Eating Out

My husband Jay and I used to eat out a lot.  Eating out is part of what got me in trouble with my weight in the first place.  Eating out is easy because there is no work for you and you don't have to think about what you are eating.  Even though I love to cook, and think I'm pretty good at it, most of my meals were not prepared by me.  I had so many excuses as to why I didn't prepare my meals; no time, too tired, limited budget.  In reality, I didn't make the time to prep to make preparing meals easy, even when I was exhausted.  Eating out was just easy and I didn't have to think, which fed into my laziness.  And feeding into my tendency to be lazy...well this was a problem.

But eating out posed a bigger problem for me.  I could not resist so many temptations at restaurants.  The huge alcoholic drinks, the bread baskets, fried appetizers, mashed potatoes soaked in butter, and dessert.  I had the hardest time saying no to all of this, especially the drinks and desserts.  And of course I would eat the full portion of my entree, and we all know that restaurant portions are double what you should eat.  And most of the time I would be full after an appetizer, I just kept eating because the food tasted good, or because I felt like I was suppose to, or just to eat.  And I'm not going to get into how much eating out would actually cost me financially.  Just imagine the food I just listed, times 2 people, times 5 nights...you get the idea.

When Jay and I decided we were going to do a medically monitored weight loss program I thought my days in restaurants were over.  How could I go to a restaurant and stick to my dietary guidelines when they included no oil, butter, refined carbs, or alcohol?  I firmly believed that I could not go out and say no to bread, potatoes, pasta, appetizers, and dessert.  I felt like I made a decision to make major changes and that would include not going out to eat.  But the reality of life is that you can't always avoid restaurants.  So much of social life revolves around food, and sometimes it is nice to go out and not have to worry about cooking.  But the first time Jay suggested going out I was petrified.  I really didn't believe that I would be able to be stern in my ordering and resist all those foods I'm not suppose to have right now.  But you know what, I was able to.  I was able to talk to our server and explain that I can't have oil or butter right now.  She totally understood and even spoke with the cooks about scrubbing down the grill before cooking our food.  Jay and I both got salads with light dressings on the side, grilled sirloins, and double steamed vegetables with no butter.  Dinner still tasted good and it was easier than I thought to ask for what I wanted.  That first restaurant experience was very positive and helped me see that I didn't need to be afraid of going out to eat.

Doing this weight loss program has helped me to realize a lot of things about myself.  One of my realizations is that I will make more meals at home if I keep it simple, and that will curb my desire to go out or order out because of being tired or lazy.  I don't have to follow long involved recipes that are overly complicated, I can rely on my knowledge of cooking methods and spices to make meals that are tasty and filling.  I've also realized that I can go out to eat and be okay.  I can say no to the breads and drinks and desserts.  I can ask for exactly what I want and still enjoy my food, and the money I'm saving (and you save a lot when you're not ordering alcohol or any of the extras).  And for the first time I really feel like I'm the one who's in control, not the food or my cravings.  And the more I say no and stick to the guidelines that I know will help me be and stay healthy the better I feel about myself.