You’ve got a lot of the weight-loss basics down now. This week’s tips cover hunger and restaurant meals and will enhance those basic skills.
Watching food commercials on television makes some people reach for snacks. The sight, smell, and even the thought of food might your trigger appetite. Some people eat out of habit or boredom, out of sadness or happiness. And for many people, years of both dieting and overeating have confused their sense of hunger, and they no longer recognize what true hunger is. If any of this describes you, use the ruler below to identify your feelings of being hungry and full. Do this before and after your meals, and record the number in your food journal. Try to start your meal at level 3 or 4 (which are indicated) when you are hungry but not ravenous, and stop at 6 (also indicated) when your body has had just enough. Some people like to record their hunger for every hour that they are awake for just a few days to quickly get in touch with their body’s hunger cues.
Hunger Ruler
These exercises will help you become more mindful of eating. It should discourage you from eating at inappropriate times and encourage you to eat at the right times. Now keep in mind, however, that sometimes it’s okay to eat when you’re not hungry; say, when you’re at a level 5. You might eat anyway to keep to your schedule, avoid being famished later, or maybe just because it’s a special occasion.
Not only is fiber good for digestion, it can also help you lose weight by taming your hunger. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans are naturally high in fiber and should be your first choice for fiber-rich foods. Foods like breads and yogurts with added fibers are fine too, but let the naturally fiber-rich foods play a bigger role in your diet. If you make one part of your meal a good source of protein, like chicken or fish, and at least one part a good source of fiber (a good source of fiber has 2.5 grams of fiber per serving but 4–5 grams is even better), like broccoli or whole-grain pasta, you will be better able to control hunger. There’s no need to fret over how many grams of fiber you eat each day. As long as you choose a variety of wholesome foods and eat adequate fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, you should be just fine. In general, however, the recommendations range from 21 to 38 grams fiber per day.
This week, take on a new challenge: go out to eat at a restaurant! Restaurant meals can be calorie bombs disguised as a healthful salad or saturated-fat landmines masquerading as a wholesome wrap or sub sandwich. It’s hard to tell what has been sautéed in gobs of butter or topped with sauces sweetened with obscene amounts of sugar. Portions are oversized and partly to blame for oversized Americans. In many restaurants, the typical portion of food shows no resemblance to a reasonable amount.
Practice these strategies to keep calories down and nutritional quality up. Unfortunately, the sodium in restaurant food is almost always sky high.
1. Preview the menu. Look at the menu online or stop by the restaurant a few minutes early to decide which are your best choices. If possible, know what you’re going to order before you even walk through the door.
2. Be pushy. Be the first to order, so you’re not influenced by the choices of your dining companions. Ask lots of questions about food preparation, and make special requests for foods prepared with less fat, salt, and added sugars. Ask that the staff not bring bread or chips. If someone else at the table wants them, push the basket out of your reach.
3. Order smart. Fill up on fewer calories. Ask for double vegetables, and start your meal with a low-calorie salad or a broth-based soup. Understand that these menu descriptors usually mean that the food is high in calories, fat, or, most frequently, both calories and fat: crispy, batter-dipped, basted, deep-fried, coated, marinated, creamy, rich, Alfredo. Ask for the food to be prepared differently or choose another item off the menu.
4. Be picky. Don’t use up your calorie or carbohydrate budget on food that isn’t delicious. If it isn’t awesome, push it aside. At a buffet, scrutinize the array of food before selecting any, and use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate.
5. Don’t drink your calories. Regular sodas, sweetened tea, and alcohol load on the calories without filling you up. Stick to water. If indulging in alcohol, limit yourself to just one drink.
6. Pay attention to your food. It’s easy to overeat when you’re distracted by conversation. Focus on every bite and every sip. Take close notice of your food. How does it look? What is the texture? The aroma? Look at it and savor it.
7. Slow down. Instead of keeping up with the fastest eater at the table, pace yourself with the slowest person or plan to be that slowest eater. Try to be the last person to start eating.
8. Keep tabs on portions. Just know that whatever you’re served is likely way more than you need, so plan from the start to leave food on your plate. You have several options:
—Decide on your proper portion. Then draw an imaginary line through your food, and don’t cross that line.
—When you place your order, ask to have half of your meal boxed to go.
—Order an appetizer, half portion, or a lunch portion, which are usually smaller and less expensive than the dinner portion.
—Share with a friend.
9. Reconsider the meaning of value. Some diners are most influenced by cost and order the least expensive items on the menu. Some eat more if the food is expensive, so they can “get their money’s worth.” Instead of letting cost rule, pay attention to health value and nutritional value. If cost is a major factor, choose the least expensive healthful choice or share something with a companion. Instead of feeling wasteful for leaving food, remind yourself that if your body doesn’t need it, you’re wasting it whether you eat it or leave it. It’s better to leave it behind.
Use this guide to make the best choices in any type of restaurant.
Asian
Go for It:
• Steamed dumplings, steamed spring roll
• Miso, wonton, egg drop, and hot and sour soups: these tend to be low in calories, but be aware that your cup is probably spilling over with sodium
• Veggie-heavy dishes: moo goo gai pan, steamed fish with vegetables, and stir-fried meat or tofu and vegetables
• Use chopsticks: they’ll slow you down and help you drain some of the fat- and sodium-drenched sauces
• Hot tea: unsweetened, of course
• Fortune cookie: for a mere 30 calories and 7 grams of carbohydrate, think of all the fun these little cookies provide
Use Caution:
• Buffets, fast-food, and mall fare: meats are often fried and reheated in extra oil
• General Tso’s chicken: outrageous calories and saturated fat because the meat is fried
• Sweet and sour entrées: more fried meats here, plus sugar-laden sauce
• Chow mein: fried noodles
• Other fried foods: crispy noodles (soup topping), fried rice, egg rolls, shrimp toast
Italian
Go for It:
• Minestrone and bean soups
• House salad: ask for the dressing on the side
• Prosciutto with melon
• Tomato-based sauces without cream or fatty meats over pasta, fish, or chicken: tomato, pomodoro, marinara, red clam, puttanesca
Use Caution:
• Eggplant, veal, and chicken Parmesan: floured, fried, and heavy on cheese
• Lasagna and other baked casseroles: too much cheese and usually made with fatty meats
• Alfredo sauce: a mix of butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese
• Carbonara sauce: rich in fat from eggs, cream, cheese, and Italian bacon
Mexican
Go for It:
• Black bean soup
• Tortilla soup: hold the bacon and limit the cheese and fried tortilla chips
• Salsa and picante sauce: skip the fried chips. Instead use salsa and picante sauce to dress your salad and to spice up tacos, soups, and more
• Guacamole: contains healthful fats, just limit your portion
• Arroz con pollo: chicken and rice
• Soft tacos: limit the cheese and sour cream
• Fajitas: request that the sizzling oil or butter be left off your plate
Use Caution:
• Crispy tortillas: these are fried
• Chimichanga: a deep-fried burrito
• Salad shells: deep-fried, often about 500 calories alone, before you fill them
• Chili rellenos: deep-fried stuffed peppers
• Refried beans: ask your server if these are made with unhealthful lard. If not, go for it.
Middle Eastern
Go for It:
• Hummus: dip or spread made with chickpeas
• Lentil soup: great source of fiber
• Cucumber-yogurt soup: if made with reduced-fat yogurt
• Tabbouleh: salad of cracked wheat, tomatoes, parsley, and more
• Greek salad: go easy on the dressing
• Shish kebobs
Use Caution:
• Falafel: fried bean patty
• Spanakopita: phyllo dough filled with spinach and feta cheese
• Pasticcio: casserole of ground beef and macaroni in a creamy sauce
• Moussaka: casserole of eggplant and meat in a cheesy-creamy sauce
American Fare and Fast Food
Go for It:
• Scooped bagel: fewer calories and carbs because the doughiest part is scooped out
• Sandwiches with lean meats, such as roast beef, turkey, and chicken. Fatten up your sandwich with extra veggies, not extra meats and cheese
• Salads with lots of colorful veggies, a little dressing, and not much of anything else
• Lean entrées without creamy or buttery sauces: try steamed shrimp, grilled tuna, baked salmon, sirloin steak, baked chicken (without the skin)
• Rotisserie chicken without skin
• Steamed vegetables
• Fast-food sandwich from the children’s menu: built-in portion control
Use Caution:
• Croissants and biscuits: prepared with lots of fat
• Broccoli-cheese soup, cream of potato soup, and other creamy or cheesy soups
• Deep-fried sides like French fries and onion rings
• Fried chicken or fried fish
• Fatty meats such as prime rib, beef or pork ribs, corned beef, chicken with skin, sausage, bacon, and hot dogs
• Large or super-sized sandwiches or burgers
• Turkey burgers: frequently includes ground turkey skin
• Chicken salad, egg salad, tuna salad: extra calories from the mayonnaise
• Sauces and dressings such as cheese, béarnaise, and hollandaise sauces, mayonnaise, gravy, and salad dressings: use very little because of the high calories and high saturated fat content
Websites
American Cancer Society:
www.cancer.org/Healthy/EatHealthyGetActive/TakeControlofYourWeight/restaurant-eating-tips (provides ordering tips and fast-food information)
American Diabetes Association:
www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/eating-out/ (discusses the timing of diabetes medications when eating out and how to find hidden fats)
Cooperative Extension System:
www.extension.org/pages/24398/interactive-fast-food-menu (an interactive fast-food menu)
Healthy Dining Finder:
www.healthydiningfinder.com (identifies restaurants and menu items that meet specific nutrition criteria)
National Restaurant Association:
www.restaurant.org/foodhealthyliving/foodenthusiasts/eatingsmart (provides ordering tips for trimming calories and boosting nutrition)
Books
Guide to Healthy Restaurant Eating: What to eat in America’s most popular chain restaurants, 4th ed. by Hope S. Warshaw, MMSC, RD, CDE, BC-ADM (American Diabetes Association, 2009)
Eat Out Healthy, by Joanne V. Lichten, PhD, RD (Nutrifit Publishing, 2012)
Guide to Healthy Fast Food Eating, 2nd ed. by Hope S. Warshaw, MMSC, RD, CDE, BC-ADM (American Diabetes Association, 2009)
Restaurant Calorie Counter for Dummies by Roseanne Rust, MS, RD, LDN, and Meri Raffetto, RD (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2011)
Marcia C’s Story
We probably eat out five or six times a week. I’ve learned a lot of strategies over the years that are still helpful: eat smaller portions, cut food into small pieces, put fork down between bites, and box half the entrée for the next day. I also get hot tea or coffee and a glass of water. If the menu isn’t diet friendly, I ask how it could be made better. Can I get fruit, cottage cheese, or tomatoes instead of toast or home fries? I ask for double the vegetable portion, dressings and gravies on the side, and no bread. If my husband wants bread, I ask that they bring it only to him. I’m not shy about telling the waiter or waitress that I have diabetes and need to make wise choices. Most of the time they’re anxious to help and it eliminates the hard sell on tasty but deadly desserts.
WEEK 8 ACTION STEPS
Continue your current goals or rewrite them if necessary. Additionally, select from the following goals or steps, modify them, or create your own. Choose goals from the previous weeks if applicable. This week I will:
Continue the following goals: __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Use the Hunger Ruler before and after at least one meal each day.
Try to end each meal before I am overfull.
Eat at least two foods that are good sources of fiber at each meal.
Get more fiber by __________________________________________________________________.
Use a restaurant guide when eating out.
Use the Internet and books to find nutrition information for restaurant food.
Be the slowest eater at the table for every meal.
Be more active by __________________________________________________________________.