If You Want to Lose Weight, Stay at Home
Some interesting new research indicates that you are better off staying
home than eating in a restaurant, if you are trying to lose weight. Given the fact that as many as two-thirds of
Americans are overweight, and many people spend at least part of their day in
restaurants, the findings are particularly troubling.
According to Dr. Caroline Cederquist, a physician specializing in weight
management, in 1978, less than 20 percent of the calories Americans consumed
were eaten outside the home. As late as
2003, the number had climbed to 50 percent.
Cederquist says that restaurant food tends to be higher in calories
because it relies so much on salt, sugar, and oil. Also, restaurant portions tend to be larger,
making it difficult to make healthy choices.
It has been estimated that restaurant servings tend to be three to four
times greater than typical serving sizes.
Another problem is that restaurants often serve bread or rolls with a
meal, which can cause dieters to pack on the pounds.
Restaurant appetizers tend to be extremely high in calories. For instance, a basket of fried onions can
pack a whopping 2,000 calories. Now,
while you might not devour the entire basket yourself, chances are you will
have a good share of it if it is passed around the table.
A number of restaurants now offer free refills of soda. Soda glasses also tend to be large, meaning
that you are receiving greater servings of this sugary beverage. Just the soda alone can put you far over your
daily recommended allowance of calories for weight loss.
Another problem is that we have been conditioned to clean our
plates. With plate sizes growing in
restaurants, this becomes a critical weight issue. You may feel morally obligated to eat
everything that’s placed in front of you—even if your weight and health will
suffer as a result.
Once people become accustomed to large portions when eating out, they
tend to increase their portion sizes at home as well. As a result, dieters can be sabotaged both in
restaurants and at home. If you eat out
more than once a week, toning down your portion sizes can be particular
difficult.
Perhaps the greatest challenge to any dieter is the restaurant
buffet. There are so many different
foods being offered, it is difficult to limit yourself. Also, since you can go back to the buffet as
many times as you want, you may be tempted to overindulge. As a result, dieticians recommend either avoiding
the restaurant buffet altogether, or limiting your second portions to fruits
and vegetables.
Yet another problem is the type of entrees served in restaurants. They tend to be rich in fat and
calories. Fettucini Alfredo, prime rib,
and fried chicken can all cause you to gain weight. A number of restaurants are now designating
low-fat entrees on their menus, a trend which bodes well for the future. However, this experiment is still limited to
a small portion of restaurants—it has not yet become a widespread trend.
Of course, eating out does not necessarily mean eating at
restaurants. It can also mean eating in
the car, where you may be prone to non-nutritious snacking, or eating at
parties held at the homes of your friends and relatives. At parties, diet-saboteurs such as potato
chips and cookies tend to be plentiful; at times, you may find such goodies
hard to resist. Eating at home shortly
before a party may be the best way to avoid gaining unwanted pounds.
What can you do if you are
forced to eat out several times a week?
Make sure that you stick to your diet plan. Don’t be tempted to indulge in the wrong
kinds of foods “just this once.” Select
entrees that are accompanied by vegetables, and resist the urge to order
dessert. Consider eating only half of
your entrĂ©e and boxing up the rest for your next meal. And don’t starve yourself prior to eating
out. Such a tactic will cause you to
overeat once you get to the restaurant. Following sensible eating patterns, both at
restaurants and at home, will help you to achieve your ideal weight.
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