Burritos, burgers and bloat - the trifecta of eating out

When I woke up this morning, I wasn't greeted with the flatter-than-normal belly that usually occurs first thing in the morning; rather, I mistook my tummy for a blowfish and thought surely I was still dreaming.  Didn't we just watching "Finding Nemo" recently?  That had to be it.  I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, brushed my teeth and realized I was very much awake, and very much bloated.  But why??  Oh...could have something to do with the three restaurant meals that I ate over the past 3 days.  Shucks. 

We almost never eat out.  Part of that is because we have a toddler, and for those of you with kids, you know exactly what I'm talking about.  Part of it is because we are on a budget, and part of it is because we like to eat healthy.  Generally speaking, with a few exceptions, eating out does not equal eating healthy.  Sometimes, however, when you are just too tired to cook or when you are toddler-free for a night, or when you've just run the most grueling 6 miles of your life, you gotta do it.  Let somebody else cook for you.

So, Friday night we had burritos from Willy's...mine with a whole wheat tortilla, only a smidgeon of rice, black beans, steak, a sprinkling of cheese (I can't resist entirely), salsa and guacamole.  I know, shoulda held the cheese and guac but then it's a pretty boring burrito, dontcha think?

Saturday we treated ourselves to Five Guys.  I had a cheeseburger with every topping I could possibly dream of, and some of the husband's fries.  Nuff said.

Sunday we had Thai takeout.  Red curry with beef and basil rolls.  The coconut milk in the curry was definitely NOT light.

So, come Monday morning, I felt like a deer who had spent all weekend enjoying a salt lick, and looked like a pot bellied pig.  I'm not really exaggerating here, folks.  I even considered looking up the nutritional information for everything I'd eaten all weekend, but decided against it because I KNOW it was bad.  I don't need a bunch of numbers to tell me so.  I don't really feel guilty because it was my choice - nobody was holding that 5 pound burrito to my head and saying "EAT UP!" - I paid for it and scarfed it down myself.  What I do know is that this week, ALL week, I need to clean up my act and do some food detox, which will include LOTS of water, bananas to help counteract the bloat, green tea to boost my metabolism, and tons of fresh fruits and veggies.  The mere thought of processed food makes me want to barf right now.

It's no wonder that not too many years ago, before said toddler came into the picture and the husband and I were both working full time jobs, we ate out a lot.  I'd wager to say that the majority of meals were eaten out.  It's no coincidence, either, that I put on 15+ pounds.

I do know there are exceptions, and some restaurants offer healthier options, but that's just it - the so-called healthier options are not necessarily healthy, they are just slightly less terrible for you than the regular menu options.  Don't believe me?  Look up the nutrition info for some of your favorite sit down restaurant or fast food dishes.  It's easy to find online.  If you are really looking to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight, stave off health issues like diabetes and high cholesterol or just generally take good care of your body, then do yourself a favor and cook your own meals.  Then treat yourself every now & then to a meal that someone else has cooked.  Just maybe not three in one weekend.