In today’s world, it’s pretty “normal” for the average person to order out or eat out about 3-5 times per week.
You might be above, below or right in the middle, but I’m sure you go out at least a few times per month.
The problem only comes when you don’t plan ahead.
Fast food usually has a lot more calories than home-cooked meals, so you need to have a strategy for adjusting, and that’s when you run the “Plan Ahead” play.
The “Plan Ahead” play is the perfect strategy for enjoying your restaurant food without ruining your diet.
Here’s the 3-step process:
1.) Look up the menu online ahead of time.
A lot of restaurants now have the calories available for some of their meals, although they won’t be 100% accurate, it’s still good to have a ballpark estimate. Now, It’s not necessarily required for you to pick the “healthiest” or lowest calorie option, but you don’t want to eat like an asshole.
Get what you want… Just have some awareness of how many total calories you have available for that day,
2.) Find the Nutrition info or at least the ingredients of your meal.
If the restaurant has its calories for each meal online or on the menu, you’re all set.
If not, I’d recommend looking at the ingredients used, then look for a similar meal from another restaurant that does have nutrition info.
The goal here is to be close — not necessarily perfect.
Now the Most Important part…
3.) Use The “Fit Around” Method
Adjust your OTHER meals and calories to fit around your Restaurant meal.
Once you know how many calories you’ll be eating (roughly), you’ll want to work out your earlier meals to fit your daily nutrition targets. I’d recommend running the Double Double (Intermittent Fasting) play so that you have a lot of calories to work with when you go out to eat.
KEEP IN MIND…
You will not be able to perfectly guess how much you’re eating when using this method, because you’re not the one making the food.
But that’s completely Fine.
Focus on doing your part, and if you do go over, don’t stress it.
Get right back on track the next day, we call that NEXT PLAY MODE.