Eat Out and Stay Fit

10 Tips on eating out without compromising progress

I love to eat and I love to eat out but it is VERY difficult to stick to a diet when you’re eating out. You don’t know what they’re putting into what you order and the portion sizes are always HUGE. When you go to a restaurant you’re almost guaranteed to have the fattiest and most sugar packed version of whatever you’re ordering. Restaurants do this because they obviously want their food to taste good so they use Heavy butter, heavy crème instead of skim milk and anything else that packs as much flavour (and calories) as possible.

It is possible to do all of these tips but I hope that at least a couple of them help you out!

1) Don’t accept the complimentary bread. When they bring it, tell them no thank you. You don’t want this at the table at all because if it’s there, you’re going to start to pick away at it and eat it. That’s some heavy carbs.

2) If you’re with friends that would like the bread, ask for a salad right away so that while they’re eating bread, you have something to munch on.

3) A common mistake is thinking a salad is healthy. Caesars are the worst because they’re drenched in a cream sauce and come with croutons, bacon bits and cheese. You’d be better off eating the burger meal.

4) If you’re a big salad fan it’s sometimes even a good idea to pack your own fat-free dressing with you because most places don’t have fat-free.

5) Ask for all sauces and dressings on the side and then use them sparingly.

6) Order nothing fried; food should be steamed or grilled only.

7) This should go without saying, but, AVOID restaurants that are “all you can eat” or known for their portion size

8) Know the restaurant you’re going to so you can plan what you will eat. Don’t let what other people are ordering sway you or change your plans. Go there with a plan and don’t waiver. If you waver on your choices, you’ll be more likely to pick things that are tempting and fattening. Don’t pick your food on a whim.

9) If you have to order a big hunk of something (lasagne, etc) then just order it. When it arrives, cut it in half, and put the other half in a to-go box. If they have a kids size, order that and you can eat the whole thing. Restaurant portion sizes are far larger than what anyone should eat so often taking half home is a good idea.

10) When having coffee drinks, be sure to request fat-free milk and no whipped cream. This will drastically cut fat and calories. Also, some coffee bars make hot beverages in smaller sizes than what’s listed on the menu. Ask for an 8-ounce size, which is sometimes called “Short”.

In a future post we'll put up a list of more tips for eating out.

Any questions refer to http://www.spartanmmaacademy.com