May has opened up the prospect of eating out once more. A prospect which is considerably more appealing now the option of indoor dining has joined to compete with the wet and windy beer gardens.
And one thing that I know about most of our clients – you like your restaurants!
The ‘philosophy’, for want of a better word, that we’ve always stuck to at Dynamic Fitness Training, is that we’re fully aware that our clients wish to enjoy aspects of life whilst training with us. We’re not a PT company that demands that you restrict all of life’s pleasures in search of visible abdominal muscles. However, there are some simple tips that we’re going to impart to ensure that a return to eating out, doesn’t result in undoing all of your recent good work.
Glass not bottle
How many of us have said this:
‘If we’re having a glass, we may as well order a bottle between us?’
The result: You end up drinking more than you would have done.
If you stick to glasses, you’ll have to actively seek out waiting staff if you want to drink more. It then becomes a conscious decision. However, if the bottle is sitting there and needs to be finished, you’re less likely to even notice that you have had those unnecessary extra calories.
Tables don’t need bread
Tables need legs, they don’t need bread. So the next time that you are asked ‘Would you like bread for the table?’, you know the correct answer is no!
Starter or dessert
I’m not here to ruin your fun, just to add some sensible suggestions. In an ideal world, I’d say, just have a main course. For those of you who only ever have two courses, this advice should apply. However, for those of you three-course consumers (I’m not even going to get onto some of the eight plus courses I’ve been told about!), then look to have either a starter or a dessert, not both.
Water then wine
If you arrive slightly dehydrated to dinner, two things will happen: 1. You’ll graze more on food and 2. You’ll drink alcohol quicker and subsequently more of it. So, the best thing you can do is to drink water steadily during the day in the lead up to your evening out, and whilst you decide on your meals and drinks, make sure that you have a glass of water. This will quench your thirst, ensure you don’t mistake thirst for hunger and will mean you can cherish rather than glug that first glass of vino.
Exercise
As much as I would enjoy the image of our clients squatting at a table mid-meal, I am in fact referring to exercising on the day of an evening meal. If you know that you are set for a night out, make sure that you are allowing time in your day to create an advanced calorie deficit. The result, you’ll feel better for your night out and nothing tastes quite as good as a guilt-free meal.
Free Nutrition ebook download
If you wish to explore a little more about nutrition and some top tips for fat loss, download our free ‘Nutrition in a Nutshell’ eBook.
