YOU can still dine out when you are on a weight-watchers diet. You just need to choose wisely and compensate for any indulgence with some extra exercise the next day. Here are some simple tips to help you enjoy such an occasion while keeping weight gain to a minimum.
Ten tips for dining out
1. Plan ahead for the day of your meal out. Make an effort to reduce your WW points intake for the rest of your meals and up your treat and alcohol allowance.
2. Befor your meal, try sipping low-calorie drinks such as water or slimline mixers to help fill you up.
3. Avoid the bread roll if you can. It probably takes up around 2 points – and that will double if you add butter!
4. Ideally, select a fruit-based starter, such as melon, sorbet, or alternatively a light soup. Any of these options will give you few points but help fill you up!
5. Opt for dishes that are grilled, steamed or baked and avoid anything fried, deep-fried or sauteed. If you are not sure how something is cooked or what ingredients it contains, ask.
6 Ask for your vegetables to be served without butter, and salad without dressing, and eat plenty of them to fill you up.
7 If you want a dessert, use your treat calories. If you’re feeling saintly, choose sorbets, yogurt or fresh fruit salad.
8 Enjoy a glass or two of wine but drink plenty of water in between sips.
9 Don’t forget that alcohol calories can soon add up. So, save up your alcohol allowance for a few days beforehand and keep a check on what you are drinking.
10 Don’t worry if you have overindulged a little – it’s not the end of the world. Just cut back on a few points the next day and be more physically active. In a couple of days your body will have lost any weight you might have gained from that one meal. It is only when you dine out and overindulge regularly that you will seriously affect your progress.
