When you are trying to lose weight but cannot manage your taste buds then eating out can be complicated!
As far as I am concerned, I follow the 80-20 rule for diet. If you are restricting yourself 80%, then you can treat your taste buds with your favorite foods, 20% of the times, which can be having an extra piece of cake, having a slice of pizza, and more.
I believe that this rule is great to balance your health and taste without totally derailing your weight and health goals. This way, you never feel guilty of consuming too much and punishing your body by making it bear that extra weight.
If you too want to learn the way of balanced eating and want to manage your weight and health goals without switching off from your favorite foods, then you have to learn to navigate menus.
So, here are the best tips to achieve this!
Select Wisely
It is always a good choice to land up in a restaurant offering at least a few healthy eating options. If in case the restaurant does not serve the same, then it’s better you opt for non-fried and decent choices like soups, grilled vegetables, salads, and more.
Transforming your fried table into a farm cuisine is definitely a good bet!
Plan Your Menu in Advance
If you are an impulse eater then I suggest planning your menu one day in advance. Creating a healthy menu for your next day is the best way to maintain your waistline and treat your taste buds. Most importantly, stick to it!
If you ended up in an unexpected treat then try to stick to what you have planned.
Stay Away from the Bread
When we are starving and want something instant to eat, then most of the times we end up eating bread. For most of the households, it is an important item in the daily needs basket. But when you are trying to lose weight, then you have to stay away from it.
Instead, opt for some veggies, nuts, roasted snacks, and other healthy options to quench your untimely hunger.
Keep Your Menu Simple
Now, the next thing that most of my clients ask me is how to plan a perfect, healthy menu. I always tell them that just try to keep it simple. You must have your own unique taste, preferences, and choices. Hence, plan a menu exclusively for yourself. Don’t try to follow what others are eating.
Just try to replace the unhealthy options with healthy food choices and keep the menu simple. I am sure this isn’t problematic.
Cut Down the Portion Sizes
It is great to serve yourself with big portion sizes, but it is not healthy all the times. Rather than focusing on the size of the plate, you must focus on the nutrients you are getting while consuming food or recipe.
Split your size to half of what you were eating before. This way, you can treat your taste buds while maintaining your health to an extent.
Make Water Your Best Friend
Water is super-friendly and this is what I love about it. Without being annoying and high-maintenance, it is great for the body. Remember, you need to triple the amount of water you drink than you actually feel to drink it.
When drinking water, don’t check the scale. Just drink as much as you can.
It’s Ok to Eat Appetizers Sometimes
It is not mandatory or a rule to eat a full plate or a proper meal. If you don’t feel like eating then you can always skip a meal. But don’t make it a regular habit. Also, if you are feeling slightly hungry then you can go for consuming some appetizers.
I do it often. I build my own appetizer and try to maintain the health scale along with the taste. I love this strategy as it gives me the freedom to try a few different things without leaving me to feel stuffed.
Opt Items with Natural Sugar
You must be aware that refined or processed sugar is not at all good for health. It is in fact, a key component in increasing weight.
So, what’s the solution?
The best solution is to go for natural sources of sugar. While there are lots of fruits that can provide your body with enough level of sugar, but one of the best forms of natural sugar is jaggery.
Jaggery is the natural product of sugarcane and more unrefined form than sugar. And really, it is actually very sweet.
Eat Slowly and Enjoy What You Are Eating
Eating is not just about consuming the food in your plate. You must enjoy it and at the same time help your system to digest it completely. You must eat smaller bites as this helps in digestion. Even if you are exposed to yummy food, you must eat only a plate full of your decided portion size and not more than that.
Furthermore, avoid being distracted. As per researches, the more you are distracted, the more you eat as you are unaware of how much you are eating. It is essential to stay aware of how much you eat as it will help you lose weight and have fewer restrictions on weight management.
Follow the 3-Bite Rule with Dessert
We all are great fans of dessert, but it is the main culprit in increasing our body weight. Desserts are loaded with sweets and if you are unable to control the portion then you surely you will gain weight.
I suggest sharing your dessert with your mates or cut the portion to three-bite. Just have three bites and enjoy each one of it without feeling guilty. Then put your fork down.
You see, eating is all about enjoying yourself, but at the same time, you have to ensure that you eat what is healthy for your body and does not increases your pounds. If despite following these tips you get crazy one night and eat a lot then wake up the next morning and hit the reset button. Just combine your morning routine with some workout. Have a healthy breakfast and you are good to go again!
