhat full when you get there. Trick the brain!
These are just a few tips for you to use when eating out. I will be using these later this week when my hubby and I go out to eat for my birthday. He is taking me somewhere special and yes, I want to enjoy myself but I don’t want to regret my eating decision the next day.
Any other tips you have when dining out that I missed?
I will leave you with this funny I found:
Choose wisely!
