How to Eat When the Choices are Out of Your Control

Last Minute Plans to Go Out vs. Being in Control of the Dining Options

Especially when we are losing weight we want as much of our choices in dinning to be in our control as possible. But, this is not always the case. There are family gatherings, date nights, business lunch and dinner meetings, and so many other times when we don’t have a lot of say in our menus and/or the timing!

If You Know You Are Going Out vs. When You Don’t

 

Knowing ahead of time that there is a designated meal time is of great help when deciding how to plan the meals prior to and afterwards. If you are going to dinner at 7:00PM then be sure that you have taken into account whether you anticipate a wait time to be seated, whether there will be a business meeting prior to ordering, or possibly cocktails. I normally would have something like a small piece of cheese about one hour prior to the dining arrival time. This allows me to be sure that I am not famished when the food arrives or that I don’t eat the entire bread basket if that is all there is for the first half-hour. Sometimes the decision to go out is very last minute! You may be tempted to say no thanks, but don’t!! Your losing weight should not mean the end of your impromptu socialization. Just decide how much you really need to eat, keep it lean if you ate recently and embrace leftovers!

If You Don’t Know the Restaurant vs. When You Do

 

If we know the restaurant we probably have already scoped out the best options for us and have an idea what to order that will keep us on track. But, what if we have no idea where we are going until we get there? More than likely there is something that will work. Look for words like seared, broiled, and grilled, and avoid words like breaded, crusted, and fried. If you aren’t sure how something is prepared based on the description, ask the waiter and let them know you are interested in something with minimal sauces and preparation.

Appetizer vs. No Appetizer

 

It depends on how long it will be before you are going to have dinner and also what appetizer choices you have available to you. If your choices are fried mozzarella sticks or chili fries I would skip the appetizer and go straight for a salad to start you off. But, if you are going to be talking a bit before ordering dinner then my favorite appetizer is some sort of fish, beef, or chicken, with minimal preparedness.

Dessert vs. No Dessert

This is tricky in that if you are out to celebrate an anniversary or birthday of course you are going to want something. Perhaps sharing something is an option. Avoid the whip cream type desserts and stick with the more substantive like ice cream, dense chocolate cake, or crème brulee. But again, share with someone else and eat only what you feel comfortable eating.

Have Fun!! (There is no vs. no fun!!)

 

Above all, enjoy the time out whatever the occasion is. Your goal is to not overeat! Plain and simple if you avoid overeating that is more than half the battle. Embrace your leftovers and make a plan to eat them the next day. This will allow you to only eat what you truly feel comfortable eating in the moment.

 

Sherri Sue Fisher, author of TimerDiet

www.timerdiet.com