4 Tips to Resist the Restaurant Call

Oh, the call of the Restaurant Jungle. SO many places to choose from, most smartpoint unfriendly. But, sometimes, we lose that motivation and we just don't care. The reasons are among many: you're tired, you don't want to cook, what you had planned doesn't sound as good as it did this morning, you don't want to do the dishes, you just want to celebrate the weight you lost (go figure?)...the list goes on and on.

I had a friend from school drop by earlier in the week saying that she and her husband were on their way to try Popeye's down the way and wanted to swing by really quick. Isn't it funny how when our minds are tired, it reflects on restaurants we HAVEN'T tried or HAVEN'T eaten at in a while? Just when I'm at my weakest and tiredest, Hmmm...Those "squished fish patty on a bun" commercials are ringing some bells right now. I guess some fried shrimp and Louisiana biscuits sound good right about now. That was my first sign...the whole "I guess" part of that phrase.

So, how do resist those unmotivated thoughts and stay on track? Here are some thoughts I think to myself in order to keep away until I'm in the right mindset.

5 Tips to Resist the Restaurant Call

1. Listen to Your Inner Voice
That was my first sign, like I said earlier. I've practiced changing my self-talk SO MUCH, that I REALLY pay attention to phrases that I'm using. If ANYTHING sounds unmotivated or negative, there is some self-love I need to give myself. If I'm excited and feeling confident in my abilities and self, then I go ahead and enjoy myself with what I have in mind to do. Then, I move on to the next couple questions I ask myself.

2. Is it in the Budget?
So, you are at the end of your smartpoint week, your weekly smartpoints reset TOMORROW. You take a look at your tracker and you've got 11 smartpoints left. What could you possibly eat out, that would be close by, where Little Man could eat, and somewhere that would be worth it. If you are tossing back and forth between places and nothing gives you a confident resolve, then don't waste your points. Remember? We are working on feeding ourselves GOOD FOOD. Even if you CAN afford a small McDonald's cheeseburger, will that be as satisfying as getting a REAL burger with your weekly smartpoints? That's up to you to decide.

3. Is it in the Monetary Budget?
Now mind you, after thinking through my smartpoints, I was still tired, and didn't really want to cook. So, I was still leaning toward the Restaurant Jungle. So, I then turned to our Eating Out Budget. That's a BIG ticker for me, and probably the leading factor in it all. My husband and I set up a budget for ourselves to follow and help us save money. We have 2 more weeks left in the month and enough money to eat out 2 more times. Do I want to go eat out with my family tonight with minimal smartpoints, or do I want us to spend our money on a place where we REALLY want to go and I can enjoy myself?

4. Recognizing Your Thought Process
I've thought about my smartpoints budget, I've thought about our monetary budget, and I'm starting to come to my senses. BUT, I'm still tired and have no motivation to clean the kitchen. But, I've been working at my lifestyle change for a while. Each thing I do that's good for myself  and my family, gets me one step closer to the lifestyle I want to live. Just because I'm tired tonight doesn't mean I still can't cook something good for my family. 
It doesn't have to be elaborate, they are my boys...they love ANYTHING I cook (except brussel sprouts). 

I'll feel so much better about myself that I stuck out my plan and made something that didn't cost more money and would satisfy me in my smartpoints that I have left.

5. Spend Your Smartpoints, Finances, and Family Time Somewhere that you REALLY Want to Go
I've seen the light in recognizing that my daily and weekly smartpoints are precious things; why would I want to waste my points on something that I GUESS I'd like to try? Truth be told, after going through ALL these questions in my mind, we ended up NOT going to Popeye's. I reflected on the ONE TIME I HAD been to Popeye's, probably 20 years ago, and I remember how greasy it was. That did not sound good to me. I honestly didn't really WANT to eat out anywhere it particular, and if I was going to eat out, I wanted it to be somewhere that I'd really enjoy. Turns out, I bucked up, stuck with my lifestyle change goal of eating out only once a week on Saturdays. See that Specific Measureable Attainable Reasonable Time-sensitive goal? That goal, too, kept me grounded. For dinner that night, I made spaghetti with meatballs and a green salad. Little Man was happy and Hubby was happy, and I was VERY happy that I was able to eat that WHOLE DINNER and not just a small side order of fried shrimp.

Take a little bit of time and have a good 1 minute conversation with yourself before you commit to any other person.
Now, if your FAMILY wants to eat out, you know what to do...
1. Look up the restaurant on your WW app or online
2. Look at their menu
3. See what sounds good BEFORE you get there
4. Plan for it and enjoy it.

You don't have to fear the restaurant jungle; you can rule it!
Happy Eating,
Camille