Diet Coach Judy’s Dining Out Tips: “Bread Basket”

by Judy Weitzman, Diet Coach

With everyone eating out more often, we are confronted with situations that are easier to manage at home. The biggest challenge I hear about from my clients is the “bread basket.”

Some restaurants have stopped serving bread unless you ask for it, while other establishments are charging for the bread basket. I believe these are a two of the best changes that have happened to the American waistline in a long time!

However, most restaurants still put out a basket of bread on the table as soon as you sit down. Here are some quick tips on how to control your calories while dining out:

If you’re not careful, the bread basket can do serious damage to your calorie count for the day. The butter and oil that are offered with restaurant bread can lead to calorie overload before the main dish has even arrived!

That’s why it’s important to have a strategy ready before you arrive at the restaurant. In your mind, practice a variety of scenarios and how you plan to react to them once you are seated.

If the bread basket does come, one strategy I recommend is taking a single piece and then passing the basket to the far side of the table. If it’s out of your reach, you are less likely to go for another piece.

While eating your bread with butter or oil is oh-so-tempting, it’s important to understand that an average serving of butter or oil is 120 calories. That’s 120 calories that could be used for other foods that will be coming later.

Why not delay gratification for a few minutes and save up calories to spend on your main dish when it arrives? Try to visualize dining out as a series of short chapters, each one more delicious than the last. Doing so will give you the willpower to wait for the main dish and not fill up on bread or appetizers.

Going out to eat doesn’t have to be a convenient excuse for falling off the diet wagon. With a strategy for dealing with one of the most common dieting “speed bumps” out there, you can enjoy a restaurant meal and still control your waistline!

Best of luck with it, and please stay tuned for more diet tips in the coming days and weeks!

(published June 11, 2012)

Judy Weitzman, known as “Diet Coach Judy,” has experience in the weight loss industry that spans more than 30 years. She is the author of How to Eat When Life Gets in the Way. Besides her professional experience, she lost 50 pounds nearly 30 years ago and has maintained her lower weight. Judy has successfully helped her clients lose weight and keep it off by helping them change their behaviors. Each program is individualized and the daily support she offers helps ensure her clients’ success. To learn more about Judy, visit her website at www.dietcoachjudy.com.