Anyone who has ever strived to achieve fitness goals has run into a similar problem. They’ve been hitting the gym hard and have developed excellent eating habits but then they get an invite from their buddies to go out for beers and food. An instinctive panic sets in and they believe that this one time out with friends will derail all the progress they’ve made. Sound familiar? It doesn’t have to be that way. Becoming fit doesn’t mean you have to hide out in your kitchen and make up excuses not to go out. Here are some suggestions on how to eat out and stay on track!
1. Do your research – If you know where you’re going, check out their website ahead of time. Most restaurants have menus and nutritional information guides online. You might be surprised that what you initially thought was healthy might be high in sugars or full of empty calories. Explore the menu for healthy choices and what fits your eating regimen. If that restaurant has nothing you are interested in eating, suggest another place to go! Lastly, decide what you are getting before you go and when you get there, don’t even look at the menu! This will help you avoid making any last minute unhealthy choices!
2. Don’t be cheap – Most meals come with something on the side. Upgrade to a side salad instead of fries. Don’t use money as an excuse to eat unhealthy. The healthy side might cost an extra dollar, but it saves you peace of mind.
3. Don’t go out starving – Eating a small meal before you go out will reduce your hunger. It will make you less likely to splurge on a indulgent food item or larger portion size. Try eating a cup of broccoli and drinking some water about an hour or so before you leave. You’ll be less hungry and instead of ordering a full meal you can get a half serving or an appetizer instead.
4. Don’t be a wimp – Speak up and ask the waitress exactly how the food is cooked. If you are ordering a chicken entree, there are a million ways they can cook it! Inquire about the cooking method – poached, fried, grilled, baked? If the waitress gives you an answer you don’t like ask if you could get it prepared another way!
So next time you get a text from a buddy, don’t freak out! A healthy lifestyle is exactly that – a lifestyle. You can’t stop going out but you can make the right decisions. Let us know if you have any other tips for dining out or if these have helped you #PushYourLimits!
