So all of us who have been on a specific diet plan or weight loss plan know the dilemma of dining out. But at some point in this journey we all face it! I don't know about the rest of you, but when faced with dining out, especially when I'm doing well with my eating habits; I get a little anxious about it. What will I order? How far off my diet will it take me? Will there be any healthy options there? What do I do?
This past Friday we went out to a Mexican restaurant for my sister's birthday. Mexican...yum...damnit...a salad is not an option. So I thought about it and I briefly considering not worrying about it but I didn't want to do that so I developed a plan.
Plan part 1 - go to the gym and do a vigorous elliptical workout after work (I was limited on time because dinner was at 6, 45min away and I didn't get off work till 330) so I did 30 min on the elliptical. Part 1 accomplished.
Plan part 2 - I had once read somewhere that the fajita choice at a Mexican restaurant is the healthiest option if....you don't eat a lot of the tortilla, no sour cream and no guacamole. So I developed a menu plan. Order the fajitas, fish if possible for lower cal/fat protein and ...here is where it gets weird. A: bring my own tortillas. I had some multi grain flat wrap thingies that were only 100 cal and huge, so I took 2 of them, cut them in half to make "round tortillas" and put them in a plastic bag. B: Avoid sour cream...So I like Greek yogurt and when you don't add anything sweet to it it makes a great low cal low fat and high protein sour cream so...I put some into a four once container (used be baby food) knowing that would be only 60cals if I even used it all. C: Avoid gauc. (darn :( ). So I got a fresh avocado which is full of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids and healthy fats, I cut it in have and diced one half and put it in another contained to use instead of Guac.
At the restaurant I felt a little silly with my own sides, but lucky for my I had them in my baby girls food bad with her stuff so i t sort of just looked like it was mine. The first thing I did was get rid of the Guac; give my niece the tortillas from the restaurant and carefully pick the tomatoes out of the sour cream. I used my own tortillas, Greek yogurt and avocado and made a healthier version of their tortilla. Part 2 accomplished
So, the main lesson learned is that yes, we can enjoy dining out without simply ordering a boring salad with low fat or fat/free dressing. You may feel silly or stupid but you know what, you being more healthy and true to yourself!
So; enjoy dining out and make a plan ahead of time, and STICK TO IT!
If you want a drink, i recommend limiting yourself to one...just one...and not one Gigantic one, and not a long island iced tea (over 750 cals in one long island). Wine is a descent choice, especially red. Another good option is a sprite or diet sprite with clear rum or vodka...only 1 though peeps!
Good luck on your next dining out adventure and feel free to share your dining out ideas/tips while trying to loose weight!
One Woman...Too Many Pounds
I have struggled with my weight my entire life. I grew up fat and in college I became Morbidly Obese! I was able to loose over 70lbs on my own with diet and exercise in my early twenties. Unfortunately; I encountered a major setback for me...a cheating boyfriend; which led me to stop going to the gym and I, again, used food for comfort. At my heaviest I was over 320lbs. The day I had gastric bypass surgery (5-5-05) I weight 292.2 lbs. After surgery I lost 108# at my lowest weight; which also happened to be when I met my husband. I would bounce back and forth about 20lbs and the day I was engaged (1.18.09) I weighed 210 lbs. I joined the gym and knew I needed and wanted to loose weight before my wedding. The day of my wedding (8.14.09) I weighed 192lbs, when I came home from my honey moon 1 week later I weight 184lbs! I felt sexy and thin and happy. Oct 26th 2009 I had gained about 10-15 lbs back and had a positive pregnancy test. Our beautiful blessing; Emma Paige Morris was born 6.19.10. I gained 65+ lbs during my pregnancy, weighing in at 265lbs the day I delievered. 3.5 months later I got back on my weight loss goals and lost 20lbs immediately. My baby girl is now 8 months old and I am STUCK at 222.2 lbs! I am 18lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight (well first trimester weight really) and 40lbs away from my post-honeymoon weight. I am struggling with this journey and thought maybe, maybe I can find kindred souls to share this journey with and maybe even help others in the process. I really, Really wanted to be back to my post-honeymoon weight on my 2yr anniversary (8.14.11). That date is only 5.5 months away; approximately 8lbs a month. Seems resonable but I am struggling. Please Join me on my journey. Share your own; commiserate with me and lets support each other as we become healthy and active. I know I will never be a skinny-minnie, I will probably never wear a size smaller than 12-14; but I want and need to be healthy and active for my little girl. I do NOT want to be an embarraseement to her; like my parents were/are to me because of their size, health, and inactivity.
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