Eating Out is the Kiss of Death

Ugh.

I ate lunch out today. That makes it the fourth day in a row that I have eaten at a restaurant.

On Saturday, I had breakfast AND dinner out.

Get a load of this: Chinese, fish fry, pancakes, fast food salad with ice cream cone chaser, then Chinese again. No surprise my rings are snug. Can you say, "Sodium, much?" I would add, "Calories, fat, cholesterol, fried, much?"

In my strict losing days, restaurant meals were few and far between. It's so much easier to control portion size at home and it's much easier to maximize caloric value. I'm a big believer in volume ... I like to eat a lot. When I am at a restaurant, I can't ensure that the volume is low in calories or high in good nutrition calories.

I also tend to drink diet cola when I'm out and that doesn't help anything.

Our schedule has been a bit hectic and unusual this past week, hence the eating out. But truly ... that's no excuse. Good choices can be made just about anywhere. Here's how:

1. Choose a good restaurant. Pick someplace that you know has healthy options. Have a few go-to places that are safe, even if they're not exciting. Remember, food is fuel first. Your first goal is to put nutrition in so you can continue to operate the way you want to. We all get a "taste" for a burger or pizza or a big pile of fried crab rangoon. But they offer nothing that serves your workout tomorrow.

2. Make a conscious decision before you crack open that menu. Say something like, "I'm not going to make a dumb choice," out loud. Doing these things, declaring your intentions, will help solidify your commitment to staying on course.

3. Look for clean, simple nutrition. Grilled, baked, roasted protein. No heavy, gloppy sauces. Colorful vegetables vs. empty starches like potatoes and grains. Check the appetizer section and make the shrimp cocktail or grilled shrimp skewer your whole dinner. At a fast food joint like Culver's, check the soup (broth-based not cream) or chili. The portions are smaller and it can make a meal.

4. Don't assume a salad is the best choice. It's not if it's filled with croutons, cheese, candy-coated nuts, dried cranberries, fried chicken tenders and creamy salad dressings ... or if the portion size is enormous. Ask for dressings on the side and use 1/4 of what they give you in a packet or cup. And don't let that "fat free" label fool you. A simple vinaigrette is best ... the most flavor for the least amount of actual dressing.

5. Watch portion size. Share a single entree or take half home. Or just put 3/4 of your fries on your husband's plate before you accidentally eat your way through most of them.

6. Drink water. Ask for lemon or lime if that makes it more exciting. It's cheaper, too! Can't stand the thought of plain, old water? Club soda will add bubbles and fun.

7. Eat slowly. Savor what you chose. Eat the veggies first so that if you do manage to start to feel full, you can leave the last piece of fried fish on the plate. (True story. Friday night. Salamone's. Man, their fish is good! But three pieces are just way too much!)