We get asked all the time for advice on how to eat out while not ruining all the hard work we have done. It is a great question as we think going out to eat can be an enjoyable and fun social thing, while also allowing you to continue to stay on track with your nutritional goals!
Here 5 tips we have for when you are eating out:
1) Do Research Beforehand.
Almost every restaurant these days has their menu available online. We recommend reading through the menu before you go out and try to game-plan what would be the best option for you to order! Since we love carb cycling and find it extremely effective for weight loss and getting shredded, we also recommend knowing if you are on a high carb day, low carb day, or a flex meal/day! This will also help you determine which options are the best for you that day. To find out more about carb cycling, CLICK HERE.
2) Drink Water!
Sometimes we think we are hungry, when really we are just dehydrated! Before, during, and after your meal out, we recommend drinking water! This is great for a few reasons. One, it helps you to not mindlessly snack or eat. Two, it has no calories and so you are not wasting calories on beverages. Three, it helps your body to break down the food you ate and continue to keep you metabolism going!
3) Sweat It Out Beforehand.
Staying active and getting a good HIIT workout in before you go out to eat or at least that day is a great way to set yourself up for success! Keeping your body in motion is so healthy! We also find that working out before you go out may help to motivate you to also eat clean and healthy as you have just worked hard with your workout!
4) Concentrate on Real, One-Ingredient Foods.
As much as you can, try to pick a meal that has real, one-ingredient foods. This will help to eliminate added sugars and preservatives. You can also always ask how something is cooked. You can always ask how the restaurant cooks their ingredients and request it without certain things. For instance, salad dressing are usually loaded with sugar and can be hard for your body to digest. So, we recommend getting your dressing on the side and opting for a vinaigrette dressing so you can control exactly how much you are consuming!
5) Eat Slowly.
So often at restaurants and even when we eat at home, we stuff our faces with food so quickly that we do not realize we are full until we are completely stuffed! We teach intuitive eating—which is eating when you are hungry and until you are satisfied. This can take some practice to learn, but once you begin to practice intuitive eating, you can find it to be very freeing! A good way to help yourself learn when you are satisfied when eating is by slowing down the pace that you consume food. This is great too because it can allow you to enjoy the food more as you take time to really savor eat bite and taste eat unique flavor!
Hopefully those tips are helpful to you as we want you to eat out, enjoy it, and eat without fear as it is possible to do it while also staying on track with your health goals! At HIITBURN, it is our goal to simplify health and fitness! Our nutritional programs are designed to be simple, effective, and allow you to still enjoy eating out and consuming your favorite foods!