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A guide to dining out while losing weight

A guide to dining out while losing weight

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If you’re like many people, you know

that losing weight and keeping it off

can be a challenge.

Maybe you’ve even lost weight in the past, only to gain

it all back – and then some. The truth is, it’s difficult

to reach and maintain a healthy weight through

conventional dieting methods such as counting

calories. There are numerous processes occurring

inside your body that influence how you actually use

those calories – and sometimes those processes can

malfunction, making your body more likely to store

excess weight.

At Garcia Weight Loss and Wellness Centers, we

believe reaching and maintaining a healthy weight

requires not just building healthy habits, but healing

underlying health issues that can impair your

metabolism and make your body more likely to store

fat. Excess weight is typically a symptom of a larger

issue, such as chronic inflammation or hormonal

imbalances. Weight-loss programs that focus on

calories alone without addressing these underlying

issues will at best provide only temporary results.

A guide to dining out while losing weight

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For many people, healing these underlying health

issues means adjusting to an entirely new way of

eating, and this can make dining at restaurants

challenging. Even if you’ve tried to stick to a healthy

diet in the past, there’s a lot of confusion about

what a that actually means. USDA dietary guidelines

recommend foods such as starchy vegetables, grains,

and fat-free dairy products, but these foods can be

problematic when you’re trying to lose weight. And

little emphasis is placed on healthy sources of fat,

which is necessary for several processes throughout

the body, including the absorption of certain vitamins.

Your unique DNA makeup also influences how your

body processes and responds to different foods,

meaning that a healthy diet for you could look very

different from a healthy diet from your spouse or a

friend.

We recommend that our patients follow a low-

glycemic diet while they work towards their goal

weight; this means no grains or starchy vegetables,

and limited dairy products. We also recommend lots of

antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory foods to help heal

underlying health issues such as inflammation or leaky

gut syndrome, which can interfere with your weight-

loss efforts.

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Restaurants aren’t off limits

With all of these guidelines to keep in mind, it

may seem like eating at restaurants is impossible.

Fortunately, this isn’t the case! You can still enjoy

eating at your favorite restaurants, once you learn what

to look for and adopt some new habits that will help

you stay on track and avoid common pitfalls. Dining

out, like anything else involved in losing weight and

improving your health, can be made easier when you

have concrete steps you can take and tools to help you

make healthy decisions.

Try these techniques the next time you go out to eat,

and you’ll discover that you can still enjoy your favorite

restaurants without derailing your health and weight-

loss goals.

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Review your options ahead of time

If you know where you’re going in advance, it’s always

a good idea to review the menu before you get there.

Decide what to order while you’re still at home –

it’ll be easier to make healthy choices if you aren’t

surrounded by other diners eating big meals and

tempting treats. Then, when you get to the restaurant,

stick to the plan and don’t even look at the menu.

Keep tempting foods off the table

If you’re eating at a restaurant where it’s customary

for the server to bring bread before the meal, ask your

server not to bring any, or to take it away. A recent

study found that people vastly underestimated how

much bread they ate when it was in front of them

on the table. Some people even claimed that they

hadn’t eaten any bread, but a video recording proved

otherwise! Eliminate mindless eating at restaurants by

removing the tempting food completely.

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Ask for substitutions

Restaurants these days are used to accommodating

special dietary requests. Don’t be afraid to ask for

what you want – you’ll likely find that most restaurants

are happy to please. Ask for a side salad instead

of fries. Ask for extra vegetables instead of simple

carbohydrates like white rice or pasta.

If a certain restaurant isn’t willing to accommodate

your requests, don’t return. There are plenty of

other establishments that will be happy to gain your

business.

Keep a list of restaurants you like that offer healthy

options or that are willing to make modifications. Over

time, you’ll have a reliable selection of places where

you know healthy eating won’t be a challenge.

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A guide to dining out while losing weight

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Omit problematic ingredients

You can also modify your meal to leave out the items

that don’t fit within your diet plan. If your meal comes

with a roll, ask your server to simply omit it. Ask for no

croutons on your salad, or for the dressing on the side

so you can control how much of it you use. Order a

burger without the bun. If you’re eating at a restaurant

that offers mainly sandwiches, ask for extra lettuce and

turn yours into a salad.

Look for the light menu

Many restaurants also have lighter menus that offer

options that are lower in calories. While these lighter

menus can be a good starting point, be careful – meals

may still be served with refined carbohydrates such

as rice or pasta. Lighter menus are worth checking

out, but don’t assume that everything on them is fair

game. You’re more likely to find baked or broiled foods

instead of fried foods, but some substitutions may still

need to be made.

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Don’t be afraid to ask

If in doubt, ask about ingredients. There may be hidden

sources of sugar or surprisingly high carbohydrates

in some foods. A vegetable stew, for example, may

seem like a safe bet, but it may include flour. If

choosing a side of fruit, make sure it doesn’t have

added sugar. Some restaurants make omelettes with

egg substitutes, which may also contain additives that

can stall weight loss. As when grocery shopping, it’s

best to choose foods that are as close to their natural

state as possible to make sure you aren’t consuming

any hidden ingredients that can cause inflammation or

drive weight gain.

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A guide to dining out while losing weight

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Be mindful of portion sizes

Many restaurant portions are significantly larger than

what the average person should eat in one sitting.

They’re also often high in calories, fat, and excess

sodium, according to a study by the journal Public

Health Nutrition. Try these tips to keep portions under

control at restaurants:

• Ask the waiter to box up half of your meal before

bringing it to the table. You can save the other half

for lunch the next day.

• Inquire about ordering a smaller portion from the

children’s or senior menu, if available.

• Ask about ordering one entree that can be

split between two people at your table. (Some

restaurants may charge a small fee for this.)

It can be hard to stop eating when there is still food on

your plate. Starting off with a smaller portion will give

you the freedom to enjoy your food without having to

stop in the middle of your meal or running the risk of

eating too much.

You may wish to avoid buffet-style or all-you-can-

eat style restaurants whenever possible. These

establishments make it too easy to fill up your plate

with larger portions than

necessary, and they are often

packed with high-calorie

choices. Some people feel they

need to “get their money’s

worth” out of the meal by

eating as much as possible.

These are all potential traps that

could lure you into eating too

much of the wrong foods and

hampering your health goals.

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Choose your beverage carefully

It may not be very exciting, but the best thing to drink

is water. Most people don’t get enough, and proper

hydration is important not just for weight management

but for overall health.

If plain water just sounds too boring, you can always

ask your server to add lemon or other fruit, such as

cucumber or raspberries. Avoid soda – even diet soda

– which has been found to cause weight gain. Sports

drinks and flavored teas can also be high in sugar.

Also be careful with alcoholic beverages. Mixed drinks

can be loaded with calories, and of course beer is

high in carbohydrates. When drinking alcohol, opt for

a dry red wine such as a Chianti, Merlot, or Cabernet

Sauvignon, which may also offer additional health

benefits when consumed in moderation.

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Become a fan of salads

Salads are always a good choice, and one that can

be easily modified to suit your needs. But some

caution here is advised also: just because something

is included on a salad doesn’t automatically make it

healthy. Croutons or candied nuts, for example, are

high in carbs and sugar. Fortunately, these types

of ingredients can easily be omitted. You can also

ask your server to add salmon or avocado for some

healthy fats.

If you’re building your own salad at a salad bar, know

what to look for and what to avoid:

• Fill your plate with raw greens. Romaine lettuce,

kale, and spinach are excellent choices. Go easy on

iceberg lettuce, which is lower in nutrients.

• Top your greens with non-starchy vegetables, such

as broccoli and bell peppers.

• Add fruit for a sweet kick. Fresh strawberries,

blueberries, apple slices, grapes, and orange slices

can be enjoyed with your salad, or they make a

delicious and healthy dessert. Avoid dried fruit,

which typically contains added sugar.

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• Add some protein. Hard-boiled eggs make a good

salad topping. Grilled chicken breast or turkey is also

a smart option.

• Add nuts and seeds for antioxidants and healthy

fats. Opt for plain slivered almonds, sunflower seeds,

pumpkin seeds, pecans, or walnuts. Avoid seasoned

or candied nuts. Just a sprinkle on top of your salad

is enough, as these pack a lot of calories per serving.

• Avoid empty carbohydrate add-ons like croutons,

tortilla strips, pasta, or potato salad.

• Choose a low-calorie dressing option. Almost all

restaurants offer one or more healthy dressing

choices. If all else fails, simply use olive oil.

Whichever option you choose, don’t overdo it – a

typical serving of salad dressing is two tablespoons.

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Getting the protein you need

Eating adequate protein helps with building new cells,

maintaining muscle mass, and feeling fuller, longer. Try

to include protein, healthy fat, and plant foods in every

meal.

A typical serving of lean meat is about the size of a

deck of cards and provides approximately 20 grams

of protein. Don’t overdo it with protein – your body

can absorb only about 30 grams at a time. Some good

sources of protein include:

• Meat: Choose lean cuts of beef and pork – grilled,

broiled, or baked.

• Poultry: Chicken and turkey are good, low-fat

options – don’t eat the skin, and avoid fried or

breaded options as these contain excess fat, calories,

and carbohydrates.

• Seafood: Fish and shellfish are typically low in

calories, high in protein, and often a good source of

healthy omega-3 fats. Also avoid fried and breaded

options.

• Eggs: eggs are high in protein

and nutrition, but avoid egg

salads laden with high-fat

mayo.

• Nuts and seeds can help

boost your protein intake

• Some vegetables are also

good sources of protein,

including broccoli, Brussels

sprouts, asparagus,

cauliflower, and collard

greens.

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Enjoy eating out without guilt

Now that you know how to make healthy choices at

restaurants, dining out can be an enjoyable and guilt-

free experience. Like any other major lifestyle change,

it may take some getting used to, but you’ll likely find

that after eating this way for a while, you won’t even

have to think about it anymore. And the more you

eat healthy, nourishing foods, the less you will crave

processed, sugary items.

Eating a diet full of fresh, whole foods will help you

mitigate symptoms of common health conditions such

as inflammation, increase your energy, and reduce your

risk of disease. Together, these things all put you on

the path to long-term weight loss and a healthier life.

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