Healthy Eating Tips For Dining Out

Birthdays. Bridal luncheons. Holiday parties. Work events.

It’s inevitable that we eat out. There’s just no avoiding it. Instead of fearing the extra calorie binge that we so often endure while dining out, why not prepare ourselves ahead of time? Eating out doesn’t have to be a diet disaster. With these easy tips, you can feel a bit more comfortable dining out…and in your jeans.

1. Do not starve yourself all day to “make up” for what you will be eating later. This is not a smart idea. Starving yourself throughout the day sends your metabolism crashing. By the time you get to dinner, you'll be so hungry that you’ll gorge yourself with too much food in one sitting. You’re better off eating as you normally would all day long.

2. Order water first. Though most nicer restaurants automatically give you a glass of water, some may assume you just want an alcoholic beverage. Ask for a glass of water and drink up. We often mistake thirst for hunger, so having a glass before dinner will not only hydrate you, but prevent you from eating an unnecessary amount of food. And remember, water does amazing things for your hair, skin, nails, and mood!

3. Skip the sugar bomb beverages. Say no to the fancy margaritas, cocktails, and mixed drinks. You are not on Sex & The City – put down that Cosmopolitan. Choose a light beer, glass of wine, or even a vodka soda with fresh fruit. The simple syrup in those mixed drinks is only going to tip the scales or send you straight to the dentist for a filling. Not worth it!

4. Skip the bread. I’ll be honest – if you stick a loaf of freshly-baked, warm bread in front of me, chances are (99%) I will eat it. But do I need it? No. Does it do much for me nutritionally speaking? Ha, barely. The bread basket is an empty basket. An empty basket of calories. Don’t do it! If you’re comfortable with it, you can even ask the server to not bring it out so there’s no temptation.

5. Ask for condiments and/or dressings on the side. It seems that chefs really want you to know how good their sauces are, and to do that, they load your dish up with it. Have you ever noticed that your deli sandwich has much more mayonnaise on it than you would have applied at home? Or that your salad is often sopping wet with an oil-based dressing? By asking for it the side, you can apply only what you need or dip your food into it. I assure you that you will use much less.

6. Choose a main dish that has a lot of vegetables. If possible, go for steamed, grilled, or roasted vegetables rather than sautéed or deep-fried.

7. Once your entrée arrives, split it into two portions. If it’s not a dish that you can easily separate into two, make a mental note of how much is on your plate and try to only eat half. You’ll most likely end up being satisfied once you’re finished, and (bonus!) you have leftovers for the next day. You’re saving money and saving calories.

8. Sharing is caring. A girlfriend of mine and I  often have trouble resisting ordering an appetizer ahead of our entrees. A win-win solution is to order one appetizer and one entrée and split them both. It costs less, you save calories, and you get to try more than one dish.

9. Think about dessert. Think about it really hard. Yes, I know, the options probably sound amazing given the way your server read them to you. I bet you even saw a twinkle in her eye when she told you about the warm bread pudding with a side of vanilla bean ice cream. You might have even drooled. But do you need it? Is it worth it? That’s up to you. As a huge proponent of eating dessert (I eat healthy during the week, why not?), I know this is a tough decision. Should your answer be “Yes, I really need dessert,” go for it. I’m not going to judge you. Go for the fruit-based desserts if you can. Sorbet is a great option as it is lower in calories and sugar.

10. Don’t feel guilty after your meal. I bet you had a great time with friends and enjoyed yourself. Tomorrow is a new day and you can jump right back on the healthy eating train just in time for breakfast! Grab a container of low-fat Greek yogurt, a piece of fresh fruit, and start your day right.

Which of these do you follow?

What are YOUR tips?

I Love Blackbaud: Wellness Fair 2011

Ahh, I love my job. I’m so lucky to work for such a great company that is full of wonderful people.

As I’ve mentioned before, I work on a great team and spent the summer working with my favorite intern, Sean. We have fun stuff going on all the time, from team meetings at froyo shops to paper airplane contests.  I got a little too excited last week when HR sent out this email:

(some got cut off)

Over 35 vendors set up in the atrium.

We were given a “passport” to be stamped at each vendor and then entered for a chance to win spa certificates, sunglasses, fitness accessories, chiropractic care, and massages! Rachel, Matt, and I went down when it started and visited each booth. They were giving away a ton of loot!

We left with:

• 4 koozies
• eyeglass cleaning cloths
• an eyeglass repair kit
• a nail file
• 4 toothbrushes
• 7 mini tubes of toothpaste and floss
• lotions and soaps
• pins, stickers, bracelets
• a basil plant/pot
• healthy recipes
• and a lot of snacks! (Rachel’s and my favorite part!)

They were also administering flu shots, and offering blood glucose testing, BMI tests, blood pressure checks, and spinal screenings. While there, I signed up to become part of “Blackbaud First Responders” – a group of employees who, after taking a class, will be on call in case of an incident at work. I’ll finally get to learn CPR!

While one of my coworkers was encouraging me to sign up to be a First Responder, I laughed, telling him that *I* am one of the employees getting hurt. I’m unbelievably clumsy.

Just last night, my roommate and I were making fondue. I grabbed my first skewer of cooked shrimp and immediately shoved it in my mouth. Hungry much? Well, the metal part that had been sitting in the hot oil seared the crud out of my lip and now I have a lovely little bump and burn.

How pathetic is my face? This was obviously before I ate all my candy.

It’s hard to see, but the side of my lip is twice as fat it should be. Now, if I were smarter, I would have been burned both sides: instant lip plumper!

Does your work encourage healthy living?

Ever badly burned yourself on hot food?

Pinch An Inch!! Or A Millimeter?

After work today, I had my consultation and first personal training session with J.D. from the Coleman Blvd. ESAC. The consultation portion consisted of a discussion about my current diet and fitness regimen along with a body fat analysis. I have been working out pretty hard for over a year and a half now, so I wasn’t too worried. I was curious though, so I welcomed the pinching!

J.D. used the calipers to pinch an inch…ok not really, just some millimeters. He pinched my triceps, suprailiac, and thighs. In case you were wondering, your suprailiac is your GUT (or 1 My least favorite part. Dave, another trainer, entered my measurements into a 3 site skinfold calculator found here. Here are my results:



At home, I used an online body mass index calculator for a third analysis:

Here are the differences between body mass index, body fat (%), and body density.

Body Mass Index : To calculate this, you divide your weight by height squared. This is not a good assessment because it does not take into account body fat vs. lean tissue. Ever heard of a “skinny fat” person? A person can be thin but have little muscle which can be an indicator of overall health.

Body fat (%): This can be measured using the skinfold testing (what I did) or many other options. This measures the difference between body fat and lean mass.

Here are the ranges:

I’m normal! Yay! I also understand that calipers, although one of the most accurate, are not 100%.  

The most important test in my opinion is not based on a # – it is how you feel! These are just guidelines to give an estimate on where you are and can be used to assess improvement. Don’t
get too stressed over a number – it is not worth it!!!

Now for the workout:
Superset 1: Bulgarian split squats (1st set no weights. 2nd and 3rd with 20 lb. barbell with plank cable rows.
Superset 2: Plate raise squats (10 lbs.) coupled with renegade rows (15lb barbells)
I then did 20 minutes of HIIT (high intensity interval training). This was a quick workout, as most of the time was spent on the consultation/body analysis.

What type of assessment do YOU use to measure your overall health? There are so many essential tests that we women should get tested for: cholesterol levels, thyroid levels, blood pressure, mammograms, pap smears! God bless all my friends currently in medical school…

On a much lighter note, tomorrow a bunch of us girls are going to see The Help! Amanda and I are sooooo excited and have been counting down the days for this movie’s release! We really enjoyed the book – check it out.

Food, Fashion, and Funny

The Food. I’m often asked where I get my recipe ideas from. The long answer is “All day I dream about food.” (A.D.I.D.A.F.?) The short answer is magazines. I currently subscribe to ELEVEN magazines, 10 of which are either health or food related.  I’m sure this is an abnormal amount to be receiving monthly, but subscriptions prices are much cheaper than buying off the newsstands. Here are the magazines I subscribe to, in the order of how much I love them.

Food Network - tons of recipes from your favorite chefs, both easy and difficult, and fun kitchen products.

Real Simple – ideas for food, home, body, and soul. Lots of tips & tricks for simple living.

Women’s Health – tips for getting in shape, exercises, workout gear, and healthy recipes.

Health – very good resource of information!

Fitness – very similar to Women’s Health but with less information.

Every Day with Rachael Ray – This magazine made me not hate Rachael Ray anymore. She has some great recipes and this magazine is very fun to read.

Shape – just like WH and Fitness.

Saveur – highlights authentic cuisines from all over the world. The recipes are pretty intense and a bit unrealistic.

Clean Eating – this magazine is informative, but sometimes the recipes are so “clean” that they’re boring and tasteless.

Martha Stewart’s Whole Living – I love Martha, but this isn’t her best magazine. It’s a bit boring.

Food & Wine – fun to read about foods from all over the world, but the recipes are also unrealistic. 

Which magazines do you subscribe to? Which are your favorites?

The Fashion. Saving money by purchasing yearly subscriptions means you can splurge in other areas like fashion! I just added another Longchamp Le Pliage to my wardrobe. I went to Gwynn’s with the intention of buying a basic black tote that I’d be able to wear year-round. But when I spotted the large the “Palm Green” shade, I could not resist.

 

And finally, The Funny. My old roomie, Boding, just sent me this picture message : “What the heck? I asked for a wagon on a hill and someone put a tombstone. Someone is getting cut.”

Why the heck would Publix think someone would want a tombstone on a birthday cake?!?!