Dining Out & Losing Weight and Note to Restaurants - Get Real

Food is a huge part of life. It's necessary to live on, it's a part of your social life, your work life, your home life, it's just inevitable and inescapable. Unless you want to be a hermit, dining out is also inevitable. One of the many things I like about Weight Watchers - they teach you how to navigate restaurants.

Now some people might say that you don't have to eat out if you don't want to but that's just not practical for me. Just in the last 2 weeks, I have attended one UMW meeting at a restaurant and one office birthday luncheon. The choice of restaurant was not my decision, and skipping the meeting/luncheon was not really an option. Now if I had wanted to appear anti-social or stuck up, I could have skipped them. I also could have eaten before I went to the UMW meeting, but being the only person not eating while 20 others are, does nothing to help with my isolationist issues.

The UMW meeting was at Johnny Carino's, an Italian place I really enjoy. I did my research ahead of time, looked over their online menu to make healthy choices before I went. Got excited when I found their Nutritional information also now online. My excitement soon turned to disappointment, disgust and then a little outrage. I figured up the WW points for several dishes on their menu, thinking a salad would be a good choice. HOLY CRAP. All of their meal-sized salads have more calories than their PIZZA. Every.Single.One. One has almost 1000 calories. They offer no low-cal or low-fat options for salad dressings. I could go on and on but it makes me nauseous. I ended up with a bowl of minestrone for 4 points, it wasn't filling and wasn't all that tasty, either.

Now I don't expect all restaurants to cater to healthier eaters, and I am not becoming a food "Nazi" , but can't they at least try lighter options? Clearly Carinos doesn't even bother. The office luncheon I went to was at Cheddar's and hooray for them, they do have some lighter options.

One bit of great and educational not to mention eye-opening reading, comes from the articles by the Eat This, Not That guy. One of the biggest offenders of chain restaurants, who makes his worst list consistently, is The Cheesecake Factory. They are notorious for their monster sized proportions loaded with fat and sodium. Finally, about 10 days ago, they came out with a "Skinnylicious" line of lighter menu options. I thought to myself, "It's About Time." BUT, just this week, on their Facebook page, they were talking about new menu items and gleefully talking about their new hamburger topped with FRIED MACARONI & CHEESE BALLS and THEN topped with a CHEESE SAUCE. Are they &@#%^*^ kidding me? If ever it was time to say SERIOUSLY? it was then. There just are no words for that. Just this morning, I saw a billboard for Jack in the Box's new Jumbo Breakfast. Again, seriously? I just looked up the nutritional information for that and it has a whopping 747 calories and 47 grams of fat. Holy cholesterol Batman.

Now I've heard restaurant spokesmen just say they are giving people what they want with the bigger portions and new menu options. I personally think that's a load of crap. Even before I was on Weight Watchers, I would have gladly paid less for a reasonably sized plate of food instead of a platter loaded down. Lots of places have Kid's menu items which are the right portion sizes for adults, but they don't allow adults to order from them.

With all the news and statistics about the growing obesity epidemic in this country, restaurants need to wake up and get with the program.

P.S. Current WW status - down 33.4 pounds, joined a gym this week and walked 4 times. Hope to make it 5-6 times this next week.