Irvine Weight Loss Clinic Gives You Tips on Restaurant Survival
Irvine Weight Loss Doctors say's:
(1) Adjust your order and ask questions
Don't assume that your meal has to be made the same way that everyone else’s is. You can ask to have ingredients or entire items left out, and you can usually substitute something healthier. Here are some key questions to ask:
• How is that cooked?
° Could you steam that instead?
• Does it have any butter, oil, dressing or sauce on it?
° Could I have it plain instead?
° Could I have the dressing on the side?
° Could I have a side of salsa/lemons/limes with that?
• What is that served with?
° Could I have a side of plain steamed veggies instead?
° Could I have a small side salad instead, with the dressing on the side?
• Are your salads topped with any cheese/bacon/croutons/tortilla chips/nuts/avocado?
° Could you leave those off?
° Could I get grilled chicken/fish/shrimp on top?
Irvine Weight Loss Doctors say's:
(2) Your course-by-course game plan for the meal
•
Waiter takes drink orders. You should be drinking water. If you want to make it nicer, ask for lemon in your water. To make it look like a cocktail, order sparkling water or club soda with lime and ask to have it served in a short glass.
•
Bread basket arrives. Or it might be chips and salsa. Ask to have it taken away immediately. If your fellow diners insist on keeping it, keep it as far away from you as possible. Eating the bread usually doesn't keep people from eating their entire entrée, so it ends up adding many unnecessary calories to your meal. This is an important tip to help you lose weight.
•
Appetizers. Eating an appetizer and a meal will not help you lose weight. Since appetizers are usually smaller than an entrée, you could choose an appetizer instead of an entrée, and ask to have it brought out with everyone else’s main course. However, most appetizers are dangerously high in fat and calories. Some healthy appetizer choices include seared ahi tuna, shrimp cocktail, chicken satay, salads, and broth-based soups.
•
Keep the fat off of your salad. People often think that salads are always healthy. However, restaurants make food in a way that tastes good, and this usually means adding high-fat toppings and dressing. To make it a low-fat salad, it should only include lettuce, other vegetables (not including avocados or olives), and a lean protein such as grilled chicken, fish, shrimp, or beans. Ask for the dressing on the side. Don't pour the dressing onto your salad, but instead dip your fork into the dressing and then spear your food. You’ll get the flavor of the dressing but will end up using much less.
•
Split it. Restaurant portions are typically at least double the amount most of us should eat. When you order your meal, ask to have half of it boxed up to go, and the other half on your plate. This will keep you from picking at more of your meal than you should be eating, which is likely to happen if you plan to eat half but see the whole meal on your plate.
•
The main course. Focus on lean proteins and veggies. This means grilled or baked seafood, poultry, or a soy product, and steamed, grilled, or raw veggies. Most meals will also come with starchy carbs, such as rice, potatoes, pasta, tortillas or French fries. These foods are all very dense in calories, so you are more likely to continue losing weight if you substitute additional veggies for the starch.
•
Dessert. Just say no! Eating dessert will not help you lose weight or improve your body composition. It can also set you up for future sugar cravings because your body will continue to expect sugar in your diet.
Hopefully these tips are helpful. Just with these simple plans, many of my patients have successfully lost the extra pounds and are looking fabulous!
For more information about Orange County Medical Weight Loss in Irvine please contact Valens Medical Weight Loss Clinic or to schedule a consultation with our physician.