Eating Out – Nutrition
Eating out is something of a national hobby, so don’t let dieting stop you! You can eat out and eat healthy, too. Many restaurants offer low-fat or low-carb meals. Moderation and common sense are keys to success with any diet. Do your research on your diet basics beforehand.
You need calorie deficit of 3,500 calories for your body to ditch pound of fat. That’s 500 calories per day if you want to lose 1 lb a week, a very sensible amount. Sadly if you have been overeating then you will need to stop that first so you are starting from a level playing field.
You can either eat 500 less calories or burn 500 more calories by exercising or eat 250 calories less, and burn 250 calories more a day. It’s not rocket science!
One of the reason diets fail is people dont start from ground zero In other words, before you can starting shedding that fat, you have to understand the calorie count of what you are currently eating. Since you put the weight on to begin with you are likely eating to much. Therefore you will have to work with a figure of 500 calories plus whatever you were regularly overeating.
Tips for Eating Out on a Diet
Eating Out for Breakfast
- Don’t starve yourself beforehand! Hunger makes for bad choices.
- Have a small glass of water and a few seeds/nuts and berries before you arrive at the restaurant.
- Make a decision leave 1/2 of the food on your plate. Take the rest home or let someone else eat it.
- My favorite tip is to order 2 or 3 starters instead of starter, mains, dessert
- Order a wine spritzer if the group is drinking more than your diet allows.
Eating Breakfast Out
- Eat protein rich foods such as eggs, bacon, sausage, and ham.
- Breads and Biscuits: If you must, then half a slice.
- Avoid Cereals if you can, especially bad for Keto.
- Fruits: Choose the apples, pears, grapefruits, strawberries, and/or blueberries because they are lower in sugar. Avoid fruit juices because of added sugar. On Keto? Stick to Berries!
- Coffee: Keep sweeteners such as Stevia on you at all times. Unless you are on Keto, keep cream and creamers to a minimum.
Eating Lunch or Dinner Out
Choose Starters not Mains
- Don’t go with the flow. It’s a big mistake to try and fit in Be proud to be different
- Tip: Order from the starter and extras menu for your main meal and dessert.
- Order a side salad as a matter of course and watch the dressing.
- You don’t have to eat it all just because you paid for it. Leave it or take it home.
- If you must have a dessert, ask if anything is sugar free. Cheese and biscuits is a good choice. If you are on a keto diet, ask what fruit they have to replace the biscuits. Stilton and Grapes or Figs or Kiwi Fruit is delicious.
- Black Liqueur Coffee is better than a dessert if you feel left out and need a treat. On Keto, cream is allowed.
- If must have a burger or similar, then own it. Immediately remove some or all of the bread onto a side plate and ask the waiter to remove it.
- Likewise, if you cant resist fries, make a decision and remove the excess to a side plate.
Finally, nothing breaks a diet, any diet, quicker than being too rigid. Make yourself miserable and you are unlikely to succeed. Make yourself a promise before eating out that you will count the calories and exercise it off in the next few days. Beware on keto with carbs. If you overdo the carbs you need to burn of the excess asap before you go out of ketosis.
