Personal trainer tips: Eating out…when you’re leaning out!
One of the biggest challenges my personal training clients are faced with when it comes to eating for fat loss in a consistent way, is how to socialise and eat out without compromising results. Do you ever feel that way?
You have 2 options:
You can become a hermit and never go out. Prepping every meal which passes your lips. Pretty rubbish!
Or;
2. You can learn how to make empowered choices and continue to enjoy a social life. This will ultimately lead to better long term success and will add to your overall health, happiness, and complete wellness.
Eating out at a restaurant, at someone’s house, or going to parties can be difficult when you are trying to get leaner, but it is possible! Here are some tips on managing those situations:
Give your host a heads up. If someone is cooking for you, let them know you’d prefer to eat something healthy, offer to bring a dish, or only ask for a small portion. Most people will be very accommodating.
Ask for it your way. Having a meal out is no time to be a submissive consumer. Ask to have the food prepared the way you’d like it. If an item is fried, ask for it grilled. If it comes with chips, ask for a side of veggies instead. Ask for a smaller portion overall, with a larger portion of veg. Most restaurants are happy to oblige.
Avoid fat heavy salads. This is a vegetable course, so keep it tasty but healthy. That means avoiding anything in a creamy sauce (coleslaw, pasta salads, and potato salads), and skipping the bacon bits. Get the salad, but ask for vegetables only or dressing on the side.
Check the menu beforehand. This is my FAVOURITE tactic! Most restaurants post their menus on their website. You can decide before you walk through the door what you’re going to order. This gives you time to make a good choice and avoids you copying what everyone else is ordering. Conversely, if you don’t see anything on the menu beforehand that fits your ideal meal plate, pick another restaurant.
Read between the lines. Any menu description that uses the words creamy, breaded, crisp, sautéed, or stuffed is likely loaded with hidden fat - much of it saturated or trans fats.
Choose between dessert or alcohol. Both of these contain high levels of sugar. If you absolutely must, choose one or the other, but not both.
Embrace being sober. Being sober at a party is ok, and there’s no hangover the day after! Grab a glass of soda water, ice and fresh lime, and most people are happy that you have a drink in your hand, alcoholic or not. Offering to drive really helps to make the decision for you not to get sloshed.
Skip the fancy drinks. If you must order an alcoholic drink, forget the margaritas, piña coladas, and other exotic mixed drinks. They include sugary additions that will go straight to your belly. Go for dry wine, or a white spirit with a low-calorie mixer: like gin and slim line tonic.
The personal trainers at Empowered Fitness have a wealth of advice and support to offer on weight loss. If you want help with fat loss, get in touch with the team at info@efitbristol.co.uk or 0117 403 7600, and we can chat about your needs.
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