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I recently spent 10 days in Italy where I had a ton of pasta, pizza, cheese, pastries, and wine, only got in one actual workout, and I 1000% enjoyed myself without feeling guilty about any of it. Before going on the trip I had set up some guidelines/tips for myself (which I’ll talk about below) but one of the things that I had honestly truly accepted is that if I gain weight/fat on this trip then it will be worth it. I was NOT going to restrict myself on the trip of a lifetime because I didn’t want the scale to go up when I got home. And I think this mentality helped me execute my travel tips because I had put the pressure off of myself to be perfect and taken the anxiety of what I was eating away. As a fitness coach, I just know that there can always be a time dedicated to trimming fat if necessary and this trip wasn’t my time. As someone whose overall body goal is to just maintain and do a more slow consistent body recomp (where I focus on building fat burning muscle year round and then do a 6 week mini cut 1-2 times a year) and with this goal, I already have planned for myself to do a cut in the New Year so if I gained a few lbs on this trip or even over the holidays then I’m not going to feel any type of shame about it but instead know that those lbs came from memories that I wouldn’t want to replace. But with all of that said, I also didn’t want to spend my vacation stuffing my face or eating everything in sight which could have made me feel too full and physically sick because that would have ruined the experience also! So how did I spend 10 days in Italy without feeling restricted AND without gaining weight? Read below:

1. Having a Nutrition Game Plan

This trip was my second time traveling to Europe and what I learned from last time is that while it’s easier when traveling in the US to find more macro balanced dishes with protein and veggies, in Europe it’s a different story. The last time I went I tried to limit myself to getting more high protein and veggie meals (even though it was hard to find) but this time I accepted that enjoying moderate amounts of pizza and pasta will be 1000% worth it and great for my mental health and happiness in fully enjoying this trip 🤗🙌 BUT I did want to supplement what I may be missing from my normal diet (which was protein and veggies) which is why I’m brought the following:

✅ @questnutrition Protein powders and shaker 💪 I had a protein drink for breakfast each morning which worked out since breakfast isn’t big in Europe anyways .
✅ @amazinggrass Sweet Berry Greens (I LOVE to EAT and not drink greens 😅 but these actually taste pretty good! I had a scoop on days I felt like I didn’t get 🌿)
✅ @vitalproteins Collagen Peptides to help with getting in some additional protein in my greens drink .
✅ @heronutritionals Complete Women’s Multivitamin Gummies (This is the only supplement I take daily because I try to get most of my nutrients from whole foods)

Also I also brought some jerky and protein bars for the plane and to have as additional protein snacks/breakfast

Having this game plan took the pressure off of me needing to keep up with having more macro balanced meals and let me truly enjoy myself and the experience. But I did want to make getting in protein a priority in the morning because having a balanced amount of protein helps with managing fullness and hunger cues which was important for me to be aware of when I was eating my actual meals.

2. Adjusting Meal Timing

I think that most people in the US eat 3-4 times a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack) and that’s something I typically do also. I eat 4 moderate size meals every 3-4 hours each day which keep me fueled and full and also allow me to satisfy different palate cravings I may be having each day (salty, spicy, sweet, etc.) but when traveling I was realistic in knowing that I was going to be having heavier and larger meals and wanting to try more dishes when we were at a restaurant, so besides having a protein shake or bar for breakfast, I just stuck to have 2 meals per day which ranged from being 6-8 hours apart. Our “lunch” was typically around 2 and “dinner” was about 9 (which is pretty common in Europe!) and this works out well when wanting to explore cities! We could fuel up and then explore, and not have to worry about being hungry which could take away from other nonfood moments of our trip. And yes, there were some nonfood moments 🤣

3. Making Each Meal Fueling and Satisfying

My biggest goal with myself and clients is for us to fully embrace a concept I’ve come up with about food in which we can ask what portion is going to “fuel our bodies and satisfy our cravings”. And what this looks typically is knowing that about 80% of the time, I need to eat nutrient dense foods because they fuel my body and health, and of course I try to make them delicious and enjoyable (that’s kind of how my page got started 😉 ) But I also want to make sure that we are also satisfying our cravings, which means having any treat or drink without feeling guilty or deprived. While traveling, making each meal fueling and satisfying was a little different. Since most of the dishes weren’t super nutrient dense, the fueling part I focused on was looking at a dish and being realistic with what portion was going to leave me fueled and not too full. I had to be aware that I wanted to leave the meal not feeling sluggish so if there was bread on the table and also 2 courses coming, then I knew that probably 1 slice of bread and 1/2 or 2/3 of each course was going to fuel and satisfy me. For pasta dishes that had protein, I opted to have all of the protein and half of the pasta. For large sandwiches I had a couple bites with both pieces of bread and then removed the top half to eat it open faced. For gelato and pastries, I got the mini sizes which allowed me to feel fully satisfied.

But I want to be honest that I didn’t always get it right! Some meals I left feeling WAY too full because of an impromptu dessert that was on the house because the power went out on the block, but actually getting too full from that meal was part of the experience because we were able to try some yummy desserts and have an incredible conversation with the owner for an hour until the power came back on. The times I left feeling too full, I accepted that they were worth it because they were either part of the experience or it was something that I could learn from.

4. Staying Hydrated

Staying hydrated directly lends itself to feeling what portions are going to leave you full. I’ve had tons of clients tell me they’re always hungry even when it seems like they’re eating more than enough, and it often comes back to them not drinking enough water. Water helps with digestion and absorption, and I’ve legit had meals that I didn’t feel that full from and then I drank a glass of water after and felt SO full! So on this trip (and pretty much always) I made sure to keep my water intake SUPER high! After having a couple bites of a dish I would put down my fork (or slice) and drink some water. When taking that drink, I could examine my plate and check in with my body’s fullness signals to see if I was reaching the point of a dish that would properly fuel and satisfy me. I also made sure to drink a lot of water throughout the day because we were doing so much walking (which I get into below) because staying hydrated also helps keep you energized.

With staying hydrated, I want to take a moment to talk about alcohol. If you don’t drink then you can skip over this part, but I think vacation comes with the hopes of wanting to relax and for many this can mean enjoying alcohol. And I 100% had at least 2 drinks a day but tried to regulate it to be no more than 4. And this was because I wanted enjoy and be in each moment instead of having it be all blurry. Most of my drinks were also pretty much all wine which has a lower alcohol content (and calories) so enjoying a couple glasses didn’t leave me feeling sick or extremely drunk…though there was one time I did if I’m extremely honest 😳 but hey, like I stated above I tried to just accept that if I overdid it, it was either worth or it was something I could learn from. And with wine drinking, I also made sure to try to have a glass of water in between drinks to help with staying level headed because I’m definitely someone who will eat past fullness if I drink too much and both will leave me feeling sick 😣

5. Staying Active

I’m embarrassed to say that even as a fitness professional, I am sitting most of the day when I’m home and I average 1,500 steps a day 😳 when I was in Italy I was averaging 15,000 steps a day! That’s 10 times more than normal! Now this is according to my iPhone which may be a little less accurate than a fitbit or apple watch, but either way I know I was doing a TON of walking which is SO easy in Europe because there’s so much to see! Hotels/homes, restaurants, and museums are all in the same vicinity so it’s just natural to walk everywhere. When I’m home my workout routine is typically 4 days a week strength training and I only do actual extra “cardio” when I’m in a cutting phase which is not right now lol but instead my strength training with compound movements accelerates my heart rate which aids in my cardiovascular health. And I just bring this up to say that while I actually only did one “workout” with mini bands ( I had thought if I had more time then I would do more but it just didn’t work out that way) but I think the increase in my walking for this trip played a HUGE roll in keeping me from gaining weight despite the pasta, pizza, and wine I was consuming regularly. And while I think the other tips I’ve given can be applied to most traveling, I think this one can only lend itself to traveling abroad or in metropolitan cities in the the US like New York or San Francisco. I’d suggest when booking where you’ll stay for trips, to try to make in centralized to where you want to visit in that city so that walking is enjoyable and doable.

Some final thoughts…

I think something else to point out that could also contribute to why it’s totally possible to travel to Europe and not gain weight is that fact that everything is locally sourced and fresher. Their meat isn’t pumped with antibiotics and their grains don’t have preservatives, this means easier digestion. Their portion sizes are also generally smaller which leads into the culture. Because while it was easy for me to be in some of these booming cities and not think about the real lifestyles of that the people that live there, I had a conversation with the Chef we took our cooking class from and she informed us that pasta made with eggs was a luxury and typically done once a week (with the other days pasta being made with flour, water, and oil). This is because Italy is still considered a poor country which was eye opening to me in just realizing that this could be a contributing factor in that their culture overall doesn’t seem to lead to obesity. Most may not be ale to afford to have 3 larger meals a day with snacks or afford a car or a home/apartment that has a parking spot so walking everywhere is just part of life. And that’s definitely not to say that living a more simple life like this isn’t lovely because I thoroughly loved every minute in Italy, but it’s just very different from the States. I honestly didn’t see anyone obese that was a local, and while I also didn’t see anyone super “fit” or like they lifted weights because I never saw a gym, but I left with the perception that while they may be eating more of what we could consider in America “fun foods” they’re NEAT (Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis) is high enough and their portions are moderate to let this be a healthy lifestyle.

So with all of that said…

What should you do if you come home from a vacation and did gain weight? First of all DO NOT freak out! Instead be kind to yourself and check out my 5 Tips On How to Feel Your Best After Too Much Indulgence . And also, it’s good to note to wait a few days after a trip to weigh in. If you were on a trip that you were eating maybe more salty foods, not having regular bowl movements, not having regular sleep, or if you had to fly home, these are all factors which can cause water retention and weight fluctuation which can level out after a few days back to routine. This is how I determined that I didn’t gain any weight as I waited a few days to weigh in once I was getting back to my normal eating and routine.

Did you find this post helpful? Comment below or contact me 🙂

Need guidance with finding balance with food and exercise? Want coaching with macros/nutrition and/or personal training from me, a Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist? Check out my coaching services which range from me just setting up macros and training programs to macros with meal ideas to more in-depth one-on-one coaching that involves 24/7 email access to me and weekly check-ins.

*This post was created by Ashley Cates who is not a Registered Dietician or a Medical Professional, nothing said should be taken as medical advice or replace any advice given by a Physician. This information does not in any way intend to diagnose or treat any health condition/disorder. The information provided is based on Ashley’s education and experience.

“When is it time to stop a fat loss phase?” “How and when should you reverse diet?” 2 questions I got a few weeks ago that I thought have similar answers so I’m combining them here and giving my very personal example of why I waited too long to stop my weight loss phase and first reverse diet. 

(*Note: Majority of the beginning of this post is copied from My Journey to Balance as I found it relevant, you can read about why I initially gained weight and more about my journey here)

Extreme & Unnecessary Measures

Top left photo is me at my lowest weight in November 2016, I had lost 40 lbs by doing a program with extreme measures which required me to be eating extremely “clean” and low calorie and not allowing myself any flexibility to eat anything that I didn’t cook. I was also doing hour long spin classes 10 times a week! To get to my lowest weight, I had secluded myself from events or I would eat all of my meals prior to any event I needed to go to, or worse…bring tupper ware with me to restaurants. I was starving and tired all of the time. I would spend the little energy I had in the gym. I remember not going to my boyfriend’s birthday event because I just didn’t have the energy for it. I had smiled through the suffering because I thought it was necessary and was so proud of myself that my “will power was so strong”. And these measures did (of course) lead me to my goal because I was in a severe calorie deficit, BUT I’ve learned since through my education and continued experience with myself and clients that those extreme measures were completely unnecessary and that fat loss CAN happen with a moderate deficit that’s not detrimental to your physical or mental health. 

But back then I was naive and  “happy” because I had reached my goal weight, but I was tiny with no energy from overexercising and under eating, and probably the worst part was that I had reached my goal weight a week before Thanksgiving…so I went into the holidays being at my goal weight but with NO IDEA how to maintain it. The program I had done didn’t come with an exit strategy, so I thought to keep the weight off I must have to continue what I had been doing. I knew I could relax “a little” so I let up on just doing spin 5 days a week and then went into the holidays continuing to “eat clean” during the week, but then on the weekends/parties would eat and drink everything in sight. Then I would add in more cardio because “I needed to burn off those weekend calories,” it was a never ending cycle for two months. I was unhappy and felt lost, and entered 2017 with the thought “I can’t live like this forever…there has to be another way”…  

Getting Educated

Regardless of feeling lost with being so unbalanced with training and nutrition, I did genuinely like to exercise and eat high nutrient foods but I just knew the way I was doing it wasn’t a sustainable lifestyle. I had inspired my friends and family to want to adapt healthier habits too and saw them losing weight, which inspired me to want to be a Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach. I was also anxious to learn more about training and nutrition so that I could learn how I was going to be able to keep off my weight loss for life! I signed up to receive my Personal Training Certification through National Academy of Sports Medicine and was told I could do the courses from February to June in 2017. I was so excited! But too anxious to wait a month to start learning about how I was going to maintain my weight loss in a healthy way. So I hit up google searching “How to maintain weight loss after drastic dieting” and my search results eventually led me to a method called “Flexible Dieting”. 

I learned that flexible dieting isn’t necessarily a diet but a lifestyle in which you eat high nutrient foods 80-90% of the time and then have “fun foods and drinks” the other 10-20% of the time. The point of this is to develop a relationship with food in which NOTHING is off limits but EVERYTHING can be enjoyed in the right moderation, and one of the best ways to implement this I learned was through tracking calories and macronutrient (protein, carb, and fat) intake. I remember seeing people on Instagram living the “If It Fits Your Macros” lifestyle enjoying pizza, beer, and cake and staying lean! This is what I had been looking for! A REAL SCIENTIFIC SOLUTION TO MAINTAINING WEIGHT LOSS! A way to enjoy life and not gain back the weight as long as calories were accounted for.

I had been inconsistently tracking my calories since my drastic weight loss with the calorie goal of 1200 (which is pretty much what My Fitness Pal gives everyone in the beginning) and the inconsistency with eating low calorie during the week and then binging on the weekends actually led me to gaining weight from 123 to being 131 lbs in January 2017. I had been following a high protein and fat diet with low carbs (because I had been under the impression that the carbs and sugar in grains, fruit, and dairy caused weight gain) so I set my calories at what I thought would be more sustainable at 1350 and my macro % at a more balanced 40% protein, 30% carbs, and 30% fat. I kept those numbers for 2 months and was able to maintain my weight and eat anything I wanted as long as it was within my calorie and macro goals. I was elated because I felt a little less stressed about food, but at the same time I was finding myself limited because my calories were still pretty low so I couldn’t really enjoy much of anything. And I had seen other women online who were lean but claiming they were eating 2000 calories a day! I thought “HOW?!” So I continued to do research and came across the term “Reverse Diet” termed by Dr. Layne Norton.

My First Reverse Diet

I learned that Reverse Dieting is basically the opposite of regular dieting. In a regular diet you decrease calories and increase cardio to lose weight, whereas in a Reverse Diet you slowly add calories in and decrease cardio in an effort to get your body used to consuming more calories after being in a calorie deficit. I read everything about Reverse Dieting and using tracking macronutrient intake as a way to successfully do it, and even though I was terrified that increasing calories and decreasing cardio was going to make me gain weight, I was so desperate that I trusted the science and just went for it. I slowly increased my calories through adjusting my macronutrient intake by mostly increasing carbs, decreased my cardio, and adapted progressive strength training to my workout routine, and I watched my body change ( I was becoming stronger AND leaner) and I watched my mental health towards food really change because nothing was “clean” or “dirty”, food was food, everything came down to portion sizes in order for anything to fit my macros.

I started my Reverse Diet eating roughly 1,350 calories and doing 5 spin classes a week, I ended it eating 1,800 calories (30% protein, 40% carbs, and 30% fat) doing 1 spin class a week and strength training 4 times a week and I actually lost body fat through this process. (Above middle photo is April 2017 at 131 lbs and right photo is May 2017 127 lbs) Yes, you read that right! I lost weight EATING MORE AND DOING LESS CARDIO! My body had been in a deprived state so when I started treat it right it flourished off of that! And building fat burning muscle through progress strength training gave me that toned and leaner look I had always wanted.

The Takeaway From My Story

The big takeaway from my story is that reaching a fitness goal or maintaining the physique you have once you reach that goal DOES NOT need to happen through drastic measures. And it really shouldn’t. Taking drastic measures to reach a fitness goal are unnecessary and while they may lead to someone maybe having less body fat, it can also lead to them feeling isolated, being terrified of food, and/or addicted to exercise. Keeping your physical, mental, and social health is key to long term happiness and success. So if you’re doing some extreme measures right now to reach a fitness goal, I would say to stop/pause and do a reverse diet. This way you can get in a healthy and stable place and find from there how to continue towards your goal in a way that is realistic and doesn’t put your health or life in jeopardy.  I waited WAY too long to do my first reverse diet, but that was mainly because I just had no idea that I could eat more and move less and relatively maintain my weight loss. I’m sharing my story with you because I don’t want ANYONE to go through what I did. We are all worthy to love, respect, and nourish our bodies and we can’t let chasing the number on the scale control our lives or lead to measures that our detrimental to our health.

When Should You Stop/Pause a Weight Loss Phase and Do a Reverse Diet?

The 3 circumstances that it’s time to stop a weight loss phase and do a reverse diet are:

1. You reached your goal weight
   • The most exciting one for sure! BUT can also be challenging because reaching your goal weight and wanting to maintain it can be it’s own anxiety. It’s important to remember that you probably wanted to reach your goal weight because you thought it would make you happier, more confident, and accomplished, and initially it probably did. But obsessing about staying at that exact number is going to do nothing but make you feel more anxiety about your body.
2. You’re feeling burnt out/need a break (may be going on a vacation or have an event, or your physical goals change (ex: pregnancy))
   • Needing a break doesn’t mean giving up. Following any type of nutrition or exercise strategy can be challenging because it obviously takes time and commitment. And I’m HUGE on making a nutrition or exercise regimen as flexible and enjoyable as possible which is I always take the minimum effective does approach with clients so that they are eating the most calories possible and following a flexible dieting approach, and also doing the least amount of exercise/cardio necessary to get results, but even this can be mentally taxing and sometimes it’s good to take a break and relax so that you can then push through the next period of getting closer to your goals! Also, being on top of everything can be stressful and too much stress can push the body’s hormones out of whack which will then stall fat loss anyways. A break could be a week or 2, or it could be longer. It just depends on how long someone has been in a calorie deficit and what their goals are.
3. Your nutrition or exercise regimen has become unsustainable
   • To lose weight you need to be in a calorie deficit, and the body will constantly adapt to calories and activity levels so that it will plateau (this is GOOD this is the body’s survival mechanism at work so having this happen is NORMAL!) But in order to continue to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, the body will then need to start receiving fewer calories or do more activity to keep weight loss going. This can lead to calories getting too low or the time dedicated towards activity can become too high that it’s just unsustainable to keep up with and still complete other responsibilities in daily life. Remember, the main goal for weight loss should be to better your overall health and life, and if you’re eating too little/strict calories that you’re unable to go out with friends or eat a normal meal with family or if you’re exercising hours a day and giving up a social life just to be in the gym, then this will ultimately lead to being isolated which isn’t good for our health or livelihood. 

How to Reverse Diet?

It’s important to note that when you do a reverse diet you will be adding in more calories so your body will be then holding onto more water due to higher sodium intake. This is NORMAL! This is OK! Fluctuating up from your lowest weight by a couple pounds doesn’t mean you’ve lost your results! It’s just showing that after being in a deficit that you’re now providing your body with more nutrients 🙂 And I know you probably received many compliments from your weight loss which is SO exciting! But this could lead you to think if anything changes then everyone will just think you let yourself go and that you failed at keeping the weight off, but literally NO ONE can tell a few lbs in weight variance except the scale! If your weight fluctuates up a few lbs I can almost guarantee that your worst fears WON’T come true: your spouse will NOT leave you, you WON’T get fired from your job, your friends will NOT stop being your friends, your family will NOT disown you, and all of your clothes WILL still fit; if any of these do happen then that spouse, job, friend, family member, and clothes are a POS and you are worthy of better!

Everyone is different but my general recommendation to Reverse Diet is to look at whatever you’re currently doing and to slowly add in calories and decrease cardio. Unless you have a reverse diet meal plan, then the easiest way to accurately reverse diet with minimal fat gain is by tracking your calories and macros of whatever you’re currently eating and see what you need to increase it. If your protein is already at an adequate amount (.7-1g per lb of body weight) then you can focus on just adding in more calories from carbs and fats. I’d suggest to add in 10g of carbs and 2g of fat about every 4-7 days and to add in the carbs around your workouts to help your body get used to the increase in carbs. Remember, carbs are our bodies main source of fuel! If you were used to having 40g of carbs for pre and post workout and then adding in 10g of carbs for the day, then I would suggest changing your pre and post workout carbs to 45g each. As you’re adding in calories, you will want to weigh yourself to see how your weight fluctuates so you can get an idea on when to stop, like I stated above, the scale WILL initially fluctuate up with the increase in sodium but it will level itself out! Your weight should come back down after a few days and then you can do another increase. Everyone will be different in how big of a jump from their deficit they will need to make in order to be back to their body’s calorie maintenance which is why it’s good to consider other factors besides your weight in deciding if you’ve reached an adequate maintenance calorie goal: Are you feeling more energized? Are you feeling more satiated? Are you feeling less stressed about food? Listen to your body and it will let you know when it’s feeling fueled 🙂 

For decreasing cardio, whatever you’re currently doing decrease it by 20%. Example: if you’re doing 5 cardio sessions a week then go down to 4. Or decrease the time/miles if you like working out however many days a week. Also switching in strength training for cardio will help your body use the calories it’s getting to build muscle (which will help burn more fat!) This was how I lost weight/fat through my reverse diet because I increased my strength training with my increased calories. Get to a place with your workouts that they’re not something you HAVE to do but something you WANT to do. Be realistic on how you actually enjoy moving your body and do that! 

Body Image

I want to just take a moment to mention the hard truth that is: Reaching your fitness goals WILL NOT in itself improve your body image, but the journey to reaching your fitness goals can! Before my weight loss journey, I genuinely didn’t have any negative body image thoughts and I had initially just decided to lose weight because I knew my nutrition and non-exercise activity wasn’t good for my health, but I quickly became obsessed with the scale and doing everything I could to get the number to drop. But reaching my goal weight DID NOT improve my body image, instead it lead me to feeling isolated, to having a fear of food, and to being addicted to exercise. But what did get me to being confident in my body regardless of what the scale says, is when I changed my focus to nourishing my body to be strong and thrive instead of just focusing on keeping it small. I found confidence in the gym and in the weight room which translated to me feeling confident and strong in everything. I let go of my food anxiety and now enjoy ALL foods in moderations that fuel and satisfy me. Being more confident and relaxed with my food choices and knowing that I am respecting my body with how I’m fueling it, instead of depriving it, also led me to have more body confidence.

I want to also say that just because I am more confident in my body doesn’t mean I feel amazing all the time or have no body insecurities whatsoever. There are days I wake up feeling lean and other days I wake up feeling bloated/puffy, but I just take it as it is and don’t let it control my overall image, mood, or confidence for the day. I wish I could have known all of this while I was in my weight loss phase, but I am happy I at least know this truth now and can share it with you. Because you can have body goals AND still love and respect your body! And while soo much of the fitness industry puts the emphasis that “going hard” and depriving yourself with extreme exercise, low calorie, cleanses, and detox teas is the best way to reach your goals, ultimately following these extreme measures will just make you feel like a failure when you can’t sustain them. Which is why I suggest practicing sustainable and enjoyable nutrition and exercise regimens as this will help build that confidence while reaching your goals!

Accepting that your body is doing the best it can to keep you thriving, and will do so even better if you love it, fuel it properly, and don’t overwork it, is I think key to reaching your fitness goals and developing a strong positive body image. 

Continuing My Fitness Journey After My Weight Loss

I think it’s important to end on the note that being fit doesn’t necessarily have an end date which is why it’s called a journey. I’ve been on my fitness journey for over 2 years and have had a weight loss phase, 2 mini-cuts, 3 reverse diets, extended maintenance phases, and a lean bulk to help build more fat burning muscle on my overall frame and give myself a leaner and more toned look even while staying around the same weight. And like I stated above, through these phases I have developed an overall better relationship with my body, exercise, and food. I’ve also gone from extreme clean eating to more flexible dieting with tracking macros to now mindful eating without tracking with each step giving me more peace and balance with food which you can read about here. And you can read about my last mini-cut here.

Did you find this post helpful? Comment below or contact me 🙂

Need help with setting up your maintenance calories and/or doing a reverse diet and want guidance with macros/nutrition and/or personal training from me, a Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist? Check out my coaching services which range from me just setting up macros and training programs to macros with meal ideas to more in-depth one-on-one coaching that involves 24/7 email access to me and weekly check-ins.

*This post was created by Ashley Cates who is not a Registered Dietician or a Medical Professional, nothing said should be taken as medical advice or replace any advice given by a Physician. This information does not in any way intend to diagnose or treat any health condition/disorder. The information provided is based on Ashley’s education and experience.

Whether you have a specific fitness goal or just want to feel healthier and balanced, going out to restaurants can bring anxiety and seem like a sure fire way to lead you off track for your goals. But I’m excited to tell you it doesn’t have to be! And while the “easy” solution to this may be to just order the “cleanest” thing on the menu aka lean protein and veggies with no sauce…ummm that’s no fun! Food should be enjoyed! And if you’re going out to eat it’s probably with someone and there’s NOTHING WORSE than ordering something like above while your friend or family member gets something you’re drooling after! Trust me when I say that when I thought “eating clean” was the only way to get results and be healthy, I smiled through my envy as I ate my chicken breast and broccoli while my loved ones enjoyed [enter something delicious like a burger, pasta, gyro, tacos, etc.] Or what’s even worse is when I would eat my meal prep before going into restaurants because I thought I could’t eat off plan. Or even worse, skipping an occasion all together because I was too scared of being derailed!  Thank God, I became educated and now I know that I can truly enjoy ALL foods like [enter something delicious like a burger, pasta, gyro, tacos, etc.]  and they won’t lead to weight gain as long as my portions are within my calorie maintenance. (You can learn more about this by reading my posts on My Journey to Balance and Instagram Post I talk about Flexible Dieting or by signing up for my email list below to get my FREE Macros Explained Guide!)

But back to the topic at hand, how can you eat out without stressing out or feeling like you’re missing out AND not feeling like you overdid it? I add on this last part because sometimes when people eat out they see it as a “cheat meal” (which, side note,I absolutely hate that phrase because it is implying you’re cheating on something and that you should then feel guilty for eating, and I don’t think there should be any guilty associations with food) but treating a meal like a “cheat” can then lead to a huge over indulgence that may not only disrupt your fitness goals but could also have you leaving the meal just feeling very uncomfortably full. So I wanted my Mindful Eating Tips at Restaurants that always leave me feeling not overly full OR deprived but completely satisfied 🙂 These are all also with the basis of having a balanced amount of protein, carbs, and fats at each meal so that they’re not only delicious and satisfying but also satiating 🙂

*Please note that while I think these are tips that I think most can find helpful, everyone has different calorie intakes so certain portions may be too much or too little for some.

Breakfast

Waffles, french toast, and pancakes…are you drooling?! Breakfast food can be SO delicious but also SO high in carbs, fat, and calories. But instead of restricting all of those yummy foods I’d suggest just sharing them with someone and then having a side of egg whites, poached eggs, or an egg white and veggie omelette/scramble. This way you can enjoy the indulgence without feeling like you overdid it.

And of course we can’t not talk about other smaller portioned delicious breakfast pastries like donuts, croissants, danishes, bagels, etc, and for these options that are a bit smaller I would suggest to just totally enjoy them and have the above lean protein options on the side: egg whites, poached eggs, or an egg white and veggie omelette/scramble OR if you’re getting these on the go then having hard boiled eggs or egg whites is great too! And the reason I highly suggest getting this high protein option on the side is to help balance out the macro ratio of the meal of protein, carbs, and fats which will in turn help make the meal more satiating! The problem sometimes with these breakfast options that have quite a bit of carbs and not a lot of protein is that we will burn through the carbs quickly (as it is our bodies main source of energy) and can then lead us to feeling hungry quickly after. Having some lean protein with one of these breakfast options can help with having more steady energy levels throughout the day 🙂

Burgers

My Mindful tip for enjoying burgers/sandwich meals would be to choose whichever carb you’re craving that day. Typically burgers and sandwiches come with fries and I’ve had days that I REALLY wanted fries or onion rings, so I opted to have my burger lettuce wrap style. Other days I really wanted the bun, so I had a side salad! And some days I wanted both! So I would get both bun and fries and maybe just have half of each 🙂

Deli Sandwiches & Gyros

Most Deli Sandwiches or Gyros come with a side option of carbs like chips or rice, so like my tip for burgers above, I’ll opt for a side salad.

Mexican Food

I have 3 meals I go for in regards to Mindful Eating for Mexican Food. First option is getting a lean protein salad and using salsa as the dressing, this means that I’m getting in some lean protein and veggies and not a ton of calories from dressing, and since this meal would then be really low calorie wise then I would enjoy chips or share an appetizer or dessert or maybe even a margarita 🙂

My second meal option I love to get at Mexican Restaurants is fajitas! I’ll ask if they can not cook them in oil or butter to save on fat calories that can then be enjoyed on something like cheese, sour cream, or guacamole 🙂 I’ll normally try to just have either a small portion of each or opt to not have sour cream or guac depending on how I’m feeling that day. Tortillas, rice, and beans typically come with fajitas and like with other meals, I’ll typically just stick to one carb (usually tortillas so I can build tacos 🙂 ) or have a portion of rice, beans, and maybe one tortilla.

My last option I LOVE to get at Mexican Restaurants is tacos or tostadas! Something with delicious meat and toppings! If it normally comes with rice and beans on the side, I will opt for a side salad with salsa as the dressing

Mediterranean Food

Probably my favorite food EVER, but Mediterranean Food can be really high in calories if you’re not mindful. I love to get kabobs because you can typically get a lean protein option like shrimp or chicken. Similar to fajitas, Mediterranean plates typically come with a few carb sources like rice and pita or naan. I will typically have a full naan or pita because I LOVE it and get greens instead of rice! Or will have half rice and half a pita/naan. Whenever I get hummus or babagnoush, I always ask if they top the dip with olive oil (most places do) and if they do then I kindly ask them not to. This can save 1-2 tbsp of oil which can be 250 calories! I also like to use hummus or babaganoush as dressing opposed to the usual all oil dressings.

Salads

Salads….aka the sneakiest fat hoarding food in the macro game! When going out to eat it can be easy to assume that salads are the healthier option because of the greens and veggies, but most salads come with multiple fat sources that make the calories skyrocket! Cheeses, fried/breaded proteins, avocado, bacon, nuts, and high fat dressings can all attribute to making a seemingly low calorie salad have an additional 500+ calories! My Mindful Eating tip to making a salad not too calorically dense is to try to lower the fat options. For example: a cobb salad usually comes with bleu cheese, bacon, avocado, and a high calorie dressing, so I would choose maybe 1 or 2 to keep in and it would vary depending on what I was craving that day OR I would ask to have “light” cheese, bacon, avocado, and dressing to just cut those calories in half. Also getting a low fat/fat free dressing (or using salsa as dressing) is great to lower calories too!

Something else I highly suggest for salads is “The Fork Dip Trick”. This where I suggest ordering dressings on the side if possible and using the “The Fork Dip Trick”, meaning using your fork to add on the dressing to the salad so that you can control that not too much goes on.

Pastas

Enjoying Pasta while trying to lose weight and be healthy may seem absurd! But it’s totally doable! My biggest suggestion to keep the calories lower when ordering a pasta is to get a dish with a tomato base sauce, these will alway just be lower in calories than pastas that have cream based sauces like alfredo or heavy oil based sauces like pesto. I’d also suggest trying to stick with a lean protein option like chicken or fish (I LOVEEE pasta with mussels!!) and enjoying all of the protein in the dish and maybe just half of the pasta.

Another great tip regarding pasta, of maybe just larger portioned meal, you can just “Ask for Half” meaning you ask the server to just serve you half go the dish and box the other half to go. I’ve done this and didn’t have and issues with the servers or chefs. Also, splitting a more indulgent pasta dish and then getting a starter salad or splitting a chicken salad to get in some extra protein is a great option too!

Pizza

There’s no point in trying to lessen the calories on the pizza itself because delicious pizza is just going to be high in carbs and fat…period. And that’s ok! I’ll always enjoy a slice or 2 and then have a chicken salad on the side to get in some veggies in protein!

And at these “build your own pizza” places like Mod, Blaze, Pizza Rev, and Pieology, I will just get a mini with a chicken side salad 🙂

Big Takeaways

Here’s some of the repeated tips I gave that can be great to keep in mind for ALL cuisines!

1. Getting sauces and dressing on the side and doing the “Fork Dip Trick”, this means using your fork to add on the dressing or sauce to the salad, taco, sandwich, etc. so that you can control that not too much goes on. Adding a little salt and pepper to any meal can also bring up the flavor for zero calories which can then lead to not feeling the need to add too much sauce.
2. “Ask for Half” Half to have now and have to go
3. Sharing is caring (for your goals 🙂 ) splitting a more indulgent entree or appetizer or dessert.
4.  Lighten up the dish calorie wise by reducing carb or fat options.
5. Add in veggies/salad or lean protein when possible if needing to make a meal more balanced.
6. ENJOY YOURSELF! Enjoy the food! And the company if you’re not alone! And if you feel like maybe you overdid it, it’s ok! Just get back on track on your next meal and maybe check out my 5 Tips to feeling your best after too much indulgence

Did you find this post helpful? Comment below or contact me 🙂

Struggling to meet your fitness goals and want guidance with macros/nutrition and/or personal training from me, a Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist? Check out my coaching services which range from me just setting up macros and training programs to macros with meal ideas to more in-depth one-on-one coaching that involves weekly check-ins with optional phone calls.

*This post was created by Ashley Cates who is not a Registered Dietician or a Medical Professional, nothing said should be taken as medical advice or replace any advice given by a Physician. This information does not in any way intend to diagnose or treat any health condition/disorder. The information provided is based on Ashley’s education and experience.

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*Intermittent Fasting here is being addressed around the concept of using it as a weight loss strategy and not meant to make any comment on those who practice fasting for religious or physician prescribed purposes.

What’s Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent Fasting is the practice of one having a certain “fasting window” and “feeding window” within a 24 hour period. The different “windows” time frame can vary but it’s typically 16 hours fasting and 8 hours feeding with the typical feeding window being set at 1:00pm to 9:00pm. Why would someone want to do this? Intermittent Fasting (which I’ll refer to as IF) can be used as a weight loss strategy and many have indeed seen successful results from it BUT what we need to note is that the results seen from IF are NOT specifically just from the fact that someone is having a “fasting window” and let me explain why.

The Overarching Principal

When it comes to weight loss the overarching principal of energy balance is what ALWAYS needs to be considered. Meaning that someone MUST be in a calorie deficit (burning more calories than they are consuming) in order to lose weight. So any “diet” or weight loss strategy you see has this principal in mind, and the same goes for IF. Because fasting itself doesn’t burn more fat or calories, but instead fasting and having a smaller amount of time to eat can make it “easier” for someone to consume less calories which can put them in a calorie deficit in order to lose weight. This can be a useful tool for someone that maybe doesn’t want to track their calories or macros or focus on making adjustments to every meal they’re eating, but instead can just have one less meal a day to create a calorie deficit (this typically looks like skipping breakfast but some will fast in the evening and skip their later meal instead). Ok, so this seems pretty straight forward and not harmful at all right? Well let me explain why I don’t personally do IF and who I recommend to do so and why and how they should do it.

The Possible Problems with Intermittent Fasting

As someone who previously suffered from a restrict and binge disordered eating cycle, I do not do IF, and I wouldn’t recommend anyone with previous disordered eating to do so, as it can become REALLY easy to make IF it’s own restrict and binge cycle. If someone just feels starving during the day and then binges as soon as the “feeding window” starts then they’re not probably consuming food in a healthy or fueling way. Also, if someone tries doing IF and ends up doing it this way then they could easily develop their own severe disordered eating patterns that they may not have previously had. And if they are trying to use IF for weight loss then they will likely not even be creating a calorie deficit as they are likely taking themselves out of a calorie deficit by over consuming calories after feeling starved all day. These are major problems that can occur with IF in regards to both physical and mental health.

Also, some people (myself included) just like to have breakfast and find themselves lacking energy without it. I typically don’t eat the moment I wake up but wait a few hours as I typically wake up at 7:00am and will typically eat around 9:00am when I’m hungry, but I know personally that there is no way I could wait until 1:00pm to eat my first meal. I would be lacking energy and also just thinking about food as soon as I became hungry until whenever I ate. Being this food focused could give me less energy and brain space for my work or anything else I needed to get done. And I’m also totally one to get “hangry” (aka cranky when hungry) so being like this all morning would just put me in a terrible mood that would seem to be only solved by eating. And the goal with food is that it should be fueling and satisfying. We should hopefully be able to enjoy whatever we eat and feel fueled from it and then leave the meal to be productive in the rest of our day. Thinking about food all morning could then leave me having too large of a meal for lunch if I went into feeling too hungry. And having a large meal may backfire to me feeling lethargic and sluggish which could then in an opposite way give me less energy to get work done. These are the reasons I don’t Intermittent Fast, BUT that doesn’t mean that it may not be a helpful tool for some.

Who Should Do Intermittent Fasting?

IF is something I would maybe suggest to those who either don’t like breakfast, don’t have time for breakfast, or when they are on lower macros/calories they would rather have larger lunches and dinners. My approach to any nutrition strategy with clients is asking them what their current typical meal and snack timing looks like, and if they tell me they don’t want to do breakfast because it doesn’t work with their schedule or maybe they would rather save more calories around their workouts later in the day, then I will suggest maybe not having breakfast. IF can be a helpful tool for those who wouldn’t enter their first meal starving which can lead to overeating like explained above, but instead are just eating their first meal when they are hungry and needing fuel which may be later in the day. BUT there is no “feeding” or “fasting” windows set, there are no rules around what time they can or cannot eat. Rules around food can create way too much unnecessary anxiety. Instead, it’s presented as an option for those who don’t want to or have time to eat at a certain time of day as a way to make transitioning into following macros or macro balanced meal ideas easier. Because whatever someone can easily adhere to is what they will be consistent with, and consistency breeds results!! And if some days they want breakfast then that’s fine! Whatever their fitness goal may be (losing fat or building muscle) as long as they are averaging out their macro and calorie goal for the overall day then they WILL make progress. It does NOT matter in regards to weight loss if you have 2 meals or 6 meals a day; if you’re in a calorie deficit then you will lose weight.

The Bottom Line

Intermittent Fasting can be a tool for some to make being in a calorie deficit easier BUT for others it could make it harder.  If you’re considering IF as a tool for weight loss just know that the fasting itself does not have any special “fat burning” powers, but being in a calorie deficit is what will ultimately result in weight loss. And if IF makes being in a calorie deficit easier for you then maybe try it out. BUT if it makes you feel too much food anxiety and like a restrict and binge cycle could occur then probably drop the idea. And if you love breakfast then FORGET about it J ! And if you do decide to try it out, know that it doesn’t need to be super strict or structured. You don’t HAVE to wait until 1:00pm to eat but you also don’t have to eat the minute you wake up, find out what works best for YOU and YOUR GOALS and eat when you’re hungry and when you need to!

Did you find this post helpful? Comment below or contact me 🙂

Struggling to meet your fitness goals and want guidance with macros/nutrition and/or personal training from me, a Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist? Check out my coaching services which range from me just setting up macros and training programs to macros with meal ideas to more in-depth one-on-one coaching that involves weekly check-ins with optional phone calls.

*This post was created by Ashley Cates who is not a Registered Dietician or a Medical Professional, nothing said should be taken as medical advice or replace any advice given by a Physician. This information does not in any way intend to diagnose or treat any health condition/disorder. The information provided is based on Ashley’s education and experience.