Fitzy Bitzy: Fitness Blog – Weight Loss Blog – Trainer Blog

This past weekend, family was in town, and as a result, we ate out almost every meal.  My wife and I have never really been big on eating out, and after this weekend of eating, I’m glad we’re not.  It’s not that I didn’t have fun going to different restaurants this weekend, or that I don’t like restaurant food.  The problem is that sometimes I tend to like restaurant food too much.  I’m not going to lie, when a big juicy steak is sitting in front of me on a plate, I’m going to eat the whole thing.  My willpower isn’t always the greatest because even though I know I should take some of my meal home for leftovers, I don’t always do it.  I’m typically pretty good at taking Italian home in a doggy bag, but that’s about it.

What’s the point to all this?

This past weekend showed me why a lot of people struggle with weight loss.  As our society continues to become busier and busier, the amount of home-cooked meals around the dinner table keeps getting less and less.  It’s no secret the portion sizes at restaurants are getting bigger … way too much for one sitting.

Your body can be seen as a funnel.  If you take a bucket of water and pour it into the funnel at one time, what happens?  The funnel can’t process that much water at one time, and it overflows on the sides.  The same thing goes with our bodies.  If we eat too many calories at one time, our bodies can’t process that many calories fast enough and there’s an overflow with the overflow being the storage of excess body fat in our problem areas.  The way to prevent this overflow is to eat smaller, more frequent portions.  Or, in the case of the funnel, pour a little water in the funnel, let it process through, and pour a little more in.  Eating the majority of your calories in one sitting (eating at a restaurant) leads to the storage of excess body fat.  If you space your calories into smaller meals throughout the day, you help combat the storage of excess body fat.

My suggestion before has been that when you go out to eat, before you even start eating, put half of your meal into a box to take home.  I’ve realized this is easier said than done.  Many restaurants put endless warm rolls and butter, breadsticks, salads, or chips and dip in front of you, and it can be very hard to “box these up”.  With many restaurants, you can eat over a 1000 calories as a result of all the “complimentary” food that comes before you actually get the meal you’ve ordered!  A poor willpower can get the best of anyone when all this great looking food is in front of you.

Here’s the challenge.

Instead of trying to box your meals up at restaurants this summer, try increasing the number of meals you eat at home.  These should be good, old-fashioned home-cooked meals, not bringing a bucket of chicken home for the family to enjoy.  Grill some chicken on the grill, bake some fish, whatever it is, you will have a lot more control on the portion sizes because you’re making it.  Willpower won’t be as big of an issue, and as a result of smaller portions, you’ll still have some great tasting food, you’ll still be around the family, you’ll still be full without feeling you’re going to burst after the meal, but most importantly, you’ll prevent yourself from consuming too many calories at one time.

Eating out, it’s something that a lot, if not all, of us do.  The last I read, the typical meal at a restaurant (fast-food or sit-down) was at least 1,000 calories!  And those hidden, added dangers (salt, fat, and sugar) can sometimes contribute up to a whopping 50-100% more to the calorie content of your meal!  If you’re not careful, eating out can be one of the worst wellness decisions that you make.

So what are some positive steps you can take to reduce the consequences of eating out?  Well, the obvious answer has to do with calories.  It’s clear that the portion sizes of today aren’t what they used to be.

Bummer!

According to a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study released in 2003, between 1977 and 1996, salty food portion sizes have increased by 93 calories, soft drinks by 49 calories, hamburgers by 97 calories, French fries by 68 calories, and Mexican food by an unbelievable 133 calories!¹ I can only imagine how much bigger they are today.

Taking portions sizes into consideration, here are some useful steps to ward off that unwanted belly fat from slowly sneaking up on you:

1.    Avoid “samplers” and “super-sizing” items.
It goes without saying, the number of calories you consume by wolfing down one of these meals can be astronomical.
2.    Avoid “buffet-style” restaurants.
These all-you-can-eat restaurants play tricks on your senses and end up feeding you much more than you actually need to eat.
3.    Choose water over other beverages.
It’s a great appetite suppressant, so you’ll feel fuller faster, and it’s 0 calories!
4.    Choose soup, salad, or chili instead of fries.
This is a great way to reduce the calories and fat content of your meal.
5.    Split your meal with someone else at the table, or before you even get your meal, have the waiter or waitress give you a take-home box.  When you get your meal, put half of it in the box, even before you start to eat it.
When my wife and I treat ourselves to a place like The Cheesecake Factory, we end up splitting a pasta dish, and sometimes we even have some left over!  Not only is this a great way to reduce your calories, but it’s also extremely inexpensive!
6.    Order your salad dressing on the side, and use the “dip and eat” method.
Salad dressings contribute the majority of calories to most salads, and by either dipping your fork or fork and salad in the dressing for each bite, you’ll have just enough taste without the large number of calories.
7.    Avoid creamy options of foods such as soups, salad dressings, pasta sauces, chowders, sour cream, etc.
Cream equals fat.
8.    Cut off the visible fat around meats.
9.    Order a sweet potato over a baked potato.
Sweet potatoes are lower on the glycemic index, and they have more fiber, which means they’ll fill you up faster.  Plus the sweet taste means you’re less likely to load on the sour cream and butter as you might with a baked potato.
10.  Choose grilled chicken sandwiches or salads at fast-food restaurants.
These are some good lower-calorie, lower-fat choices.
11.  Taco salads are not true salads.
These “salads” are loaded with calories and fat.
12.  Choose steamed rice over fried rice.
Fried means fried in fat.
13.  Avoid eating too many tortilla chips.
According to Don Pablo’s, a serving of their chips and salsa (12 chips and 2 oz. of salsa) is 338 calories!² How many of you know someone who has more than one basket of chips and salsa during a meal?
14. Choose lean steaks, grilled chicken, or fish.
A lower-calorie, lower-fat choice.  Plus, they’re great sources of protein, and protein is great for fat loss.
15.  Choose cooked/steamed vegetables as the side.
16.  Limit the amount of complimentary bread or salad before your meal.
According to Fazoli’s, one of their garlic breadsticks has 150 calories and 7g of fat.³ Times that by 3, and you’re up to 450 calories and 21g of fat just from the breadsticks.  That’s almost a meal’s worth of calories in itself!
17.  Eat slowly and continually drink your water before and during your meal.
Your food will be allowed to digest, and you’re hunger will be suppressed faster.
18.  It’s OK to say no to desserts.
19.  If possible, avoid the “whites”.
White bread, white rice, white sugar, white flour, white potatoes, all are high on the glycemic index.
20. Choose menu items that are steamed, broiled, baked, roasted, stewed, grilled, blackened, or poached.
21.  Don’t be afraid to be difficult.
Remember, it’s your body, and you’re paying for it.  You have the right to request changes to your food that will make it healthier.

Now it’s time to take action on these suggestions.  Don’t just read through them, actually do them.  Your body will thank you for it, and I’m sure that you’ll thank yourself because you won’t leave the restaurant with your pants unbuttoned and barely able to walk to your car.  It’s the little choices of today that can add up to the big changes of tomorrow.

References:

¹ University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2003, January 22). UNC Study Confirms That Food Portion Sizes Increased In U.S. Over Two Decades. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 17, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2003/01/030122072329.htm
² “Nutrition Information from Don Pablo’s Menu”, provided by the company website, http://www.donpablos.com/pdfs/NutritionalGuide707.pdf, accessed July 17, 2008. The information provided was last updated July 12, 2007.
³ “Nutrition Information from Fazoli’s Menu”, provided by the company website, http://fazolis.com/menu/nutrition/c/drinks_desserts_extras/, accessed July 17, 2008. The information provided was last updated June 13, 2008.

I need your help!  I’m in the process of publishing my first book, and I want to hear from you.  If you were to buy a health and fitness book, what would you want in it?  What areas of health and fitness would you want it to talk about?  How many pages would you want the book to be?  Any feedback you could give in the comments section would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks, and have a great day!