One of the most threatening obstacles to any diet is eating out. Meals in various restaurants can be a real disaster for a diet, and there is no doubt that it is better to avoid them completely. However, for most of us, restaurants are an integral part of life. As a family outing, as a couple's outing, to mark events, or when you're just stuck without a cooked meal. Even if you would prefer to completely delete restaurants from your private lexicon, let's face it, the choice is not always in your hands.
So when you find yourself in a restaurant with no choice, don't get carried away and don't be tempted to spoil the achievements that you have acquired with toil and sweat. Be alert, aware and assertive, and adhere to a clear and principled strategy that will help you reduce the damage as much as possible.

In the following article, we will present a variety of tips that will help you deal with eating out in the best way, from booking a place in a restaurant to the last dish.

preliminary assessments
Look for a restaurant that will cause you as little damage as possible. Choose a restaurant with a varied offer, and prefer a restaurant where you can order low-fat and low-calorie dishes.

Be sure to choose restaurants with a relaxed atmosphere and a slow pace, since the eating environment affects the amount of food you will consume, and a relaxed and slow environment will make you eat less.
It is highly recommended to get the menu in advance, read it carefully and prepare. Get to know the language of the menus. Often innocent dishes are accompanied by sauces high in fat, calories and cholesterol that will add extra pounds to you.

Remove your feet from cafeterias and restaurants with an "all-you-can-eat" style buffet that are a source of endless gorging.
If you have to dine at such a restaurant, don't get up to the buffet more than once, choose the smallest plate you can, and fill it with relatively healthy foods, as much as you can.

If you know in advance that you will go out to a restaurant in the evening, it is recommended to consume fewer calories during the day, to maintain your calorie balance. Also, don't arrive at the restaurant with a rumbling stomach, as this is a sure recipe for uncontrolled gorging. If you eat something light before you leave, your self-control will improve considerably.

at a restaurant
keep calm The more relaxed you are, the more you will control the urge to gobble up the many amazing dishes that stimulate your salivary glands.

Try the "3/3/3 method", to maintain maximum relaxation:
1. Take a moment to be grateful before you feed to eat.
2. Take 3 deep breaths, inhale and count to 3. Exhale and count to 3. Only then, start eating.
3. During the first minutes of the meal (about 3 minutes), place your hands on your hips at least 3 times, and take a relaxing breath each time.
Order individual dishes and not full meals, so that you have control over the assembly of the meal.

Be assertive and creative, and play with the menu as much as you like. Don't hesitate to ask for substitutes like whole rice or green vegetables. Mix and match the dishes, so that the dishes are as healthy as possible. For example, if you want a certain dish whose accompanying sauce is not healthy enough, try to match it with a healthy sauce that belongs to another dish on the menu.

When you order beef, make sure it's lean parts like veal ribs, roast veal or fillet steak, and avoid fattening parts like rib eye, ground meat and sausages.

appetizers
Caution! Most appetizers, such as onion rings or cheese fries are loaded with calories. just like that. Prefer to order a plate of vegetables, fruits or fresh soup as an appetizer and choose appetizers that require time to eat, such as a large salad with a side sauce or artichokes.
Give up the bread basket and don't drink alcohol, which causes a feeling of hunger and unnecessary gorging as a result.

drinking
Choose only low-calorie drinks, and don't be tempted by alcohol that may weaken the inhibitions that prevent you from overeating.

dessert
Get in touch with your brain before ordering dessert and check how full you feel. If you are quite full, allow yourself to skip the last dish and treat yourself another time.
If you are still hungry, prefer to eat fresh fruit, fruit salad or sugar-free sorbet.

And in conclusion, it is recommended to avoid eating outside as much as possible. In your own backyard, in your own kitchen, the control is in your hands and you can consume whole, high-quality, unprocessed foods that correspond precisely to your personal diet. However, when you are at the mercy of restaurant menus and the whims of the waiters, every meal at a restaurant can turn into a snowball that deteriorates into joy within laborious minutes of weeks and months, and that's a shame.

Prefer to dine in your personal nest, among the family. Cook nutritious meals and sit comfortably around the table together. Beyond the direct benefit to your personal diet, you will gain on the side a very useful family added value.

Successfully!