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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 entrée
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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