Ideally when trying to lose weight all of our meals would be made at home and under our complete control. Unfortunately, the reality is that life often forces us to eat outside of our typical control zones. Whether it’s a business luncheon, a social gathering, or just simply that last minute grab between work and getting the kids to their next event we are often faced with tempting situations that could lead us to a slip up on our nutrition.
The most important thing to remember when it comes to eating out is that knowledge is power. If your lifestyle involves eating out it is important to be aware of what the calorie levels are for each meal option. A component of weight loss is eating less calories than your body burns. Therefore, it is vital to research what foods and what the calorie levels are for meals at any restaurant you tend to frequent. Knowing how many calories are in the menu options at your preferred restaurants allows you to make a plan on which meal to get instead of choosing on impulse.
When it comes to events like work luncheons or get togethers with friends and family, some preplanning is still needed to help with success. while the food at these events may not be provided by a restaurant that can be researched, it is still important to ask some key questions:
“What food is going to be served?”
“How is it going to be prepared?”
“Do you need/can I bring anything?”
If you know what food is going to be served and how it is going to be prepared, then the calories can still be researched allowing you to decide beforehand how much you can have. Asking to bring something puts you back in control of the food choices that will be available. By being able to bring a choice, you know how much of it you will be able to have.
Simply by looking at how we can take back some form of control with every food decision we make can greatly enhance our weight loss results.