DINING OUT!!!

 Eating out - one of the greatest pleasures in life.  Also on of the most frustrating when you are trying not to overeat.

   Huge portions, fat laden foods - it's hard to deal with - lots easier just to eat - NO, NO, NO - let's muddle through this - it's not going to be easy, but it can be done.

   ALCOHOL - Dining out starts with a drink - stick with a glass of wine - 4 ounces is TWO POINTS..  Wiine coolers, grrrrr - that's THREE POINTS - Lite Beer - 2 points - forget the mixed drinks, too many points.

   APPETIZERS - Unless you are planning to make an appetizer your meal - just forget it.  

   SALADS - Plan ahead - bring your own dressing from home (Wishbone Just Too Good Dressings are AWESOME) - I don't trust restaurants when they say their dressings are lo-cal.  They taste to good to be lo-cal sometimes.  And my motto is - if it tastes good - DON'T EAT IT!!!  Just kidding - 

   I bought a couple of MISTO sprayers.  These things are like having your own PAM in a bottle.  They are an aerosol pump - you put in your own oil, and pump them up.  I have one with olive oil in it, and one with balsamic vinegar in it. I just whip those babies out and spray my salad.  Nobody looks - nobody cares.

   You didn't bring your own dressing?  Then just order lo-cal dressing ON THE SIDE and DON'T pour it on your salad - put a bite of salad on your fork and DIP THE FORK into the dressing.  Takes lots less that way.  Also tell them to hold the CHEESE, CROUTONS, EGGS AND BACON BITS on that salad.  This stuff adds up very quickly.

   THE MAIN COURSE - Okay you made it through the appetizer and the salad, but you know these huge portions are going to be coming up.  Here's what works for me.

   Most of the time I only order a baked potato or a baked sweet potato and a salad. I bring my own I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT BUTTER SPRAY and have hubby give me a small portion of whatever meat he orders.  I'm happy because I don't overeat - he's happy because he has a cheap tab - tip the waitress well and she's happy - it's a win-win situation..

I tell the waiter to not bring rolls to the table, so that I'm not tempted, and I usually carry a piece of fruit with me in my purse to have for dessert.

If it's a chain restaurant, I check online to see what's available, and decide what I'm going to order before I even get there.  

When I do order off the menu, I do trade-off's.  If I order a steak, I order only a sirloin or a filet, as they are the leanest cuts, and I do NOT have a potato - just some steamed veggies with it.  Sometimes I order a pork chop, again no potato - just salad and veggies.

If I order fish, I ask them to prepare it without butter, but I also get a baked potato, as fish is much lower in points than the steak.

If we are out with people eating pizza - i scrape off the cheese and the fillings, and just eat the crust with a salad on the side.  I feel like I'm eating pizza that way, but it's another trade-off.

If we go out for Mexican, I carry some fat free mexican chips  in my purse to eat with their salsa.  Then I usually order something like a bean burrito, minus the cheese, and a salad and use salsa for the dressing.

Chinese is easy - I eat things like broccoli and chicken, or chinese veggies and chicken, and don't eat the rice.  Sometimes I order cashew chicken, with just a few cashews, and again - no rice.  Chinese restaurants are very accomodating, and it's easy for them to prepare food with little or no oil.  Forget the egg roll, soup, and fortune cookie, too.  Have them kick up the flavor with spice - it's a great substitute for fat.

I have been known to take my own Smart Ones meal, already heated at home, in my purse, if a restaurant has NOTHING that I'm able to eat.  I'm serious about this - I'm not going to eat their food if it's going to make me fat!!!  The waitresses don't care as long as they get a good tip - the rest of your party can eat what they want, and you can stay with your plan.

FAST FOOD

Of course we all know that this is the absolute worst stuff you can put in your mouth.  Avoid it whenever possible.  Sometimes I carry Star Kist Tuna Kits in my purse (ready made tuna with crackers) - 4 POINTS.  I'll just order a side salad and eat my tuna with it.

Stick with the grilled chicken, but mop the oil off with a napkin, and eat their salads.  That's about all you can do.

Of all the fast food restaurants, Subway and Arby's are the best.

You can have a turkey sub, with no cheese and no mayo at Subway  for 4 or 5 points, and you can have a lite chicken or turkey sandwich at Arby's for 4 points.

I've even ran into a grocery store and gotten 4 ounces of chicken or turkey from their deli and a loaf of bread to make my own sandwich..  DESPERATE PEOPLE DO DESPERATE THINGS!

Just plan ahead, so that you aren't faced with these last minute decisions and make the wrong choices.

TCBY is wonderful - you can have a cone there for 3 points.

McDonald's ice cream is 3 points, but you have to watch because sometimes they put way too much ice cream on a cone.  If this happens, just take a napkin, scoop off the top and throw it away, and then enjoy the rest of your cone.  Don't eat it just because they give it to you - they could care less about your weight loss.

Email me with your Weight Watcher questions, I'll be glad to help

"It takes 6 months to get into shape and 2 weeks to get out of shape.  Once you know this, you can stop being angry about other things in life and only be angry about this.

~ Rita Rudner