Dining on a Diet: 4 Easy Mistakes

One of the things I like to do is share my stupid mistakes so YOU don’t REPEAT THEM! Yep, I am not afraid to tell you just how bad I blew it. I may be a fitness professional, and although I know a lot about nutrition, calories and weight management, I still make poor choices from time to time. The only reason I am not as big as a cow is because 1.) I look for mistakes (meaning, I hold myself accountable, I look up calories and I look for the truth (facts). 2.) I work my mistakes off. 3.) I learn from my mistakes. 4.) I apply what I learn (a lot of people learn a lot about improving their eating, but they don’t apply it).

The difference between my mistakes and other people making mistakes is I make them less often. Where I may totally blow it occasionally, some people are blowing it every week, or every other day. Those mistakes add up if going unnoticed, and that is when weight gain happens – or why people can’t lose weight despite all their work in the gym.

So, here’s the story. I had family in town last night so we all decided to go to Outback for dinner. I’m not dieting right now so I was already going in knowing I was going to treat myself – which means I plan on having that yummy salad they have and a baked potato instead of broccoli. Let me stop right here and tell you this: If I had looked up the calories ahead of time (like I tell EEEEEVERYONE else), I would have not chosen what I ordered. The damage way exceeded what I would have allowed myself if I had known in advance.

Mistake #1: I didn’t look up the calories BEFORE I ordered.

As I’m looking at the menu, I had pretty much settled on getting just a small steak, baked potato and side salad. BUT, Steve (yes, I’m throwing him right under that big blame bus) said, “why don’t you get the Outback 4 Special, the 4-course meal for $15?“. Well, I almost felt stupid if I DIDN’T get that. What a deal right? WRONG! It was a baaaaad deal – and I have news for you! It cost WAY more than $15. It cost me $15 to eat it and it’s going to cost me plenty more in valuable time to burn it off!

Mistake #2: I let someone or something (tempting menu item or deals) to change my mind!

So here’s what I ended up eating. NOTE: I never, NEVER, NEEEVER get dessert, BUT it came with the “package”. Thank you Outback for trying to fatten me up. You not only Biggie Sized my meal, you Biggie Sized ME! Yes, I have a choice and could have chosen better, but your “good deal” sucked me in and I took the ugly bate. Yep, you caught me, hook line, and sinker!

What I ordered:

• Sparkling water with lime: 1 calories
• White Bean & Sausage Soup: 162 calories
• Blue Cheese & Pecan Chopped Salad: 559 calories (WHAT?! U HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME?!!)
• 6oz Steak: 254 calories
• Baked Potato with Sour Cream & Butter: 313 calories
• Carrot Cake: 320 calories

TOTAL DAMAGE: 1,878 CALORIES!!!!!!

Mistake #3: By eating less, I talked myself into thinking I was doing OK. 

What I actually ate:

• Sparkling Water with Lime: 0 Calories
• I Ate ALL of My White Bean & Sausage Soup: 162 calories
• I Ate ALL of My Blue Cheese & Pecan Chopped Salad: 559 calories (BIG mistake!)
• 1/2 My 6oz Steak: 127 calories
• 1/2 My Baked Potato with Sour Cream & Butter: 156 calories
• 1/4 of My Carrot Cake: 80 calories

TOTAL DAMAGE: 1,084 CALORIES – STILL AWFUL!!
(I saved 800 calories, but STILL have to run 10 miles to erase the damage!!)

Mistake #4: I ordered something I really loved – and took it home.

Really? That doesn’t belong in my house. That’s what I call “planning to fail”. Why didn’t I just let everyone at the table taste it. Why? Because I freakin’ LOVE carrot cake.

Moral of the Story…

Listen, if I had been amazing with my diet lately, this whole catastrophe wouldn’t have mattered – but I haven’t been good with my diet. I’ve been “off” my diet for several weeks and this week was supposed to mark my start of getting my act together after my vacations and being sick.

So, this mistake set me back a few MORE days. In the big scheme of things, it really is not that big of a deal IF it only happens occasionally, but this is a perfect example of how many people are “try” to make good choices – and they wonder why they can’t lose weight.

Why Good Intentions Don’t Cut It:

The above is proof that good intentions aren’t enough even when someone:

• Orders water instead of wine
• Avoids the bread and butter
• Chooses a vegetable based soup instead of a cream based soup
• Chooses salad over blooming onions or other greasy appetizers
• Orders grilled meat, instead of a saucy dish
• Picks whole foods for sides, instead of casseroles or fried sides
• Eats half the meal
• Has only a few bites of dessert instead of eating the whole thing

Even after ALL THAT, they STILL are eating WAY too many calories. 

Next time you eat out, think of me, sitting at the computer the next morning, looking up calories from the night before and tallying the damage. Even though the food was good, I can honestly say it wasn’t worth what it will take to work it off. I see a lot of exercise in my future.

#FAIL