The first question I want to start with is, this is about the Optivia dining out guide while on the plan, right? So that’s a question that I get all the time, you know, well, what do I do if I have to eat out or what do I do, it’s unrealistic and blah, blah, blah. Now listen, I’m not telling you, you can make this plan and never eat out. I totally understand that. I know it’s unrealistic to assume that a person will never go to a restaurant again in their life.
Personal Experience
But we have to understand something before I tell you guys like I like to eat at some of my favorite places while I’m figuring out that for me the first thing I want to say is that in two months. Avoided restaurants at all costs and allowed me to explain that you know I’m not perfect but this is just what works for me so it doesn’t necessarily work for you but this way. Understand that let’s say, for example, I use this example all the time that you know a homegirl, she’s used to kicking some back, you know, and she’s probably recovering from a little bit of alcohol. Has been, right? And she’s like, hey, Alicia. I’ve had a little too much to drink. I have to go to rehab, right? So your homegirl goes to rehab, right? A week into rehab, if she comes out and maybe talks to you and visits you, you won’t take her to a bar.
Managing Dining Out and Events
Maybe even, I don’t know, 20 days out, you’re not taking him to a bar because he’s not able to take and reflect on different types of alcohol and a lot of it. Do you understand what I’m saying? Like, so you have to understand something. For me, I don’t know about you, but at the very beginning of my journey, until I got into a really, really good rhythm, where I mean, the weight was coming off. I think I was maybe 30 pounds down or something like that. Like, literally, I moved on from my husband a good few months ago, he even told me, he’s like, I was scared to go on a date night or anything because I didn’t even know We are going to the restaurant.
Encouragement and Perspective
I didn’t want to mess you up or anything and I know, in real life, when you’re living your normal life, it’s not going to be the normal you’re going to be around a restaurant. I’m just saying for those first few months, you might want to avoid it if you can. I’m not saying it’s going to happen all the time, and I’m going to give you those tips about it, but think of it like an alcoholic thing, you know? If you’re not ready yet, that’s okay. Don’t feel bad. Don’t convince yourself that you’re terrible or that you’re doing it wrong because you can’t go to a restaurant, you know? Yes, we need to develop healthy habits and learn not to stop at that food place and do whatever, but I think we have to know that we can’t live around it right now.
It’s Okay to Take Your Time
Like, right now, you’re just ready. And it happened to me, so it’s okay. So I just wanted to start with that. When it comes to the Optavia Dining Out Guide when planning, make sure if you get to that restaurant, see, you’re set, right? But I totally understand that in some cases you’ll be at events or whatever and you’ll be surrounded by food. Keep your rods handy and things like that that you need because I’m telling you, listen, when you’re mentally starting this, we’re waiting for a reason to quit. Like, I won’t even lie. Like, it gets to the point where you go, should I still be doing this? It’s not, the weight isn’t coming off as fast as I’d like.
Staying Committed
I can probably go back to what I was doing and lose weight regularly. Look, I’ve tried a lot of things, and there are probably more ways you can lose weight, but if this works for you at first, just get over yourself. Don’t give yourself a reason to quit, because I understand. I know you’re thinking in your head, oh my god, this is it, I’m going to be around food, I might as well give it all up. We don’t want to do that. We don’t want to give it all up, right? So, remember, if you’re not ready, stay away from the restaurant. But, let’s say you’re ready, or you find yourself at a restaurant, the first tip I have is to get mostly shrimp, right?
Choosing the Right Foods
I just find that when you eat shrimp, you can have two healthy fats, right? So I feel like if I’m eating shrimp, even if they don’t cook it exactly like I tell them to, at least I’m holding myself back a little bit if they put a little more oil on it. Or something, I can take two healthy fats. Now, look, understand when I’m telling you guys this, like I’m not a pro, like I’m just giving my opinion and you can kick yourself, you can kick yourself every time you burn fat. run the risk of Eating nothing on a plan. And when I say according to plan, measuring it, because you know, you can take your little pocket scale, but we’re not always able to measure.
And sometimes, especially when it comes to shrimp, they don’t give you as much as you eat at home, because I think seven ounces of shrimp is a lot of shrimp. So, anyway, my basic advice is to usually get shrimp wherever I’m going. Now the other thing I’d like to say is, the Optavia Dining Out Guide has a great dining out menu, and I’ll just kind of plop it on the screen.
What I want to do is give you just a few places that I’ve found that have worked for me when I’m dining. And when I say eating out, I’m driving to the ballpark and I need to get something and we have to stop and eat. As we have to stop and eat there’s no way I’m going to make a home for my lean and green food, and I usually get stuck in a way that what I really try to do is That I bring lean and green for lunch.
Preparing for Outings
I’m going to be at the ballpark, because I know that every time I stop there’s a good chance, whatever my daughter eats, or whatever my family eats, I won’t have to eat with them because I am already thin. and green. Like I said we’re sitting in this restaurant and you can’t deny it, you’re going to want to order a salad so you don’t see other people eating. was . But so one of the places I really like to go is obvious. When I go to Subway, I get a protein bowl and I get grilled chicken with lettuce.
Choosing Dressings Wisely
And then, you know, sometimes you have to be very careful. The only thing that is disappointing is the dressing. So when you go there, they always have fat-free form or something like that. But what I do do is try to get a regular dressing for my healthy fats. I only use a tablespoon or so of it. Like, you know, I don’t use two tablespoons. I don’t even use it that much. But I just use something to give me anything. Because if you’re using fat-free dressing, remember that it’s not a healthy fat because it’s fat-free, you know what I mean? So just remember that. But again, like I said, it’s nothing that’s on plan. I’m just telling you guys what I did to make sure I somewhat stuck to the plan.
Avoiding Unplanned Foods
Because what you don’t want to do is you don’t want to drive and go, oh well, I can’t measure my food so I’m going to get a burger and fries. come on. We don’t want to deviate from this plan. If you’re going to plan a little bit because you’re just in the area and you need to stop, get something, get that salad, get the shrimp, just ask them to give you lettuce and protein. that’s it. Spinach and protein, whatever, just make sure you’re only getting veggies and protein. Okay, so the subway would be my first stop. Another place I didn’t know about until I followed this plan was Jimmy John’s. So Jimmy John’s has this thing called an unwitch so basically it’s just um lettuce and turkey, right? So what they do is they wrap turkey and lettuce and then you can add mayo in there as a healthy fat and that’s what I get because I said, if you’re eating turkey, I don’t. Know whether it is or not. Lean turkey again, you know? We don’t know, but I feel like turkey and lettuce with a little mayo would be better than what I’ve done in the past when I just jumped in and got a cookie. A whole sandwich with wholemeal bread or whatever. You don’t want to do that. As we are focused, we are planning. We don’t want anything to come in our way.
Choosing the Unwich at Jimmy John’s
And if we have a day where we don’t have any other options and we’re stopping at Jimmy John’s, we’ll get an Enwich. Well, that’s what I do. I’m not telling you guys to do this, but I’ll get an inwich and I feel like it’s lettuce and turkey. And like I said, these are good ideas when you guys are transitioning too, because we want to find things that we actually like. Like, you know, I don’t want you to look at it like you’re eating it now and you’re never going to eat it again. That’s one good thing I think this program teaches you. You are not doing this temporarily. You want to be tunnel vision to reach your goal, but as you’re doing some of these things, learn habits, you know what I mean?
Learning Healthy Habits
If you don’t learn habits as you go and find different things that you actually like, you’re going to do yourself a disservice. So instead of stopping at that place, you stop at that place and get something, right? The last place I would recommend, and listen, this is another place, like I said on the way out, if you’re not ready, you can’t go there. So the last place that my coach suggested to me was, when I think my sister was in the hospital and we were hanging out a lot and there was a lot going on, and she was just like, do you want Chick-fil- Are from A? ? And I was like, I am, but I’m not going there. And she was like they have grilled nuggets, and I was like, oh, they have grilled nuggets, you know they’re temporarily you know, you can get grilled nuggets, Then wait until you get home to eat your veggie, or you can get grilled nuggets and have, say, a side salad or something to fuel your body in the meantime. And I was like, oh, that’s a great idea. And I got the grilled nuggets, which was, like, I’m so glad I did because, I mean, um, the good thing about Chick-fil-A is that their grilled nuggets aren’t dry. Like, even if you just eat them plain, I know you know, they won’t have sugar-free ketchup. But I mean, if you’re eating it there, it’s not terrible. So like, they’re not dry or anything.
Chick-fil-A as an Option
So I would say Chick-fil-A. I would just say stay away from Chick-fil-A, because I feel like some people I know, that’s their go-to place, right? So if you’re tempted to order something other than these grilled nuggets, throw Chick-fil-A out the window. We’re not even gonna do that but it’s the only place, like I said, that I know of that has stuff grill. Because if you see, I live in Louisiana, and honestly, sometimes I feel like everywhere around me, things are just unhealthy. But I’m telling you, just find a way to find this thing. There is usually somewhere or other where you can find something healthy. And I’m just asking, this whole process you start learning, this program is just a matter of choice.
Following the Plan
It is laid. If you do A, B, C, and D, you will probably lose weight. It’s just waking up every morning and choosing to say, OK, I’m going to eat this fuel five times a day, and then I’m going to eat my lean and green, I’m going to measure it as I I’m supposed to be, and then I’ll eat my protein, three servings of vegetables, and my healthy fats if needed. This is basically it. That’s it, and I think there are options you can choose from if you get stuck.
