The pitfalls of eating out
At home, I am now eating very healthfully. It all falls apart, however, when I am somewhere other than home.
I could become a hermit, and lock myself up in my house. And given the minus 38 Celsius BEFORE wind chill factor temperatures, this is a very tempting idea. But not very sociable, and not very realistic.
I shall plot out what happened when I went to Toronto a couple of weekends ago.
Friday lunch - on the road
Okay, not too bad here. I had a 6" sub, on whole wheat. Chicken breast, lettuce, pickle, green peppers. No sauce. The large cranberry drink was probably high in calories, but hopefully not as much as a pop.
Friday pre-dinner
A couple of glasses of white wine. Hey, I had just been to visit my mom in the hospital, and needed to de-stress. It is possible, I might have had the couple of glasses of wine regardless, but when in Rome do as the Romans. My brother and sister-in-law were having wine, so I didn't want to offend them by not also having wine.
Friday dinner
A pint of beer. See above about de-stressing.
Bread. It was getting late, and I needed something to curb the hunger pains.
Deep fried calamari. I swear this was only because my niece wanted some, and I was doing my duty as an auntie ordering it. One plate for her; one plate for me. What a wonderfully kind auntie.
Red wine. We ordered a bottle for the table. I was doing my part.
Beef piled on white focaccia, gravy, fries. Hey, I needed some protein!
After dinner
Coffee. Zero calories there. Yay for me!
Butter tart. I am pretty sure the caffeine in the coffee eliminated the calories in the tart.
Saturday breakfast
Coffee. Zero calories!
Cranberry loaf. I considered just picking out the cranberries and leaving the loaf, but that would have made a mess.
Saturday lunch
Pork, mayo (for moisture!), cheese (extra protein), and brown bread (healthy!).
Saturday pre-dinner
White wine. Hey, I had just been to visit my mother …
Saturday dinner
Fresh duck! Duck wings in bbq sauce.Duck breast.Duck confit salad (greens are good). Wedge fries tossed in duck fat and baked.
Milk. No wine. Proud of me?
Pecan pie with chocolate crackle vanilla ice cream. But I swear it was a smallish piece, and a tiny scoop of ice cream.
Sunday breakfast
Coffee. No calories!
French toast (it was brown bread!), raspberries and blackberries (fruit!), maple syrup (well d'uh).
Sunday lunch (on the road)
Clubhouse sandwich on white. No point in ruining a perfectly good club with brown bread.
Fries with gravy. Hey, I was already screwed with the white bread and fries. Might as well add the gravy.
Ginger ale. Which I only took 3 or 4 sips of so I wouldn't have to pee before we got home.
And there we have it. I totally fell to pieces. What can I say?
Urban Panther Goal Weight 128 pounds
stat format is start/this week (total gain or loss)
measurements in pounds and inches
Weight: 134 / 135 1/2 (+1 1/2)
Chest: 36 / 35 (- 1)
Waist: 31 3/4 / 31 (- 3/4)
Hips: 38 / 36 3/4 (-1 1/4 )
Thigh: 18 1/2 / 19 1/2 (+ 1)
Miles logged running this week:
Urbane Lion Goal Weight 170 pounds
stat format is start/this week (total gain or loss)
measurements in pounds and inches
Weight: 184 / 184 (0)
Chest: 42 1/2 / 42 (- 1/2)
Waist: 37 / 38 1/2 (+1 1/2)
Hips: 39 3/4 / 39 1/2 (- 1/2)
Thigh: 21 1/2 / 21 (- 1/2)
Continue with this diet and you are sure to miss your goal by a few inches.
Get real and dont eat out.
sanjay - but getting real is learning to eat out and avoid the pitfalls. Committment to weight loss and maintenance is a lifelong committment. Is it realistic to never eat out again? I don’t think it is. The Lion and I rarely eat out, but my point being (albeit couched in humour by poking fun at myself) is that eating out presents a challenge and you need to learn how to overcome those challenges while still enjoying the experience.
Urban Panther,
you may throttle me for saying this, but:
Food is there to be enjoyed! And if you enjoyed the food on your weekend it is okay. There will be weekends with less food (or more healthier food). Or with more exercises.
sanjay mehra may be right, but it was rather mean spirited. I have had diet weeks like that too
I have just posted (http://shrunklink.com/bobn) about the “diet” I have been following. It sounds about as sensible as yours.
Hi Urban Panther,
I feel too that food is there to be enjoyed. However, you can also enjoy healthy food, as I have learned to do myself.
As for eating out when you have to work, I think I will have to go “bento”, bringing a lunch box from home. I will have to cook on weekends or very early as the Japanese do, but I see no better alternative.
it’s hard to eat healthy when you’re on the road. i travel with snacks, look for a salad, or just eat a small portion of whatever is available. fortunately i’m never too far from home and whenever possible, i eat before i leave because i know if i don’t, i’ll eat everything.
I’m just reading this realizing, if your coffee has no calories, then you are drinking it black with no sugar? Is that really worth it?
Here’s an encouraging white girl “you go, girl!” from my neck o’ the woods!
As long as you’re enjoying yourself, right? Food shouldn’t be something to stress and worry over, but to enjoy. As I think we’ve said before, food that you thoroughly enjoy adds less pounds than food you eat because you think you should and don’t really enjoy. What you might worry about, on the other hand, is that your boobs keep shrinking each week!
Im working on the weight thing too. I hope we all reach our goals
Go with making it a healthier week.
Just so you know, I’m a total wheat bread versus white bread nut. I used to love white bread, but now I find it tasteless compared to wheat. It was a long process (a year or so of sticking to wheat), but it can be done. A small thing, but a bit healthier.
Eating out has always been difficult for me. It’s not that restaurants don’t have any healthy options. I just don’t like paying to eat something I don’t really enjoy. If I’m gonna pay for dinner, it’s got to be something yummy.
I know, not a great way to handle healthy eating.
At any rate, good luck!
Yo my blog commenting home girl!
It IS easier to eat healthy at home. My biggest problem is that I have an insane metabolism. While this may sound good, having an organic chef salad for lunch doesn’t quite cut it. By the time Noon hits I’m famished! Give me a meatball sub, and chips - I’ll eat it 10 minutes.
Ulla - nope, no throttling *smile* I did enjoy the food. And the company. I could have avoided somethings,
like the bread basket, but maybe next time I will. Baby steps.
Mr Geek - thanks. The trick is to not have diet months like that. I was poking fun at myself, but I did say
in my first Weigh-in post that I would be approaching this with humour. If I can’t laugh and have fun, it
ain’t gonna work so well. I will head over to check out your diet!
Miguel - I take a box lunch to work everyday. I rarely eat out at lunch. Maybe once per month with the gang
for fun. And actually we eat out so rarely at night, I should just relax and enjoy it, as everyone is
suggesting. Well, almost everyone *smile*
Natural - I do need to start travelling with snacks to prevent that nasty sugar drop and ensuing pig out.
Note to self: pack snacks.
Heather - high octane all the way, baby, or coffee ain’t worth having. I have never put anything in my
coffee of tea. Never ever. And I think it’s okay for white girls to exchange “you go girl” back and forth
isn’t it? Or where you referring to the colour of your coffee? *smile*
XUP - ROFL … yes, they are. Although this doesn’t worry me, it does have the Lion slightly concerned.
Suzie - hey, good luck. We can encourage each other.
RC - no white bread for me. I find it tastes like glue. And I much prefer whole grain spagetti and brown rice. I just have to convince the Lion to move away from white, white, white.
BloggerDad - oh I get that thought process. I eat properly at home. When I eat out I want to splurge on the bad stuff.
ChasingSanity - I need my protein. Preferably in the form of meat. I can never bring myself to order a sald. I resent paying for a bunch of greens *smile*
Caffeine helps to eliminate calories!? That’s AWESOME news!
OMG. (Shaking my head reading this).
Because actually, I’m on a business trip while I’m reading this.
And I’ve been eating out.
First business trip in over 2 years. It’s a big novely.
First time in a LONG while I have access to “civilized” restaurants. (That serve more than club sammtiches or chicken fingers).
So I’m enjoying myself. Making the maximum use of my “per diem” food allowance.
And I’ve been a very VERY BAD BAD Friar!
You do NOT want to know what I just had for dinner at The Keg.
But I bet you the total calories for that one meal probably exceed your entire list here.
(Forgive me, Oprah. For I have sinned).
Casual Perfectionist - of course caffeine negates calories! 9 out of 10 coffee drinkers agree!
Friar - sammitches? Eating and DRINKING, me thinks. Hey, when the tab is on the Factory ALL calories are free and clear.
I can completely relate to this post. My eating is very controlled at home and something often goes wrong when I eat out. Even an innocent salad provides unwanted calories when I’m out to eat. You know I’m going to say that it’s about balance. Perhaps I need to do an extra workout on the days I know I’m going to eat out. Perhaps I just need a little more will power. Good luck eating out and know you are not alone.
Stacey - Fortunately I don’t eat out very often. And I am going to try making small changes, like no breadbasket, and rice instead of fries. That type of thing.
You didn’t mention that all of your measurements except your weight went down. That’s pretty awesome in my mind.
And not that I ever do this, but I’m sure the eating out could have included salad and ot fries, no?
Alex - yes, actually, I am very pleased with the inch loss. SALAD instead of FRIES? What on earth are you thinking?!
Eating out is awful for me too! I can’t resist what I want to have on the menu for a healthier option. If I am paying for it, then I should certainly get to have what I really want. The key to my success, however, is if I eat poorly at one meal, I will make sure I do an extra difficult workout. Sort of a punishment for bad behavior!!
Kristin - I have a new eating out strategy which seems to be working quite well. I share an appetizer with the Lion, then I order a large salad which includes some sort of protein, like grilled chicken. I have done this twice now, and I am satisfied without the bloating and guilty feelings.