The thing about dining out is you just never know... how many calories, how much oil, how much dressing, how much sauce, how much high fat mayonnaise. And, if you're like me, you find it hard to not eat everything on your plate or stop eating a tasty meal half way through. Then add in the social control like your friends, family, or the staff thinking your too fussy... dining out is a stressfull minefield for CR.
Dining out continues to be one of my biggest struggles. It is made worse by Spring being here and friends wanting to go for coffee or meals with much greater frequency. Last week I went for coffee with someone instead of eating my normal meal at that time. I had a slice of banana bread which the staff all agreed was the healthiest and lowest calorie item in the display case and a tea latte. My calories were almost half of what my daily goal was... in one little coffee shop. And believe me, despite meeting my goals for the day, it wasn't worth it.
For the same amount of calories I would rather have had significantly more (and filling)vegetables. It would have made me feel much fuller and better overall. But somehow, it doesn't seem right to pack vegetables or salads to my favorite restaurant or coffee shop.
I want to live in a world with greater CR understanding, choices, and acceptance. Where coffee shops offer some fresh fruit and vegetables... maybe even salads. Yup, I guess I'm a dreamer.
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Too bad salads are so perishable, or else I bet they would be sold in more cafes.
ReplyDeleteYour enthusiasm is motivating. Keep posting and you'll create your CR friendly culture you're dreaming of by inspiring everyone!
You know, I should really pack some smaller items with me wherever I go. However, I resent the fact that I have to... That, and I don't like carrying anything extra around with me.
ReplyDeletebeing prepared seems like a huge part of success. But I resent that we're up against so much too.
ReplyDelete(That's partly why I'm such a francophile. In France the eating culture is so conducive to CR, which is why they're all so thin I guess.)
Well French women have a BMI of 23.2 on average accordin gto a recent article http://www.enotalone.com/article/19530.html
ReplyDeleteStill nowhere near the kind of BMI we see in those doing 'anti aging' level CR.
Matthew: According to this article: http://calorielab.com/news/2008/04/05/regional-variety-in-obesity-rates-keeps-tourists-from-knowing-the-skinny-in-france/
ReplyDeleteTaking the average doesn't make sense, since the regional variability is so high. Maybe I should have specified which regions of France I was referring to.
Also, this article: http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25378906-5014718,00.html
highlights another reason France is one of the easiest places to practice CR. (French people have a different perspective for what qualifies as thin).
Many ex-patriots that move to France, including myself (or I suppose, certain popular regions in France) loose weight because the culture there has so much healthy food protocol. Like only eating at mealtime.
It's true that times are changing, and it has been 15 years since I lived there, but it still seems like a more CR friendly food climate to me, as long as you aren't in one of the fat regions ;-)
In Hollywood and those places, we might fit in better. :)
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