Dining Out

Tonight I'm headed out with my Mom and Sister and some of my Sisters friends to celebrate my Sister's birthday.  I'm excited for a girls night out.  Haven't had one in awhile.  Sometimes eating out can be a real struggle for those of us who are trying to live a healthy lifestyle.  Dishes can be deceptively full of calories and sometimes we can think we are making wise decisions, when really we aren't.  But never eating out is not an option for most of us and frankly wouldn't be very much fun.  So, we just have to make sure to have a plan. 

I've been working really hard on tracking everything I eat the last few weeks and really being prepared for what will be going on during all these holidays. Tonight we are going to The Olive Garden.  It's really nice when you know where you're going because you can get online and look at the restaurants nutrition information ahead of time and make your decision about what you're going to eat before you get to the restaurant.

I have already looked at the menu and I know exactly what I'm going to get.  When I go to the restaurant, I wont even look at the menu.  I may get caught up in the temptation of all those other delicious menu items and give into the temptation of choosing something full of cheese and pasta. I know this will only take me further from my goal leaving me feeling frustrated and discouraged. 

I have chosen a bowl of their Zuppa Toscana.  I know this is something that will leave me feeling satisfied and yet it will not go overboard on my calaries and will allow me to enjoy a nice glass of wine and a little popcorn at the movies after dinner.  Lucky for me I'm someone that LOVES soup.  Especially at this time of year as the weather cools and the nights come a little quicker.  I'll make sure I have one bread stick because they're so yummy and then make sure the bread stays at the other end of the table always passing it on to someone else.

This has been a great way for me to be successful when tackling that tricky obstacle of eating out. 

I also wanted to mention, if you get something that has more calories than what I'm looking at with this soup one other thing to do that will help is to ask for a box as soon as your food arrives and put half of your dinner in it and close it up.  Put it in a bag under your chair and forget about it.  :)  But don't forget to take it with you at the end of your meal.  Then you'll get to enjoy it again the next day for lunch or dinner.


Good Luck!