In the past two days, I've eaten three meals in restaurants or fast food places. Since the changes that I'm making in order to lose weight are life changes, I don't see that as a bad thing. Going out to eat is something that I do. I like to meet people for lunch. My husband and I eat out often. So I need to retrain myself to make wise choices when I eat out.
The first meal out was with my Dad on Tuesday. I went to spend some time with him and we went out for lunch, as we often do. He decided that we should go to KFC. KFC isn't a place that I normally frequent, not because I don't like it but because when I think of KFC, I think of deep-fried everything. So on the drive there, I had a conversation with myself about being careful. I know they have mashed potatoes and corn on the menu, but the gravy and butter associated with those two options would render the food pretty much off limits. When we got to KFC, I saw the 5-piece Hot Wings - 350 calories. I added the green beans, which seemed to be mostly flavored water, for another 20 calories. The wings were pretty spicy, which was good. My taste buds were well satisfied. But spending time with my Dad was the point; doing it around food was incidental. It helped me to keep that perspective.
The next meal out was that same day. I meet a friend for dinner every Tuesday. We've been doing this for a couple of years and we enjoy the time together. We don't spend time on the phone during the week, so a weekly "date" keeps us in touch. Again, the time spent together is the point. We meet at a hamburger place called The Habit. They serve yummy, juice, drippy hamburgers and fantastically crispy sweet potato fries. This was going to be tough. But not impossible. I have found that eateries do offer sensible options. They're just not the main thing on the menu. You have to search for them. I ordered the Grilled Chicken Salad with low-fat Italian dressing. It had lots of crispy vegetables like lettuce, carrots and cucumbers and had a few strips of grilled chicken. It was very tasty, I felt great about my choice and, most importantly, I got to spend another lovely evening with a dear, dear friend. Its that all-important perspective.
The final meal out was last night. My husband and I have dinner with his Dad every Wednesday. We take turns being responsible for the arrangements. It was Dad's week, so he chose a sushi restaurant. I'm a recent sushi convert, so don't know much about its caloric content. I decided that the best option would be to leave the table hungry. My husband and I shared a couple of rolls. I paced myself and enjoyed every bite. But I stopped well before I would have otherwise and way before I was full.
As someone who enjoys food and eating out, these life changes are important. Challenging at times, but important.
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