Do you struggle with meals out and trying to find the right balance of enjoying yourself but not leaving feeling guilty?
What is it you look forward to most with going out?
Experiencing something new
Going wild with food choices
Enjoying not having to cook
Getting new ideas
A short moment to unwind and relax
Quality time to spend with loved ones
There are many reasons to enjoy going out for food, and you don’t all have to be focused on eating super indulgent food and making yourself feel so full you’re uncomfortable.
I want to share some strategies for eating out over Christmas over the next few weeks. Although I appreciate it for many, this will be something that can be learnt and applied year-round.
I don’t know what it is that happens to us over Christmas, but we regularly lose all sense of self-control and gorge ourselves purely because it’s that time of year.
This is your permission to say no to Christmas things and push them to the new year, to continue eating like a regular person and to enjoy whatever you want to over the festive season.
I’ll get into some approaches and discussions about Christmas day itself in the coming weeks.
Approach #1
Plan ahead for where you’re going
Research the restaurant - do they have calorie information to guide your choices?
If not, look for similar chain/mainstream restaurants with similar food to give you an idea
What we're looking for:
Look for the highest protein options first - fish, chicken, beef, tofu, seitan
Is there an option that's grilled or baked, instead of fried
Is there a sauce that is tomato based instead of coconut or cream (clue: buttery, probably not a calorie-friendly word)
Can you ask for sauces or dressings on the side
Do you have veggies included or could you add a side?
Can you swap chips for veg or salad?
Restaurants are typically going to add more butter, oil and salt than you ordinarily would at home. They’re also going to make portions larger than you need because it allows them to charge more and it looks better on a big fancy plate. Consider these when it comes to ordering.
Approach #2
Look at the day ahead of the meal (assume going for dinner)
You have plenty of scope to make adjustments during the day before or after the meal to create’ space' and hit your goals
You also want to think in your choices about what will make you feel good - yes, the idea of a big greasy burger and fries is amazing, but in reality, your stomach isn't always going to thank you for it later (hello indigestion and tummy ache!)
Prioritise daily activity to increase calorie burn
Add in a walk before work and at lunch
Adjust intake of carbs and fats throughout the day
Cut carbs at breakfast and fat at lunch
Add a protein shake before going out
Drink plenty of fluids - water
So let's say you don't have much flex of the day - for example, you've got a full-day meeting with catered food and no idea what could come up or a family trip with bigger eaters and drinkers.
You don't always want to spend the entire day saying no and watching people devour cake.
Use the same principles as the day of:
Include movement
Adjust carbs and fats
We can do this the day before and after an event by taking carbs out of breakfast the day before and after and cutting fat from lunch on both days (for example, change as you wish).
If you use the hand portion method you’ll know that this makes it easy for you to see the component parts of each meal and adjust them accordingly. If you follow macronutrients, you can adjust by 10-20g of carbs and 5-15g of fat wherever needed.
Approach #3
Manage your restaurant food budget - you have 3-4 credits max to use
Starter, main
Main, dessert
Main, alcohol
Main, side
Main, side, alcohol
Look at the dessert menu before you order the main course - if you know there's nothing on there you'd like, you have more opportunity to choose what you actually want.
Consider this:
You have 21-28 opportunities in a week to make decisions
(3-4 meals a day on 7 days - can be scaled up and down)
Is one meal going to make a huge difference if all the others are high in protein and unprocessed foods?
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