Indulging while eating out every once in a while is not usually an issue. It can become a problem if your goal is to lose weight and you find yourself eating out often and overindulging regularly. Here are a few strategies for avoiding overeating when dining out:
Choose Restaurants with Healthier Food Options
The best strategy for eliminating overindulging is to avoid eating in restaurants where the predominant food choices are high in fat and fried foods. It is very easy to fill up quickly in such a restaurant and before you know it, you have not only eaten too much, but you have also eaten many foods with little nutrition. The remedy is to choose your restaurants wisely. Restaurants where you can order soups, salads, sandwiches with whole grain bread, fish, vegetables and fruit are the healthier options.
Avoid Eating out When Starving
One of the reasons that people overindulge when eating out is that they arrive starving. When you are in this mode, you are more likely to order an appetizer, a large meal and maybe even dessert. Once the food is all in front of you, even if you are no longer hungry, the temptation still exists to eat it all, especially if it's delicious. The solution is to avoid going out to eat when you're absolutely starving. If you know you will be going out to dinner, prepare for the evening by eating breakfast and lunch. Skipping meals can often lead to the desire to overeat at a restaurant once dinner time rolls around.
Share Your Meal
Some restaurants offer large food portions. If you know this to be the case at a particular restaurant, ask a fellow diner if he or she would like to share your entree with you. You can do the same when it comes time for dessert. You might find that just a bite or two of chocolate cake is enough to meet your need for something sweet. Sharing the dessert allows you to avoid overindulging on a whole slice of cake.
Ask for a Takeout Box
If you have no takers on splitting an entree or dessert, ask for a takeout box at the beginning of your meal. When your entree arrives, place a portion of your meal in the takeout box. You will no longer be tempted to overeat, and you can enjoy the rest of your meal the next day for lunch when you're hungry.
Eat Slowly and Enjoy Your Meal
Another way to stop overindulging in a restaurant is to eat slowly. Enjoy your meal. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to receive the signal that you're full. If you start your meal with bread and butter, tortilla chips or an appetizer, eating slowly will help you to avoid eating too much before your entree arrives. Taking the time to savor the delicious taste of your food will help you to eat less and experience more enjoyment.
