STEP NO. 10: EATING OUT!
Australians love to eat out – its pretty much a national pastime whether it’s that Sunday brekkie, a casual mid-week dinner or fine-dining on the weekend.
Its great to have the occasional indulgence but how do you eat out and stay on track for that healthy, youthful body bursting with vitality and energy that you have longed for? I’m not suggesting foregoing the opportunity for a social occasion with friends, family or when work dictates, but don’t you sometimes wish you weren’t faced with the choice between enjoying the occasion and reaching that important goal you have set yourself?
Well, it doesn’t have to be that way, you can still enjoy that meal and stay on track. Let me share a few simple strategies that can help you.
Your Prime for Success step for this week is to use these strategies next time you eat out.
Extra Challenge: Record how you felt afterwards – if you were successful or if not so. How did that make you feel and how would you do it differently next time.
1: Size Matters
Serving sizes in cafes and restaurants can sometimes be ridiculously large. To help you stay in touch with what is an effective serving size, I use this as a general guide:
Fish, meat etc should be about the size of your palm
Rice, potato etc should be about the size of a tennis ball
Vegetables can make up at least half of the plate
2. Be in Control
If serving sizes are larger than anticipated, try one of these strategies to keep from overeating:
Order an entrée portion or side dish instead of a main
Share a main with a friend
When you’ve eaten enough, leave the rest and ask for a ‘doggy bag’.
3. Watch the Alcohol
We can easily forget how many extra calories alcohol can potentially add. Oddly, alcohol can also encourage you to eat more than you intended, so go easy on the wine. One standard drink usually contains around 70-100 calories and one bottle of wine contains at least 8 standard drinks.
4. Choose Zero Calorie Drinks
Many restaurants serve exquisite tasting sparkling waters. Make it even more special - ask for slice of lemon or lime to be added. If this is not your thing, try unsweetened ice or herbal teas.
5. Experiment with Salads
Go for something different, a combination you may not have tried. As long as it contains lots of veggies you really can’t go wrong.
But don’t forget, some salads contain real calorie-laden bombs such as bacon, fried croutons and creamy dressings. Check with the waiter what’s in the salad and just ask them to leave them out.
6. Dressings and Sauces on the Side!
As delicious as these might be, they also often contain many more calories than you might think. Most places are very happy to place these on the side. You can still enjoy the chef’s wonderful creation whilst remaining in complete control.
7. Watch your Sides
When choosing side dishes, instead of the mash potato or French fries, go for the fresh vegetables and salads. Good restaurants will cook their vegetables to perfection so don’t be afraid to ask how they’re cooked. If the chef usually drowns them in oil or butter, tell the staff, no oil, no butter please!
8. Double Serving of Veggies Please!
Eating lots of vegetables every day is the secret to dramatic changes in body composition. Vegetables are naturally high in fibre yet low in calorie content. In essence, a high intake of vegetables provide bulk to the diet that tricks the metabolism into staying elevated because of the large volume of food the body has to process. Ask for an extra serve when placing your order.
9. Steamed, Grilled or Baked
These healthier, yet delicious, cooking methods have the great advantage of reducing the amount of fat in the meals, minimising the amount of nutrients destroyed during the cooking process and retaining the texture, colour and flavour of vegetables.
10. Beware the Buffet
Order an item from the menu instead of heading for the ‘all you can eat’ buffet. Buffets are a disaster waiting to happen. When you are presented with so many choices – you know you are vulnerable. One large slip-up can destroy all your hard work that week.
Great work! You have just taken another important step towards priming yourself for a successful transformation!
I look forward to catching up with you in the next email!
Ro
