It's a common thing to think that if I eat out later, I have to restrict my calories during the day so I can “save up” some. 
However, I believe that this way of thinking can easily backfire because…
We still think about food in terms of earning it.
We build up a huge hunger which makes us want to eat ALL the food when we finally get some. Hello, binge/ over eating! We restrict again the next day. The cycle has begun again.
We don't understand that it's okay to eat more calories one day, nothing bad will happen! Our bodies are able to figure it out and require less energy the next day.
How Exactly to Stop Controlling and Start Trusting Yourself
I used to “save my calories” when I know I'll be eating out later because I thought I won’t be able to control myself when I eat at a restaurant. But not anymore because now I trust myself.
If you've been following diet rules or chosen your portion sizes based on a diet or calorie numbers just like I used to in the past, then it's very hard to learn to trust yourself. But it is doable.
Here’s how to take first steps:
1️⃣ Know what foods make you satisfied. These are the foods that make you feel good once you’re finished eating. When you go out to eat, order that food, not the one that has the least calories.
2️⃣ Know what are the foods you enjoy. There's no point in ordering a dry salad if you don't like it! You have to like the food you eat. Order the food you like, not the one you think you “should” order because it's cleaner, healthier, better…
3️⃣ Don't try to over analyze every single thing about that meal, like how many of each macros it had, for example. Order what sounds good to you, not the one that has the “ideal” macro ratios.
4️⃣ Pay attention to your fullness. There’s no need to finish everything, but also don't restrict yourself if you’re still hungry. Eat as much as you need to, to feel comfortably satisfied but not get stuffed because no one likes that feeling, right?
Ditch the Food Rules and Numbers
If you're keeping numbers and other food rules in your head and try to track how many calories just went into your mouth every time you took a bite, it's nearly impossible to FEEL what and how much you need. You simply can't decide whether it's time to put the fork down or whether you need some more. And you get very little enjoyment out of this.
Eating out should be fun not stressful. It would be super boring to never be able to eat out to be honest! When you learn to trust yourself and understand what your body needs, eating out becomes less scary. You don't have to starve all day long if you know you're going to eat out later.
Join the Moderate Eating Challenge!
This 10-day 10 Percent Solution Moderate Eating challenge is meant for women who struggle with over eating and binge eating, only to restrict their food again once the binge is over.
The goal is to learn to eat your favorite things without bingeing. In this challenge, you learn 4 practices that help you get to know your body better and eat things in moderation.
Note – this challenge is NOT for those who are currently recovering from hypothalamic amenorrhea! You are still in recovery and can't rely on your hunger signals to figure out what you need. Watch this video to learn how to eat for HA recovery.
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