It isn’t impossible to stick to your diet while eating out, but the habit of going out to eat a lot during your weight loss program will certainly make things more difficult for you. If you are going to eat out after weight loss surgery, you need to be prepared with healthy strategies that will keep you focused and on-track for success. The best thing you can do is make an effort to eat-in by preparing healthy meals for you and your whole family.

The Problems with Dining Out

One of the best strategies that you can adopt when you are trying to lose weight is to start dining in more often. Eating out isn’t just expensive, it opens the door to empty calorie consumption (refills, anyone?). Even if you show up at the restaurant with the best intentions to eat healthy, there are so many unknowns lurking in the pages of the menu that you are bound to find yourself eating more than you would at home.

What are the primary issues with eating out? Restaurants are notorious for:

• Presenting oversized portions
• Offering a large variety of foods that are fried or loaded with calorie-laden add-ons, like cheese or butter
• Endless refills of sugary beverages like soda, sweet tea or lemonade.

Even if you don’t love to cook, learning how to prepare a few basic meals at home can help you take control over your diet and help you cut a good amount of excess calories from your daily intake totals. When you are looking for recipes, focus on meals that feature lean proteins that are grilled and accompanied with plenty of steamed or sautéed vegetables.

Pay close attention to the dietary guidelines that your weight loss surgeon and nutrition team provide you regarding the best foods that you should eat following weight loss surgery. Eating foods that are nutrient dense is incredibly important, as your stomach only has enough room for a small amount of food. Your favorite restaurant staples are often filled with filler calories from bread or oils, and your post- weight loss surgery diet just doesn’t have room for that.

You don’t need to be a pro in the kitchen to start cooking at home. Start small and work your way up from there. A few simple recipes featuring steamed vegetables and grilled chicken is the perfect place to get started with a new habit of dining in.