One thing I believe whole heartedly is LIFE IS MEANT TO BE LIVED. One of the biggest reasons people fail when dieting is because they deprive themselves of too much. When they “relapse” they binge on everything for fear that they will never have it again because you know that old mentality. The all or nothing. “the diet starts Monday” or “I already blew it so I might as well go all the way.” I think if we make a decision to eat something that isn’t optimal for our body composition it should be a choice not an impulse. There is a huge difference between going out to your favorite restaurant on a Friday and ordering your favorite meal and eating a sleeve of stale chips ahoy standing up in the kitchen.
Going out to restaurants is a really an enjoyable experience.
The problem with restaurants and takeout is the excessive calories that we consume, everything is cooked with butter or oil and has sauce and dressing. We try bites of others food, we have some bread, we have a drink and split a dessert. That shit really adds up and I have many clients who eat out several times a week or daily. No progress can be made that way. I am NOT saying don’t go out to eat, I am saying do it in moderation. Once a week is acceptable if you are honestly working on physique improvements.
But what if you are on a trip or a vacation? A vacation is meant to help unwind that doesn’t mean gorge ourselves and drink to the point of embarrassment. We can still be logical on vacations, not because we have to or because we are supposed to but because we respect ourselves and we know that we will feel like shit if all the wheels fall off. We have more time for physical activity on vacations than we do at home. Run or walk on the beach, swim, hike, try a new class – whatever it is just start the day with movement. In general dinner is the big meal on a vacation so then why not eat an optimal breakfast and lunch? When you go out to eat for dinner make it sensible. It’s not a sacrifice really, I don’t know why we view it that way. There are much more wonderful aspects to vacationing than being gluttonous. How relaxed will you really feel if you leave vacation and head home filled with thoughts of having to take vacation weight off right away. That’s stressful, nobody needs that shit, talk about a slap in the face.
To summarize:
MOVE
MAKE HEALTHY CHOICES WHEN POSSIBLE
DON’T CREATE A BINGE RESTRICT OVERCORRECT MENTALITY
ENJOY YOUR LIFE
Here are some key words to look for to help you choose the lower calorie, lower fat options on the menu:
Baked
Broiled
Boiled
Fat-Free
Fresh
Garden Fresh
Grilled
Light
Marinated
Poached
Red Sauce
Reduced
Roasted
Seasoned
Steamed
Vegetarian
Vinaigrette
Words to avoid:
A La Crème
Carbonara
Golden
Sautéed
Alfredo
Casserole
Smothered
Aioli
Cheesy
Gravy
Stewed
Au Gratin
Country Style
Stroganoff
Hollandaise
Battered
Creamed/Creamy
Bottomless
Crunchy
Pot-Pie
Whipped
Breaded Fried/Deep Fried
White Sauce
Buttered
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