Eating Out When You’re Watching Your Weight

Many restaurant meals are notoriously unhealthy, but if you’re trying to lose weight, eating out can be especially difficult. Restaurants use large amounts of fat and usually serve miniscule amounts of vegetables. If you eat out frequently, the excess calories may be wreaking havoc with your weight loss goals.
Although I’m not a proponent of calorie counting, it can be helpful to at least be aware of the number of calories in certain menu items so that you can make the choice that is best for your health and is in line with your weight loss goals. For example, a typical serving of Fettucine Alfredo may have more than 1,200 calories, while a plate of linguini with marinara sauce will be only (comparatively speaking!) about 550 calories.

There are a number of online guides that will give you the calorie counts of dishes at national chain restaurants. Before you head out for dinner, take a moment to look up a couple of dishes and decide in advance what you’ll order. Even if you can’t find your restaurant of choice, you can get an idea of what you’d like to eat. This way, you won’t even have to look at the menu when you arrive at the restaurant, so you’ll avoid being tempted.

Here are ways you can enjoy your meal without sabotaging your weight loss goals: • Consider your restaurant meal a special treat. Knowing that you have this treat to look forward to may help you stay disciplined the rest of the week. • Don’t let yourself get to the point that you’re starving when you arrive at the restaurant. Have an apple, a bowl of broth, a few cubes of cheese or some carrot and celery sticks before you go. That way, you’ll be less likely to be tempted by the aromas and menu descriptions. • Refuse the bread basket (and the tostadas, and those little fried wonton strips!) And make up your mind that you’ll have no more than one alcoholic beverage. These are two major contributors to extra calories. Drink water while you wait for your meal. In fact, a “designer” bottled water makes a nice replacement for a glass of wine and will cost you 0 calories. • Choose foods that have been grilled or steamed rather than fried, and light sauces instead of creamy ones. Ask for sauces and dressings on the side. Don’t hesitate to ask your server questions or request substitutions. • Start your meal with a salad, with dressing on the side. • Watch your portion sizes. Order a side of vegetables and share your entrée with a friend or partner, or ask that half of it be wrapped up so that you can take it home to enjoy a few days later. • Eat slowly and chew your food well. In fact, choose restaurants that offer a pleasant, relaxed ambience where you don’t feel rushed to finish your meal, so that the total experience will be more pleasurable.