Last night a friend of my husband’s took us out for dinner. To a top-rated fancy restaurant, well-considered in the Michelin guide and other gourmet-rating systems.

As you know, Food is taken Seriously in France. Dr. Hope told me she often tells her clients to go to a gourmet restaurant early in their work with her if they don’t do that on their own (I do). Last time I was there we traded addresses - yes, my diet doctor giving me suggestions of fancy places to chow down on rich foods! Eating in these restaurants is an Event. The ratio of staff to clients is often close to 1 to 1, and in addition to feeling pampered you often feel like you’re part of a club. Everything served is specially prepared to be a mix of taste, texture, aroma and visually appealing. Portions are often small, sauces are often present but usually delicate and just a drizzle. It’s very different from what most of us eat everyday.

My husband is a real Foodie, and I’m not far behind. Such culinary excursions are not unknown to us, but I’ve always had a hard time considering how to fit them into my life. I usually try to eat very little all day, arrive ravenous and decide I’m “off program” for the meal (and maybe the next day…). Not this time.

Yesterday I ate “to my hunger’s satisfaction” breakfast and lunch. I didn’t have an afternoon snack, but I really wasn’t hungry.

Usually at these kinds of fancy restaurants there are plenty of healthy choices because seafood usually figures prominently, so I wasn’t too worried about navigating the menu. Except our friend had decided that we should take the tasting menu. For those that haven’t been to these kinds of fancy gourment restaurants, a tasting menu is when they bring you lots and lots of courses, each one smaller than the usual, so you can taste the range of the cook’s talents. Ours was 7 courses! 2 appetizers, fish, chicken, cheese and 2 desserts. Plus 2 different “amuse bouche” (small tasting to start the palate) at the beginning.

Doesn’t sound too diet, does it? Except that if I put all the food on one plate I think it would be less than you’re served as a main dish at any American chain restaurant (like Chili’s, TGIFridays, Applebee’s, Olive Garden, etc). It took hours. We were there from 8:30 pm to 1:00 am. Good conversation. Mostly excellent food (a few things weren’t knock-your-socks-off good, just okay), and some very good wines.

My husband and his friend are both big wine lovers, and the maitre’d, knowing them, had arranged for a different wine to be served to us for each course, blind (we had to try to figure out where each came from, a game I suck at but most wine lovers adore). Luckily each glass was small (and I just took a few sips of each) and we took a taxi. I did start the meal with champagne when the waiter came to ask for our cocktail order. I’ve ordered tomato juice for years and years but Dr Hope pointed out to me at our first visit that champagne and tomato juice have the same amount of calories so you should choose which one you like.  At a restaurant like tha there’s no contest - the house champagne is terrific.

All in all I’d say I had a dinner slightly higher in calories than normal, and the equivalent of 2 glasses of wine.

Most importantly, I savored every bite and I enjoyed what I ate.

And for once, instead of feeling like it was my time for free-for-all, I was relaxed and calm, enjoying the company and the luxurious surroundings.

This is part of my weight loss program. Not bad, huh?