It’s the weekend and I know that means a lot of you are going to be going out to eat. But keep your food guard up. Saturday and Sunday are the two biggest reasons people find themselves plateauing in their fat loss efforts. In fact whenever a client comes to me to tell me they are no longer making progress I ask them how’s your diet? 9 out of 10 times this is the answer: "I do great during the week, but the weekends are not that good". This causes a vicious cycle that can be very discouraging. But I’m going to give you some tips on how to stay on track even when you are eating out this, or any weekend.

• Stick with foods that are prepared in a healthy way. Grilled, steamed, baked and broiled are the words you should be looking for on the menu.
• Don’t be afraid to ask how something is prepared. Lot’s of healthy sounding foods are often served layered in heavy creams or butter sauces.
• If you are going to eat a pasta dish, chose red sauce over cream based sauce. Another thing to be aware of is the huge serving sizes of most pasta dishes. Box up what you don’t want to eat right away to avoid getting too much of this starchy carb.
• Skip the all you can eat buffet. Enough said
• Slow down. Put your fork down between bites and take a sip of water after each mouthful. You’ll be able to feel yourself getting satisfied before the point of over stuffing.
• Watch the alcohol. Not only is it loaded with calories, you are also more likely to be freer with your food selections and portion sizes.
• Order everything on the side. When it comes to ordering salads and baked potatoes, get all the extra sauces and creams on the side. Then only use about half of it and you’ll be on track with your portions.
• Do not allow the breadbasket on your table until your meal has come. It is all to easy to fill yourself up on basket after basket of bread without realizing how much you’ve eaten. When the bread is brought to your table with the food, limit yourself to one piece.
• You are more likely to stick with all of the above tips if you follow this one: Never go out when you’re starving! Not only will you inhale the bread, chips and other goodies they bring your way, but you are also less likely to stick to your resolve to order healthy.

The bottom line is; you must have a plan as to what you are going to eat and stick with it. If I know I am going to be eating at a chain restaurant, I will take a look at the nutritional info online before I go so I can decide what I’m going to have. Then, I don’t even bother to look at the menu when I get there. I know it will only tempt me. Eating out and losing weight can go together. You just need to be smart about your choices and have a plan.

Stay focused,

Sarai Jones