The 17 Day Diet (31 page)

Remember, too, that you can gain control over the fat and calories in your salad by ordering the dressing on the side. Measure out a small amount of dressing with your spoon, or with thicker salad dressing, use the fork-dipping method. Dip the tines of your salad fork in the dressing, then spear the leaves of your salad. That way, you get a taste of the dressing with each bite of salad.

If you want to be really “good,” carry one of those salad spritzer products in your purse. Order your salad without dressing. Pull out your spritzer and spray your salad. Be aware, though, that this might scare the other patrons, who will think you are sanitizing your salad.

And watch out for potato salads, macaroni salads, cole slaw and even tuna and chicken salads, which usually are heavy in mayonnaise, sugar and calories.

Go Low on Sides

Depending on which Cycle you’re on, substitute high-cal side dishes with low-fat options such as steamed vegetables, brown rice or fresh fruit. Forget the French fries, and have baked, boiled or roasted potatoes, but leave off the butter, cheese and creams. Flavor with salsa or pepper and chives instead.

Choose Low-Fat Preparation Methods

The way your entrée is prepared influences its calorie and fat content. Choose grilled, broiled or baked meats and entrees. Pan-fried and deep-fried foods give you extra fat you don’t need. Broiling, baking, steaming, poaching and grilling seafood, skinless poultry, lean meat and veggies give you all the flavor without all the fat.

For example, grilled chicken is lower in fat and calories than fried chicken. (If you are served chicken with skin, you can remove the skin to save significant fat and calories.)

It’s not easy to get rid of all fat in restaurant meals, but give it a try. Ask the server if the butter or oil used to prepare your entrée can be reduced or eliminated. Even a grilled item may have extra fat added. For example, some grilled beef dishes call for added oil.

Enjoy Alcohol in Moderation

Drinks can be diet-killers, too. Ice water is free, but fancy mixed drinks have lots of empty calories, and the alcohol can dull your reasoning. Since alcohol can contribute significant amounts of calories, limiting your intake to 150 calories worth is a good idea. The following portions of alcohol each contain 150 calories or less:

5 oz. of wine

1.5 oz. of liquor

12 oz. of light beer

Many people find it helpful to order wine by the glass rather than the bottle so that they can better control and monitor their intake. You can decide ahead of time at which point in the meal your beverage would be most satisfying. For example, you may want to save your glass of wine for your entrée and sip water while you wait for your meal. Holding off on alcohol until a later course also helps to decrease alcohol’s effect on your inhibitions. If you drink alcohol on an empty stomach, it can relax you to the point that you lose sight of your game plan. Setting a personal limit and planning when to enjoy your beverage should help you stick with your goals.

Practice Portion Control

Restaurants serve mountains of food—about two to three times the quantity that we need in a meal. This is no big secret. Just don’t try to finish those mega-size portions. Consider sharing a meal or taking a doggie bag so that you can have a quick meal at a later time. Eat until you’re satisfied, not stuffed, and take the rest home. As you’re eating, use my Hunger/Fullness Meter, listen to your internal hunger signals and stop when you have had enough. Eating slowly helps you recognize such cues.

Keep track of how much you eat, and stick to the number of servings you planned to eat. You probably won’t bring a scale with you to the restaurant so that you can measure out portions, but you can rely on visual references. For example:

•
A serving of cooked meat, chicken or fish is like the palm of your hand, or about the size of a deck of cards.

•
A serving of green salad is like an open-cupped hand.

•
A serving of fruit or vegetable is like your fist, or about the size of a tennis ball.

•
A serving of baked potato looks like a baseball.

•
An ounce of cheese is like your pointer and index fingers together, or about the size of four stacked dice.

•
A serving of salad dressing is like your thumb.

•
A 3-ounce hamburger patty is the size of a quart-size mayonnaise jar lid.

Practice the Three-Bite Rule

Try to satisfy your sweet tooth with fresh fruit, and that’s it. Wave off the dessert cart. Don’t even order dessert, unless you’re on Cycle 4 and are enjoying “weekends off.”

That said, you can also practice my “three-bite rule” with desserts, if you want to watch your calories a little more strictly.

There are lots of variations on the “three-bite rule,” by the way. Moms try the three-bite rule all the time. “Johnny, you must eat at least three bites of everything on your plate before you’re excused from the table.” This usually does not work. Mothers spend many long, painful, tearful hours in a standoff, while kids discover at least 152 ways to say “disgusting.”

My variation on the three-bite rule is different. If you truly want chocolate turtle cheesecake, go ahead and have it, but limit yourself to a taste. Take three bites and then set it aside for a few minutes. You’re less likely to come back to it. You might even discover that those few bites of a great dessert can be very satisfying, and might be all you really wanted in the first place. You can’t possibly blow your diet big-time on three bites of anything. After your three bites, you can ask your server to take it away, unless your dinner mates want to scarf it down.

Incidentally, servers use the three-bite rule all the time. After they serve the food, they wait until you have had three bites. Then they come back and ask if everything is okay.

If you’re being good on your diet, you will ask the server to remove the rest of the dessert. Be careful here. This may hurt the server’s feelings. You have to soften the blow by explaining that you, too, are practicing the three-bite rule.

Choose Wisely at Any Meal

Looking for more healthy ideas while dining out? These general suggestions can help you make good choices at almost any restaurant.

Breakfast

Cereal with skim milk topped with fruit

Oatmeal with fruit or raisins and skim milk

Wheat toast

Eggs, egg beaters, or egg whites (including omelets)

Low-fat or “light” yogurt

Fresh fruit

Appetizers

Gazpacho or vegetable juice

Broth, bouillon, or consommé

Vegetable soup without cream

Shrimp cocktail

Steamed clams or mussels

Green salad (without meat or cheese) with dressing on the side

Vegetables

Steamed, stewed, boiled or grilled vegetables without butter or sauces

Starches

Baked or boiled potatoes

Pasta or steamed rice (whole-wheat pasta and brown rice are preferable)

Entrees

Lean meats: grilled, broiled, or served au jus (trim excess fat)

Fish or skinless poultry: grilled, steamed, baked, broiled or poached in wine, lemon juice or lime juice (all without added fat)

Ahi tuna

Beverages

Water, mineral water, seltzer, tea or coffee (unsweetened)

Virgin Bloody Mary

Glass of dry red or white wine

Fast Food Choices

Grilled chicken sandwiches, hold the bun

Entrée salads

Movie Snacks

Kid-sized box of popcorn

Bottle of water

Dill pickle (Yes, many movie theaters serve these. But be careful when you bite down or else you will spray pickle juice on the head of the guy in front of you and create a commotion.)

Here are some other ways to choose wisely at just about any restaurant.

Best Choices at Ethnic Restaurants

Asian

•
Steamed rice

•
Steamed Chinese vegetables

•
Stir-fry vegetables with shrimp/chicken

•
Teriyaki beef or chicken

•
Steamed or baked tofu (make sure it is not fried) and vegetables

•
Hot-and-sour soup

•
Miso soup

•
Entrees made with chicken or fish and vegetables

•
Steamed chicken and vegetables with a half cup of brown rice

•
Any boiled, steamed, or lightly stir-fried seafood, chicken, vegetable or bean curd dishes

•
Sushi

•
Sashimi

•
Edamame

Delicatessen

•
Half a deli sandwich—roast turkey with mustard on rye

•
Lox with tomato and onion

•
Low-fat deli meats, such as low-fat turkey or even lowfat ham

•
Salad with dressing on the side

•
Whole-wheat bread, rye, or pumpernickel

French

•
Poached fish entrees

•
Roasted or grilled lean meats

•
Bouillabaisse

•
Salade Nicoise

•
Broth-based soups

•
Plain vegetables

Greek/Middle Eastern

•
Yogurt-based dips

•
Meat and vegetables on a skewer

•
Grilled meat entrees

•
Stuffed pepper with meat and rice

•
Cabbage rolls

•
Tabouli

•
Vegetable dishes and soups

Indian

•
Any dish with beans, rice, grains, vegetables

•
Chicken tandoori

•
Vegetable curry

•
Shrimp bhuna

•
Fish vindaloo