Going out to dinner can really be a difficult situation if you find yourself trying to lose weight. Don’t worry, though, because eating out doesn’t have to ruin your weight loss goals. In fact, what follows are some ideas you can implement whenever you want to socialize with friends and family, but don’t want to lose the ground you’ve gained.
When you go out to eat, there may be a few things that come your way that require forethought and careful planning.
1 – Your drink order
2 – Your starter or appetizer
3 – Your main course
4 – Desert
Following the order mentioned above, we will start with the order of the drinks. If you are someone who often buys a specialty drink or alcoholic beverage when dining out with family and friends, this can make sticking with your weight loss program very difficult. However, you don’t have to suffer through the night. Instead of going white-knuckled, try a glass of light beer or maybe some red or white wine instead of choosing a sugary iced drink like a daiquiri. Alcohol-based frozen drinks contain considerably more sugar and dead calories which are not suitable for you when you intend to lose a couple of pounds. Light beer and white or red wine, while still not too good for you, will be the best choice in cases where you’re likely to drink.
The next to choose will be your entree. For starters, you’d do well to order a broth-based soup instead of a small salad topped with a rich, creamy dressing. It probably seems logical that a salad would be a better option than a soup. The problem with this is that more often than not people use it as an excuse to load it up with heavy, greasy salad dressing. Not really great if you’re trying to lose weight. That’s why soup would be a great way to do it. When you decide to go for soup, you’ll be better off having a broth-based soup rather than a cream-based one. The lighter the color of the soup, the less fat and calories it is likely to contain.
Next on the menu we have the main course. Before ordering your favorite desserts, take a look at the children’s menu. While this may seem silly, it will help curb your hunger without making you too full. Save the big meals for home, where you can make a much more suitable option for yourself. If dining off the kids’ menu isn’t feasible, be sure to reserve some of your meal to take home for later.
When you enjoy your dessert after dinner, you can get various types of frozen treats. Many of us head straight for ice cream, but trying something comparable to sherbet might have much less of an effect on your weight. There are plenty of delicious options available for dessert that won’t be a burden on your wallet or belly.
