Life is a laboratory: Conduct your own experiment.
Anyhow, last night we were at a big dinner. I hadn’t eaten in hours. I was starving. I ate everything in sight: Fried onion rings for starters. I convinced myself in the moment they were not dipped and fried flour and hey, they were just onions right? Uh, apparently not.
I am paying for it big time this morning. I woke up wondering if I was pregnant. I wasn’t (huge sigh of relief), but I did have a food baby made of glutenous onion rings lingering in my midsection.
How often do you rationalize and make excuses for you behavior when you perceive a pleasurable outcome? I have trained myself over the years to derive more pleasure from NOT eating gluten then from eating it. I’ve also associated more pain with gluten (feeling bloated, heavy, and unhappy) than with avoiding it.
6 Tips for a Healthy Girls Night Out
1. Don’t arrive starving
On a night out for dinner, do not show up with an empty and grumbling belly unless you know where you are going and are sure about your food options. Eat some almonds or a small high protein snack before you go out. This way you won’t be tempted to eat anything and everything in sight.
2. Make your first choice the healthiest choice
Skip the cheese and crackers and fill your plate with fresh veggies and proteins.
TIP: Always avoid anything with ingredients you are not sure about.
3. Make friends with your waiter
I am always extra polite to servers at restaurants and cocktail parties. My goal? To have them help me NOT dive into the onion rings! Be clear about your dietary restrictions and let them help you succeed.
4. Limit your options
When I look at a menu I skim down the page and there is usually only a handful of items for me to choose from. I look for the fish and the fresh veggie options. Pastas, breads, fried things, meat and more are just not an option when I’m dining out. Make your own rules. Make certain dining foods that you know won’t make you happy in the long run off limits and it will be easier to choose.
5. Show off your curves
This may sound weirdly materialistic, but wear the dress that shows off your bloated belly if you overeat. This is a trick that reminds me to fill up on foods that are going to compliment my waistline, not kill it.
6. Splurge on your own terms
Who says splurging needs to mean eating an entire piece of chocolate cake? Make up your own rules. I will often have a small portion of a delicious-dark-chocolate-something to satisfy my craving. If you deprive yourself too much, you set yourself up for eventually giving in. There is a limit to your ability to resist temptation over time. More about this coming soon!
Do you have any tips that work for you when dining out? I’d love to compare notes!
“The secret of success is learning how to use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you. If you do that, you’re in control of your life. If you don’t, life controls you.” -Tony Robbins
