When you pledge to losing weight and improving your overall health and wellness, you commit to becoming the best version of yourself. However, now that summer is in full swing, you may find it difficult to stay motivated and fully committed to a weight loss plan. At CardioMender, MD, we are here to help you stay on track and make the most out of your wellness and weight loss commitment this summer.
Is Eating Out a Setback?
Summer often means vacation to the mountains, tropical islands or days spent at the beach. Vacation also includes exploring new restaurants and enjoying the local fare. One of the biggest challenges to staying on plan and “Living It!” is learning how to go out to eat for pleasure. Before you say no to enjoying a night out with your family and friends, check out these 13 tips on eating out when losing weight.
1. Plan ahead
Establish that there are acceptable options available in the restaurant where you are going. Most restaurants post their menus online. Always have a Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C.
2. Don’t skip a meal or forget to snack
Eating every 3 to 4 hours is fundamental to “Living It!” and implementing the behavioral changes that lead to long-term weight loss success.
3. Drink lots of water and pass on the bread
Drinking water helps reduce hunger. When your server first comes to the table, request water (sparkling or flat) and pass on the bread and chips.
4. Start with a salad and choose your salad dressing wisely
Stick with a drizzle of olive oil plus white or red wine vinegar possibly with a squeeze of lime or lemon, or bring your own dressing (a travel size plastic bottle works great for this purpose).
5. Choose foods that you know are on your weight loss plan
It is critical that we choose foods that are on plan. Choosing off-plan foods is more challenging in that they can lead to sustained nutritional deviations, especially during the acute weight loss phase.
6. Choose foods that are grilled, broiled, baked or steamed
Foods prepared in these ways tend to have less hidden fats and less high glycemic carbs.
7. Avoid anything fried
These foods are often coated with high glycemic refined carbs, which tend to make us want more. Fried foods are also high in fats (including undesirable trans-fats), blind calories, and sodium.
8. Avoid sauces
Remember, we don’t know the actual ingredients in the sauces. The ingredients in the foods we eat influence the hormones that our bodies produce, that may satisfy cravings in the moment but may also make us more hungry an hour or so after a meal.
9. Measure and/or limit the amount of the food brought to you
Your server should be able to tell you the approximate weight of the steak, fish or chicken that you are considering. Then, depending on the size, you can request they bring half and take the other half home to have the next day.
10. Avoid bread, pasta, potatoes and rice
This is critical during the acute weight loss phase. For the restaurant, these are a cheap way to fill you up. While it may taste great, typically, this is a high glycemic load that lures us in for more and more and triggers cyclical eating and continued plan deviations.
11. Avoid alcohol
When we drink, we tend to be more open to deviating from our nutritional plan, both in food choices and quantity, plus alcohol is an additional source of calories.
12. Have fresh fruit for dessert
Even if you don’t see it offered on the menu, it is often in house. Besides tasting good, fruit is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that keep us healthy. Make sure there is no added sugar or syrups.
13. Go easy on yourself and be positive
Once on our Maintenance Plan, we are better equipped to deal with occasional higher caloric/high glycemic foods. Once our body fat is reduced and our normal physiology is restored, we are more in control over food and we are better equipped to balance foods out. YOU’VE GOT TO LIVE IT!
You can also be prepared with on-plan options by shopping CardioMender, MD’s pantry! Take advantage of our online ordering with FREE shipping on orders over $100.
Stay Active This Summer
Time spent with family on summer vacation means lounging around the pool or making several trips to the beach. But why not spend some time outdoors being active? There are plenty of fun ways to stay active this summer while soaking up some sun (don’t forget your sunscreen!) and still reaching some exercise goals.
Enjoy a long hike to a beautiful water hole, spring or reach the top of a mountain. If you are at the beach or laying by the pool, try getting a game of water polo going or swim a few laps to get your heart rate up.
We Are Here For You!
At CardioMender, MD, we are here to help you make the most out of your wellness and weight loss commitment this summer! So what’s stopping you from taking that extra leap forward to a healthier you?
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