How do you eat healthy when you go out?

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jennontheroad
jennontheroad Posts: 142 Member
in Food and Nutrition
It is easy for me to eat healthy at home and during my regular work week. I rarely eat out, because I'm on a tight budget, and I don't like fast food.
But when I go to someone's house for dinner, or to a potluck, I really can't turn down delicious homemade food. Not even the desserts. It is very very very hard for me to say no to homemade food. I end up overeating at every potluck I go to.

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  • jennontheroad
    jennontheroad Posts: 142 Member
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    I should rephrase my post- how do you not overeat when you go out?
  • maroonmango211
    maroonmango211 Posts: 908 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Pot lucks are great because usually its pretty easy to portion out smaller bits yourself. I have more trouble at family sit down meals where the plates are either pre-made or servings are pushed in your face over and over.

    I usually try to fill my plate first with the healthier options like salads, vegetable casserols etc and then once its already plenty full squeeze in the more unhealthy options. As for desert either the man and I opt to share a couple of those bite sized tarts/cookies we see or, I assess the table and pick my absolute favorite and only have that.

    That being said I usually try to stick to one "plate" of each. If I know ahead of time before a big dinner I usually try to stock pile calories for a couple days and eat light earlier that day so I know I'm in an extra deficit. I know some people would say eat before the meal to be less hungry, but for me wanting it all has less to do with hunger and more to do with tasting all the goodies so it really doesn't help.

  • Cortelli
    Cortelli Posts: 1,369 Member
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    Portion control. If it is really hard for you and you really don't want to go over your target every now and again, consider eating something pretty low cal for the volume before you go over to that meal or potluck.
  • ironhajee
    ironhajee Posts: 384 Member
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    Honestly the best way is moderation - So if you live an active lifestyle, eat healthy at home, and only seldomly eat out then it sounds to me like you deserve to enjoy the FULL menu!!

    The key word is moderation!

    For me personally, my struggle is actually to GAIN weight! I am training for a triathlon and I am just a beginner however what I've notice so far is its really hard to balance the caloric intake! With high volumes of cardio such as running, swimming, and biking but this high volume allows me to stress less about nutrition. If I feel like having dessert and a beer (in moderation) I can do that without feeling guilty or stress. Which is just added pressure IMO.

    So in conclusion, enjoy yourself if its once in a while - moderation and of course elect for healthier options!
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    Not overeat = only buy what will fit into my calories. If I don't know the nutritional info then I order something and just eat until I'm full. If I overeat, not a big deal.
  • cresyluna
    cresyluna Posts: 48 Member
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    As above, if it is a potluck or something just eat smaller portions "oh let me make sure to get a spoonful of each dish! wow my plate is already full!", or proportionally healthier food (like the salad or raw vegetables or whatever) - and gush plenty about the food "wow this is amazing, thank you so much! how did you make this so perfectly?"
    And if I can throwing in some ridiculous exercising the same day to kind of make up for it, as well eating pretty lightly the rest of the day, so that you know, the occasional splurge is really pretty calorie neutral in perspective doesn't hurt either.
  • janisvin
    janisvin Posts: 72 Member
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    If possible station yourself away from the food. Start a conversation with someone physically not at the table. If you have success with that, it may give you the courage to keep 'not eating.'

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