In this practical and relatable episode, Lauren and Marci dive into the challenges of eating out while trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. With real-life stories—from babysitting adventures to Little League milestones—this episode is packed with helpful tips on navigating restaurant meals without feeling deprived or compromising progress. Whether you're traveling, celebrating, or just dining out more often this summer, Lauren and Marci break down sustainable strategies to stay on track while still enjoying your meals.

 Timestamps:

00:00 – Life Updates & Babysitting Adventures: Marci shares how a spontaneous babysitting gig turned into weekend travel-mom duties and what it taught her.

05:30 – Little League Graduation & Home Run Derby: Lauren recounts her son William’s 12-year-old graduation and how he crushed the home run derby—rain and all!

12:00 – Restaurant Eating in Summer: Why It Matters: Why eating out becomes more frequent in summer and how it can still align with your goals.

14:30 – Key Tip #1: Planning Ahead With Menus: How looking at restaurant menus in advance helps with intentional choices and prevents surprise calories.

17:00 – Fat Loss Phases & Macro Planning: Lauren shares how to track meals in advance, pre-log food, and adjust the rest of the day around a restaurant meal.

22:00 – The Salad Sabotage & Misleading “Healthy” Foods: Salads can be calorie bombs. Learn how to decode menus and avoid the hidden fat traps.

25:00 – Nutritional Trade-Offs & The “Pick 2” Strategy: Indulge without going overboard using Marci’s and Lauren’s favorite strategies for satisfaction and balance.

30:00 – Customize Everything: Don’t Be Afraid to Ask!: How polite custom requests like “grilled instead of fried” or “dressing on the side” go a long way.

36:00 – Portion Control & Leaving Bites Behind: Why you don’t have to clean your plate—and how to practice leaving food without guilt.

39:00 – Bounce Back > Perfection: What to do when you overeat and how the next meal—not the last—is what really matters.

 Resources & Mentions:

• Dining Out Guide by Marci Nevin – Tips for navigating meals out without derailing your goals.
• Dining Out Guide by Lauren Melton – Includes favorite fast food macro hacks and strategy tips.

Loved this episode?

Grab both Dining Out Guides from Marci & Lauren (linked in show notes)!

Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a friend who needs help staying on track while dining out.