How to Dine Out and Still Lose Weight

By April Hussar,SELF magazine

It seems like the quickest way to ruin your diet is to go out to dinner -- all those choices, the wine list, the dessert menu ... yum! But a new study, published in the current edition of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, shows that with a certain technique, you can dine out to your heart's content, and still slim down to your skinny jeans' content.

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So what's the secret? According to researchers from The University of Texas at Austin, it's all in your mind. Literally. Using mindful eating techniques, the study's subjects were able to dine out regularly (as per their usual patterns) over a period of six weeks and not only not gain weight, but lose it!

Wow. What's going on here? SELF's Eat Like Me blogger, Sarah-Jane Bedwell, R.D., says she's not at all surprised at the results of the study. "I constantly tell my clients that how we eat is just as important as what we eat," she says. "Eating only when we are truly hungry and stopping at the first sign of fullness sounds easy, but it takes practice. And it is essential for losing weight and keeping it off."

Granted, it can be harder to be mindful when you're out at a restaurant, tempted by the various treats on the menu and, perhaps, mellowed by a glass of wine. "I think most people feel like making healthy choices out can be significantly harder than making healthy choices at home," says Bedwell. "There are many reasons for this -- bigger portion sizes, more to choose from, use of more butter, frying, etc."

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But if you know about these challenges going in to it, and plan ahead for how you're going to make smart choices when ordering, then you've already won the battle. "Look up menus online before you go out so you can make a thoughtful decision about what to order and not an impulsive one," says Bedwell.

Bedwell's other tips for being mindful in a restaurant: Stop at the first sign of fullness -- just because they bring you a large portion doesn't mean you have to eat it all in one sitting! Bedwell recommends splitting a dish with a friend or boxing up half for later. And finally, put your fork down between bites. "Eat slowly and truly savor your meal," she says.

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If you want to become a more mindful eater, Bedwell says you can start by doing these five things every time you eat, whether you're at a restaurant or grabbing a snack in between a Modern Family marathon:

1. Eat only when you are truly, physically hungry.

2. Eat off of a plate (not out of a bag or box).

3. Eat sitting down, not standing up.

4. Eat without distractions (no reading, TV watching, driving, working, etc.).

5. Stop eating at the first sign of fullness.

"I believe these are the main principles of mindful eating," says Bedwell. "It works because we become more aware of what we are eating, why we are eating and how much we are eating."

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