Dont Let Your Date Derail You: 

You’re losing weight, your confidence is up, and you’re ready to debut the improved you on the town. Problem is, most dates involve dinner, and dinner out means you’ll be tempted with foods that aren’t in your program. And everyone knows a six-pack doesn’t come with a side of hot fudge.

 

You want to order a salmon Caesar salad, with the dressing on the side. What you don’t want is for your date to think you can’t let loose and have fun. What’s a man to do? Follow these tips to order, impress, and keep losing.

 

Build a weight-loss bond
“Give a little explanation of what’s going on, and she’s likely to see your behavior as disciplined, rather than prissy,” says Pepper Schwartz, professor of sexuality at The University of Washington and author of Everything You Know About Love and Sex is Wrong. Chances are she’s watching her waist, too: Build a bond about your common desire to stay fit and trim. “Say something like, ‘I’m trying to get in shape for the summer,’” says Schwartz.

 

Let her eat steak
Your date might feel awkward if she wants a steak and you’re elbow deep in field greens. Set her at ease by talking to her and making a joke about the situation. “Say, ‘If you’re a steak woman, go for it,’” says Schwartz. “Tell her she doesn’t have to take her cue from you, and that she can order whatever she wants.  Or split a dish with you if she’d like.”

 

Know the menu
Take her to a familiar restaurant that you know has a healthy menu. If you don’t know a specific place, at least select a genre of food. “Pick Thai food because there are a lot of vegetables. If you get something vegetarian, you’re going to have low calories and she won’t think twice about it,” says Schwartz. Asian cuisine is usually a safe bet—Japanese food uses little oil and is seafood heavy, and Korean barbeque tends to be lean. Another added bonus of going ethnic: You’ll look cultured and interesting while chowing down on flavor-packed, lower-calorie offerings.

 

Ditch the garden salad
“A salad is a giveaway that you’re restricting your calories,” says Jim White, registered dietician and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.  “You don’t want to change the way you’re eating, but being extreme could be a turn off.”
 
Order a steak—but the right one. The healthiest cuts are flank, sirloin, or a filet. The worst bet? A New York Strip. “You can still have the macho-ness of a steak without some of the fat,” says White.

 

If you stick with chicken or fish, make sure it’s broiled, grilled, baked, or lightly sautéed—anything but fried. If it’s an option, swap a baked potato for a Vitamin A-rich sweet potato.

 

Should you clean your plate?
“I’d watch what my partner does,” said White. “If she leaves half her plate, I’d say it’s okay to do the same. But if she cleans her plate, I’d say just stick to those healthy foods, have a healthy dinner and enjoy it … wake up a little early [the next morning]—possibly after leaving her house—and go for a longer run that usual.”

 

Feed it to her
Want some wine? Go for it: The stuff is loaded with antioxidants and other disease-fighters, and a single glass fits perfectly with your program. Don’t go overboard, though. You won’t just waste your daily calories and stain your teeth—overindulgence actually counteracts many of vino’s health benefits.

 

Desserts are always a bit tricky. Your best bet: Order a dessert, and feed it to her. That way she thinks you’re romantic, and you save yourself the calories.

 

You should cheat
“We have to indulge once in awhile for our sanity,” says White. If you know you’re going on a date, eat cleanly the rest of the week and use the date as your cheat day—if you’re on your program 90 percent of the time, you’re making progress. “Studies actually show that cheating can speed up your metabolism when it has to digest food, plus you’re getting vitamins in there you’re not getting throughout the week.”

 

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