Healthy Dining Out

Are you planning to eat in or Dine Out tonight?  For many people, having a nice meal in a fine restaurant is one of life's greatest pleasures.  Even if you are on a weight loss program, you can still enjoy your dining experience.  Simply learn some survival strategies before you head out the door and you can enjoy your dining experience without expanding your waisteline. If you have recently started a weight loss program and have been avoiding restaurants, you'll be interested in our article further down on this page, titled "Survival Strategies for Dining Out".  Learn some tips and tricks that will take you through every step of the Dining Out process. You might be interested in reading some books on Dining Out, Restaurants, or Weight Loss.  Amazon.com is a great place to buy books!  Have a look at the books below.  If you don't see one that interests you, just click on the Amazon logo and search for more.  Take control of your Dining Out experience so you can savor the flavor and still flatter the figure!

Survival Strategies for Dining Out by Pam Kruse   9/25/06 For most of us, dining out is one of life's greatest pleasures, so there's no need to avoid it or get anxious about it when you're on a weight loss program. Many diet plans will tell you the best thing to do before going out is to eat something at home to curb your appetite. That is excellent advice, and if you can do that, I applaud you. But, if you're like me, the whole point of going out to a restaurant is to enjoy eating there! Because I usually eat out a few times each week, I needed to come up with some strategies to do so without gaining weight or compromising my healthy lifestyle. Here are some simple ways I've found you can dine out gracefully, yet still maintain or even lose weight. For starters, if you know you're going out to eat, just plan to eat healthier the remainder of the day. Choose a restaurant that offers a variety of foods on a menu, rather than a gourmet hamburger place, pizza parlor or buffet. If your restaurant outing is more of a spontaneous decision, don't deprive yourself of a chance to go somewhere new, catch up with friends or simply enjoy a much-needed break from your routine. After eating out, I try to make sure I exercise a little longer or eat really well the next day to make up for it. One meal in the overall scheme of things is not going to make that much of a difference. After you've arrived at the restaurant, don't order alcohol with your meal, as it interferes with digestion and can cause you to overeat. Ask for a large glass of water or if you really want something tastier, go for an iced tea or diet soft drink. The latter two will also interfere with digestion, but at least they won't sabotage your waistline. Don't fill up on bread and butter and steer clear of the salad bar, a place that sounds healthy but is really laden with fat. If you want an appetizer, order from the menu a cup of soup or starter salad with - you guessed it - dressing on the side! When it comes to the main course, many restaurants now offer tasty low-carb options and lighter fare. I've been known to craft an impressive vegetarian dinner from a bunch of side items off the menu. Pass on anything with the words fried, creamed, breaded, crispy, stuffed or parmigiana. Look for grilled, broiled, steamed, roasted or stir-fried. Once you've spotted something healthy that will satisfy you, put down the menu so you won't change your mind. Try to order first, or you might be tempted by what someone else chooses. See something that looks good, but it's fried? Ask if it can be grilled or broiled instead. If the dish you want comes with a potato and you're not eating starches, almost every establishment has a vegetable they can substitute in its place. Find yourself really weakening? Tell the server you are diabetic or have allergies, then ask for some recommendations on what's safe to order. Find out exactly what comes with your dish, and have anything you don't want removed or substituted. Don't let the server bring you any food that you'd rather not have or guess what - you will eat it! There are going to be times when something on the menu makes you feel like throwing all caution to the wind. When this happens to me, I ask myself how bad I want the dish. If I have to mull it over, I don't want it that bad and I won't feel good about eating it. The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to save your splurges for when nothing else in the world will satisfy you! Before your meal arrives, take a digestive enzyme supplement to help with the proper break down and absorption of your food. Studies have shown that digestive enzymes are helpful in losing and maintaining healthy weight. When your dish arrives, see if there's any way you can get more than one meal from it and immediately ask for a box. I can't tell you the number of times I've stretched at least two meals out of restaurant leftovers, causing me to marvel at how both disciplined and frugal I can be! During the meal, if you take a few bites out of something and find you don't like it, stop eating it and concentrate on the other foods on your plate. Make it a rule to only eat foods that you enjoy eating. As far as dessert, pass on it for now. It's better to have something a few hours after the meal, rather than taking in all those calories at one sitting. If your body can't use the nutrients at the moment, whatever you eat will simply turn into unwanted fat. Can't fathom the idea of ending a meal without something? Order sorbet, fruit or coffee, then congratulate yourself for sticking to your guns and not overdoing it. Instead of going home feeling fat, full and bloated, you will feel lighter, healthier and fit. And isn't that a great way to end a meal? Comments

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