Thursday, March 26, 2009

As Clean As I Could Be!

Today moved at a different pace than the rest of my week (the change was welcomed!). Work was semi slow, as I was up to date on most of my projects and there was no rush, rush to get things done! After work, I got huge at Body Pump and ran a mile on the treadmill. Josh’s friend Jeremy is in town visiting us for the weekend (and looking to potentially move down to SC!!!). To celebrate his arrival, we went out to dinner. The thought of going out to dinner tonight totally scared me! How will I eat clean if I go out to eat? I thought back to MizFits post the other day on Clean Eating and thought I would take her advice on eating out:

“Back in the proverbial day (when I was a personal trainer) Id often tell my clients not to even bother picking up a menu when they went out to eat.

In response to the inevitable look of perplexednessment I’d respond that if it wasnt a cheat meal/treat meal then their order was really quite simple:

grilled/steamed/poached (you get the idea. depends on the restaurant) fish/chicken/lean beef, steamed veggies (baked potato if they choose with everything on the side) and a salad.”

Josh and his friend wanted to go to Mexican. I thought of my biggest downfall (chips and salsa) and thought ok, I can make it through this! I am happy to report I did not have even 1 chip! For dinner I ordered chicken breast with rice (and it came with a mini salad). Unfortunately, I don't think the chicken or the rice was cooked using a "clean" method, but I felt it was the best I could do! I ate about half (sorry for no pic- I went right to the restaurant from the gym....yes, sexy in workout clothes haha).

As for my other meals, breakfast was the usual apple/PB with coffee (no pic).

Lunch: Blueberry Chobani and leftover stuffed potato filling with a sweet potato


Snack: No sugar added dried papaya from a bin at WFs (very yummy)
All in all- I felt I did PRETTY well today. I actually selected this week to start my challenge because I thought this would be a tough weekend eats-wise. With Josh's friend visiting, I knew they'd want to eat out. Also, on Saturday, I am headed to my sisters baby shower in CT! Hopefully I can handle all of the challenges of the weekend! How do you avoid going overboard at restaurants?

39 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

SWEET POTATO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



You did VERY well today - not just pretty well ;-)

Anonymous said...

Ahh chips and salsa...

Anonymous said...

that's awesome..i agree that it's easy to eat clean when your out and not deprive yourself..haha chipotle's yummy salad bowl is my prime example!! I just ask them to go a little light on their normal huge servings, or get stuff on the side. I love going out to eat so I usually try to order something healthy- but branch out from what I could make myself!

Anonymous said...

I think you did a pretty good job given the circumstances! Whenever I am out at a restaurant I just remind myself that it's not my "last meal" - I can eat later if I'm still hungry.

Hope you have a great evening and an even better Friday!

Anonymous said...

you did great today! and no not just because you quoted me :)

(thank you)

The Purple Carrot said...

I think you did great going out to eat!!! (It would have been hard to resist those chips and salsa ... nice job!!) : )

We mostly only go out on special occasions so I kind of let myself go a little overboard, but still try to get the healthiest option.

Laura said...

Great job eating well in a restaurant! I tend to overeat when I go out. The best thing I can do is go to a restaurant that serves smaller portions of healthier foods in general.

Heather said...

i think you did a really good job staying clean at the restaurant :) way to go :)

Maria said...

We don't eat out that much, if we do, I am picky on where we go:) I HATE chain restaurants. I like to go local, good spots that have healthy options. Of course we splurge sometimes, but we usually will split a meal because portion sizes are insane! It save money and calories:) I am also picky when I order..asking for no cheese, no mayo, no salad dressing, etc. I think you did a good job today! Have fun at the shower and I hope you indulge a little:)

Pearl said...

GREAT job today! yaaay :D

Anonymous said...

I try not to make a big deal of food and then there's just not that much stress involved:)
I will snack a little before, that way I'm not SUPER hungry when I get there, and can make more sane choices and pace myself.

Anonymous said...

Hahah, I think you did quite good!!!

Anonymous said...

that potato filling look so good.
at restaurants, i ask myself if i could make it just as good or better at home (usually yes). If I can, its not worth eating there, becaue it will cost more and be full of hidden calories. Might as well just order something healthy and simple and splurge at home where its cheaper and healthier!

Anonymous said...

Hm...out to eat. Either I scope out the nutritional info on their website or I try to eat the veggies on the plate 1st, then the main course. We usually don't get apps and I almost never get dessert.

Krista said...

Great choices! Eating out can certainly be scary!! I usually check out the menu online before I go out to eat...

Mom on the Run said...

Great job! I am also trying the clean eating thing. I am feeling so much better.

Anonymous said...

I usually try to eat some fruit about an hour before we go so I am not starving when I get to the restaurant.

Anonymous said...

you do so well all the time!

wild tilapia was from Harris Teeter ( i don't know if you have those where you are)

This may seem weird but its mental for me! I really enjoy eating healthy. You know how so many women esp. say " oh I am going to be so bad tonight" or unexpectedly make it a cheat day when there is their favorite dessert but otherwise say " oh I did so good today"....

The way I choose what I eat is very different from that. I choose what I truly want and most of the time, its something healthy and clean restaurant or not! I love veggies and plain, unaltered foods. If you love something healthy, its easy to eat that way. So when I really truly want a hamburger, I get a hamburger and don't think twice about it because its what I really want.

If I am travelling, I usually want to try the things that are local for the fun of trying new things and because I won't be eating them at home.

Anonymous said...

Great job, I wish I can have an oz of determination when I look at chips and salsa at Mexican rest.

Sara said...

It's really interesting to hear about your clean eating, wish I had that kind of dedication!

Noodlegirl said...

OH gosh I am the worst! I alwasy say I am going to order healthy but I hardly do. Then my friends make me drink and you know what happens eat eat order more eat eat!
I normally just eat really healthy the next few days to make up for it :(

C.G. the Foodie said...

Get a broth based soup as a starter and then assess your hunger before you dig in. Enjoy the company rather than focusing on the food. Have fun!

Esi said...

Nice job staying as clean as you could.

I try to only eat only half of what is on my plate...sometimes I fail, lol.

Anonymous said...

Chips and salsa are hard for me, too! It's strange because I never think to buy them for myself, but whenever they're around I just can't stop.

When I know I'm going out to eat I try to eat some carrots or an apple beforehand so I won't be starving, and get things grilled/poached/steamed and with sauces/dressings on the side. Of course, if there's vino around, I usually have a "balls to the wall" attitude and end up eating what I want!

Good job tackling that one, girly!

Megan said...

you are doing so wonderfully with your clean eating, girl! you go!

I usually avoid overeating by thinking of how i'll feel AFTER I eat. I like to feel satisfied after I eat, but when I overdo it at restaurants, I end up feeling icky and stupid.

Anonymous said...

i think you did great!! eating clean when out is never easy, and i think you did the very best you could :D unlike me who had pasta & pizza when out last night hahahaha!

Holly said...

Waterwaterwater! I chug a lug as much as I can...usually it makes my tummy pretty full, and at least prevents me from noshing when I'm really thirsty and not hungry. (but I have to go to the bathroom a hundred times, lol). HOWever, I love me some chips and salsa (or queso....) from time to time!

Keep up the great work, girl! You are rockin' it.

Crazy Pants said...

Sounds like you did pretty well. When I'm out I try to scan the menu for the healthiest option and then put the menu down without really looking at what else is there. When the waiter comes I make sure I order first so I'm not tempted by what my friends order.

Michelle said...

I'm proud of you for challenging yourself with a difficult week/eating out. That's the hard part. Me, I usually follow the 80/20 rule, meaning I eat really clean 80% of the time and when I'm out I don't worry too much. I mean, if there's a healthy option I'll get it, but if I feel like having a burger I'll get that instead every so often.

Last night I went out and suggested my friend meet me at a place that serves great vegan food. I had beet chili with chickpeas and collards and it was AMAZING.

lauren said...

great job! I dont know how you did it with the chips and salsa...but I am inspired!

Anonymous said...

Good job with doing your best! I read this post and remembered that I forgot to put my sweet potato in my lunch bag. Argh!! I baked a few extras when the oven was hot the other night, and I meant to have on today. Oh well.

I try to watch the chips/bread basket when I go out, and I usually try to pick the healthiest looking thing on the menu. I order things on the side-- the usual tricks.

I think I may start trying to order what I really want instead of what looks healthiest and just really watching my portions. That might be the French approach? We'll see. Tonight is the perfect opportunity. I'm going out to dinner on a second date and the location is a surprise. That means I don't have time to look things up and plan ahead. I do love a challenge! :-)

Anonymous said...

restaurants are really hard for me! you did an AWESOME job there... those chips and salsa are dangerous, i could eat 10 baskets of them! you should be proud :)

Anonymous said...

your doing so well with the clean eating!! good job :)

love sweet potatos!!

Diana said...

I don't really do great when I go out to restaunts, but since I only eat out about once, maybe twice a week, I let myself relax and just order what I want. I do tend to opt for light sauces and grilled vs. fried items, but that's more out of personal preference than because I'm trying to be "good."

I'm so impressed you were able to resist the chips at the restaurant! That would have been so hard for me!

I Run for Fun said...

You have such amazing self-control. I usually eat healthy at home, but at a restaurant, God help me!

Baylee♥ said...

honestly - i can eat pretty 'clean' and light at most restaurants that offer salads - i just have to request a few things to be removed! my hugest weakness, however, is OLIVE GARDEN SALAD. other than the side salads, i think it is one of the healthiest things in the restaurant ( i order it with LF dressing and no cheese)...but i can seriously sit and eat 4-5 entire bowls of it myself...so i generally try to hold off on going to olive garden unless its for a really really special occasion :)

you did a nice job of avoiding the salsa and chips! have a great weekend!

Anonymous said...

You did wonderful! I'm so impressed! It's hard to control everything in life and I think it's great that you didn't have a hissy over the coking methods.
To be quite honest, restaurants scare me so not going overboard is easy! Homemade cookies are another story!

Sara said...

You did a great job at the restaurant! For me, it helps to have a plan, look at the menu online and pick out something to eat. Although it's not always easy when you get to the restaurant and everyone else is digging into the bread basket!!

Anonymous said...

Protein is extremely important to the body functioning properly and cell function, without it the heart and other vital organs will fail. I like that you had some steak. Healthy eating involves 3 meals each day with intake of essential proteins and vitamins!Mom