Have you ever noticed that it is WAY harder to make good diet decisions when you are out to eat? Especially when everyone around you is ordering the smothered enchiladas with dessert afterward? Here are some great tips to help you stick with your goals when the take- out Gods are out to get you.
1. Get new friends — Just kidding, but really
Let your friends in on your goals of being healthier and you may find it’s probably something they’d like to be working on too! Having your buddy keep you accountable, rather than tempt you with cheesecake, is an awesome way to stay on track!
2. To Go Box it from the beginning
Ask the server to put half of your meal in a to go box before she brings your order out, that way you aren’t tempted by the “finish your plate” mindset. Restaurants these days put way more than a normal serving on a plate — and we just eat it! Bonus: This way you not only leave the restaurant sans the bloated feeling that always accompanies eating out, but you also have lunch for tomorrow!
3. What makes that a “meal”
Does adding fries and a giant soda actually make it a meal? I don’t think so, I think it just makes it the average person’s daily allot- ment of calories, while giving you barely more nutrients than a cardboard box. Ditch the “meal” when you are headed through a drive thru and grab a salad or something al fresco instead!
4. Switch your sides
Instead of nomming on the regular deep-fried deliciousness that accompanies your meal, ask for fresh or steamed veggies on the side! Restaurants are more than willing to accommodate healthy eating – whether its a side salad instead of fries at Chili’s, steamed veggies instead of fried rice at Panda Express or apple slices instead of french fries at Wendy’s — accommodation is everywhere, you just have to ask for it!
So next time you’re out and hunger strikes, keep your motivation strong by pulling one of these tips out of your hat and end your day feeling like a winner (not Charlie Sheen style!)
