OK, my son is turning 8 and this is his choice of where to eat.

I need some suggestions on what will keep me out of too much trouble.

Be aware that I am not really big on veggies (there ... I admitted it)

Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

THANKS!

Well, first of all, you need to just give in and start eating veggies.. I was like that too.. Unless it was a salad, I'd rather just not eat if it meant eating cooked veg.. But in order for this program to work, it's gotta be done..

As for the steakhouse, I'd suggest a chicken dish, as beef tends to be heavy.. But in reality, beef would be ok... I'm not a fan of seafood, but that would probably be best of all..

Are you doing the whole "Teppan grill" thing? If so, ask the cook for less rice and to go easy on the sauce for your portion. The sauces are really salty and sugary. Also, if you have less rice on your plate, you'll be less likely to eat it!

Stick with water and drink plenty of it with dinner, to help counteract the salt you'll be ingesting...

Last of all, be sure to tip your cook well if he does his best to help you stay on plan!

Have a good time.. My 7 year old loves the teppan stuff too..

Hi Kelly. If I may ask where in VA do you live? I also live in VA and I live near a Kobe's. I usually just do veggies. And Chicken!

Dan - thanks for the advice, the rice is not a big problem for me as it is not my favorite thing either. I do some veggies, but I like the heck cooked out of them and that just doesn't usually happen there. I will probably do the chicken and the salad and a little bit of rice (which my son will probably steal anyway) The Sauces are what I figure was going to kill me. I drink a ton of water especially when I eat, so I will try and get in a little more and mention to the guy to try and keep my sauces lite.

Kimberly - I live in Stafford, VA, which is about 35 miles south of DC ... near Quantico Marine Corps Base

THANKS!

If you're a little adventurous, the seaweed or octopus salad or edamame make a great appetizer.

Edamame are boiled young soybeans, and to me they taste like a cross between salted peanuts and fresh peas or snap peas. Octopus is a little chewy, but sweet like crabmeat, lobster or shrimp. The seaweed salad is probably the craziest, and the texture threw me at first, because it's also very chewy and the color is a vibrant, almost neon, green. They're both usually made with very little oil, just a little sesame oil for taste (I would guess less than a half teaspoon because sesame oil is used as a seasoning by the drop, not the spoonful because it's very strong tasting) some rice wine vinegar, fresh ginger, green onion and rice wine vinegar.

As mentioned, the tepannaki is usually pretty good calorie-wise if you watch the amount of rice and sauce you use. Teriyaki or yakitori chicken is usually a good choice.

Calorie King and other calorie counting and dieting sites have information on generic Japanese restaurant items, and the restaurant may have a website, just google Kobe and the name of the city the restaurant is in, and you may find more specific information.

Of all restaurants, I think Japanese is one of the most diet friendly. Not that there aren't calorie nightmares like tempura battered deep fried sushi, but there are more low calorie options on the menu than almost any other restaurant that isn't catering specifically to vegans, raw foodies or dieters.

Kelly I cant help with your question just wanted to say my sister lived in Quantico for 10 years, her hubby was a Marine, with HMX1, the presidents helicopter squadron, I LOVED visiting her on base and seeing all the guys in uniform! Eye candy, no calories! LOL

What are the leanest cuts of beef?

There are at least 29 cuts of beef that meet the government labeling guidelines for "lean". That includes some of America's favorites like tenderloin, t-bone steak and 95% lean ground beef. Click here to see more information about these cuts. Additionally, beef’s leanest cuts have only one more gram of saturated fat than a skinless chicken breast and provide more nutrition and taste per serving. Just 3 ounces of cooked lean beef has:

* the same amount of Zinc as 14-1/2 (3oz.) servings of salmon;
* the same amount of B12 as 6-1/2 (3oz.) servings of skinless chicken breast;
* the same amount of Iron as 2 3/4 cups of raw spinach.

So.. If you don't want to go with chicken breast or fish, you could go with a lean cut of beef.. As far as other things at a Japanese steakhouse, you could get miso soup or the shiitake mushroom soup..

Very good point! Most places I've been to that offer a teppan grill use a sirloin cut..

The danger with beef on the LAWL plan is to not eat it too often because it sticks with you longer than poultry or fish.. But heck.. For a birthday party, I'd go ahead a live a little!

Dan, got any suggestions or recipes for getting veggies in when you don't like them I want to be a reformed veggie hater!!!

Unfortunately, Crystal, for me it's a "grin and bear it" kind of thing... I've found that steaming veggies rather than boiling helps so all the flavor doesn't get washed out.. Also, if you cook zuchini, drizzle some EVOO (sorry.. extra virgin olive oil) on them and sprinkle with just a bit of parmasean cheese and/or salt alternative (or Morton's lite) and roast them in the oven..

I've taken to grilling asperagus, but even that only makes it bearable...

I'm never going to be a fan of veggies, but the important thing is that I KNOW I HAVE to eat them in order to maintain the "healthier me"... Now veggies are just an accepted part of every meal...

I'll tell you what someone told me once, when early on in the program I was complaining about veggies:

"Suck it up and eat them.. You don't have a choice if you want to lose weight and be healthy..." Ok, so that was paraphrased a bit, but that was the general tone and idea..

thanks for the magic pill....but you are so right..Isn't that what we tell our kids? I guess I should practice what I preach.

Hey,

Just wanted to say "THANKS" to everyone who helped me out.

I had a salad, and Seseme Chicken on the grill (lite on the sauce). I had a little bit of the Fried Rice they made (I kept it to plan so not too much).

My son had a blast, stayed on plan, and I didn't gain a since pound.

Thanks again!