Dining Out...

Not much to say today. I have a weigh-in for the contest I’m doing at work, and it always seems like I’m up a couple of lbs on Fridays. Not cool. But I’m always back down by my own weigh-in day Monday, so not too depressing.


Today I thought I’d cover the topic of eating out. Tonight, my beautiful bride and I are meeting some good friends for dinner. They are in from out of town, and we’re meeting a group of people at Louie’s Italian Restaurant in Meridian. Now in the past I would have gone and ordered something ridiculous, but I can’t do that anymore. Here are some simple tips for eating better when dining out socially:

1) Stick to your diet. Yes, it’s okay to cheat a little, but not an entire meals worth of calories. Just because you’re eating out doesn’t mean you’re taking a vacation from health.

2) Plan ahead. If you can find the menu online, or drop by a little early, you can plan what to get. It would be nice if everything came with calorie counts, but keep a reference nearby if you need to. If you have no reference, and the calories aren’t listed, make your best guess and best effort to cut excess calories (taking off dairy products, dressings on the side, etc.).

3) Eat a snack… or a meal. When you’re eating out socially, people are there for your company, not to watch you eat some calorie loaded meal. Eat a snack that will curb your hunger, and help you eat less of the caloaded food. (I just now made that word up it means “calorie loaded”). It’s even okay to eat a meal, then just get a diet soda or water with lemon. Maybe then you can offer simply to pay the tip (you’ll get off a lot cheaper AND be the hero of the evening).

4) Be “that person” when you’re ordering. If you have to order everything modified, do it. The servers are there to make you happy. Remember to tip well, though. Let’s not be cheap.

5) Don’t hide. Don’t try to conceal your healthy habits. Your friends will understand and support your efforts. Letting them know will also add some pressure to be extra good!
Overall, enjoy yourself. That’s what dining out is all about. We just want to make sure you don’t have regrets the next day. Good luck, and Bon Appetit!