Eating Out and Making Good Choices

Eating out can be a challenge. Below are my typical rationalizations for overeating or making poor choices and my “much healthier” ways to overcome them.

 

 

• Since you have paid for this food you must eat it! (Most of the time, you can take it home and eat it at another meal. Another tactic – get someone else to eat it!)
• You work hard, you deserve a treat! (Remember that you can eat whatever is tempting you after your stricter phase is over, or that you can consider treating yourself to a healthy life by NOT eating it.  Delay eating it until the weekend when you are not as strict and perhaps you’ll choose to not eat it at all!)
• It looks soooooo good!  (It will still be there when I am at my goal weight.  It looks much better on that plate than on my thighs! “A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips!” as my female relatives say.)

That being said, I love to eat out and there are also times when it cannot be avoided.  So, here are my current “go to” menu selections for eating out and staying healthy!

Chipotle’s vegetarian burrito bowl – no tortilla to add carbs, but loads of flavor. Since they build it for you when you order, you can control what is on it.  Here is the nutritional info so you can put your own special together.  My veggie burrito bowl totals up to 450 calories, and if I want to add some fresh guacamole and a few chips it is another 220 calories.  I know when I walk in that is what I am ordering and am VERY happy about it.  Most of the time I will get it without the cheese since I don’t taste it much and that will save 100 calories too.  My husband usually adds the chicken which is 190 calories, but doesn’t get the black beans which are 120. Both my boys get it with the chicken or beef and love it!

Wendy’s Apple Pecan Chicken Salad. They offer this salad as a full size with a full breast of grilled chicken at 540 calories, or a half size with half the protein at 380 calories.  The size I order is based on how I have eaten that day, and I will typically order the smaller size. At first I thought it wouldn’t be enough food, but it certainly is now! I guess my appetite has shrunk as I have been on this program.  I use everything that comes with it and enjoy the pecans, cranberries, blue cheese crumbles, and love the raspberry vinaigrette!  Generally, my boys will opt for  burger and the fries, but at least I am able to keep on track.

Subway’s Oven Roasted Chicken 6 inch sub!  My newest favorite, and a special thanks to my husband for introducing me to it!  Load on the spinach and red onions, great bread, and the chipotle southwest sauce and I am all set!  This sub is 343 calories the way I build it.  As long as I don’t get chips, I am happy with the calorie count and the flavor is great.

So, if I find I am out and can’t plan ahead these are my “no fail” “no think” great options! Not bad, eh?  I would to hear what menu items you have found that fit your plan and are easy to grab and go!

Day 26: Friday – Bread Day!

We love our bread days! I think that our addiction to Great Harvest Bread Company would bankrupt us if we were still using our previous eating habits! We love their Dakota bread so much – with all the seeds it is marvelous. I probably could write a complete poetic ode to bread, and usually I would never dream of  that.

Breakfast: 2 fried eggs with one piece of Great Harvest Dakota bread and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray.

Snack: lovely frozen triple berry mix from Costco that has been heated in the microwave on top of my Greek yogurt with 1 packet of Splenda

Lunch: One Jennie-O turkey patty quickly cooked in a fry pan without extra oil, small salad with beautiful colorful lettuces and sliced boiled egg on top. Basalmic vinegar and flaxseed oil for the dressing.

Dinner: Chipotle! My family loves this place and I have converted them all to eating the bowl version instead of the burrito. I get the vegetarian (without guacamole since it is too spicy) and they choose the beef.

I am in the midst of a big experiment with my crock-pot – homemade yogurt! I started reading about it online at the 17 Day Diet recipe board, and really wanted to try it myself. I will let you know how it goes. As much yogurt as we are eating now, it should be a money and time saver.

Exercise: Jeff did the cycling class. Nate & Ben and I will go to the YMCA after school is out and the boys will do a circuit day and I will do cardio. I downloaded some new exercise songs and can’t wait to hear them!

Can’t wait to weigh in on Monday morning!!! Jeff is hoping to break through a specific number where  he seems to been stuck in previous attempts to lose weight. I admire his determination. Talked about the Just 10 Pounds philosophy last night and he liked the idea too!