Tip: Restaurant Strategies

This weekend I expect to eat two or three meals at restaurants. I've been making good progress with my diet, so I don't want to break my diet. I need to come up with an eating strategy that will allow me to enjoy the food while still aiming for a meal made of 40% carb, 30% protein, 30% fat. Here's my strategy:

1. If the meal is likely to be forgetable, and no one will notice if you don't eat consider a preemptive strike and eat your meal before or after you go out. I'm attending a workshop on Saturday morning where breakfast will be served. I know from past experience that breakfast will be a buffet that guests are expected to partake in before the seminar begins. I'm happy with my usual breakfast--I know I'm not missing anything by skipping a hotel meal--so I'll eat breakfast at home before heading to the event. That's one more meal which is thoroughly within my control, giving me a little more flexibility for the other meal that I'll eat at restaurants this weekend.

2. For my restaurant meals, I'm looking for a low-fat protein-focused entree. In other words, I'm avoiding anything that centers around pasta, rice or other starches. I need to add two large servings of veggies, preferably steamed, that are low on the glycemic scale. I want to make sure I have some fat, so I'll get a salad with the dressing on the side (so I can control the amount of dressing I eat).

3. I'm going to check out the restaurant's menu before I go, so I can do some preemptive planning. It's never fun to spend 20 minutes staring at a menu, mentally calculating carbs and protein and fat counts. The restaurant I'm going to on Saturday has a soup made with cucumbers (low carb, low on the glycemic scale), avocado (a good fat) and trout (protein). I also see a salad with balsamic vinegar-olive oil vinagrette (low carb, low on the glycemic scale with a healthy fat). Plus, they have two fish dishes (good sources of lean protein). In fact, my biggest challenge will be finding some good sources of carbs. I see a lot of noodles, breads, and high-glycemic vegetables such as beets, corn and potatoes. Wait! There's a salad of watermelon (medium-level on the glycemic scale) and fennel (which I think is low) with a yogurt dressing. Bingo!

September 6, 2007 Diet Diary

Weight: 134 pounds

Breakfast: Oatmeal with cottage cheese (cook 1/3 cups of oatmeal with 2/3 cups of water, when finished add 1/3 cup 2% cottage cheese, 1/2 teaspoon fructose, 2 teaspoons almonds, 1 tablespoon milk)

Morning Snack: Fiber One Clusters

Lunch: 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, 1/2 an apple, 1/2 an orange, 1/3 cup of grapes and 1 1/2 tablespoons of almonds

Afternoon Snack: Balance Bare Bar

Dinner: Shrimp spaghetti with pesto sauce, peas and artichoke hearts

Evening Snack: Cedar's Hummos with celery, half of a Balance Gold Bar

Exercise: Day off! My cold has moved to my chest, and I felt lousy all day today, so I've designated it as my day of rest.

There is a Reason I've Eaten Shrimp With Pasta for 6 Straight Days

I have a friend, let's call him Bob, who does a lot of favors for me. He frequently drives me places, and housesits when I'm out of town. But Bob doesn't cook, so a few times a month, I'll invite him over for dinner. We're good friends, and he's a laid-back person, so a dinner invitiation isn't a formal affairs. It's often last-minute, and I'll ask him what he's in the mood to eat. Witness our IM conversation from yesterday:

Diet Diva: Would you like me to make dinner?
Bob: i like macoroni & cheese
Bob: and shrimps
Diet Diva: I'll take that under consideration
Bob: does leo like shrimps [Note: Leo is my cat]
Diet Diva: He like spiders and naps
Diet Diva: OK, gotta shower
Diet Diva: bye

[A few hours later.]
Diet Diva: Ok, I'm making shrimp linguine in pesto sauce with peas and artichoke hearts
Diet Diva: You can pick out the hearts if you don't like them
Bob: no likey pasta
Bob: carbolicous
Diet Diva: Really? Because when I asked you what you wanted for dinner, everything you said was pasta-related
Diet Diva: Remember that conversation a couple hours ago?
Diet Diva: It's only 40% carbs anyway
Bob: fine...whole wheat pasta
Diet Diva: it is!