It’s become a weekly Friday night ritual to dine out with a group of friends and family. This is a fun time to get together and catch up on what’s happening with each other. Sometimes extra people join us or our nephew unexpectedly pops in with his girlfriend and her daughter. We never really know how many will be able to join us at whatever restaurant is chosen for that particular Friday. There are times when I have to bow out because of migraines.
In this case the conundrum isn’t migraines. It’s that I’m trying to eat healthier meals. There are restaurants that do offer good fare that works well with my Weight Watchers Points Plus Plan®. However it’s not all that exciting to be eating tilapia and steamed vegetables while others are enjoying all-you-can-eat-shrimp and baked potatoes with extra butter, or crab linguine, which is one of my favorites.
It’s the same dilemma at our local Mexican restaurant. I must restrain myself from the chip and salsa frenzy that takes place before the meal arrives. That’s a challenge! I miss noshing on chips and salsa until almost too full for the meal. For dinner, I can have a chicken tostada without the shell and without the refried beans and rice, not my usual Chile relleno or fajitas or chimichanga. This is not only painful to have to refrain from eating something scrumptious if not highly caloric, it’s downright torturous.
I can eat without a problem at the family type restaurants because I don’t have plate envy. That’s really what it boils down to. I have been on the plan for almost six months and am losing weight slowly but steadily: thirty-three pounds with lots more left to go. I haven’t been having too much trouble, and I know there are points I could potentially use to enable myself to splurge a little bit. The trouble is that when I’ve done that, I usually gain weight that week. Even though it’s come off double the following week, it’s still a setback. Furthermore, I’ve noticed that just my mere presence in the Mexican restaurant causes instant weight gain. Okay so I’m exaggerating, but it sure feels that way.
I think the only solution is to skip the Friday dinner on the occasions when it’s at the seafood place or Mexican restaurant. I’d add in pizza too, but luckily several people in the group aren’t big pizza fans. I wouldn’t be content with one small slice of veggie pizza when I’d really be wanting several slices of pepperoni and mushroom. Why make myself suffer if I don’t have to, right?
I also have trouble when we eat at other people’s homes for dinner. Recently I had done really well by not loading my soup bowl too much with our friend’s delicious taco soup. Her husband urged me to have another bowl. My mind wanted more, and the old me would have filled a second bowlful without any urging. Yet my stomach felt full, and I politely declined. When dessert rolled around, I wasn’t as successful. Lemon meringue pie was the offering. I’ve had this before without any utter sabotage to the healthy eating shtick. But our friend had precut the pie with a fancy gadget that you place over the pie and it slices it in quarters, then eighths. I was going to slice one of those in half, but in so doing butchered the whole piece and ended up just scooping up the desecrated pie piece and eating it.
While I wouldn’t quit eating at people’s homes, I do need to do a better job with choosing the desserts. If something can be cut thinner, it’s mine. If not, then dessert is literally off the table for me. Simple solution. And it really wouldn’t be the end of the world if I were to eat a bigger slice of the pie or once in awhile ate something more desirable than crudités and tilapia. As long as I resume the program and carry on, it’s doable. In the meantime though, I will run, duck and cover when I can because less is sometimes more while more is always more.
Disclaimer: Please see a physician before beginning any diet plan. This blog represents my opinions only not advice.
Andreamarjulie's Blog 