Good food, good company, can't ask for more.

3rd July 2016

If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely. 

We've talked about eating out in my meetings this week and so it seemed only right to end the week with a pub lunch with a lovely bunch of ladies, my helpers and a couple of members - you don't get better company than a Weight Watcher.  I was pleased to see that the Spread Eagle (Willenhall) has the nutritional information for their menu on their website which helps as long as you have your calculator or app with you.  The lasagne without garlic bread worked out at about 16, the light bite Halloumi salad about the same.  Everyone chose well, I opted for steak and jacket and it was a good bit of steak too, a lovely few hours were had in good company, I was so impressed that Val left her fries!  I'd pinched a couple of her plate until she said something like they're not that nice you know, just greasy sticks of potato.  You know what she was right!  I took one more and ate it slowly, tasting it, being mindful of the taste and flavour, it had none, because she hadn't seasoned them, they were just greasy, deep fat fried potato sticks, suddenly they lost their appeal.

In the meetings we looked at the way restaurants and pubs try to get you to spend more and eat more, things like meals deals, sides, add-ons, 'go large'.  Then there's the cake cabinets - they put them on display now s we drool.  Making food sound 'better' so instead of burger and chips, it's an Aberdeen angus flame grilled burger in a toasted brioche bun.  Whatever - it's a burger, I still fall for it though, I realised I get sucked in often, I must order fish and chips every few months because of how it's worded on the menu, Tempured batter, or beer batter, or batter that's full of air bubbles that have been blown in by small children through straws!  You get my gist, they've constantly trying to make the simple sound special.  Why is me ordering fish and chips not a good idea?  Because as my bestie points out every time I do, I don't like fish in batter!  But the description on the menu sucks me in and makes me think maybe this is the one, maybe I'll like this fish and chips because they always look good but I just don't like the taste of greasy batter.

In the pub yesterday, I noticed "frickles" in the sides, I was all "ooo what are they, I've never had them, do I need them in my life", gullible I am, I'm a marketers dream, put a word on a menu I don't understand and I'm there, I'm all over that meal like a rash.  If I've got to google it, I want it!  A frickle by the way is just a fried pickle - I gave that one a miss.  I spotted another new one yesterday, they've changed 'coffee liqueurs' to 'Hot Cocktails" it sounds fresher doesn't it, the younger folk would think a liqueur is 'old fashioned' but a hot cocktail - well that sounds more like it!

Eating out is a battleground at times when you're trying to stay on track, but it can be done, and you can still enjoy it.  We looked online before the meeting yesterday to see what was on offer and make our choices, we used the nutritional info to work out the points in our options.  When Sue found out that the "monkey fingers" were 56 Smart Points for a portion of 20, she realised even though she only has a portion of 10 and shares them, it's still 14 smart points for 5.  What are monkey fingers you're thinking?  They are Not actually monkey’s fingers (that would be silly), but battered chicken strips coated in the sauce of your choice and served with sour cream

Anyway, there are lots of ways to win the eating out war, choose wisely, order before anyone else does, remind yourself that you can have fun without getting fatter.  My members came up with lots of good ideas, and I'm sure if you have a think you can too. 

I shall mostly be spending today enjoying my mom's company and relaxing.  Whatever you have planned, make sure you enjoy it BeYOUtiful.