My latest blog post over at WeAretheRealDeal. You can read it here or after the jump. Continue reading “Table for One, Please”
Tag: dining out
Too Much Information?
As someone very conscious of calories — for better or for worse — I feel like I have a pretty good grip on food choices when I go out to eat.
Since I love to dine out, I tend to do my “homework” beforehand, by checking out menus online and deciding what I would like ahead of time.
I do this because I know what’s considered a worthy indulgement to me (i.e.,cheesecake, dark chocolate, crusty bread dipped in EVOO) and what’s low in Points/”safe” (broth-based soups, salads with lean protein, fruit and veggies, whole wheat pasta, etc.)
Thinking about it ahead of time helps avoid the “oops” moments of my past, when I’d order with my heart and leave a restaurant feeling uncomfortably full.
And if I’m not 100% comfortable with how something on the menu is to be served, I pull a “Sally” (as in When Harry Met Sally) and modify my order.
Some could argue this perpetuates disordered eating, but I like to think of it as I’m making an investment in my health.
I used to worry about what my fellow dining companions, waiters, or chefs thought … but I don’t really care anymore. I’m high-maintenance about two things: food and my hair, and I’ve come to accept both as a part of who I am. As MizFit would say, I finally feel “unapologetically myself.”
Perception and Reality
I had an epiphany after watching THIN for the second time, this time with my husband.
Needless to say, he was very, very disturbed by the movie. I’ll be honest, part of why I wanted him to see it was to show him, “Yes I am still struggling, but look, I’m not as extreme as these girls.”
But my husband is incredibly bright, and he knows me so well that it’s scary. While he agrees that I’m not as extreme as those girls, he picked up on some of the things the girls did — their behaviors — that mirrored mine.
To name a few … changing clothes 3 million times (guilty since age 7?), staring at myself in the mirror and prodding (totally a weight loss result — the obsession), chewing-and-spitting (my formerly shameful secret; now I just relapse from time to time), picking apart their food (guilty!), obsessing over weight gain, real or imagined (I try not to, but sometimes find myself doing it) ordering specifically (though that’s nothing new really; I’ve been a picky eater for as long as I can recall); ordering “diety.” (I’ve gotten better with this one).
And I wonder if subconsciously, I wanted him to point these things out in the film. Because they’re all things he’s been concerned about for me for years now; things he’s tried to talk me out of and things that, especially in the beginning, I shrugged off (“I’m not obsessing!”.)
All this time, he’s just wanted to make me see I am beautiful as I am, that I don’t need to obsess over my body, that there’s more to life than my outer self. Continue reading “Perception and Reality”
Dressing Drama
So tonight was my monthly girls’ night dinner, which I look forward to so much –who doesn’t love hanging out with awesome girlfriends?! (Though we missed one dear friend tonight, who just had eye surgery!!!)
We tried a new place for most of us, Martini’s, an Italian place known for their pizza. Being a self-dubbed N.J. “pizza snob” I was only planning to get pizza if we ordered one to share, but no one was interested in pizza, which was fine by me. I was low on Points anyway.
I know this sounds lame, but I usually tend to order a salad because our dinners are always on Wednesdays and frankly, I’m usually out of Flex Points by then — I never seem to plan appropriately.
That said, I try to be flexible and have some extras like bread and olive oil, or some dessert, etc., when we go out to make it feel special and “normal” — a fun night out with the girls.
Not a disordered eater dining out. Continue reading “Dressing Drama”
Comfort in Numbers
I don’t know who said that, but I feel like I’ve heard it before and I dig it.
I’m in Chicago for work this week. Last night, I went to dinner with two wonderful friends — one of whom I met through Weight Watchers Online and have become incredibly close with over the years, and one of her best friends from college (also on WW), whom I adore.
We went to FlatTop Grill, one of those places where you pick your own veggies and meat and make stir-fry. It was delicious, and as always, we had a blast. Afterwards, we continued our gab-session over fat-free frozen yogurt at Treats. A great night out in the city with girlfriends and a perfect, low-calorie (but delicious) way to cap off the evening.
It was so wonderful to hang out with friends who understand Weight Watchers and live it — but don’t obsess over it. It’s such a healthy environment for me to be in, because they both demonstrate a really balanced relationship with food, one I’m still struggling to attain. Continue reading “Comfort in Numbers”
TGIF: Dining Out Strategies
It’s the weekend (yea!), and for many of us that means going out to eat with our friends or families.
I don’t know about you, but I tend to prepare more elaborate meals at home than I eat when I am out at restaurants, usually just ordering a simple grilled entree and often splurging on a (shared) dessert. It’s kind of boring, I know … and someday I’d like to get to the point where I can order something off the menu “as is” without any substitutions. But with the exception of Rock Creek Restaurant in Bethesda, Md., I’ve yet to find a restaurant whose entire (and I mean entire) menu is healthy and truly desirable “as is.”
That said, here are some tried and true tips I’ve come up with over the years that have worked for me that aren’t too restrictive or over-the-top OCD. Continue reading “TGIF: Dining Out Strategies”
Let There Be Light 