Testing, testing!

I am both looking forward to -- and dreading -- the next four days. Starting tonight, the challenges start coming, one after another.

Tonight and Saturday I will be eating in a restaurant. And although I know I can order what I think is healthy, in most cases, the food will be loaded with hidden ingredients (fat, salt, sugar, the holy trio of cooking). Saturday we are all descending on the restaurant where my son-in-law is chef. Monday I asked him what I can order that will keep me on my diet, and although he thought long and hard, he honestly said nothing. He was kidding -- sort of. He knows how I am cooking now, and he knows that when he adds a little of this or that it not only adds to the flavor, it adds to the calorie count. Of course, I can special order something, and he will oblige.

Which leads me to today's point: There really is no reason why I should dread eating out. It's all about having the gumption to speak up. Whatever excuse you give the server, believe me he or she has heard it before. If you don't want to admit you are dieting -- which by the way everyone is -- tell him or her that you are allergic to some foods and need something cooked a certain way. If you say it with a smile and respect, your wish will become reality.

Of course, if you're dining at Burger King, this isn't going to work. But in a non-chain restaurant, this is your right. You are there to have an enjoyable meal, and to eat the food.

Tomorrow, I'll let you know how all this works, because tonight, I don't know the chef in the kitchen. But what I did was check out the menu and have narrowed my dinner down to two options:
Seafood Bouillabaisse: Scallops, clams, shrimp, mussels, calamari, mixed seasonal vegetables, steamed in curry fish soup OR
Grilled Tuna Salad: Mixed green salad with grilled tuna, mango, tomato, pineapple, Sesame seeds and teriyaki dressing.

Today, I am eating lightly, with a heavy concentration on greens, fruit, a little protein and some oatmeal. When I get to dinner tonight, I will have 20 Weight Watchers PointsPlus to blow, and I'm sure I'll blow them all. BUT -- and it's a big one -- if I make it through tonight, I will prove something to myself.

Tonight is my test. Let's hope my hatred of failing pulls me through.