This post was originally sent to my private email list on January 30th, 2022.

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After 10+ months of maintaining my fitness in 2021, I hired my friend Brit to help me put on some long-overdue muscle this year.

Nutritionally, we’re not doing anything drastic: tracking my food again and making better choices is an excellent way to start after some time off from doing either consistently.

(Rushing this foundational period is silly.)

Last Wednesday, however, I was faced with one of my first “obstacles:” a date night with my wife.

In general, this isn’t something I find difficult to navigate. As a nutrition coach who answers dozens of questions on this very scenario on a weekly basis, I have all the tools I need to succeed.

But this particular restaurant serves ridiculously high calorie bread and oil before the meal… that I absolutely love.

Now what?

Most people look at a scenario like this and think they have two options:

  1. “Screw it. YOLO! I’ll get back on track tomorrow”
  2. “Damn. I can’t eat that”

Frankly, both of these options stink. Which is why I chose Door #3: something I call the Token Method.

Every time I sit down at a restaurant, I pretend I have four tokens in my pocket. Generally speaking, each component of a meal out—the app, your drink, an entrée, and a dessert—costs about three tokens.

(Sometimes more, sometimes less—but we’ll keep this example simple.)

I can have anything I want, as long as I have the tokens for it. Kind of like using your tickets at an arcade when you’re a kid getting a prize:

Now, instead of throwing in the towel and “buying” a bunch of menu items I don’t have the tokens for, OR operating from a place of deprivation (“I can’t eat that”), I get to:

  1. Choose my absolute favorite menu item
  2. Maintain my momentum toward my long-term goals

In this case, the bread and oil clocked in at 300+ calories per slice (not remotely uncommon at a restaurant), which means I only had one token to spend on an entrée.

So I chose a leaner cut of steak, and swapped the fries for a side of vegetables that made feel great after the meal.

✔ Enjoyed a delicious splurge?
✔ Operated without restriction?
✔ Remained mindful and selective?
✔ Felt great afterward?
✔ Wonderful company?

Sounds like a pretty perfect date night to me.

By the way…

If you try this method and feel frustrated with how many “tokens” each item costs (the unfortunate nature of a meal out)… remember that the items you’re afraid to miss out on aren’t going anywhere.

In fact, they’re probably splurges you’ve had before, and can get within 2-24 hours if you really feel like you missed out when you walk out of the restaurant.

These aren’t emergency situations.

So pick your “prize,” enjoy your company, and save the other splurges for another time.

Sam

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