Yes, you can eat out and still lose weight. Order protein, add a vegetable, skip liquid calories, don't clean the bread basket and plan the rest of your day around it. You don't need to live on salad. You just need to stop treating every restaurant visit like the last supper.
The restart plan helps you build habits that survive a menu.
Why does eating out make weight loss harder?
Restaurant meals are bigger, richer and designed to make you order more. Add a drink or two, bread, a starter and dessert and you can pass 1,500 calories in one sitting. Which is not a crime. It is just not a "small deficit" kind of night.
The good news is that one meal doesn't ruin a week, and a few simple rules fix most of it.
What should you order?
Think protein first.
- Grilled chicken, steak, fish or burgers without the full ceremony.
- A side of vegetables or salad. Yes, instead of a second fries.
- Sauce on the side. It adds up fast.
- Water or a zero-calorie drink. Beer and soda can add hundreds of calories. MedlinePlus lists a regular beer at about 153 calories and a margarita at about 168.
- A shared dessert. Share it, don't surrender to it.
What about fast food?
You can do fast food, within reason. Grilled over fried, no double of everything, no soda, no "make it a meal" automatically. Check the calories on the menu, which most chains now post. If you are eating fast food three times a week, it is the first thing to change.
How do you plan around a big night out?
Don't starve all day. That leads to ordering everything. Instead:
- Eat normally earlier, with protein.
- Decide on your drinks before you go. See how to lose a beer belly.
- Skip the bread basket, or have one piece.
- Eat until satisfied, not stuffed.
- Go back to normal at the next meal. Not "tomorrow I fast."
Will one bad meal ruin everything?
No. One meal is one meal. What matters is your average over weeks. If you overdo it, don't punish yourself with a crash diet. Return to your normal routine. Read fell off the fitness wagon for the all-or-nothing trap.
How often can you eat out?
As often as your plan allows. If you are trying to lose weight steadily, once or twice a week is plenty. If you eat out daily, aim for smart orders every time. You can lose about 1 to 2 pounds a week, which the CDC says is more likely to last, with a few restaurant meals thrown in.
The bottom line
Eating out is fine. Order protein, skip the liquid calories, share dessert and keep the rest of your week steady. Start the restart plan and eat out like a grown-up.
Order the chicken, FATBOY.
This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition or food allergy, talk to your doctor or a dietitian.
- eating out
- nutrition