Dining Out without Over Eating
“Health is wealth” is what we have always heard.
Everything in moderation is best, even wealth. A balanced amount of wealth intake is required to maintain health. Being a nutritionist, the wealth I am refereeing to is the calorie content in food. We live busy, unpredictable, hectic lives where sitting down to eat breakfast or lunch has become a luxury. The Internet and experts bombard us with dieting rules and regulations that are sometimes more complex to understand than a space rocket manual! Ok.. maybe I am exaggerating just a tiny bit, but you get my point. I get messages from working mothers who want to lose a few pounds but don’t have the time, willpower or motivation to follow through on strict conventional diets, food weighing and measuring guidelines. I am a firm believer in simplicity when it comes to food. You need not follow strict diets to maintain optimal weight.
You just need to be knowledgeable about your nutrient needs and have enough self-control to eat consciously and maintain portion control.
That’s it, it really is that simple.
In this article, we will cover portion control. So let’s get started.
Eating has a big social component; We tend to eat out several times throughout the week. That’s when staying true to any strict diet becomes even more challenging.
I mean... you could always show up to your next party with your own Tupperware full of food that fits into your diet program.
Will you be invited back the next time will remain to be seen…
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| I have an eyebrow raised with lemon puckered lips selfie look right now and judging you if you are that girl or guy at the party! (j/k) |
In social settings, we eat unconsciously out of habit and ignore calories. And before you know it, you are consuming more calories in one meal than you need in a day!
Here is a simple method to keep you on track with your weight loss goals when you are eating out.
Hand and clock method
This method will help you set up your plate with the diet one should have.
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| two fists full |
You should have two cups of vegetables on your plate, so that would be one fist for one cup, and the second fist for the second cup.
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| One fist full |
Starchy things like rice, potato, corn, etc. should be one fistful or one cup of food.
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| one palm |
For protein parts like the chicken, the meat or fish, you are looking at about four fingers. The reason being each finger is roughly about the size of an ounce of meat.
Now it is time to set up the plate and introduce the clock. Imagine your plate as a clock face.
From 12:00 to 3:00, you got your four fingers of proteins.
From 6:00 to 12:00 on the other side you have your two cups of vegetables.
From 3:00 to 6:00, you got that one fistful of starchy food,
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| This is what your plate should look like |
I know it’s tempting to want to load up on starchy soul food and savory meats, but for your health’s sake, take a deep breath, put back the extra piece of chicken and the extra rice.
If the food is fried, avoid it if you can. Otherwise, use clean tissue papers to press out as much excess oil as possible before placing it on your plate.
Make sure you don’t add a lot of extra butter, oil, cream, condiments, gravy, and sauce. It could double or triple the calories.
If the food that is served is cooked with a lot of oils and butter, cut the portion in half. For example, instead of 4 fingers of protein take 2. Since oil and butter are calorically dense you need to lower the portion to balance out your total calorie intake.
Don’t worry, you won’t starve, you might get hungry soon, but your body will not have a calorie deficit. Drink lots of water to keep your stomach from sending hunger signals to your brain.
You can still enjoy everything you love, be social and still stay on track with your weight goals if you muster up a little self-control and put less on your plate. ..
Do share your experience and let us know if this article was helpful.
About the author :
Azgari Hasin
Be Happy. Be Healthy.
Azgari Hasin is a gypsy yogi who is passionate about conscious eating. She is a certified yoga instructor, registered nutritionist, and an entrepreneur in the health and fitness industry.
Follow her social media pages for more health and wellness articles.
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