How Ordering Take Out Can Help You Lose Weight (Especially During A Pandemic)

You’d think the decrease in weekend celebrations and restaurant dining would make healthy eating easier, but the truth is — the less we do those things, the more we miss them and overcompensate with emotional eating.
This is why I encourage my clients to order in on weekends — it gives them something to look forward to. Considering everything going on, the littlest things can bring us joy and I encourage food to be part of that.
This doesn’t mean ordering the most unhealthy thing on the menu. It means ordering what you’re craving in a balanced way, so you can feel satisfied without guilt.
The common denominators for sustainable weight loss are consistency and a decrease in calories, so you’d think not ordering out would be helpful. But through coaching thousands of clients, I’ve found having a slight change in taste buds reduces feelings of boredom and restriction, which may eventually lead to binging and consuming an excess amount of calories.
With that being said, some takeout menus are harder to navigate than others.
Here is my quick tip list you can follow based off of each cuisine:
Asian: Choose clear broth soups, get sauces on the side, swap white or fried rice to brown rice, and order foods steamed instead of fried.
Italian: Try to skip the bread. Limit pasta to a fist size portion and order lean protein like fish or chicken. If you get pizza, blot the cheese oils with a napkin and try not to eat more than 2 slices.
American: Swap the French fries for a baked potato or split with someone, skip the cheese on your burger, if choosing beef get a lean cut like sirloin or strip steak.
Mexican: Try your absolute hardest not to over do it on the chips and guac (the struggle is real…I know). Tacos are a good option because they’re portioned. Fajitas work well too if you can choose between having the rice OR the tortilla for your starch.
With ALL cuisines make vegetables present! If the option doesn’t come with vegetables order them on the side and eat them first to prevent overeating.
With Lots Of Healthy Love,
Toni