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Day 101: Navigating PN-Friendly Meals in Restaurants and Enhancing Recovery Days

Workout glove with motivational saying do it any way possible,mint green Stanley water cup and blue Bose earbuds

Hello again, thanks for checking in! As I continue my journey with the PN program, today’s lesson focused on maintaining my healthy eating habits even while dining out. Whether I'm on vacation, meeting clients, or just grabbing a bite with friends, my goal remains the same: to make the best food choices possible.

Strategic Planning for Eating Out

Today's lesson provided strategies for choosing meals when eating at restaurants, emphasizing the importance of planning ahead. I learned about selecting venues that offer healthier options and how to navigate menus to find meals that align with the PN principles. 

Choose Health-Conscious Restaurants

By opting for places that use fresh, local, and possibly organic ingredients. I am doing my best, when it is my choice, to avoid fast food chains unless absolutely necessary. I am also realistic and that sometimes fast food is the option like yesterday, where I substituted my hash brown for fresh pineapple.

Read the Details

When reviewing the menu, I am doing my best to focus on finding dishes that include vegetables and fruits, lean protein, and high-fiber, slow-digesting carbs like beans or whole grains. These are PN-friendly options and I know that I feel better when I have these types of food, especially important with my IBS and since my gallbladder was removed. 

Ask Questions

I'm learning to ask servers about how dishes are prepared. I used to trust the the menu would tell me or the pictures were clear but after examining the handout they shared, it is now something I am going to be focused on. For example, I ask if vegetables can be steamed instead of fried, or if dressings and sauces can be served on the side or not at all - I have scraped off many sauces in the past because I don't like them so this will avoid that. This helps me avoid unwanted calories and ingredients like added sugars or excessive salt.

Dealing with Food Saboteurs

The lesson also covered how to handle situations where friends or family might unintentionally try to sway my food choices. I'm practicing being polite but firm in maintaining my dietary choices, saying things like, "No thanks, I’m happy with my meal. But thanks for the offer to share or try that!" This helps me stick to my priorities without causing a fuss. This one is hard, we often will share multiple appetizers before our meals so I probably will not be as firm in this as my own meal choices.

Everlast folding exercise mat with a motivational saying greatness is within


Active Recovery and Equipment Upgrade

Today was also an active recovery day. My dog and I enjoyed several walks around the neighborhood, and I moved all the soil that was delivered for my gardens and container gardening. The bags that have been coming from Costco are the same as 3 bags of soil compressed into a block, so I feel like that is a mini workout every time I have to move them up all the stairs to the backyard.

My new Everlast folding exercise mat arrived today, and it's a game-changer compared to the yoga mats I've been using. It’s much thicker and will be gentler on my knees during workouts. It folds into itself with four blocks of cushions and has built-in handles, making it easy to move. It also has a motivational quote on it,  greatness is within. I love that. My workout gloves also have a motivational saying on them, Do it any way possible!

Update on My Dog's Spaying

Today I found out that my dog's spaying appointment has been moved to the end of May that we had scheduled in March for next week. While this was unexpected, I'm a bit relieved because it gives us more time to get her used to wearing a muzzle, both at home and out and about. I just hope that she doesn't suddenly go into heat, I know she shouldn't but really anything can happen. It is worth the wait for this vet because they are one of the few around that does it laparoscopically and the recovery time is only three days. 

Reflecting on today, I feel empowered by the knowledge I've gained about making healthier choices, no matter the setting. It’s about being prepared, asking the right questions, and staying true to my health goals.

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