16:18:21 Hey friend, welcome back to the Concierge Weight Loss Podcast. I'm Kara Hackleman, and if you've been following this month's series.
16:18:29 On mindful eating for real life, then you know we've covered a lot already. From understanding emotional eating to letting go of food guilt.
16:18:37 Today, we're taking it out into the real world, literally. Because today we're talking about how to eat out mindfully, dining out without feeling deprived.
16:18:48 This is one of the biggest pain points for so many of my clients. They want to go to birthday dinners and the anniversary date.
16:18:56 The family cookout, but they're also trying to lose weight. Stay on track and not fall into the, I blew it mindset.
16:19:03 So let's talk about how to enjoy your meals out without fear, guilt, or stretchy pants.
16:19:09 You want to unbutton under the table. Let's be honest, eating out can feel like a test. You walk in with good intentions and leave either feeling deprived or disappointed.
16:19:21 Why? Because we've been taught that eating out equals off plan. Like the only way to enjoy it is to forget your goals and just deal with the guilt later. But that's not true.
16:19:32 Mindful eating isn't about being perfect. It's about being present. Being in the moment, listening to your body and choosing what will make you feel good, not just while you're eating, but after.
16:19:46 Let me tell you about a time I went to Mexican It was a Mexican restaurant with some friends from high school. You know how it is. Chips and salsa hit the table and suddenly your good intentions go out the window.
16:19:58 I made a plan before we even got there. I knew I wanted chips, but I also knew I didn't necessarily need a margarita that night.
16:20:05 So I decided to wait and eat my chips with my meal because if I started early, you know, I'd eat half the basket before the dinner even showed up.
16:20:14 I remember thinking everyone's watching me. And I was sure I was being judged.
16:20:20 But the only thing anyone even asked was, are you going to have any?
16:20:24 They wanted to make sure I got some too. So I said, I'm just going to wait for my meal so I don't fill up. I'll have them bring me some fresh hot ones when the food comes.
16:20:33 And you know what? I enjoyed those chips so much more. I had six chips. I put them on my napkin.
16:20:40 They were nice and hot and fresh and I ate them mindfully.
16:20:44 Enjoyed my dinner and I took most of it even home.
16:20:48 I felt satisfied, proud of myself, and I wasn't unbuttoning my pants under the table like I used to.
16:20:54 So how do you make decisions like that in real time?
16:20:58 Start by asking yourself, is there anything that is so special that I would regret not having it?
16:21:05 Be honest, if the chips are your favorite part, plan for them. If dessert is your jam, make room for it.
16:21:11 Don't pretend that you don't want it and then resent everyone at the table.
16:21:17 Then check in with your body. Ask yourself, how hungry am I?
16:21:23 What would feel good in my body today? What will leave me feeling satisfied and proud.
16:21:31 What can I do to enjoy this meal and support my goals?
16:21:36 Sometimes that looks like skipping the fries for some veggies. Sometimes it means you take home half the food. So you're not tempted to overeat it. Maybe even box it up as soon as it comes.
16:21:47 Sometimes it means ordering exactly what you want, pizza, cake, all of it.
16:21:53 And then you just eat it slowly and intentionally. That's what mindful eating is.
16:21:59 Now, let's talk about the fear of missing out, some FOMO, because honestly.
16:22:04 That's the biggest reason we overeat at restaurants. We think this is my only chance to have it.
16:22:11 But here's the thing, it's not. Most of the time, it's not the only time you'll ever be able to have it. Maybe if you flew halfway around the world and you had no plans on ever going again, I would agree with you. But most of the time.
16:22:25 It's not your only chance. There is no food emergency. And if it's that good, you can order it and then take some home.
16:22:34 You can eat more tomorrow, plan for it next week. You can plan another date night at that restaurant.
16:22:40 Ask yourself, what am I really afraid of missing out on? Is it the flavor, the fun?
16:22:46 The moment with your friends. Now ask, will I be missing out on it if I eat too much?
16:22:53 Sorry, I said that wrong. What will I be missing out on if I eat too much What? What would you be missing out on? Maybe it's comfort, confidence, feeling good in your body.
16:23:04 And sometimes just realizing that you'd be missing out on feeling proud of yourself and and feeling so good of how you did, sometimes just realizing that it helps you slow down.
16:23:17 Not eat it, just slow down. This is where coaching really helps. We work through real-life situations like this together.
16:23:25 We create what I call restaurant strategies where you get to enjoy the experience without giving up your goals.
16:23:32 You learn how to plan ahead without restriction. How to handle pressure from friends and family because you know they're well-intentioned food pushers out there.
16:23:42 How to check in with your body while you eat without making it weird.
16:23:47 And how to recover with grace if the meal goes a little sideways.
16:23:51 Because the truth is you're going to eat out. You're going to live life.
16:23:56 So why not do it in a way that builds trust with yourself instead of shame?
16:24:03 One of the things I tell my clients all the time is you get to be the kind of woman who can go anywhere, eat anything and feel confident in how well you take care of yourself.
16:24:15 Mindful eating gives you that. It's not about rules. It's about freedom, freedom to enjoy food, freedom to be present.
16:24:23 Freedom to make choices that serve your goals and your happiness.
16:24:29 And I promise you can learn how to do it just like I did.
16:24:33 Just like my clients do every week. So here's what I want you to take away from today. Five things. One.
16:24:40 Eating out doesn't have to mean blowing it. Two, making a plan that includes what you want. Make that plan. It's what you want anyway. Just eat it. Learn how to have it.
16:24:53 Three, check in with your body before and during the meal. See what it's saying. Are you approaching enough?
16:25:01 Four, don't let FOMO steal your power. Remind yourself what you want to get out of the experience.
16:25:08 And five, know that you can always get back to taking excellent care of yourself with the next best choice.
16:25:17 If you're ready to stop fearing food and start trusting yourself.
16:25:21 Coaching with me can help. You can schedule a free personalized solutions call at coachingara.com forward slash free call, we will talk about exactly how to get you started or just catch my free webinar.
16:25:34 Dr. Secret's How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off at Coachingcara.com forward slash sign up.
16:25:40 It's packed with practical advice. No fluff.
16:25:45 Thank you for being here for this series. If you loved it, go back and listen to the earlier episodes, especially the ones on emotional eating and food guilt. The whole month of May was packed.
16:25:56 This mindful approach is a game changer. And if this helped you, share it with a friend.
16:26:01 Let's normalize mindful, empowered eating one meal at a time. Talk to you next week.
