“Abs are made in the kitchen.” “You can’t outrun a bad diet.” “Weight loss is 80% diet and 10% exercise.”
Each of these sayings, though overused, hold some truth.
Less than healthy takeout eating habits are often the complete undoing of our progress. You can hit the gym 5 days a week, and yet if you eat restaurant food all weekend long, you may not see a single ounce of change in your physique.
This same rule applies to Trim Studio Treatment Plans. We certainly don’t need you to go on a crazy starvation diet in order to see results. In fact, we ask most clients to just keep consistent—nothing too terribly out of the ordinary is required, with the exception of the After Care Instructions immediately following each treatment. But if you are gaining weight between sessions, hitting drive-thrus and whole pizzas, results are going to be underwhelming.
“But I’m about to go on vacation!” or “But we’re in a quarantine!” you say.
Well, our goal is to really help you see the results you came in for. And with that, let’s comb through a few simple yet effective healthy(er) takeout eating habits you can adopt and maintain all year round, whether at home, on holiday or in a quarantine during a viral pandemic.
7 Simple Habits for Healthy Takeout Eating
Stick to half entrees at restaurants.
Restaurant entrees are infamously huge, and the only thing worse than over eating is wasting food. Restaurant food is also usually loaded with excessive amounts of salt, sugar and fat (which is why it tastes so good!) If you’re with someone, see if they’ll split an entrée with you. If you’re eating alone, split the food in half before you even start into the entrée. (Many people do this. It’s not weird.) Portion out half to enjoy later. You’ll still have the satisfaction of finishing the portion in front of you without overeating or feeling guilty about waste.
Look for a “lighter side” section of the menu.
Many restaurants now understand the culture of their health food-seeking customers and have a “lighter fare” section of their menu to accommodate. Carraba’s, California Pizza Kitchen, The Cheesecake Factory and even Burger King and Chic-Fil-A have these kinds of menu options, so start there if you’re in a takeout pinch.
More veggies.
Especially when traveling, vegetables can be hard to come by. Order your entrees at restaurants always with a salad first (watch that fatty, sugary dressing) and/or steamed vegetables—skip the buttery sautéed mess and, no, tempura fried vegetables do not count. Vegetables provide essential nutrients, minerals and fiber. All of these are vital to your health, energy levels and feeling full and satisfied, thus helping prevent overeating. You should have something green on your plate at every meal.
Dressing on the side, always.
If you’re option for a salad during your takeout adventure, the dressing can be literally detrimental to the nutritional value of your meal. Always opt for dressing on the side and try dipping your fork into the dressing for a little taste of it with each bite rather than pouring it onto the lettuce directly. This will save you, in some cases, hundreds of calories, excessive sodium, carbs and saturated fats.
Drink more water.
Trust us, you don’t drink enough water anyway, and vacations are usually worse for hydration habits because you’re off your routine. Your body is made of approximately 60% water and needs hydration for the delivery of oxygen to your tissues and for every organ to function properly. Water is also one of nature’s best gifts, supporting digestion, detox, collagen production and overall well being without a single calorie. If you’re one of those people that says, “I really don’t like water,” then try adding some lemon, raspberries, cucumber, mint or other natural flavor boosters to the water to make it more enticing for your taste buds. Learn to love it!
Eat smaller meals more frequently.
As a goal, avoid feeling starved or stuffed. Consider your body a car and your stomach the gas tank. Aim to keep that fullness level somewhere in the middle at all times. If you’re starving, you’ve waited too long to eat—when we’re starving is when bad choices are more frequently made! And if you’re stuffed, you’ve overloaded your body and are probably not going to use up all of those calories. What you don’t burn will be stored as fat. End of story.
Keep your eye on the big picture.
Life should be fun. There will be parties, vacations, special events and holidays come back around every single year. Rather than yo-yoing yourself from fat to thin (which is extremely unhealthy and can lead to serious chronic diseases), find a balance somewhere in that middle ground and stick to it. On your next vacation, remember that this is not the last time you’ll ever eat out at a restaurant. The big picture is that you have a responsibility to stay healthy and active for your family, your friends and yourself.
It’s a Lifestyle, Not a Diet
Diets suck. (It’s true.)
You deserve a lifestyle that you are proud of, which makes you happy and will keep you healthy for your lifetime so that you can take more vacations and enjoy life!
These are just a few simple habits you can follow to keep things clean and balanced—there are SO many creative ways to keep things healthy. What do you do on vacation, at home or at restaurants to keep things light yet enjoyable? Share with us and we’ll credit you for your contribution to a future blog!
