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Good grief! I eat at restaurants to get away from diet restrictions, not to be confronted with them!

In my day-to-day eating habits, I am largely aware of what I eat. OK, I may not always get it right, and there are always those extra pounds I need to lose. But on the most part I eat a relatively healthy diet, avoid my sweet-tooth cravings and try to eat the recommended five portions of fruit and veg per day. I read food labels in supermarkets, and avoid anything that has a long list of chemical ingredients and transfats (except on chocolate - well, for some things ignorance is bliss).

However, on those occasions when I'm eating out at a restaurant, the last thing I want to see is a list of calories and fat grams. For me, eating at a restaurant is a form of relaxation, nearly always enjoyed with company, a place to unwind, enjoy(hopefully) good food prepared and cooked by someone else, savouring a reasonably decent wine and treating myself to that naughty dessert ("I really, really shouldn't. Oh what the hell!"). How can anyone possibly relax when confronted with a list of nutritional values to remind them of the diet they are on or their temptation to deviate from their fitness regime just this once, or to be made to feel guilty for having a night off away from the kitchen and a fridge full of healthier food?

It is bad enough that I have a friend who mentally counts up the Weight Watchers points in her head every time we go to a restaurant. She simply cannot relax about food, is always concerned and anxious about what she is consuming. On the rare occasion I tell her so stop, just STOP, and enjoy herself. Yes, she is overweight, but she still looks stunning and has no problem meeting men. Just imagine how much more conscious of her perpetual diet she will be when confronted by fat content in the food on offer.

Life is far too precious to always avoid the good things. It is not gluttonous to indulge, once in a while, in something as sensuous as a succulent, medium-rare steak with a cream and butter sauce, or a silky chocolate mousse, or a cheese platter washed down with a glass or three of port. As an occasional treat, it is something simply to be enjoyed, preferably with good friends and companions.

So come on in, and revel in those calories - and leave the fat police outside!

Learn more about this author, David Chaproniere.
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