HLSG: Help in restaurants

[jd]

My biggest challenge in my quest for healthy eating and size reduction is eating in restaurants - which I tend to do several times a week, primarily for business. Do any of you have any suggestions for eating healthy when out? One of my biggest problems is that after I eat a nice small portion, the remaining food sits there and softly murmurs "eat me, eat me", so I nibble away, usually clearing the plate. The best intentions ....

I'm really finding value, support and great ideas on this HLSG BB! Thanks to all and keep up the good work.

[skylarc]

jd,

You've almost got your answer right in your question: ask for the doggy bag as soon as they bring your meal. Divide it up right away & you'll be far less likely to eat both portions.

You have to learn to be pretty assertive in restaurants & when the meal is business related sometimes it seems awkward. My experience has been that in almost every circumstance when I speak up -- ask for a doggy bag up front, ask for dressings on the side, order a nonfat latte instead of a dessert, etc. someone else at the table either follows & does the same or changes an order that they'd already placed.

[lindrusso]

Great suggestions skylarc!

My husband and I did that very thing last night. We knew that if we finished our salads we would be unable to eat any of our entrees without gorging ourselves, so we had our salads boxed up before dinner came (they even refrigerated them for us). I don't usually bother taking home leftover salad, but it was delicious!

We don't eat out all that often, so I don't worry too much about what I eat when I do go out - it's a time to treat myself.

[Missi]

I do the boxing up leftovers before they are leftover, too. I'm also finding more and more menus include lighter fare. It helps to know the menu before you go too, but this isn't always an option. I find talking to the waiter about how a dish is prepared and asking for minimal changes usually doesn't throw them off too much. But I try not to sound like Meg Ryan in "When Harry Met Sally", either. Good luck!

[CATHIEA]

I always like to have planned several alternatives to my food dilemmas. In addition to planning to ask for a doggy bag, I like to think in advance about the lower fat alternative I will order (If I practice saying broiled fish, broiled fish, I am less likely to have my mouth say seafood alfredo). If I'm going out with other women, I know that splitting a dish is a possibility and so one of my planned alternatives might be to offer to split a dish as soon as the menus come. Since you travel for business, you might think about setting a food "rule" of ALWAYS ordering the salad alternative with dressing on the side for lunch and "saving" calories for dinner. Plan to have the green salad and an appetizer for dinner. If it's not the main course that throws you off course, but the desserts, then you might want to plan one decadent dessert a trip. Then, each time you go to a restuarant you say to yourself- is this the ONE or can I do better? The more tools you have to handle eating out, the more successful you'll be.
CathieA - Maintaining her goal weight for three years this August!

[jd]

Thanks for all the good suggestions! Please explain how you box up leftovers before they become leftovers - do you order and ask for half as a doggy bag when you order? Or, do you wait until the food comes to the table and then ask them to take it away to box the take home?

CathieA - you know me too well! Seafood alfredo is a definite downfall. I do like your suggestion of a salad and appetizer for dinner. I did that once when I was eating by myself in a hotel and it was plenty. I'll start doing that on a regular basis. Luckily, I'm not a big dessert eater, so that isn't a problem. Congratulations on three years. Hopefully, in three years, after I maintain my goal weight, I'll be passing on support and good ideas to others!

[andreajackson]

I have noticed that several of the chain restaurants around my area are starting to offer low-fat dishes. Which is nice, however my problem comes with Italian dishes and the chips at Mexican restaurants. Any suggestions for these two?

[laden]

Going to a Mexican restaurant is hard for me too, but not impossible! Most of the time I skip the chips totally because I just can't seem to stop! Usually the restaurant will have some sort of grilled chicken salad. I usually order this without the dressing. Sometimes I ask for no cheese (or on the side) since they put sooooo much on it. I use salsa for dressing (it's wonderful and no added fat!)

My fiance is half Italian so we eat Italian all the time! I order pasta with marinara or tomato sauce. Primavera is also great as long as it's with a tomato based sauce instead of alfredo. A bowl of broth-based vegetable soup combined with a house salad (dressing on the side)is also really good.

I eat out all the time. I just ask a lot of questions about how the food is prepared and ask for stuff on the side or substitutions (steamed vegs or plain baked potato instead of fries).

Hope these suggestions help you.

[Ruthie]

We live in the Las Vegas area, which is the worst (and best) for dining out! I like to eat at home as often as possible, but with all the coupons and great deals, it's so cheap for locals to eat out, that we do it more often than I would like. I gained some weight in the first year of living here, and now I'm trying to lose it!

If I set my mind to it, I can even be "good" at buffets. I'm big on ordering hot herbal tea and sipping it slowly. I also try to have it be "OK" for me to not be eating while others do. If I do an appetizer and entree, plus salad, there's no way I can lose weight. I am trying to do more veggies and have those as my appetizer.

I also avoid dessert and do flavored decaf coffee when we get home. I make my own "latte" by microwaving skim milk and adding some sugar free flavored syrup, such as vanilla and hazelnut. Yum!