Monday, July 06, 2009

Eating Out While Dieting

Margaret and I spent the weekend in Elkton at the Chapel.  Friday night we went to North East, MD to watch a blues band that included our friend Marty Miller.  Saturday afternoon a couple from York, PA came down and took us out to eat at Old Country Buffet, an all-you-can-eat place.  Sunday afternoon we went out with a driver friend of ours to a local Elkton diner.  All this while I’m on an Very Low Calorie (VLC) diet of 800 calories or less per day.  Quite a challenge.

Since I have been on this kind of diet before, I have some experience with what kinds of foods I can eat when eating out.  Of course anything fried is a no no as are all deserts except Jell-O.  Broiled/grilled fish, shell fish, and chicken are good choices if I stick to small portions.  Most veggies, fruits, and salads are also good if you don’t smother them with something high in fat or sugar.  I avoid most carbs except rice and plain baked potatoes.  Watching portions is the thing I really have to be careful about at most restaurants.  Many times I end up with a “doggie bag” for the remaining serving.

With the Lord’s help, I stayed under 700 calories per day throughout the weekend and now have an average of 672 calories per day since I began keeping my food diary.  You can see what I have been eating here.

In His name,
Chaplain Sam Houchins

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