Welcome to Part 2! If you missed my weight loss strategies part 1, check it out here.
The hardest thing to do to lose weight over time is to eat meals out regularly. It is so hard to eat out and stay healthy. Sure it’s nice to eat out every once in a while, but I suggest keeping it to one or two times a week MAX. Here’s why…
What people presume to be healthy when eating out, truly isn’t good for your waistline. Some people will get a bunless burger thinking that reducing carbs is the way to go. The problem with that logic is the burger patty is still filled with processed oils, sodium and definitely not as lean as you would think. So people may opt for the entire burger with lean meat, however, the bun has been toasted with butter and oil, not to mention the burger is still processed which means added calories.
Others try to find that perfect salad (we are still looking for it). When opting for a salad double-check the dressing that you are using. A salad loaded with ranch dressing is adding fat and oils to your salad. The calorie counts of many dressings are extremely high even for a small amount of dressing. Salads can also be loaded with extra ingredients that drive the calorie count up and the nutritional value down.
Maybe you have heard it’s healthy to go and get a burrito or burrito bowl at a local Mexican restaurant. There are ways to make this healthier and leaner, but when we start adding cheese, queso, or meat, the calorie counts of these meals skyrocket.
These are just a few examples of how eating out can hurt your waistline even if you are trying to be healthy. The reason I am aware of this is that I have lived this lifestyle before. Constantly on the go but still trying to be conscious of my weight.
I know people will read this and think I am just going after animal products, but when you dissect the numbers, animal products with the addition of oils, really are the main culprit.
So how do I go out to eat now? After losing 50 pounds while still eating out here and there, I have found a few meals on the go that do not hurt my weight and keep me on track.
My main go-to meal is a burrito or burrito bowl, tofu, rice, black beans, salsa, and lettuce. Sometimes I add cooked onions and mushrooms. If I am near a fast food sub or sandwich shop, I always look for the vegetarian option and then order without the cheese. I also inquire about butter being used on the bread. Bread isn’t the enemy, it’s the added butter and oils that really hurt your health.
We do our best to eat at home as much as possible but when things get chaotic, the above meals are my go-to in crunch time. I hope this helps.
If you want to know how I lost 50 pounds without trying, check out my story.
