Eating Out! – 5 Healthy Tips
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It’s one thing to stick with your diet regimen when you’re at home, in control of the contents of your refrigerator and your portion sizes. But what about going out to dinner with friends? Worse, how do you stay on track when your dream vacation has you seated by the dessert cart at every meal?

Eating right when you’re out of your comfort zone can actually be easier than when you are at home, so long as you think smart and plan ahead.

Getting in shape can be an arduous journey, and you should allow yourself to celebrate along the way! However, celebrating doesn’t mean two helpings of dessert. Instead, focus on these simple tips to help you enjoy your dinners out on the town without compromising your weight loss goals.

Tip 1: Daily Plan

Incorporate meals out like any others. Don’t skip meals beforehand, setting yourself up to be starving, then overeat. Plan. Don’t be afraid to call ahead and find out what the specials are going to be and figure out a couple of choices, so that you don’t stress out when you arrive and order foods that are not the best options for your diet.

If the restaurant or event is going to serve you buffet-style, again, call ahead to plan. If that’s not an option, here are a couple ideas. First, ask someone with whom you’re comfortable sharing your dietary concerns to help you. Tell him or her what foods you can eat (or what you cannot eat) and ask the person to fill a plate for you. Or second, walk up to the buffet table(s) beforehand with no plate. Just take a casual stroll around and see which foods are being served. Then decide if you would like to ask someone else to place your selections on a plate for you or if you would prefer to get them yourself.

Tip 2: Slow and Steady

First of all, use manners and eat slowly. Not only will this help with your digestion, it slows your eating down so that you don’t “gulp” and be a chow-hound, eating everything in sight.

If out with others, remember you are also there for socializing, so talk between bites. Set your eating utensils down while you chew. Have a sip of water between bites. The goal is not to see how fast can you wolf down the food while someone else is talking.

Tip 3: Avoid temptation

There is no law that says you must have a basket of bread, butter and oil before a meal out. If it is on your table when you are seated, request that it be brought back to the kitchen.

If your dinner mates are eager to start off with the carbs, then order a glass of water and take a sip each time you are tempted to break bread. Besides, you’ll want the time you would have wasted buttering and dipping to spend reading the menu for smart, sensible choices.

Don’t assume that you’ll be able to hold out on temptations throughout the entire meal. Set yourself up for success when you order by requesting they leave off the oils and sauces. Request that your meat and vegetables be steamed, not fried. Order a salad (with light or no dressing, on the side) or side of veggies instead of fries or mashed potatoes.

Tip 4: Fill up on the good stuff

Drink plenty of water before you leave for the restaurant, and while you wait for the food to arrive. This will help fill you up and prevent hunger-inspired indulgences.

Request your salad (and/or soup, if it’s not creamy) be brought out first, and dig in. By the time your food arrives, you should be able to more rationally determine what portion sizes are appropriate, and if anything needs to be avoided.

Tip 5: Dreaded desserts

First of all, do not order dessert until you are completely finished with your meal. You may be full and not want anything. And that’s certainly not a crime!
After the meal, if everyone is splurging on the dessert menu, keep in mind that you don’t have to join in just to be part of the “gang.” Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea to end your meal. Or ask someone to split a dessert with you. Hint: Doggie bags can also be used for desserts! So split it in half and take part home for another day or your neighbor.
You have to be left out of choosing a neat dessert, either. See if the kitchen can put together a fruit bowl or a sorbet dish to satisfy your cravings without putting all your conscientious work at dinner to waste. This might be something to call ahead about..hint!

With the right approach, eating out can be a pleasurable experience. Remember, a successful diet is a lifelong lifestyle modification. You need to be able to incorporate healthful eating out activities into your routine.

What happens if you DO stress? Add extra activities to your schedule. Swim some laps. Walk or jog. Leave your wallet in the trunk and go to a mall for a shop-walk. Take a tour. Visit a museum. Enjoy a park and feed the ducks. Just get out, focus on something else and enjoy life.
About the Author

Weight Control Services, a site dedicated to providing current health and fitness information. The article you have read is available for your use in its entirety as part of a collection of ebooks offering valuable information on a variety of Health and Fitness topics.

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Fastest Way To Lose Weight – Take Action Right Now

We all want something good to happen quickly, but the truth is that the fastest way to lose weight is to make simple daily changes to your lifestyle. Do not think of your weight loss as a diet and do not put it in terms of having to lose weight in a few weeks so you can be ready for your class reunion. Doing that will only set you up for failure.

The first thing you need to do is plan on spending all the time it will take. It’s just not healthy to plan on using fad diets or potentially dangerous supplements to lose weight. What you really want is a long term weight loss routine where you balance a healthy eating plan with a sensible workout plan.

Of course you should talk to your doctor before you start any weight loss plan. This is even more important if you have any health issues. Make sure you have your doctors ok before you start on any diet or exercise plan.

If you can find someone, like a dietician, to help you work out a sensible eating plan, than by all means, make your life easier and get some help.

If that just isn’t in your budget, don’t worry, you can figure it out on your own. You can get many quality cookbooks online or at your local library. Just pick ones that have recipes that you think you will enjoy making… and eating. Also make sure that you have a sensible eating plan. Don’t use recipes that don’t have a healthy balance of proteins, carbs and fats.

Then you go out and start to exercise. If you want to join a gym and / or get a personal trainer, than again, do it. If that isn’t in your budget, or your comfort zone, than you can do it on your own. All you really need to do is get moving. How much you move will depend on how much you have been doing up until now.

If you’ve been pretty active, you can just add some workouts but if you haven’t spent much time doing physical activities you will need to start more slowly.

I think the very best way to get in shape is to find one, or more, physical activities that you actually enjoy doing. Too many people get caught up in the rut of thinking they have to go to the gym and spend hours on the treadmill or some other boring exercise.

Instead of doing that, why not find a class that incorporates dance with a fitness workout, if you like to dance that is. How about martial arts, swimming, biking, hiking, ice skating, skiing, etc. Just find something that is fun for you and you will stay with it.

Hey, it’s not magic, there is no one size fits all approach, the truth is that the fastest way to lose weight is the path that you will be most likely to stay with for the rest of your life. Weight loss should be viewed as a lifestyle change not a quick fix. Quick fixes are only very temporary and you want your weight loss to be permanent.

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