Valentine’s Day is coming up and I want you to be prepared for it! I am all for you and your honey getting out and spending a nice evening out. What I don’t want you to deal with is food guilt or to miss out on an evening out because you were too stressed about gaining weight. Mama, you deserve to get out and have a nice night! You shouldn’t have to feel guilty about it and I want to help you avoid the guilt!

It’s 100% possible to enjoy a night out, to eat foods you love and to stay on track with your diet. It’s all about balance. Let’s create your night out plan so that you can enjoy your Valentine’s!

Have a plan before you head to the restaurant

Whenever I’m going to eat out, I look at the menu ahead of time and decide what I want to eat. I try to pick one thing that I absolutely want to eat and then choose healthier sides.

For example, if I want fettucini alfredo, then I’m going to pair it with broccoli and grilled chicken. This creates a balanced meal. I am getting a good lean source of protein, a veggie that is full of fiber, and I’m getting a dish that makes me happy!

The other thing you need to think about is what you’re eating for the rest of the day. In our example before, the alfredo is going to have a lot of fat in it, so during the rest of the day, you may want to eat lower-fat foods. That way you don’t overdo it on fats in one day.

I like to plan all of the food I’m going to eat out the night before so that I know exactly what my diet will look like for the whole day and I don’t have to stress myself out about what I should or shouldn’t eat all day. I make a plan, stick to it and don’t have to worry about it again!

You can learn more about my meal planning process in my free Busy Mama’s Guide to Weight Loss Success.

Depending on where you are in your health journey, you will have more wiggle room in your diet. If you’re just beginning, it’s important to stick to your plan. However, if you are a few months in you will have more flexibility.

Only order food — and drinks — that are worth it!

This is an important rule of thumb if you want to avoid food guilt. The reason we feel guilty about eating certain foods is either because we’ve been told that type of food is “bad;” therefore, we are bad people for eating it, or because we didn’t enjoy it and feel guilty eating a decedent food that wasn’t even good.

First of all, food isn’t “bad.” Sure, some foods are healthier for you than others, but if you love something and it brings you joy — even if it’s full of sugar — then that food served a purpose. Don’t feel guilty for eating food just because someone else deemed it as bad.

Second, we don’t need to feel guilty if a food doesn’t live up to our expectations. We can feel disappointed, but we don’t need to bring guilt into it.

Try to be very particular about what you order, so that you don’t feel disappointed later. Again, planning what you want to order ahead of time will help a lot with this.

One point I want to make is that it’s ok to enjoy a drink on Valentine’s Day. Most nutritionists will tell you to cut out alcohol completely because it’s empty calories and can lead to other bad food decisions. However, I believe in creating a lifestyle, not just a diet, so I think it’s important to find a way to include whatever you want into your diet.

If you want to order your favorite drink, then do it! Just make sure you include it in your plan so that you know what you’re eating!

Change your mindset and don’t punish yourself for enjoying yourself.

Finally, I want to emphasize the best way to avoid food guilt is to change your mindset. You do not need to feel bad or guilty for enjoying food. It’s absolutely ok to enjoy food!

One off-meal isn’t going to ruin everything either. It’s not the end of the world, I promise. There is no reason to throw in the towel. The best thing you can do after a meal like this is to get back on track as soon as possible.

If your Valentine’s Day dinner was extra heavy, then have an ultra-balanced breakfast the next morning! This isn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle so you can’t “fall off the bandwagon.” You just get back to your normal eating as soon as possible.

Another note I want to make is that you shouldn’t punish yourself either with food or at the gym. Just like you don’t need to restrict your calories the next day and you don’t need to punish yourself in the gym.

You should definitely workout the next day — because you’re living a healthy lifestyle and that includes moving your body. You’re not working out because you overate the night before.

Never show up to the gym with a negative mindset. That will just create resentment for exercise and will make you enjoy it less. Encourage yourself to push harder because you have the extra energy for it from your meal. Be positive and you’ll see the results.

If you need help with meal planning and creating a positive mindset, then I want to talk with you! I’ve helped hundreds of people change their mindset so that they can live a guilt-free and healthy life and you can be one of those people. Schedule a free discovery call with me to get started!

A simple guide to eating out without feeling guilty this Valentine's Day

Have a plan before you head to the restaurant

Only order food — and drinks — that are worth it!

Change your mindset and don’t punish yourself for enjoying yourself.