Irvine Medical Weight Management Doctors Give You Tips on Restaurant Survival
One question I get asked a lot in my clinic: "Doc, now that I've lost all the weight, should I be nervous about going to restaurants? Can I enjoy my food and time with family and friends without worrying about putting back the pounds and gaining even more weight?" Although successfully addressing this issue with each patient often require unique solutions, there are some general tips that I find to be useful.
Irvine Medical Weight Management Doctors Say:
Plan ahead
First of all, remember you can still navigate the restaurant scene successfully even when you are still on your diet. Key is to plan ahead and not be a spur-of-the-moment decision. Many of my patients, during their weight loss phase on Valens meal plans, will coordinate with me and my dietitian in advance to figure out what’s on the menu at their favorite restaurant. Many restaurants have menus either online or for pick up. If it is a restaurant you like and dine frequently, know what healthier alternatives are in advance; don’t wait until the day of dining in to make that decision. Focus specifically on items which are not deep fried, and avoid items which may have hidden calories (e.g. restaurant potato salads have use heavy mayonnaise in their dressing preparations). If in doubt, consult with a dietitian or looking up the nutrition facts of the different entrees online in advances.
Irvine Medical Weight Management Doctors Say:
Stick to your normal weight Loss plan all day
Don't make the mistake of skipping meals so you can indulge more when going out to eat in the evening. This plan can actually backfire because if you get to the restaurant hungry, you are likely to eat much more than you were planning to. Instead, for my patients, I recommend that they continue to eat their Valens designed meals on schedule, with the final one an hour or less before dinner. This will curb your appetite at dinner.
If it’s a lunch that you’re going to, have two or three protein rich snacks (e.g. cottage cheese) throughout the morning. Again, one should be within an hour before lunch to curb your appetite. After lunch, you may find yourself full for longer than you usually are. However, I also make sure my patients gets back on the weight loss meal plan no more than three hours after lunch, and then stay on schedule after that. We need all the help we can get to stick to our weight loss goals.
For more information about Orange County Medical Weight Loss in Irvine please contact Valens Medical Weight Loss Clinic or to schedule a consultation with our physician.