Eating healthy can be very hard unless you like to cook at home every night. Well, I do not, so I usually find myself in a situation where I am either running to a drive-thru or going to a restaurant.
It can get a little pricey but I find it hard to cook for just one all the time and end up throwing a lot of it out.
I have noticed since starting my diet about a month and a half ago that if you take a little extra time to look at the menu you will almost always find healthier options. Most restaurants nowadays have a “lighter side” menu or a healthier menu upon request. There are several options aside from the fried, grease-slathered food that most places have these days.
For example, choose grilled chicken instead of fried chicken fingers. A lot of places will offer a protein plate which would be everything you would get on a burger except for the bun. Instead of french fries, choose a vegetable or a side salad. Sometimes, you need to be an advocate for yourself and healthy eating and really dig in with the server to find what you can that will fit a healthier way of eating.
I also know that despite what some think, restaurants do carry other drinks besides sodas and sweet tea. Water, unsweet tea, and coffee won’t pile up the calories on you. While we’re on the topic of drinks, did you know that drinks are where the restaurants make their real mark-ups? Think about it: a glass of tea for $2.50+? Water makes the most sense if you are paying attention to the price.
Also, why not drink a glass or two before your meal arrives? Think about how much stomach space a glass of water will occupy before you start on your meal! Water weighs a lot too so there will be a certain “weighty” feel in your belly before you even get your meal. You’re sure to eat less as a result. Drinking a glass or two of water before your meal is a highly effective technique to make sure eat less.
This one may also be hard for some but think about skipping the dessert at the restaurant and opting for fruit or frozen yogurt. Let's face it…dessert at the restaurant (even fast food) is more expensive than you can get it at the store anyway. Why pile on a ton of extra calories at a huge price? It makes no sense at all.
Have you noticed that the plates restaurants bring you are made for ten people? That’s an exaggeration but seriously, plates are huge these days and aren’t recommended meal portions. Why not request that the waiter box up half of it before you even start eating? That way, you don’t over-eat AND you have leftovers for tomorrow! It’s a win/win.
Pressure from the health movement that is starting to take hold in America has finally gotten to the fast food industry in bits and pieces. Now, when eating at some fast food places, a lot of them have started offering salads or grilled options as well as healthier wraps. While eating healthier…. I’m not going to lie…. I have divulged in a french fry or two while eating fast food. Sometimes it’s nice to cheat every once in a while as long as I remember why I quit eating that way, to begin with.
If you’re feeling like you don’t want to follow a strict diet but would like to indulge from time to time, a general rule of thumb would be 6 days of eating healthy and one trash day. That could mean different things to different people but, if you’re eating grilled fish and chicken with veggies all week and you want to have some wine, pizza, and dessert on Saturday night…..you’re probably going to be OK.
In addition, I can honestly say that cutting out sodas and greasy foods have made a drastic change in how I feel on a daily basis. I have more energy and do not feel sluggish like I used to throughout the day.
In the end, I’m not a nutritionist or dietician. I’m just like you. I’m struggling through life one day at a time and one meal at a time but these are tips and tricks I have learned through the journey.
I hope you find them useful. Email us at [email protected] and let us know what you think. Do you have some other great common sense tricks we can share? We’d love to hear from you.
Here at Creek Stone in Amarillo, TX, our yoga instructor hosts the “21 Day Fix” and it begins on the first of each month. If you’re serious about losing some weight, watch the video below and then give us a call at 806-355-3000 to get signed up!
https://youtu.be/pBkl8SgTlPk
