Eating Out and Eating Healthy
Written by Sara Sunday, 31 January 2010 18:48
Today was the second "snowed in" day this weekend. That meant it was also the second day that I wasn't able to make it to the gym. The boyfriend and I went out and took a walk in the snow both days. I was happy to get in exercise but I am starting to feel guilty for not getting in my workouts this weekend.
On the positive side of things, this weekend has been incredibly relaxing. I have been exhausted these past couple weeks so it was nice to catch up on some much needed sleep.
Food today was messed up as well. I woke up this morning around 10 am (I know, but I needed the sleep!) with a headache. It took me almost 4 hours to get the headache to go away. I hadn't eaten ALL day because I had no appetite. We finally made it out tonight to scrape off my car and go pick up some Chinese. I had brown rice with General Tao's Chicken. We split the chicken and requested the brown rice instead of white or fried rice.
My healthy eating really struggles when we decide to go out. I always look for a healthy alternative on the menu but sometimes it really is hard.
Here are some tips I use when I am going out to eat:
1. Stick to water: This is easy for some, but hasn't always been for me. Alcohol and soda add a lot of extra calories to a meal that probably already contains more calories and fat than your typical at home meal.
2. Don't be afraid to request substitutions: I used to be too shy to request any changes in the order. Don't be afraid to request your food to be cooked in a healthier oil or with a different sauce or side.
3. Watch your sides: A lot of times the sides of a meal can be just as unhealthy as the main dish itself.
4. Stay away from anything fried: As much as possible choose grilled over fried.
5. Skip the appetizer: It is always a good idea to skip the appetizer. They are very filling foods and you don't want to over eat.
6. Eat Slow: This will enable you to tell when your body is full. I have over eaten one too many times a restaraunt simply because I don't know I'm full until I had already overeaten.
What rules do you use to help yourself eat healthy when you go out to eat?
