How to Balance Eating Out and Losing Weight
One of the tough parts about losing weight in our culture is that we often eat out, and few things can tempt you to indulge in questionable food choices like a really great restaurant menu. If you’re trying to lose weight, you may have found this to be one of your biggest hurdles – how to regularly eat out and still choose meals that won’t hinder you in your weight loss journey.
Below, we’ll talk briefly about how to choose meals from a restaurant menu that will keep you losing weight without draining all of the enjoyment out of eating out.
Know Your Enemy
Most people think that fatty foods are to be avoided at all costs when trying to lose weight, and so many will try to avoid red meat and salad dressing and other fatty foods. However, the real culprit is processed carbs – white breads, white rice, and other processed carbs like them. The problem with a cheeseburger is not so much the cheese or the burger, but the bun which surrounds it. Red meat is not necessarily bad to eat on its own. The combination of processed carbs and fat is what you should be worried about.
This is why ice cream and pizza are so deadly if eaten too often – they combine sugar or white flour, two foods which make your insulin shoot through the roof, with high fat content. Sugar is bad for you on its own, but when combined with high fat, it can be lethal over time.
This is not to say that you should eat a ton of red meat and cheese. But if you’re eating out and you need to make as good a choice as you can with what the menu has to offer, go low-carb, high fat, high protein. For example, a cheeseburger with bacon without the bun and a side of broccoli is a better choice than a vegetarian sandwich made with white bread.
Cut Your Portions in Half
As soon as you order your meal, ask for a to-go box to come with your meal. When the food is placed in front of you, cut your meal in half and put half in the box. Enjoy the rest of it in a few hours and let that be your dinner.
Be Careful About What’s in Your Kitchen
To minimize your opportunities to eat food you shouldn’t be eating, be sure to keep sweets, desserts, and processed carbs out of your kitchen altogether. Fill your fridge and pantry with fruits, vegetables, nuts, lean meats, and minimal whole grains to ensure that, at least when you’re home, you’ll be making good choices.
Work with a Professional
Trying to do this on your own almost guarantees that you won’t reach your goals. You may make great progress, but the vast majority of people who attempt to lose weight on their own fail. Most of us simply do not have the ability to provide ourselves with the accountability, motivation, and expertise necessary to navigate through a successful weight loss program. Hiring a nutritionist will help you stay on track and press through plateaus when they come, as well as inform you on how to eat out and keep losing weight. If you really care about losing weight, investing in professional help is the way to go.
Eating Out and Weight Loss with The NYC Weightloss Solutions
If you’re looking for a way to eat out regularly and keep losing weight, the experts at The NYC Weightloss Solutions are ready to help. We’ve been helping folks like you lose weight and keep it off for over 40 years and we would love to do the same for you. For more information or for a free consultation, click the link below or call us today at (212) 759-8118. We’re looking forward to hearing from you!
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