Major accomplishment!

Last night, I had gone out to Angelo's Pizza with a few girls from work. I was pretty nerve wrecked all day about what I was going to eat. Basically, making a big deal out of the nothing.

Angelo's menu is really heavy , rich, Italian food (which is my favorite, btw). I was browsing the menu pretty overwhelmed wondering how many calories were in these dishes.

Anyways, I had ordered a grilled chicken grinder on a wheat wrap with lettuce and tomato. I opted for an oil and vinegar dressing instead of a mayo or any other high calorie dressing. I was gonna do Sangria with my dinner, but chose White Zinfandel instead. Yes, White Zin is still a sweet wine but generally less sugar and calories than Sangria.
The best part is, the other girls ordered a pizza with pepperoni and bacon on it. If this were me 6 months ago, I would have chowed hardcore. However, I found myself more disgusted by the grease than anything.

Here is what I did to prepare for my outing....

1. Eat a low calorie/high protein breakfast, lunch and a snack in between. Protein keeps you full for hours, and this will leave enough calories to indulge a little.
2. Browse the menu before going out, it helps to have an idea of what you are going to eat instead of ordering something under pressure. Under pressure ordering leads to poor choices.
3. Look for things on the menu that have vegetables as it's main flavor and lean meats like chicken. Anything that says sauteed or steamed...and if you opt for pasta get something is made with a regular marinara sauce, those cream sauces are loaded with fat and calories. Of course, watch your portion size. ;)
   
4. Don't be afraid to ask for substitutions or a doggie bag with your food. Out of sight, out of mind.
   
5. If you decide on drinking alcohol, choose one that isn't packed with sugar.
6. Drink a lot of water before leaving the house. If you have a belly full of water, generally you can't scarf down as much food without feeling a little sick. It forces you to eat slow
7. Most important, focus on the social activity at hand. After all, that IS the reason you are going out in the first place.