Diets seem simple when you eat at home. But what to do when you are forced to eat out while losing weight? Do restaurants and fast food condemn you to slowly gaining weight? Certainly not! Time to stop making excuses. Even when you eat out, you can lose weight.
It's much easier in the West. Manyrestaurantshave on their menu dishes cooked according to the most famousdietrules. And no one is surprised at the request to serve separately the most caloric ingredients, such as salad dressings or yellow cheese. But in Poland you are not without a chance -slimmingand eating out are not mutually exclusive.
Rules for losing weight in the city
You just need to remember a few basic things. First of all, before a meal, give up any additives that will whet your appetite. Do not drink an aperitif, but drink water that will fill your stomach and suppress the feeling of hunger. Also, avoid the bread with additives (butter, flavored oils, various dips) served before the meal, which are high in calories and will not make you feel full. The same is the case with dessert, especially in the case of business dinners or other evening outings. It would be best to be content only with coffee (sometimes served with chocolate or a cookie), at worst you can choose fruit (watch out for sugar content here!)
Alcohol also has a devastating effect on your diet. So if you do not decide on the non-alcoholic version, you should limit yourself to one or two glasses of dry wine, drunk with the main course (a glass of dry wine is about 80 calories, a glass of sweet - about 120). Alternatively, you can choose a small non-alcoholic beer (250 ml is 65 calories, the alcoholic version is 110 calories), or a glass of cognac, brandy or grappa at the end of the meal.
What to eat outside the home while losing weight:
- Italian restaurant
Grilled seafood, fish or meat are an excellent choice. Without sauces and fattening additives, it is a perfect meal. On the other hand, grilled vegetables may be suspicious of them, sprinkled with oil. However, the alarm is false. A large portion of them is only 130-150 calories, so you can eat them with a clear conscience.
If you love pasta, you shoulddecide on pastes with sauces prepared on the basis of tomatoes, with the addition of beef (the famous bolognese sauce), tuna or vegetables. However, you must stay away from pasta with cream-based sauces and cheese - a portion of spaghetti carbonara (sauce made of cream, eggs, bacon, sometimes with the addition of Parmesan) is 600-700 calories. Lasagne and cannelloni are equally high in calories, rich in béchamel and cheese. - Chinese restaurant
Asian cuisines offer a great variety of low-calorie dishes. In addition, fresh herbs and ginger will help in digesting them. First of all, avoid deep-fried foods such as spring rolls, chicken, or prawn batter, or duck. Chinese soups, even those based on broth, are not very caloric (up to 200 calories). A great choice is also a vegetable curry (a 300-gram serving is about 250 calories, plus a serving of rice or soy noodles 150 - 200 calories). Steamed dumplings, especially those stuffed with lean meat, are especially worth recommending. You just have to remember to use sauces sparingly, also soy (traditional has a lot of s alt). - Fast food
In this case, the situation is difficult, but not hopeless. Salads, usually 250-350 calories, have already appeared in all chains. When ordering them, it is worth paying attention to whether the chicken added to them is breaded or not and, if possible, choose a version without breading. You can also consider giving up the sauce, it is usually around 50 - 100 calories. In addition, a small drink in the light version, and for a little pleasure, yogurt with fruit or a cookie with apple filling (210 calories.) It would be better to give up fries (the average portion with ketchup is about 365 calories) and sandwiches (300 - 500 calories) . - Polish restaurant
If you want to eat well-known food, it is best to try grilled meat or fish with salads or pickled cucumbers. Mashed potatoes, without butter. Rice with apples is an excellent source of energy (perfect for lunch), but you should not sprinkle it with additional sugar. Definitely avoid baked potatoes (especially as they are sometimes cooked in deep fat), breaded meat and fish (which is caloric in its own right and absorbs fat in addition), as well as croquettes and pancakes. If, on the other hand, we cannot resist the dessert, then a sorbet (especially as an alternative to traditional ice cream) or a small portion of fruit will be the best.
3 most popular food traps in town
- Underestimating the portion size
On a large plate, even a large portion feels smaller. Scientifically proventhat you eat more then. Therefore, when you get a huge plate in a fashionable restaurant, think about whether what is on it is not too large a portion for you? Eat slowly, intermittently. It may turn out that you feel full before the meal is over. If, on the other hand, you are attending a party with a buffet, always use small plates and serve yourself in small portions, assuming you will go for more. After eating the first portion, wait a quarter of an hour. Perhaps it turns out that you are no longer hungry? - Influence of others at the table
People eating in a group have been found to adapt with their pace and amount of food to their neighbors. And because you don't usually eat in the company of skinny models, it can easily happen that you eat more than usual by imitating others. Additionally, having a nice conversation at the table distracts you from how much you've eaten. How to fight it? The easiest way is to eat even slower than usual, take longer breaks between bites (by discussing at the table) and drink plenty of water. As a last resort, you can put a napkin on the plate (which does not look good, but is an emergency solution) to refrain from constantly eating what you have left. - Sharp colors increase your appetite
Sharp colors (especially red), loud, fast music or uncomfortable chairs typical of many fast food chains make you unconsciously start eating faster. This may make you want to buy another portion because you still feel hungry after the first one. Keep this in mind and consciously eat slowly, sipping frequently.