Restaurant Hack: Skip The Entree

On a virtual coaching call today, I discussed restaurant hacks to stay within daily calories, to still experience being out and being social, to still enjoy a couple of drinks guilt-free and it's simply: Skip The Entree. What I realized a long time ago is that when I sit at a restaurant and have a beer and then have another and then have an appetizer, I'm no longer hungry. Like, not at all. But I still have a whole massive dinner coming at me. The dinner comes, I eat it and feel like absolute shit. Every. Single. Time. First thing to realize about the entree is it's the source of tons of hidden calories. Restaurants don't give a rat's ass about your weight. So oils, sugars, and grains are snuck in all over the place. All of which are usually low grade GMO nonsense I might add. 1000+ calories is no problem at any given restaurant dinner and that's not including apps, drinks, bread, and if you still have it in you, dessert. When you leave, you're in 2000-3000 calories. You feel like shit, your buzz is gone, and you spent enough money to have bought an entire load of actual groceries. It works against you. To burn this off you'd need to get up the next morning and literally run a 1/2 marathon. So now I just get my drinks as an app, I get my app as a dinner, and when my kid gets dessert, I may even get a 3rd drink and a second spoon. 3 beers + shrimp cocktail or raw bar and a salad (dressing on the side, hold the candied nuts) and 2 bites of a dessert is 700 calories or so. Not 2500. If all I have is 3 beers and a big plate of raw bar or shrimp cocktail and a salad, my total intake is not at all damaging. I can still enjoy being out. Hope this helps someone that enjoys going out for a casual drink with friends or family! Pic from 22 Bowen's Wine Bar & Grille in Newport. We go every Christmas season!