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The Downfall of Eating Out

The downfall of eating out. We all like to eat out. It is convenient, fun and tastes really good! It is a great way to socialize with your friends and family. Unfortunately, it is not fun for the waistline! Even making what you think are good choices are still ways to stop weight loss and start gaining faster than you can say SuperSize!

Just eating out one time can really put you back on getting in shape. Keep in mind, the RDA Recommended Daily Allowance (and note this is RDA, if you are trying to lose weight, some of these suggested amounts should be less) for the average person is 2000 calories, 60g of fat and 2400mg of sodium.

Let's say you workout every single day and eat well and then you go to Chili's and order an appetizer of an Awesome Blossom with seasoned sauce to share with 3 other friends & a Margarita. Total for an Awesome Blossom is 2710 calories, 203g of fat & 6360mg of sodium. Assuming you divided that up evenly between 4, then it would be 679 calories, 51g of fat, 1590mg of sodium. The margarita is 536 calories & 944 sodium. Wow, quite a dent and we haven't even gotten to the main course! Now, on to the Chicken Fajita Quesadillas with rice, black beans, sour cream & guacamole. 1890 calories, 100g of fat, 5300mg of sodium. Okay, let's say you only eat half of that plate so we are at 945 calories, 50g fat, 2650 sodium. You are feeling a little thirsty and order some sweet tea to go with your meal. Add another 480 calories. (wow, water instead of a margarita and tea would have saved you almost 1000 calories and would quench your thirst much better!) Then you decide to get a dessert to share with everyone. The molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream is a favorite! For the total cake, 3810 cal, 186 fat, 3180 sodium. Break it down into 1 slice a piece we have 1270 calories, 62g of fat, 1060 sodium.

You have put away approximately 3910 calories, 163g of fat, 6244,mg of sodium in just one meal of split appetizers, 1 alcoholic drink, 1 tea, half a plate of chicken fajitas & 1 slice of cake! That is 2-3 days worth of calories, 3 days worth of fat, and 3 days worth of sodium, again in one meal. Sodium is the lovely thing that bloats your tummy and face up so much because it causes you to retain water, especially if you don't drink enough water anyway.

The consequence is working out hard 3 more days just to break even. When you look at it this way, it makes you wonder if it is even worth it. Also, if you are used to eating healthy, your tummy is going to really pay the price later. I could do this for every restaurant and people usually think choosing something like chicken fajitas and splitting appetizers and desserts is considered doing very well. And don't think salads are always a good choice, check out the calorie/fat info before you order!

Now eating out once in awhile is okay (and you need to still find the best choices on the menu), but I find that many that I speak to are eating out several times a week, sometimes daily and wonder why they are having trouble losing weight.

The fastest way to see results if you eat out frequently is to stop. You will be amazed at the results. Think about your favorite foods to eat out and make them at home in a healthier way. If you eat out because of lack of time, spend a Sunday each week pre-preparing your foods for the week. Fall in love with the crock pot. It is amazing. Just toss everything in, turn on and voila, you have a great dinner. Not only will this save your waistline, but it will save your budget too. I always surprises me when people say they cannot afford a gym membership, but will spend the price of a membership at a restaurant in one or two visits! It is all about priorities and what is most important to you.

If you truly want to be healthy and get to your ideal fitness, then you really need to look at your eating out habits. It will be hard in the beginning, but once you learn to stay away, you will find you don't even crave them anymore. The thought of a fried chicken sandwich or greasy burger will make you feel icky. Trust me! I was a closet fast food junkie (not even John knew because I would stash money here and there so I could go buy it when nobody was home!) and never thought I could break this. Eating out was everything to me, but now, I can pass by with no problem. If I can do it, trust me, anyone can!