Friends invited us over for dinner tomorrow and I know them well enough to know that there will be a lot of food and that it will be so delicious and hard to resist.
I always try to follow these guidelines both when going out for dinner to a restaurant and also when having dinner at friends’ place.
Eat before going out
This may sound counterproductive but if I eat before going out to eat, it is more likely that I will eat less while out and about because I will already be full and I won’t feel so hungry.
Check the menu upfront
If I am going to a restaurant, I always check the menu on the internet and decide what I will order upfront.
This is hard to apply when going to dinner to friends but in this case the best solution is to choose the healthy stuff and, if there aren’t any, I am the guest and it’s offensive to refuse so I will just have some anyway.
Work out before going out
I will probably eat more than usual when eating out no matter what. So I always try to compensate it with working out on that day before the big feast. Like this I will have a calorie backup for what I will be eating later.
Drink lots of water during the meal
Water helps me to feel full faster and consequently to eat less.
Have a light appetizer
A light soup or a small salad for starters will most likely help eating less when the main course and the dessert (these are usually the high-calorie courses) are served.
Don’t indulge in the bread and butter
Some restaurant serve fresh warm bread with butter for starters and as much as I like bread, I try to stay away. It’s not only empty calories with no nutritional value but regardless of how much bread I ate I will have the whole main course too and that’s a lot of food altogether!
Don’t pack the plate full
This is a tough one, especially when I am really hungry because then I usually don’t think and just grab more and more. Big no no!
Don’t eat everything on the plate
This one is also challenging. I was thought exactly the opposite as I was a child and I am still struggling with my self-control. It’s not only because I love food but because it also bothers me that I know that whatever is left on the plate will be thrown away. I hate to waste food!
Eat slowly and make breaks
I usually need more time to actually realize that I am already full so the faster I eat, the more I end up eating. The best trick is to eat slowly, to enjoy every bite and to make breaks between the courses.
Share the dessert
Me and my bf usually share one dessert. I love sweets and sometimes it feels like just the right finish after a nice meal. Having a full portion though would most likely be too much so sharing it is the next best thing. Plus it’s romantic too! Did you see the lady and the tramp sharing the meatball spaghetti? So cute! 😉
Finally, if I do mess up, it’s not the end of the world. I will just try to do better on the next day and on the next…
What are your tricks for eating out?
FitGeekGirl 