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5 Steps To Eating Out On Valentine’s Day And Stay On Track
February 14th will be here in a couple of days. This holiday is the tail end of the New Year’s resolutions that may have fallen by the way side and you may be concerned with the weight that is coming back from your ditching your resolution.
Valentine’s Day is typically filled with lots of chocolate and a huge celebratory meal…if you really want to lose the weight , you might be stressing about eating out on Valentine’s Day and staying on track.
Here Are 5 Steps To Eating Out On Valentine’s Day And Staying On Track
Step #1 Eating Out On Valentine’s Day And Staying On Track
Pre- Eating Out
Do not starve yourself!
Most women think that if they don’t eat anything all day that gives you a pass to eat everything at your Valentine’s Day dinner.
This is a bad idea
It is setting you up for failure.
If you are so ravenous when you walk into the restaurant you will eat everything in site.
I recommend that you eat smaller portions throughout the day and focus more on having proteins and low fats and vegetables. This way you are slightly hungry when you go into the restaurant.
Recon the situation
By law a restaurant that is part of chain restaurants must put their menu online with calorie amounts. This is definitely to your advantage. Scope out the menu before you go. Have an idea of what you would like to eat. This way you are prepared when you walk into the restaurant.
Step #2 Eating Out On Valentine’s Day And Staying On Track
Guidelines for what to pick
You do not need to eat rabbit food to lose weight. You do not need to get a salad. Most salads seem healthy but sadly they are not.
No foods off limits…. I will get into this towards the ends…
Healthier options include:
Broiled or grilled fish, foul or beef
Vegetables – side salad, steamed broccoli, grilled asparagus, etc.
Complex Carbohydrates – yams, potatoes, rice, quinoa, etc. (* watch they may add sugar to yams)
Step #3 Eating Out On Valentine’s Day And Staying On Track
The Apps, Bread Basket and Drinks
Apps (Appetizers)
I recommend that you either skip the appetizer OR you make it your main meal. Have you ever ordered an appetizer, ate it and then thought “how am I going to be able to eat the main meal when I am already full?”
Bread Basket
Ahh the dreaded and adored bread basket….
Eating the bread will fill you up and very quickly! I recommend you skip the bread or have one roll and make it last the entire meal.
Drinks
Go for water or unsweetened iced tea. Sound boring? Maybe but if you are looking for weight loss you can save a ton of calories in this category alone!
Alcohol and soda are a great way to pack on the pounds.
Alcohol especially.
The body considers alcohol a poison. When you ingest it the body’s job is to get the alcohol out of your system as quickly as possible. That means any food you have eaten is just sitting around not being metabolized.
PLUS alcohol lowers you inhibitions which will make it more likely that you will say “screw my weight loss goals!”
Step #4 Eating Out On Valentine’s Day And Staying On Track
Portion Size
Unless you are eating fine dining (and even still there are usually tons of courses) the portion sizes are HUGE. I recommend either sharing with a friend or getting a to-go container as soon as the meal comes. I like to look at the to-go container as making the meal last longer. (See how many meals you can get out of those leftovers).
Step #5 Eating Out On Valentine’s Day And Staying On Track
Dessert
Depending on where you are in your weight loss journey you may want to skip dessert. I’d like you to ask yourself why you feel you need to have dessert?
You can also split the desert with your Valentine or use the to-go box like in the former suggestion.
Some things to think about your Valentine Day dining experience:
What do you want out of your dining experience?
Are you there to enjoy each other’s company?
Is the food the main event or is it your conversation and experience with your Valentine?
How do you want to feel when you leave the restaurant? Stuffed and can barely walk or comfortably full and right on track?
Bonus Tips!
#1 Eat only when you are hungry and stop when you are comfortably full.
#2 You always have a choice… you are either getting closer to your goals or you are getting further away.