Do You Need To Give Up Take-Outs And Restaurants To Lose Weight?

So, you've decided to lose weight — but currently rely on take-outs, fast-food restaurants, sit-down restaurants, or all three an awful lot? Setting serious goals often requires asking yourself serious questions about your lifestyle. Chances are that, if you're wondering whether you need to give up take-outs and restaurant foods to reach your goal weight, you already have a pretty good idea about the answer. Let's dive in a bit deeper, though. 

Research confirms: Yes, eating out makes you fat

A large study of Wisconsin residents showed that folks who are really busy, lack the equipment to cook or store healthy foods, or don't have cooking skills are most likely to rely on fast-foods and sit-down restaurants. Some also reported that they can't afford healthy foods or don't have the patience to make home-cooked meals. 

Regardless of their reasons for eating out a lot, the 21 percent of participants who ate out more than three times a week — most often at fast-food outlets — had a higher body mass index than those who didn't. The study also found that a significant portion of people who believed they had healthy diets and healthy weights actually didn't. People who really did have healthy diets and healthy weights were, meanwhile, much less likely to rely on restaurants. 

So, yes, all those take-outs and fast foods can make you fat, but what exactly is the reason restaurants basically hold a "no trespassing" sign up to your weight loss efforts?

Why does eating out or getting take-outs stand in the way of weight loss?

Combos that come with a main meal, a drink, and some desert may be easy on your wallet, but hard on your waistline and brain — the sugary, salty, and fatty foods that take-outs usually offer can have addiction-like effects, making you want to come back for more. And more. 

Another factor you shouldn't overlook is this — if you have just decided that you are going to try to lose weight by counting and limiting calories, that can only work if you actually know how many calories are in the stuff you eat. That depends on knowing exactly what you're eating, which you often don't at restaurants, as well as how much of it. To have the best chance of knowing exactly what you are eating, cook it yourself with fresh ingredients and use a food scale. 

How to lose weight even if you're still going to eat out 

If you're planning on losing weight but also don't want to give up on take-outs completely, how can you do this?

• Well, first of all, you should try to at least cut down the number of times you eat take-outs and fast food. Every time you decide to cook at home where you'd previously have grabbed a take-out is a win. 
• Try to plan your meals a few days in advance. You can Google some recipes, and then buy the ingredients a day or so beforehand. Just make sure the check how many calories are in the recipes and what kind of nutrients they hold, since it's important to get all the vitamins and proteins you need.

Now, if you still want to eat take-outs once in a while, how can you make sure you're not gaining lots of calories? Here are a few tips if you still want to eat some fast food once in a while:

• Stay away from sauces and dressings — Salad dressings and sauces to dip your foods into are popular take-out and fast food offerings. You usually get a small package with some kind of sauce in it, to put on your salad or dip your fries in. These have a scary amount of calories and are extremely unhealthy as well. If you still like using salad dressings, choose oil-based ones instead of creamy dressings. 
• Go easy on the portion sizes — As you already know, the portion sizes you get from take-outs are ginormous! Luckily, you can avoid these by asking for smaller portions; most places offer a small size or a child's portion. Most fast food places try to tempt you into getting the bigger portions because "it's a better deal" but is it really a better deal for your body? Also, if you can't get a hold of smaller portion sizes, pack your food up and put in your fridge for another time. 
• Try to look for healthier foods — While most take-out places and restaurants offer unhealthy foods, there will often be at least something that's better, or at least less bad. Look out for choices with veggies, and if you're not sure how many calories a certain item has, ask or try to find out online. 

It is really hard to say no to food that comes right to your door, but with enough planning, you should be able to resist fast foods. While you don't need to commit to never eating fast food again, it's important not to have take-outs as your everyday meals. Your health and weight will thank you.