Let’s go out for a bite… and NOT go Nuts!

One of the biggest challenges it seems that we have is being able to go out and eat… and not only eat well, but to eat well. I was talking to Stacey Ferguson the other day and she told me, “I don’t know what it is, but when I get into a Mexican restaurant, I just go nuts”. Well, I ABSOLUTELY feel her pain. I think it is the cheese. As a matter of fact, I KNOW it’s the cheese.

So, what can you do? Well, there are a couple of things. The instances in which I have been out, and not gone nuts have been those cases where I PLAN what I am going to eat. By plan, I mean… I go on the internet and find out what is on the menu BEFORE I even leave my house. I can then check the points value for Weight Watchers and make a smart choice (there that phrase is again). I go to the restaurant point guide on the internet and check it out. Well, you say, what if the restaurant I am eating at is not on the net, or what if (more likely) their points aren’t on the net. It is time to estimate. If I want to eat at Margarita’s and their points aren’t there (their nutritional info is not even there) then I am going to go to another similar restaurant and check out their points. I know that chips and salsa at one place are not going to be fundamentally different than they are at another place… then err on the side of caution!!!! Estimate up rather than down and you will be O.K. Assume that the chips you will eat will be 10pts rather than 8 like it says for the comparable restaurant.

Also, don’t cut out your favorites. If you really like burritos with cheese… then get a chicken burrito… tell them to take it easy on the cheese… Oh, and by the way… ask for the sour cream on the side! But if you go and don’t get your burrito, then later, if you are anything like me, you will just be pissed that you didn’t get to have it… and you will probably end up eating something else because you feel you DISERVE a treat. (More on this later!!)

I have tried to do some things like put my fork down between bites and dip my fork in the salad dressing instead of getting the dressing on the salad… and I have just found these to be frustrating. I guess I have been known to be a gobbler sometimes and it would do me well to slow down and enjoy my food a little more, but it is just irritating.

Lastly, watch out for things like, “cream sauce”, “garlic butter sauce”… tell them to leave this stuff off or put it on the side. I mean, I have to tell you that one of my favorite things in the world is grilled fish… I like it BETTER without the cream sauce.

If you will plan your trips to restaurants, you will SUCCEED in not going nuts!!

This entry was posted on Friday, September 18th, 2009 at 9:30 am and is filed under WDS. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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