Dining out presents a number of issues for dieters. The menu can be a problem from the breadbasket and appetizers to oversized portions and calorie laden desserts. Eating at home is a good choice when you are trying to lose weight.
There are some clear benefits of eating at home while dieting:
- You know exactly how many calories, fat grams, and fiber is in everything you eat.
- You can eat less just by switching to a smaller plate.
- You can save calories and fat grams without sacrificing taste.
- You can better control the amount of food you eat over the entire day by eating smaller meals more frequently.
- You have control over what foods are in the house. You can choose to only buy healthy foods and the occasional treat and keep junk food and other temptations out of sight.
Dieters have to make a lot of choices in order to lose weight. There are choices about what to eat at every meal, every day. Choosing between diet plans can be exhausting. One thing most dieters dread, however, is eating out.
Why Restaurants are Bad for Diets
It is difficult to make smart food choices from a restaurant menu. Even when the nutritional content is posted on the menu, most dishes are too high in fat and calories for the average dieter. Other reasons why restaurants are bad for diets include:
- Excessive use of oil and butter.
- Menus are typically filled with a lot of fried foods.
- The appetizers are usually heavy foods that are high in calories and fat.
- Restaurants serve up huge portions of food. Many times people eat everything on their plate just because it is there, it tastes good and they paid for it.
- The bread basket is far too much temptation. You could use up your calories before your dinner even arrives.
- Even restaurants that offer a low-fat or low-cal section on their menu have few selections to choose from.
- Buffet restaurants and all-you-can eat offers can lead to binge eating.
- The dessert tray is another temptation.
The bottom line is that restaurants are dangerous places for dieters. We associate them with friends, family and food. Eating at home is the only way to be sure of exactly what you are eating so you can reach your weight loss goals. Create your own shopping list, shop only for items on the list and keep your pantry stocked with healthy food choices. It also helps to break down large meals into several smaller meals to spread your calories out over a longer period and keep your metabolism fired up.
