How to eat non-healthy food + healthy food, and not diet

Going out for dinner

When I go out for dinner I don’t think about the calories- I choose things that I like and I try not to go over board on the fried things- but I do love something deep fried every once in a while.

When you think about food: Do not think long term, it’s a recipe for disaster

I think that the key to enjoying food is to balance out the healthy food and the not so healthy food during a week. 

Don’t make monthly plans.

When I go out for dinner three times a week I will diet or eat less and more healthy at home on the other days.

My meals will have lower calories.  I usually focus on eating proteins, fibre and some carbs. 

For example I may have turkey breast with a combination of  rice and quinoa along with cauliflower.

I have a sweet tooth so for dessert I may have tangerines or dark chocolate.

I like to end my meals with mint tea. It always feels like a treat.

Eating well in Bologna and not gaining an inch

I ate pasta every day when I went to Bologna for the Children’s Illustration Book Fair. I had a glass of wine during dinner every night, ate the bread (of course) but did not eat dessert every day. 

I chose to eat their amazing gelato every afternoon. How can you go to Italy and not follow traditions?

I was in Bologna for four days and did not gain any weight. 

When I came back to Lisbon I looked at what I ate and drank and tried to figure out how I did not gain any weight. 

The portions are a lot smaller. The pasta dishes had 1/2 – 3/4 cup pasta. 

So it is possible to eat pasta every day if you serve yourself only 1/2 cup of pasta and eat it with a great tomato sauce, veggies or fish. 

I decide to bring back home the Italian way of eating. 

I’m enjoying everything but in smaller quantities.

Share your dishes with friends when you eat out

I love Tapas style food because I think the idea of sharing food is great. I love to talk about food and compare all dishes and eating out is an event for me.

Start sharing dishes when you go out. You will eat less quantity and order many more dishes because you are sharing. It changes how you look at dinner.

Instead of ordering a main meal, order several small dishes, have a glass of champagne or wine, and eat dessert.

How can you change your way of eating and how you look at food?

My doctor wants me to try out the Mediterranean diet and and Moseley’s book has many good tips for healthy food. I like the idea that you can eat more during two days in the week but eat a lot less on five day. It’s a great way to lose that extra weight without suffering. 

I have to admit that I have tweaked this and ate out and well during three days a week and still did well.

The book, The Fast 800 Easy: Quick and simple recipes to make your 800-calorie days even easier (The Fast 800 Series)  helped me so much. It suggests that you eat less during a few days to help you lose or balance out your diet. 

Whenever I splurge during a dinner, I eat a lot less the next day.

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Updated July 2025