Today I wanted to talk about the elephant in the room- what to do when you go out to eat. NO ONE wants to compromise fun and social gatherings for a healthy lifestyle because that's plain old booring, plus what good is that rockin' body you're building if you can't show it off? ;)
Going out to eat or drinks with friends shouldn't be the end all be all of your healthy lifestyle. Some of the most dedicated and successful people I know are the same people that will gladly share a burger and beer with me on a Friday night. Why? Because they know that life is all about balance.
XOXO Nichole
Here's the deal....
Check the menu beforehand
This is a great way to avoid getting caught up in the moment and making an emotional eating decision. Try to chose something with a lot of protein (chicken breast, steak, salmon, etc.) and you can even ask for double veggies instead of a carb if you would like.
Pick either an app or desert
YOU DO NOT NEED BOTH! Appetizers and deserts are historically very carb heavy and are generally not filled with many nutrients. If you are splitting with a friend eat slowly so you don't end up eating more than half
Take half to go
This is hands down the reason I started losing weight when I first started working out. I started telling myself before I even got the meal that I was only going to eat half. I paced myself, ate slow, and took the other half home. Not only did I always have lunch for the next day but I realized that I didn't NEED the whole meal. I felt completely satisfied only eating half.
Pick a lower calorie drink choice
Alcoholic drinks can have upwards of 300 CALORIES!! Eeewwww. Don't even get me started on the amount of sugar in them. Making smarter drinking choices can have huge effects on your daily calorie intake (ps keep reading for my go to "healthy" drinks)
Ask for butter, dressing, sauces on the side
These are where the majority of calories hide in popular restaurant meals. As delicious and complimenting as they are to the meal the amount chefs put on is simply unnecessary. Get it on the side next time and only put on what you NEED.
TREAT YO SELF
If you've been having a rockin' week, meal prepped like a boss, crushed your workouts, TREAT. YO. SELF. If you don't let yourself have fun and let loose every once and a while this will not be fun for you. Plain and simple. If this isn't fun you're not going to want to do it. One unhealthy meal won't kill your progress just like one healthy meal doesn't give you abs.
Pick a lower calorie drink choice
Alcoholic drinks can have upwards of 300 CALORIES!! Eeewwww. Don't even get me started on the amount of sugar in them. Making smarter drinking choices can have huge effects on your daily calorie intake (ps keep reading for my go to "healthy" drinks)
Ask for butter, dressing, sauces on the side
These are where the majority of calories hide in popular restaurant meals. As delicious and complimenting as they are to the meal the amount chefs put on is simply unnecessary. Get it on the side next time and only put on what you NEED.
How to Drink Without Completely Derailing Your Progress
Spiked Seltzers
These are ahhmazing when you want something refreshing but not heavy. White Claw is the best brand I've tried. In my opinion some have a weird after taste and I think these are delish. Gluten free, sugar free, and a whopping 100 calories per can- you can't go wrong!
If you're into more of the hard stuff..
Tequila is made from blue agave (unfortunately the cheap doesn't qualify here) which makes it gluten free and is known to lower blood pressure and cholesterol! Have you ever been stressed out with a margarita in your hand?? Didn't think so. It is generally an alcohol low in sugar as well which means less hangover the next morning! Make sure you are staying away from crazy flavors and mixes as those are normally the sugar culprits.
What about ciders?
Ciders are gluten free which means low carbs, which is a winnnn. However most ciders are LOADED with sugars. Make sure to dauble check sugar content before going all in. My tried and true favorites are Ace, Harpoon, and Woodchuck