Eating at restaurants used to be fun, now it's kind of stressful.
Options
Replies
-
While it would be nice if all restaurants could post their nutrition info it really isn't possible for a small place. What I usually do, if I know I am going to a place without nutrition info on their menu or website (and of course keep in mind that the restaurant isn't always that accurate either - if they make each item from scratch and actually don't weigh exactly they will most likely be quite a bit off) what I will usually try to do is take a look at their menu online if possible and plan ahead - I find things that interest me (hopefully with a decent description) and then I check out the MFP database for similar items to try to get a range of calories that it could fall under, and then when I log the item I try to err on the side of caution and pick the higher calorie items. Hopefully I am close or under with my guesses but if not it isn't the worst thing in the world. I also try to be good the rest of the day and week if I am really concerned. Unfortunately until they come up with some sort of magical calorie determining app or device (which would be awesome by the way) we have to just try our best to estimate. We had our annual company holiday lunch today at a local restaurant I hadn't been to before, so I looked at the menu last night, tried to pick something that didn't seem like a huge calorie bomb (but didn't go super healthy either - it is a holiday lunch so I thought it was ok to be a bit high today), took a look at MFP and then since what I wanted was a bit on the high side (and I wasn't sure of how big their items would be) I went super light on breakfast, knowing if the portions ended up being super small I could eat more for dinner, and if they were super huge I could take half home. Lucky for me they actually were very reasonable on what I got (chicken sandwich) so I think I am good with the similar items I found on MFP.0
-
I agree with you OP. Sometimes I just end up staying home because I can't find a restaurant that has something on the menu that doesn't look like it's going to be another 1000 calories... It's pretty disheartening.
And I don't like the 'one meal won't derail you' mentality, because, well, when you have a small deficit, it just might wipe out half your progress for the week without you knowing! Oh the number of times I looked at something on the menu that looked relatively healthy, then found out that the calories were 1500 or something for it (and I'm not even counting dessert, and I love dessert in local restaurants).0 -
OP, I agree with you. On a very low calorie "budget" like you and I have, restaurants are really hard to navigate. You could easily blow out your entire daily budget.
If you don't eat out much (less than once a week), it doesn't matter. But if you eat out more than that (the "it's only one meal" people here clearly don't have the same life I do, where someone's proposing a restaurant for lunch at least 3 times a week), you have to have a plan.
I usually end up with chicken or fish and a salad with no dressing. It is frustrating because I know I could make the same thing at home for less money and fewer calories.
If the restaurant has nutrition facts, read them ahead of time. Sometimes you find surprising information. For example, one of my favorite restaurants has baked lasagna which is 1200 calories, but they'll make half an order which is plenty for me. I never would have thought lasagna would be one of the best choices on the menu, but there's not much else that will let me escape at 600 cals.
The advice to "don't worry and enjoy" is pure stupidity. Not every restaurant meal is a gourmet feast, and obviously you don't want to blow your hard work on a disgusting pile of pasta from the Olive Garden or a barely edible plate of garbage from Red Lobster. Those places have functional food, and you have to find something you can eat.
However, I make exceptions for really nice restaurants (like the kind you only go to once a year). For a true fine dining restaurant, I'd ignore calories and have what I wanted.
0 -
I've also been known to do a long, intense workout and basically fast on a Saturday or Sunday in anticipation of a nice meal that night. It sounds deranged when I put it that way, but it actually helps me enjoy the meal more because I'm really hungry, and I know I can afford it.0
-
Ugh, agreed. It is incredibly frustrating because all you can do is give your best estimate. I hate to go to lunch tomorrow with someone and it is bugging me because I won't be able to know exactly how many calories I am eating. Will it be 400 calorie or 1400? Who knows! I have no idea how they prepare their food or what they are adding in. I wish every place would have nutritional information.0
-
The advice to "don't worry and enjoy" is pure stupidity. Not every restaurant meal is a gourmet feast, and obviously you don't want to blow your hard work on a disgusting pile of pasta from the Olive Garden or a barely edible plate of garbage from Red Lobster. Those places have functional food, and you have to find something you can eat.
However, I make exceptions for really nice restaurants (like the kind you only go to once a year). For a true fine dining restaurant, I'd ignore calories and have what I wanted.
Does anyone go to Red Lobster anymore? Yeah, obviously don't blow it on that or the Olive Garden.
0 -
at lightly active your maintenance would be 1915 and a 500 calorie cut is 1415 …so maybe you can eat a little more..
How long have you been eating 1200 for? Have you ever done a diet break, where you eat up to maintenance for a week or so?
If you are going by MFP, I tend to avoid using their calculations. I don't use lightly active calculations because it's the same as prelogging a certain amount of activity which is how it arrives at those calculations. I think it makes more sense for me to just set sedentary and then plug in the exercise so I get a more accurate count. I've never done a diet break. I do one free day once a month.0 -
I agree with you OP. Sometimes I just end up staying home because I can't find a restaurant that has something on the menu that doesn't look like it's going to be another 1000 calories... It's pretty disheartening.
And I don't like the 'one meal won't derail you' mentality, because, well, when you have a small deficit, it just might wipe out half your progress for the week without you knowing! Oh the number of times I looked at something on the menu that looked relatively healthy, then found out that the calories were 1500 or something for it (and I'm not even counting dessert, and I love dessert in local restaurants).
That's what I was saying earlier. ONLY Grilled chicken/salmon salad is safe (dressing on the side, dip a few leaves in)0 -
PikaKnight wrote: »Out of curiousity,what is your height, age and current weight that MFP gave you 1200 calories? And is this net? (meaning do you eat back exercise calories?)
64 inches, 38 years, and 137.4 and it's not just MFP that gave me 1200. No, I do not eat back exercise calories. If I was doing majorly intensive exercise, then I would eat back some but for the walks I do, not worth it.
This is why I try to get as much activity in as possible. No judgement, just there's no way I personally could restrict my eating (and enjoyment of life, eating's a social activity) without it.0 -
at lightly active your maintenance would be 1915 and a 500 calorie cut is 1415 …so maybe you can eat a little more..
How long have you been eating 1200 for? Have you ever done a diet break, where you eat up to maintenance for a week or so?
If you are going by MFP, I tend to avoid using their calculations. I don't use lightly active calculations because it's the same as prelogging a certain amount of activity which is how it arrives at those calculations. I think it makes more sense for me to just set sedentary and then plug in the exercise so I get a more accurate count. I've never done a diet break. I do one free day once a month.
this is the one that I use:
http://www.fat2fittools.com/tools/bmr/
OK …
how long have you been dieting for?
You may benefit from eating at maintenance level for a week or so and then going to a half pound per week loss.
YOur body's natural reaction after dieting for a long time is to want to hold onto the remaining fat that you have, and after long diets your metabolism tends to slow down. So most people find that if they eat at maintenance for a week or two and then go back to a deficit, they start losing again ..
its called reverse dieting ..look into it...0 -
Oh the number of times I looked at something on the menu that looked relatively healthy, then found out that the calories were 1500 or something for it
Yup, it's scary. I wish that there were more low-cal restaurants around, seriously. It's so nice to look at a menu and see so many entrees at 300 calories. It's like Christmas.
0 -
I agree with you OP. Sometimes I just end up staying home because I can't find a restaurant that has something on the menu that doesn't look like it's going to be another 1000 calories... It's pretty disheartening.
And I don't like the 'one meal won't derail you' mentality, because, well, when you have a small deficit, it just might wipe out half your progress for the week without you knowing! Oh the number of times I looked at something on the menu that looked relatively healthy, then found out that the calories were 1500 or something for it (and I'm not even counting dessert, and I love dessert in local restaurants).
That's what I was saying earlier. ONLY Grilled chicken/salmon salad is safe (dressing on the side, dip a few leaves in)
Yeah but even then, a lot of places don't necessarily have them, plus honestly salads have so much stuff in them that they're often as many calories as a burger, even without dressing!0 -
The advice to "don't worry and enjoy" is pure stupidity. Not every restaurant meal is a gourmet feast, and obviously you don't want to blow your hard work on a disgusting pile of pasta from the Olive Garden or a barely edible plate of garbage from Red Lobster. Those places have functional food, and you have to find something you can eat.
However, I make exceptions for really nice restaurants (like the kind you only go to once a year). For a true fine dining restaurant, I'd ignore calories and have what I wanted.
so everyone that is saying enjoy a nice meal is stupid,got ya…
and who in this thread said that olive garden or red lobster was a good meal …I never go to either ...0 -
OK …
how long have you been dieting for?
You may benefit from eating at maintenance level for a week or so and then going to a half pound per week loss.
YOur body's natural reaction after dieting for a long time is to want to hold onto the remaining fat that you have, and after long diets your metabolism tends to slow down. So most people find that if they eat at maintenance for a week or two and then go back to a deficit, they start losing again ..
its called reverse dieting ..look into it...
I've been dieting since March. It just started slowing down after these past five pounds or so. I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later. Trying to tighten my logging up and keep super vigilant but that's hard when stuff like eating out throws you off.
0 -
that's why you ask for a green saladI agree with you OP. Sometimes I just end up staying home because I can't find a restaurant that has something on the menu that doesn't look like it's going to be another 1000 calories... It's pretty disheartening.
And I don't like the 'one meal won't derail you' mentality, because, well, when you have a small deficit, it just might wipe out half your progress for the week without you knowing! Oh the number of times I looked at something on the menu that looked relatively healthy, then found out that the calories were 1500 or something for it (and I'm not even counting dessert, and I love dessert in local restaurants).
That's what I was saying earlier. ONLY Grilled chicken/salmon salad is safe (dressing on the side, dip a few leaves in)
Yeah but even then, a lot of places don't necessarily have them, plus honestly salads have so much stuff in them that they're often as many calories as a burger, even without dressing!
also even mcdonald's has a grilled chicken something these days, really now0 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
Yes! All of this.healthygreek wrote: »One of my greatest pleasures is going to a good local restaurant.
I love sitting down to a great meal and a glass of wine or two!
I try to choose well and make estimates of my calorie intake.
I may gain a bit of water weight but it really doesn't make a huge impact in the long run.
I could never stick with my healthy lifestyle if I couldn't enjoy this at least once a week.
My favorite restaurants don't (and probably couldn't realistically) post calorie counts.
+2 (except no wine anymore)0 -
Ok here's one article that may help you make decisions. They didn't list portions, so I don't know how they can talk about specific calories and macros, but just for a representative idea
http://www.canadianliving.com/health/nutrition/eating_out_the_healthy_way_thai_greek_chinese_mexican_and_more.php
also
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/restaurant-healthy-meal-choices
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/healthy-eating-tips/tips-for-eating-out.html
but with 1200 cals, yeah there's not a lot to play with. I can do it more easily at 1670 net. I eat back my exercise calories too.0 -
The advice to "don't worry and enjoy" is pure stupidity. Not every restaurant meal is a gourmet feast, and obviously you don't want to blow your hard work on a disgusting pile of pasta from the Olive Garden or a barely edible plate of garbage from Red Lobster. Those places have functional food, and you have to find something you can eat.
However, I make exceptions for really nice restaurants (like the kind you only go to once a year). For a true fine dining restaurant, I'd ignore calories and have what I wanted.
Does anyone go to Red Lobster anymore? Yeah, obviously don't blow it on that or the Olive Garden.
I would go for the cheddar bay buscuits. However I live in the maritimes. No Red lobster here. I wonder why? lol.0 -
PikaKnight wrote: »Out of curiousity,what is your height, age and current weight that MFP gave you 1200 calories? And is this net? (meaning do you eat back exercise calories?)
64 inches, 38 years, and 137.4 and it's not just MFP that gave me 1200. No, I do not eat back exercise calories. If I was doing majorly intensive exercise, then I would eat back some but for the walks I do, not worth it.
OP: I am 45 years old, as of today 115 pounds, 5'2. When I am losing weight I eat between 1600-1900 calories depending on exercises. I bet you can eat more, make sure you are weighing all solid foods and measure liquids.
0 -
For me going out to eat has been harder because things I used to like I know know and can taste how much sodium is in them. I don't mind splurging but it also needs to taste good/great for me to truly enjoy it.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.6K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 393 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.3K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 937 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions