Food Plan: Imaginary dinner guest

So there was this girl and she went in a bar. Well, it wasn't really a bar. It was Macaroni Grill for my beautiful friend's 25th birthday! It wasn't really a girl, but a nice, older gal who is attempting to get in shape. It was fun to be out, but as soon as the waiter put the menu in front of me I thought okay here goes vacation day 1.

First, you get the vino menu. There was Sorrento Lemonades, Perfect Martinis, Savignon, and the popular drink of the night: Long Island Ice Tea. This was easy for me to get around. I am not a big drinker, and I had to drive myself home.

Then, they bring the bread. That bread really wanted to commune with me. It was the same size as my hand. I even considered putting a loaf in my bag, but I was dressed so I brought my little hand bag. Diet safe so far.

Now, the waiter brings THE MENU. I wasn't even hungry, but I came with a plan. No matter what I was not over eating so I put my plan in place. I pretended that I was sitting in between my trainer and the girl who was  on the front of this month's  Shape Magazine. I had decided early that I was going to eat what my imaginary dinner guests ate. (They didn't touch the bread.)  I looked over the menu. Really over it, like right past the pasta di mare, baked four cheese pasta, lasagna bolognese, and the mezzaluna pizza. I kept looking all the way  . . . to the warm spinach and shrimp salad.

The waiter brought it to me and it was beautiful! It really looked like a work of art. It looked so healthy and guilt-free! It was fresh and had boiled shrimp dribbled across the top. It was touched with just the right amount of olive oil and herbs. It was so tasty! I ate it, and I was full. (The Shape Magazine girl ordered the same thing. My trainer didn't eat, but went over in the corner and did crunches .)

I really enjoyed the company with my real life friends and my salad. Then the waiter brings the dessert menu and the coffee menu. He did. That took a lot of nerve don't you think? Did I want tiramisu or cheesecake? Then lots of coffees. Well, I looked and the Shape Magazine girl shook her head and said, "No thank you." I went with her. My trainer was now doing power jumps.

Day 1 vacation saved by my plan! Try taking them to dinner sometime. You make the healthy choices and leave guilt free. When you are in a restaurant you have to have a plan. When you are trying to eat healthy, you have to have a plan. If you don't, then you walk into a restaurant and you are too tempted by all those foods on the menu. Without an eating plan you find yourself hungry at 7:00 pm standing in front of the fridge or pantry thinking about what you want to eat. Then out of hunger, desperation, or maybe you are just exhausted from a busy day you reach for the first quick thing you can find. That  food item is probably not a good choice for you. That choice is not going to help you reach your goals.

Go ahead. Come up with a plan. We plan everything else in life don't we? I know where I will be on July 22nd at 11:00am. Why not a food plan? You don't have to invite imaginary friends with you everywhere, but it makes it more fun!