Note: This is Day 5 of my series on “7 Days to Build a Better Body.”
It hit me like a ton of bricks! This time, I really let myself go.
After some drinks, we started with a PILE of cheese fries. You know, the ones covered in cheese, bacon bits, and ranch dressing. There’s enough calories in one plate of that stuff to sustain a small village in Africa for a couple of days. But there were only two of us, and we ate them all! And that was after the bread rolls that we plastered with honey butter.
Once we licked that first plate clean, then came the steaks – the big, juicy, fatty, middle class budget steaks. Fortunately, I had some mixed vegetables that were drowned in butter to get some fiber in, too. And the mashed potatoes weren’t bad either. I was stuffed half-way through the steak, but you’ve got to eat dessert, right? This was a date, after all. And oh my…the dessert! It was a gorilla-sized slice of chocolate cake that stood towering on my plate. I stopped counting the layers because eating it was pure ecstasy…until!
Needless to say, I had a slight tummy ache after that…
CAN’T BREATHE! CAN’T MOVE! AM I DYING?
Fortunately, I lived to tell the tale. And I’ve learned since then that it’s possible to both eat well and be completely satisfied when you eat out.
So, if you’re the type of person who likes to eat good food most of the time, and eat really good food every once in awhile, then you’re in for a treat because I found this helpful and entertaining info-graphic on Eating In Real Life: Bar Edition, which will show you some healthier food and beverage choices for when you dine out.
Enjoy!
Source: Greatist.
I’ve got four young kids, and the last time I went to a bar was a LONG time ago. And I’m not much of a drinker anyway. I never actually got into the bar scene back when I was in college. But every once in awhile, you might find me sipping a nice dark rum with a few of my buddies, or a glass of wine with family.
But I found this info-graphic both helpful and entertaining – lot’s of good tips in there, and some of them made me chuckle.
I think these tips are most important if…
- you eat out frequently (e.g. 2 or more times per week)
- you’re struggling to lose weight or transform your body, in general
- you’re unfit and/or unhealthy, and need everything working in your favor
But if you don’t fall into that criteria, it’s probably not going to be the end of the world if you indulge every once in awhile – even if you have that high-calorie mixed drink with *gasp* carbs!
You see, I think that having a sensible diet most of the time, and indulging once in awhile, is a good formula for most people. Personally, I’m not afraid to indulge when I feel like it. But nowadays, I do set some boundaries like not eating myself into a coma. And I’ve never drank myself into a coma – never even been drunk before. Although, there was that one time I got a little buzzed and started chatting it up about barefoot running…
In my defense, I had just read Born To Run, And the waiter brought me three drinks, including two I did not order (they were for toasts). And once I realized I was a little happier than usual, I pushed the drinks away. But I digress.
Now, obviously, alcohol isn’t the healthiest thing to consume (including red wine). And neither is most restaurant food for that matter. But sometimes, people drink less-than-ideal beverages and eat less-than-ideal foods. That’s life.
The key is moderation.
And the fact of the matter is that you’ll be much better off if you educate yourself about the many different food and beverage choices, and then go into the bar or restaurant with a plan (or at least some guidelines).
Final Words
If you like to go out and eat with your family and friends, please share this information with them. And please tune in for the rest of the series over the weekend, too. Tomorrow, I’ll be sharing some healthy home hacks. And on Sunday, I’ve got a post lined up all about what to do on your “off days” for optimal rest and recovery. You can find links to some of the other posts in the series at the very bottom of this post.
And if you’re interested in a month-long series on building a better body, please let me know by signing up for the newsletter (i.e. waiting list). If I get enough interest, I’ll try to put something together after the New Year.
.jpg "John Sifferman")
Health-First Fitness Coach
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Photo credit: 1.
Further Reading: 7 Days To Build A Better Body
Day 1: Your New Morning Fitness Routine To Build A Better Body
Day 2: The 7 Key Components of a Successful Diet
Day 3: How to Manage Stress Like a Champ
Day 4: 5 Simple Exercises to Reverse the Damage From Sitting
Day 5: How to Stay Healthy When Eating & Drinking Out
