10 KEYS FOR WEIGHT LOSS & NUTRITION SUCCESS IN RESTAURANTS AND ON VACATION

purple banana coffee pancakes & drunk pizza

​We all love treating ourselves to a meal out with fam and friends, or taking a well-deserved vacation chock full of treats and social media-led food excursions to try purple banana coffee pancakes with fruity pebbles sprinkles, pizza, donuts or all of the above! When you have health, fitness and performance goals and are following a nutrition and training program these are often the times things go off the rails. We go from a week of feeling good, sticking to our training sessions, and eating healthy with 2 pounds down to a wild Saturday night out, an extra 3 cookies, drunk pizza and a ride home with our pants unbuttoned. Now the scale shows 3 pounds gained...

Eating out is strongly linked to overeating and making poor food choices. Nights out on the town and vacations are TOUGH because they break our routine. And when we’re out of this routine we tend to opt for what looks good, what’s easy, or what’s convenient. BUT, worry not, because there ARE strategies out there that you can use to ensure you’re not compromising progress you've made or wasting any hard work you've put in. In this guide I’ll share some of my best practices for eating healthy at restaurants and on vacation so you can both enjoy yourself AND continue making progress towards your goals!

Let's take 5 minutes to run through these strategies that’ll help you navigate the delicious and dangerous options at your restaurant of choice next time you're out on the town or when you escape for adventure on that well-deserved getaway!

PSA: Eating out is hands-down one of mine and Jen's (my wife!) favorite things to do together so I'm not going to take that away from anyone! Fortunately, just because I might be trying to lose fat for a photoshoot OR add quality muscle tissue for a competition DOES NOT mean I can't make fun choices that won't impact my health and fitness results when Jen and I hit up her favorite gnocchi spot!

keys for restaurants.

1. ​Plan Ahead: If you’re going somewhere you’ve never been before, make sure to check the menu before you go. Most menus are online so you can start to plan what you might order ahead of time. Make it easy and pick a place that has simple whole food options to make better choices, like BBQ or Mediterranean for example. You can even call the restaurant if you want more details on their menu or specific items (is X fried, does Y have a cream-based sauce, how much protein does Z have, etc).
2. Stay Hydrated: Drink a glass of water before getting to the restaurant. Having a bit of liquid in your tummy can curb gnarly hunger cravings and aid in the digestion process! No more food babies.
3. Don't Show up Ravenously Hungry: Try having a small healthy snack beforehand: a handful of nuts, carrots or berries. When we go in starving, we’re going to overeat.
4. Limit Alcohol to Special Occasions: Drinking has a STRONG correlation to choosing foods that are not the healthiest. If you have to, pick one or the other, 1-2 drinks OR the cowboy hamburger and fries.
5. Request a To-Go Container When You Order: Before you start eating, pack away 1/4 of what’s on the plate and save it. Don’t worry, you can always eat some later if you’re still hungry and saved too much.
6. Craft a Healthy Plate: Lean protein, a hearty portion of veggies or fruit, some carbs and a healthy source of fat.
7. Walk & Move!: Take a walk before and/or after eating, park farther away, stay on your feet while you wait for a table, stand and eat if that’s an option! Try to add in some activity if you know you’re going to eat a big meal.
8. Avoid the "All-or-Nothing" Mentality: Treat yourself here and there to foods and indulgences you REALLY look forward to and pass on those that aren't your absolute faves.
9. Eat Slower: See my strategies for enjoying your meal below!
10. Customize Your Order: See my tips for ordering below!

keys for vacations.

1. Bring the Essentials: 
   • Pack water
   • vitamins
   • protein powder
   • healthy snack options: nuts, jerky, hard boiled eggs, veggies, fruit, sugar-free lunch meat, RX bars, etc
2. Stay Hydrated: Make sure you’re well hydrated. Many times, hunger can disguise itself as thirst! 
3. Limit Alcohol to Special Occasions: You might not need to grab a beer every time you stop at the gas station or go to visit your neighbor’s house. 
4. Get in the Habit of Eating Breakfast: Include a serving of lean protein and veggies if possible!
5. Make Sleep a Priority!
6. Get Your Fam & Friends on the Same Page: Tell those who are with you know that you’re trying to be mindful of your nutrition and want to make good decisions during vacation. They love you! They’ll support you.
7. Sneak in Some Exercise When You Can!: 20 minutes of movement makes a HUGE difference. 20 squats and a MAX plank hold before you shower, 20 pushups and 20 situps when you wake up, etc. Reach out to me if you want my On-The-Go training plan!
8. Avoid the "All-or-Nothing" Mentality: You REALLY want that flourless chocolate cake for dessert, so why not order an appetizer and a salad for your main course instead of the 16oz ribeye with marshmallow sweet potato casserole? Balance is the key.
9. When Eating Out on Vacation: See the points listed above!

strategies for ordering.

1. Check How a Dish is Prepared: Is it fried, grilled, baked or poached? Eggs are a classic example. Try to opt for poached, boiled or baked over fried eggs doused in fat. Steamed, grilled, roasted or poached are generally healthier. Dishes that are described as fried, crispy, crunchy or sautéed are likely to contain more calories.
2. Ask for Dressings/Sauces on the Side: This way you control the amount you want, you can dress food yourself and know it’s on the healthier side. Ask for olive oil and balsamic vinegar, or even opt for no dressing/sauce at all.
3. See if Vegetables Can be Ordered Without Butter, Dressing, etc: You can ask to have melted butter or olive oil on the side so you know how much you’re adding.
4. Consider Ordering 2 Apps Instead of 1 App & 1 Main: There are many combinations you can try for a more portion-controlled choice. If you’re still hungry after eating you can always order more later. It’s easier to remain on track by adding more to your meal than ordering too much, stuffing yourself and trying to clean your plate.
5. Share Your Meal with Someone Else!: Jen and I often order a salad, an appetizer and a main to split! Most times this ends up being WAY less than 2 mains and an appetizer. We get to pass the plates and share and often enjoy more conversation! This results in slowing our roll, chewing more thoroughly, we feel full quicker, ate less in the end and had more fun! No ride home with pants unbuttoned!
6. Avoid Creamy Sauces: Instead opt for a tomato sauce or another lower calorie option.
7. Opt for Espresso, Fresh Fruit & Whip Instead of Dessert: Oftentimes we’re full from the actual meal and know we don’t really need a dessert, which will come laden with sugar and high in calories. If you do want to join in on dessert, look for a sorbet, fruit based or lighter option.
8. You Can’t Go Wrong with Protein & Veggies: The protein will help you feel full while the vegetables offer vitamins and minerals to add in digestion and support general health while being less in calories with most other side options.
9. Vegan, Vegetarian and Organic Don’t Always Mean Healthier: Remember, chocolate is vegan in most cases! Consider the dish as a whole: does it contain a balance of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats? Many vegan dishes are made up of nut substitutes so these can be higher in calories.
10. Don’t be Shy Asking for Healthy Food Substitutions: You’re paying for the meal and tipping for the service at the end of the day! See my Go-To food swaps below!

strategies for eating with intention. the art of sitting down to eat.

1. Take 2 More Chews for Each Bite: Eating slower, chewing for longer and pulverizing your food more thoroughly aids in digestion and helps your body to better recognize cues that you’re full.
2. Set Your Utensil Down Between Bites: Similar to the above, by giving your body time to recognize fullness and send signals upstairs to the brain, you’ll find you may not need to finish your whole plate or go back for seconds or thirds.
3. Alternate Between Food & Drink: Take a bite of food then a small sip of water or 2 bites of food and 1 sip of water. This helps to slow us down and draw out the meal.
4. Enjoy Your Company!: Typically we eat out to enjoy time with people - whether it be your significant other, family, a loved one or friends. There’s no need to rush! Make the most of your time together by having conversation, taking your time, and savoring the meal.
5. Pass On the Bread Basket: Unless it’s special bread (of course), these are often just empty calories that add up quickly.
6. Take Breaks Here & There to See if You’re Full: This is definitely easier said than done, but every 3 to 4 minutes take a brief pause, set your fork down and silently ask yourself, Am I still hungry? More often than not we tend to eat unconsciously on autopilot and try to finish everything on our plate. Listen to your body and try to stop eating when you need to. Get the rest of your plate to go! Boom, tomorrow’s lunch!

handy-dandy food swaps.

• French Fries: Swap these out for an extra portion of veggies or for potatoes that are steamed, baked or boiled.
• Fatty Meats: Try a leaner cut like sirloin or opt for poultry, or fish.
• Creamy Sauces: Look for a tomato or vegetable based sauce.
• Soda: I love sparkling water with lemon or lime. Ask if the bartender can make you a lower calorie version of a drink you want!
• Alcohol: Ask your bartender for soda water with bitters! Bitters is great for your digestion and gives us that herbal, alcohol-like flavor.
• Fried Foods: Ask for baked, boiled or steamed alternatives.

PLEASE share this today with anyone you think it could help! Most importantly, LET ME KNOW what you try, what works for you, what doesn’t, and how it’s improved your life, health, fitness and performance!

You can find me @tomanocy on Instagram and through my business site exploreperformancehq.com. Feel free to reach out to me for any training, nutrition or coffee thoughts and make sure to tag me in any pics of your doggos! I’m a sucker for a light roast with half & half, and a good time at the dog park. Cheers!