I was going to talk about drinks today, but I want to back up a few steps and talk about size. Two things - the size of people and the size of our food (did you think I was going somewhere else?).
I am 5'3" tall, just barely. I have a small frame and according to many ideal weight calculators, my ideal weight is 115 - 130 pounds give or take, I am 39 years old. To lose 1 pound a week, my daily calorie budget is 1,200. For me to maintain my weight at 120 pounds, I can eat 1,700 calories a day.
Compare me to a woman (same age) who is 5'7". Her healthy weight range is 120 - 159 (that's a big range). Let's say she weighs 135 pounds and is moderately active - her calorie budget to maintain is approximately 1,950.
Let's say that me and a friend go out to eat. I'm a little overweight and would like to lose weight. She's at a maintenance point. I'm shooting for 1,200 calories a day, she can eat almost 2,000. HUGE difference. When you hang out with thin friends it's really hard to not compare your eating to others. I remember thinking so many times "I don't really eat any more than my friends, how am I still 25 lbs. overweight." I'm small, that's why.
Size problem #2 - food portions. Sometimes I feel like restaurants are the big bad guys. Do they really need to serve such huge quantities of food? And just because an item is on the menu and someone will cook it for you, does that mean you need to eat it? Seriously, if you go to a restaurant like Outback or such a place that has a huge appetizer menu of fried fat and calories - just because it's there, doesn't mean you need to order it.
Then there are all those suggestions about getting a doggy bag right away, just eat half a portion, etc. How many people find that advice soooo hard to follow. I don't have an answer to this one. Recently, I'm most thankful that so many chain restaurants are offering healthy menu items. CPK, Macaroni Grill and the like. I can order and eat a whole entree and not feel guilty. YAY!! There are only so many salads with grilled chicken, no cheese and dressing on the side that I can eat.
Salads in restaurants... that's a whole different topic. So many are the worst items on the menu. I'll go there another day.