What do you do when you go out to eat?

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Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    nosajjao wrote: »
    What things are safe to order at restaurants?

    The safe thing to do is not go out to restaurants, because they generally do not serve healthy food. Case in point, a typical lunch at Chili's added up to 1,400 calories, which is worse than McDonalds considering I was choosing what appeared to be healthy foods (baked chicken).

    My point is don't go out eating at restaurants if you're trying to be healthy.

    When I think about eating out, it's sushi or pizza. But I rarely do that.

    calories don't really have anything to do with whether a meal was "healthy" or not. There are tons of nutritious foods that are also calorie bombs...

    Also, Chilies is fairly well known for being high calorie...but they do also have a pretty decent 500 calorie menu as well.

    Personally, when I eat out I prefer local establishments that prepare more fresh food than institutionalized franchise foodz.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    All that to say- it's perfectly fine- and normal to eat out with a balanced approach to life.

    Actually when I made the 1000 pound club for lifting stats. I was thinking of what would be the club for strong women. Then I though of you and was like I am sure women can 100% get to 1000 pounds on lifting. You were one of the strong people I thought of on MFP.

    I am confident one day I will get there. I have faith I can hit at least 900.
    My long term goals
    400 lb DL
    215 Bench
    300 Squat.

    I know it can be done- and long term that's where I'm aiming- that puts me damn close- and I would be happy with 900. Shoot for the stars and all :disappointed_relieved:

    and thanks for the warm fuzzies on strong people lifting. I do appreciate it- I'm not the strongest for sure- we have some serious beasts on this site- which makes me REALLY happy.
  • Dawmelvan
    Dawmelvan Posts: 133 Member
    edited November 2014
    SpecialKH wrote: »
    If I know in advance which restaurant we are going to, I see if the meals and calories are listed online and make up my mind what I will order in advance.






    This is exactly what I do. Then I don't "cave" when I see all the other delicious high fat high cal options.
  • JeffseekingV
    JeffseekingV Posts: 3,165 Member
    Eating out isn't bad. You just have to know where in downtown to go
  • silentKayak
    silentKayak Posts: 658 Member
    A lot of places have a "light" menu where they have the calories listed. I wish they all listed cals for everything, but at least there are a few safe meals. I was surprised when I went with co-workers to Cracker Barrel (a completely fatty and carb-laden southern restaurant chain). Even they had a light menu. I got some pretty tasty baked chicken and a salad that was under 400 calories for lunch.

    You have to be careful because sometimes what seems "light" really isn't. Restaurant salads are the worst. They pack them with dressing, croutons, nuts and dried fruit to the point where by the time you're done you might as well have had a burger. Assume double the calories in everything compared to if you made it at home. They want it to be tasty, not low-calorie.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    nosajjao wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    I eat out at least 2x a week. I'm neither fat- nor have I ever been- I work out 3 times a week and attend at least 3-4 dance classes a week and I work 3 jobs.

    Good for you, doesn't mean other people can just dance, eat out and not be fat. You are not the common denominator for everyone else.

    Typical sit-down restaurants (Applebee's, Chili's, Outback) do not serve what constitutes nutritional food if you are trying to be healthy. It doesn't mean you can't find some way to make it work, it just means there are overwhelmingly more unhealthy choices on their menus than nutritionally balanced. If you are trying to be situationally aware of how you eat, eating at places like this are situationally ignorant.

    If you eat out at some health-vegan joint where everything is gluten-absolved and organically grown and raised with a college education, then obviously its not all too bad, and you'll probably be fine.
    JoRocka wrote: »
    If you eat out once or twice a month- It's easy to save 50-200 calories a day up in advance for a few days and give yourself some buffer room in terms of deficit.

    You can't bank calories from one day to save for another, that's not how the body works. It's not like money, you don't place unspent calories in the piggy-bank to be spent a few days later.
    JoRocka wrote: »
    My BF is only here 2x a week- 9/10 we go out to eat at LEAST once- and often times it's to high end- steak/allyou can eat Brazillian places- we are steak snobs- I'm not going to be picky when I'm there.

    Sounds like you're just a snob in general, if anything has lost some weight its your boyfriend's wallet. Keep up the gold-digging, should work out well.
    JoRocka wrote: »
    just saying don't eat out b/c it is unhealthy is rubbish.

    Actually its brilliant, even if it was misleading, it would be misleading in a beneficial way. Meals prepared by hand from scratch ingredients is a general way to avoid unhealthy eating. Obviously if you prepare and eat an entire apple pie by hand it doesn't make it healthy. Use your head people.

    Are you crazy? Vegan restaurants serve just as high calorie food as any other.
  • socalkay
    socalkay Posts: 746 Member
    edited November 2014
    Doggie bags (and the dogs don't get the leftovers).
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  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    I'm a picky eater, so I always am asking for special considerations. Luckily in NYC restaurants are used to this. I remember when asking delis to scoop out a bagel was strange, now it's a non issue. The worst time I had was in California, where I thought anything goes, but they were not at all at ease with changing how things were prepared.

    Also, almost every place here has calorie counts on the menu.

    The one thing I don't understand is why senior residences (where my mom was) serve half and half with their coffee. It's almost universal.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    <<<< that's what I do B)
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
    I always plan ahead, Google search for nutrition facts or enter the restaurant in the database and see what pops up. If nothing, then I stick with meat, veggies and wine.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Eating out isn't bad. You just have to know where in downtown to go

    All service facilities are expected to be clean and tidy for your dining pleasure.
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    If I am having a more mindful meal out, I look for something that is chicken, steak or fish, and have it with potatoes and plenty of vegetables. I tend to not worry too much about a little butter. I am not into pasta, lasagne or things like that anyway.

    If it is a more special occasion or I feel like letting loose, I have pizza or sometimes half a roast chicken with baked potato and corn cob or somesuch, or a pie or omelette with chips (fries) and dessert.

  • slacker80
    slacker80 Posts: 235 Member
    Just like previously mentioned by jorocka. After some time at playing this counting game wheather it's for calories, carbs, proteins, fats sugars, etc. Eventually you just build up a "good sense of awareness" Obviously anything you know is deep fried or sweet and saucy is not going to have a good nutritional profile. It's great to be goal driven but it's ok to enjoy life time to time and not let things like this consume you unless it's an everyday affair.

    but if all fails than take your time eating allowing your food to settle and reach that point of satisfaction. It's easy to say and hard to do because when it taste sooooo good.... well you know.

    I can say this for sure. most places offer desserts which can actually be ideal to be split into two servings. So if you get something for yourself, remember to share, and spare yourself from guilt.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Accept that you won't be able to determine the calories with any real accuracy (I'm assuming non chain place).

    What I do depends on the type of restaurant, but usually I try to find an entrée that is meat and vegetables, and where the meat is grilled or roasted, etc. I often have fish or shellfish, but it really depends on what looks good. I assume that they add a lot more butter than I would. I also look at the portion sizes and try to eat the same kind of portion I would at home and take the rest home or just leave it. If there's a starchy side like rice or potatoes I use moderation (in Asian restaurants I often am very sparing with the rice or skip it, since I don't care about rice so don't need calories from it). That kind of thing. Oh, and I don't eat the bread on the table unless it's really special and I take the calories into account when deciding what's a reasonable amount of everything to eat.

    I actually go out quite a bit--once or twice a week most weeks I've been doing this--and it hasn't hurt my weight loss at all.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    If it's a chain I look up calorie values before I go, then I try to get something sensible (salad, chicken, salmon). And since I'm going to lunch today, my breakfast consists of a cup of yogurt only, so I can have some more calories to work with.
  • Annabear3
    Annabear3 Posts: 92 Member
    I look up the menu online before I go and decide what to eat from there. If they don't have nutrition facts, I just try to order smart. I know that 1 meal won't break all my hard work so I'll let it be a bit of a splurge. If I do eat over my calories, I'll do a little extra in my next workout to put my mind at ease.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    edited November 2014
    I'm a picky eater, so I always am asking for special considerations. Luckily in NYC restaurants are used to this. I remember when asking delis to scoop out a bagel was strange, now it's a non issue. The worst time I had was in California, where I thought anything goes, but they were not at all at ease with changing how things were prepared.

    Also, almost every place here has calorie counts on the menu.

    The one thing I don't understand is why senior residences (where my mom was) serve half and half with their coffee. It's almost universal.

    As opposed to ... ? Half-and-half is the default around here except at a coffee shop or high-end restaurant where they don't assume.

    If that were my mother, she'd be complaining bitterly about the half-and-half. She only accepts heavy whipping cream in her coffee.