Shopping and Eating Out on the Hormone Weight Loss Diet
- In This Quick Guide:
- Eating Out
- Healthy Choices by Cuisine
- Shopping
As we all know, if a new lifestyle is going to work, you need to know how to eat at restaurants and how to shop for it. Grocery shopping and eating out can be overwhelming experiences when you are on hormone weight loss diet. However, by following some simple guidelines, it will be much easier to incorporate your new, improved habits into your daily routine. In this guide you will find basic shopping lists for Phase I of the diet, and a general list you can use to stock your pantry, as well as how and what to eat when dining out.
Eating Out
Obviously, the type of restaurant is an important place to start. The easiest way to continue your healthy habits is to follow the principles of eating mainly whole foods and limiting processed foods as you choose your restaurant meals. Also, make sure that you are eating in a mindful fashion, focusing on your food, and enjoying the company you are with. This will help you be more aware of your intake and reduce the chances that you will needlessly overindulge. In addition, if you have a small, healthy snack about 30 minutes before you go to the restaurant, you will not arrive “starving” and order much more food than you need.
A few tips:
- When you arrive at the restaurant, ask the waiter to bring water for everyone and request that the bread basket is left off of the table.
- Ask if they have any fresh vegetables, hummus, or olives that can be substituted as an appetizer.
- Ask the waiter how the food is prepared and let them know if you have any special requests.
- After you finish half of your meal, stop and relax for a few minutes while you drink some water. Continue with you meal only if you are still hungry. Otherwise, have it wrapped to take home.
- Another variation on this theme is to have only half of your meal served to you and the other half wrapped immediately.
- Don’t order your dessert until after you have finished your meal. Make sure that you choose fresh fruit or a single dessert with a bunch of utensils so you can split it among the table.
- Most importantly, relax and enjoy yourself!
Healthy Choices by Cuisine
There are a number of wonderful varieties of food available from countries all over the world. Experiment with the different tastes and textures you find so your dining experiences remain exciting. There are healthier options at each type of restaurant.
Chinese
- Chicken or shrimp with steamed vegetables
- Chicken or shrimp with garlic sauce and mixed vegetables
French
- Escargots
- Duck with vegetables
- Chicken with salad and vegetables
- Orange duck
- Vegetable soup
- Chicken soup
Fast Food
- Chicken salad
- Chili
Italian
- Baked fish
- Grilled fish
- Chicken Marsala
- Zuppa de pesce
Japanese
- Fish with steamed veggies
- Chicken or shrimp with steamed veggies
- Sashimi
- Cucumber rolls (instead of rice)
- Mushroom soup
Mexican
- Grilled beef or chicken with vegetables
- Grilled fish with vegetables
- Fajita salad
Steak or Chop House
- Fillet with veggies and/or salad
- Caesar salad with chicken or shrimp
- Shrimp cocktail
Shopping
The easiest places to buy most of the food you will need are local co-ops or a chain such as Whole Foods, Wild Oats, or Trader Joes. They carry a wide variety of organic foods and hormone-free meats. It is important to buy a variety of fresh produce that is organically grown. You may need to shop for produce twice a week in order to keep it fresh. Because organic food is often more expensive, if your budget needs a break, there is some produce that has less pesticide exposure than others. The Environmental Working Group has identified some produce that is least contaminated with pesticides: asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, kiwis, mangos, onions, papayas, pineapples, and peas.
Here is a great shopping guide for items to keep stocked in your pantry:
Below is a shopping list for weeks 1 through 4 of Phase I of the Hormone Weight Loss Diet.
Week 1
- Sweet potatoes
- Carrots
- Zucchini
- Green peas
- Spinach
- Mushrooms
- Avocado
- Tomatoes
- Mixed greens
- Lettuce
- Onion
- Bell peppers (assorted colors)
- Veggies for hummus
- Cabbage
- Cucumber
- Asparagus
- Broccoli rabe
- Eggplant
- Lemon juice
- Crushed garlic
- Pine nuts
- Black beans
- Guacamole
- Pesto sauce
- Chicken or turkey sausage
- Deli chicken or turkey
- Chicken breast
- Salmon fillets
- Chicken for chicken salad
- Shrimp
- Organic ground beef
- White fish
- Apples
- Oranges
- Pears
- Almonds
- Walnuts
Week 2
- Smoked salmon
- Salmon, canned
- Salmon fillets
- Turkey sausage
- Chicken for chicken salad
- Deli turkey and chicken
- Organic ground beef
- Chicken breast
- Beef fillet
- Halibut
- Pork chops
- Prosciutto
- Cucumber
- Tomatoes
- Mushrooms
- Sweet potatoes
- Avocado
- Veggies for hummus
- Onion
- Garlic cloves
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Lettuce
- Mixed greens
- Spaghetti squash
- Kale
- Green beans
- Zucchini
- Pine nuts
- Pecans
- Almonds
- Eggs
- Dill
- Fennel
- Sage
- Ground ginger
- Organic vegetable stock
- Organic chicken stock
- Coconut milk
- Red beans
- Cannellini beans
- Capers
- Artichoke hearts
- Kalamata olives
- Tomato sauce
- Roasted red peppers, jarred
- Guacamole
- LaraBar
- Pear
- Apple
- Berries
Week 3
- Turkey
- Turkey sausage
- Smoked salmon
- Salmon fillets
- Shrimp for shrimp salad
- Chicken breast
- Prosciutto
- Organic beef fillet
- Organic ground beef
- Lamb chops
- White fish
- Tilapia
- Dill
- Parsley
- Mushroom
- Tomatoes
- Spinach
- Zucchini
- Avocado
- Sweet potatoes
- Cucumber
- Romaine lettuce
- Mixed greens
- Peas
- Onion
- Eggplant
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Celery
- Asparagus
- Green beans
- Broccoli
- Eggs
- Baking soda
- Guacamole
- Organic chicken stock
- Organic beef stock
- Garlic cloves
- Sweet potato chips
- Mint pesto
- Artichokes, jarred
- Roasted red peppers, jarred
- Capers
- Vermouth, dry
- LaraBar
- Apples
- Berries
- Pears
- Raisins
Week 4
- Ham
- Pot roast
- Chicken sausage
- Chicken breast
- Smoked salmon
- Deli turkey or chicken
- Beef fillet, organic
- Pork chops
- Flank steak
- Beef, ground organic
- Fish fillet of your choice
- Eggs
- Baking soda
- Chives
- Garlic cloves
- Vegetable stock, organic
- Coconut milk
- Salsa
- Sweet potato chips
- Organic beef, chicken, or vegetable broth
- Yellow curry paste
- Asparagus
- Sweet potatoes
- Carrots
- Zucchini
- Green peas
- Green beans
- Mixed greens
- Veggies for hummus
- Leeks
- Asparagus
- Onion
- Eggplant
- Tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Avocado
- Spinach
- Cauliflower
- Apples
- Pears
- Walnuts
- Cashews
Following a diet can sometimes be difficult, but with the right food in your house and the right knowledge of what to eat when you’re out, you can stay on track and lose weight. Good luck!
by Alicia Stanton, M.D., author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Hormone Weight Loss
