I'm going to talk about one of my weight loss road blocks today: EATING OUT!
We went out to dinner with family this evening. We had all been to my nephew's football game earlier... so we stopped at a local Mexican restaurant on the way home. It was a special time. It was delicious. But, it wasn't really something out of the ordinary.
We eat out A LOT. Growing up both C and I had mother's who cooked at home pretty much every meal. I honestly don't remember going out to eat much for just a regular meal. We went out to eat occasionally, but it was always for someone's birthday or because family was in.
But now? It seems like that is all we do. It's super convenient for C and I to go pick up a salad or fajitas. We can usually share, so we argue that it's cheaper than going to the store to pick up all the ingredients for whatever meal. And, it's way easier (and no mess to clean up!).
Just because it's easier doesn't mean it's healthier. I'm not even sure it ends up being any less expensive in the long run. And, something that C and I have discussed a lot lately? It's so mundane.
I remember a trip to McD's was a treat when I was little. I'm sure I still went more than some others did... but not enough for it to be routine. So when I went? It was enjoyable. And when I got older, there were certain restaurants here that I sort of thought were "fancy". However, we soon found out that if we went and shared the fajitas or a platter... it was really reasonable. So these "special" places became once a week staples.
And now? We are burnt out. The other night we were out late running errands. We didn't have anything at home to cook or even throw together (unless you have a recipe for a hearty dinner made of an old apple and some oatmeal?). C didn't want to go to the store to get anything, so we decided to pick up something and take it home.
Um. One problem. NOTHING SOUNDED GOOD. Nothing. That is how you know you eat out too much. I think we ended up getting side salads or something.
I knew then that something has got to change. Even when we try to order healthy, we really have no control over how our food is prepared. And the freebie sides like bread and chips and salsa are just too hard to deny some times.
So, this week we are focusing on meal planning. I'm going to try to channel my inner domestic diva and prepare healthy, home cooked meals for the hubs and I this week. I think it will help our budget. I'm also praying it will help in our weight loss quest.
Do y'all eat out a lot? What are some of your favorite recipes!! Please share!
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We used to eat out alot, but one of our Family Goals is to stay within our budget so we have become Sunday food preppers. We buy a giant bag of frozen chicken breasts, a fajita mix, and a frozen bag of bell pepper strips. I don't mind eating the same things over and over again so we eat a ton of fajita style chicken all week. I throw it on salad for lunch, pita bread, whole wheat tortillas, brown rice, etc... It's easy. Budget friendly. I also find that if I have food prepped at home, I feel guilty eating out and am more likely to just take my butt home! Stay on the journey! You've got this!!
ReplyDeleteOh, we love that recipe! That is actually something we did a bunch when was losing weight before. We need to get back to doing that again!!
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