6 Easy Weight Loss Tips for Eating Out:
Well as you know I have been on a fitness journey and making progress. It’s slow, but healthy and honestly, enjoyable. I don’t deprive myself at all, I just make smarter choices. We eat out often so I have compiled my top 6 easy weight loss tips for eating out to help you as well!
1. Drink Water:
I bet you saw that one coming. It wouldn’t be Kier Couture blog post without me telling you to drink water, would it? Honestly though, it works. If you drink a full glass before even the appetizer comes, you’ll eat less. One of the reasons for this is obvious, you’ll have less room in your stomach, duh. But, you may not know that hunger pains and thirst pains feel the same. Therefore, when you think you’re starving, you may actually be dehydrated. Drinking a full glass of water will tell you if you’re really hungry and it’s just really good for you and you can read more about water here and here.
2. Skip the Carbs and Double the Veggies:
So, most entrees come with a starch and a vegetable, ie: green beans and rice. If you simply ask that they don’t bring the rice, mashed potatoes, or bread and instead double the veggie choice or add another veggie you’ll win in the end. I’ve never been turned down when I’ve asked to substitute my starch/carb with “double veggies” and usually there is no upcharge either. Not only will you consume less empty carbs (carbs with little to no nutritional value) but you’ll increase your nutrients and that’s a good thing!
Another way you can put this into practice is to substitute taco shells with lettuce cups, I am a taco connoisseur and I can’t just skip them. Taco life is the best life after all. So usually when I get 3 tacos I’ll get them in lettuce cups and save the carbs for some chips and guac. You can also get two in lettuce and one with a corn tortilla if you’re just craving the carbs!
3. Start with the Sides:
Speaking of your sides, I like to start eating my sides first instead of digging into my meat. It’s debatable how healthy meat consumption is, especially if you can’t verify where it came from. However, it’s not debatable how healthy veggies are, and you can’t over dose on vegetables… some people literally live off them… (vegetarians). Plus, veggies are super filling so not only will you eat less but what you do eat will be super healthy!
4. Get the sauce on the side:
This also goes for dressings on salads. The sauces and dressings are always the most fattening parts of any meal. Couple that with how much they put on, (too much) and it’s a recipe for disaster, (aka fat!). I know a lot of people with the same type of post will say to ask for your meal “simply grilled” or “just balsamic oil” for a salad. I understand the reasoning and if you’re on a really strict diet, ok. But, I find it to be a little embarrassing to ask for those and I prefer to ask for everything on the side. Siding the sauces won’t outright offend anyone and you’ll save yourself a lot of calories, fat, and sugar. Realistically, if you hate the dressing or sauce, you should ask for something else. In my experience, hot sauce makes everything better and it’s generally super low in calories, fat, and sugar.
5. Ask how it’s cooked:
If your dish is literally sauteed in butter, I would choose something else. Look for terms like “grilled” and “steamed”. Ask questions so you don’t get it and instantly regret it. Some restaurants are very accommodating and you can request olive oil instead of butter if it’s not a major component of the dish. But some dishes can’t really make the substitute without compromising taste.
6. Only one glass of wine:
This one, I have to be honest is the hardest. Like most people, I rely on a glass of wine or whatever to ease my mind or body sometimes. Other times I just freaking love the taste of wine. And of course, I love to cheers, I love to celebrate. Sometimes when we go out we cheers to every little thing (our love, a nice day, we woke up on time lol, everything!!) and after about 12 of them, it’s almost a bottle of wine. So, the best way to slow down is to A. drink water throughout the meal (refer to the first point of this post.) and B. Literally only order one glass of wine. If you want a bit more and to save money, order one bottle, then you’ll each get a glass and a half and feel fancy getting a bottle! I also can recommend that you look for drier wines with less sugar because sugar = calories.
Thank you for reading!
