10 Great Ways To Stick To Your Diet While Dinning Out

When often on a special or strict diet, dinning out could possibly throw you totally off course. I’ve been on several diets for weight management and to avoid various allergies to foods, so I’ve got some really good tricks to use while dinning out. It’s not always possible to do them all, but if you can, you won’t stray from your dietary plans… or at least not by very much. Thus, you will be less likely to feel guilty about your night out.

1) Look at the menu before walking in to see if they serve things that are on your allowed diet. If there isn’t anything on the menu, be firm and move on to another restaurant. If you are dinning with friends, do alert them to your special needs whether temporary or permanent.

2) Ask the waiter to remove the breadbaskets if your fellow dinners are ok with it. If they want to munch on the bread, bravely forego any nibbling unless you are on a bread diet. Casual nibbling can add up to 300 to 700 extra calories if you are indeed on a weight loss diet. You may want to save those calories for the actual meal.

3) Drink plenty of water while reviewing the menu. You’ll want to examine each dish while you do this and pick choices that closely match your dietary needs. If you have a craving for something, you might want to go with the appetizer version of the dish. And remember that if you order an appetizer ask the waiter to bring it out at the same time your party’s entrées arrive.

4) When you order, do ask for the ingredients for any sauces the dish is served in. Many sauces mysteriously contain ingredients that are not on your dietary list. For instance, I am allergic to honey, so that’s one of my main questions when I go to a restaurant. And if you are on a weight loss diet, you may not want a sauce that is loaded with fat or sugars. You could also ask for the sauce to accompany the dish on the side.

5) Ask if you can substitute items for another to suit your needs. Most establishments will gladly do this. Some establishments won’t do this, because their dishes are pre-prepared or simply just not willing to. You could check with the hostess before you are seated about this. Don't feel compelled to comply with what ever you get because ultimately, you need to be in control of what you put into your body... diet, allergies, or not.

6) Continue to drink plenty of water while waiting for the meal. The water will help your digestion and help you to feel full. Carbonated water is even better for this.

7) Eat slowly and enjoy every single bit of the meal. You'll benefit from a better digestion of the meal and believe it or not, you'll feel full faster.

8) If you get an entrée, try to consume only half of the meal and have the rest wrapped to go. You must use your judgment on this because you’ll want to remember that the human stomach is no bigger than your fist and most entrées served at restaurants are twice as large. If you are on a weight management diet, the extra meal later will help your metabolism stay revved up.

9) Ask for coffee, tea, or a lemon wedge to wash down your meal and give you a little pick-me-up instead of a desert. Avoid over taxing your tea or coffee with lots of milk and sugar.

10) Drink more water while you wait for the check and your leftovers. The benefits of drinking extra water are endless but mainly it will decrease your chances of feeling hungry again later on and again, assist in the digestion of your meal.

Good luck and remember that if you do not stick to all of the 10 things, DON’T feel guilty about it. Having your meal will be useless if you don't actually enjoy your special moment.