If You Want to Lose Weight, Stay at Home

Some interesting new research indicates that you are better off
staying home than eating in a restaurant, if you are trying to
lose weight. Given the fact that as many as two-thirds of
Americans are overweight, and many people spend at least part of
their day in restaurants, the findings are particularly
troubling.

According to Dr. Caroline Cederquist, a physician specializing
in weight management, in 1978, less than 20 percent of the
calories Americans consumed were eaten outside the home. As late
as 2003, the number had climbed to 50 percent. Cederquist says
that restaurant food tends to be higher in calories because it
relies so much on salt, sugar, and oil.

Also, restaurant portions tend to be larger, making it
difficult to make healthy choices. It has been estimated that
restaurant servings tend to be three to four times greater than
typical serving sizes. Another problem is that restaurants often
serve bread or rolls with a meal, which can cause dieters to
pack on the pounds.

Restaurant appetizers tend to be extremely high in calories.
For instance, a basket of fried onions can pack a whopping 2,000
calories. Now, while you might not devour the entire basket
yourself, chances are you will have a good share of it if it is
passed around the table.

A number of restaurants now offer free refills of soda. Soda
glasses also tend to be large, meaning that you are receiving
greater servings of this sugary beverage. Just the soda alone
can put you far over your daily recommended allowance of
calories for weight loss.

Another problem is that we have been conditioned to clean our
plates. With plate sizes growing in restaurants, this becomes a
critical weight issue. You may feel morally obligated to eat
everything that’s placed in front of you–even if your weight
and health will suffer as a result.

Once people become accustomed to large portions when eating
out, they tend to increase their portion sizes at home as well.
As a result, dieters can be sabotaged both in restaurants and at
home. If you eat out more than once a week, toning down your
portion sizes can be particular difficult.

Perhaps the greatest challenge to any dieter is the restaurant
buffet. There are so many different foods being offered, it is
difficult to limit yourself. Also, since you can go back to the
buffet as many times as you want, you may be tempted to
overindulge. As a result, dieticians recommend either avoiding
the restaurant buffet altogether, or limiting your second
portions to fruits and vegetables.

Yet another problem is the type of entrees served in
restaurants. They tend to be rich in fat and calories. Fettucini
Alfredo, prime rib, and fried chicken can all cause you to gain
weight. A number of restaurants are now designating low-fat
entrees on their menus, a trend which bodes well for the future.
However, this experiment is still limited to a small portion of
restaurants–it has not yet become a widespread trend.

Of course, eating out does not necessarily mean eating at
restaurants. It can also mean eating in the car, where you may
be prone to non-nutritious snacking, or eating at parties held
at the homes of your friends and relatives. At parties,
diet-saboteurs such as potato chips and cookies tend to be
plentiful; at times, you may find such goodies hard to resist.
Eating at home shortly before a party may be the best way to
avoid gaining unwanted pounds.

What can you do if you are forced to eat out several times a
week? Make sure that you stick to your diet plan. Don’t be
tempted to indulge in the wrong kinds of foods “just this once.”
Select entrees that are accompanied by vegetables, and resist
the urge to order dessert.

Consider eating only half of your entrée and boxing up the rest
for your next meal. And don’t starve yourself prior to eating
out. Such a tactic will cause you to overeat once you get to the
restaurant. Following sensible eating patterns, both at
restaurants and at home, will help you to achieve your ideal
weight.

1. Prev:The Raw Food Diet: Will It Work for You?
2. Next:Reward Your Way to Weight Loss