Going out to eat sucks
emilycampbellcarpenter
Posts: 2 Member
Cooking has always been a joy for me so I don't mind doing it and I used to enjoy taking a break and going out to eat as well. Since I have started being mindful of what I am eating and trying to eat only real food, I've started to not like going out. I really like knowing what's in my food and what I'm putting into my body and when we go out (especially the places my family usually wants to go to) I don't know and that upsets me. Now I've gotten to the point where when anyone even suggests going to eat somewhere I really dread it and usually end up just not eating anything. That of course upsets my husband and makes everyone else (including me) uncomfortable. I really have to find a way past this while still being able to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Any suggestions????
0
Replies
-
I really have to find a way past this while still being able to maintain a healthy lifestyle
you're right. and the key to that is realizing that one meal didn't make you overweight, and one meal isn't going to make you thin. It's a whole lifestyle of overeating that makes you gain, and a whole lifestyle of mindful eating that helps you lose.
Just enjoy the occasional meal out without concerning yourself about the calories. If all your other food choices are logged and accounted for accurately, you should be just fine.0 -
I really have to find a way past this while still being able to maintain a healthy lifestyle
you're right. and the key to that is realizing that one meal didn't make you overweight, and one meal isn't going to make you thin. It's a whole lifestyle of overeating that makes you gain, and a whole lifestyle of mindful eating that helps you lose.
Just enjoy the occasional meal out without concerning yourself about the calories. If all your other food choices are logged and accounted for accurately, you should be just fine.
This. ^ And you can even log those restaurant meals as accurately as you can estimate them and then forget about them. (If that keeps them from gnawing at you afterwards as some kind of unfinished task. )0 -
I hear you loud and clear. It's the palatability that makes me stay away with the exception of a few times a year. Suggest the small independents that usually cook from scratch and show passion is their trade, might be an alternative.0
-
Love the previous response! I, too, have come to dread going out to eat. Since most social occasions involve food, I have also come to decline invitations because I do not want to be in tempting situations. I love the idea of one meal not making you fat and one meal not making you suddenly at your goal weight. My new strategy is too track all my food and exercise and try to not make obsessing about food rule my life!!0
-
As has already been said, I take it one meal at a time. But some advance prep is possible.
1. If it's a fast food joint, I pack my own food in a small cooler to eat and order coffee at the place.
2. If it's a more formal franchise restaurant, I check its website in advance. Most restaurant websites include nutrition facts. That way, I can make an informed decision when ordering, even though the food is not generally what I would eat. Some independent restaurants have websites and nutrition facts as well.
3. If no advance prep is possible, I treat the meal as a special treat and do my best. I log it here as accurately as I can and make sure to go easy the next day on sodium and fat.0 -
As has already been said, I take it one meal at a time. But some advance prep is possible.
1. If it's a fast food joint, I pack my own food in a small cooler to eat and order coffee at the place.
2. If it's a more formal franchise restaurant, I check its website in advance. Most restaurant websites include nutrition facts. That way, I can make an informed decision when ordering, even though the food is not generally what I would eat. Some independent restaurants have websites and nutrition facts as well.
3. If no advance prep is possible, I treat the meal as a special treat and do my best. I log it here as accurately as I can and make sure to go easy the next day on sodium and fat.
+1. To everything but #1. That's a bit awkward IMHO. I just find reasons to not do fast food. It's not good for anyone, anyways. There is always a better place...
Most importantly, check for websites and nutritional information. Heck, I've ended up ordering and loving stuff I thought I'd never like based on calorie count. Tilapia is delicious any which way! :-)0 -
Just order of the light bites or something that looks healthy. Or try to find a nice restaurant that has calories on the menu. Weatherspoons in the UK does this, but the food isn't that great apart from the burgers. Just over estimate the calories in the base ingredients. Although you won't know things like sugar, salt and fat added. If you were really bothered you could email the place nicely and ask what was in the food after and say you have a condition that means you have to be extra careful.
I too get stressed with this. I've been having a good healthy week and someone suggests a pub tea or take away. I usually order something generic that will be easy to log. It's awkward, but don't let the odd meals get you down. Though I feel your family should be more understanding if they know you are aiming to lose weight0 -
I travel 50%+ of the year for my job. So about 1/2 of the meals I eat in a year are eaten in restaurants, or on the road at least. My trips don't usually involve more than a few days at the same place, and I usually fly, so cooking isn't really an option, and my packing options from home are limited.
You just have to find ways to make it work. A few things I do:
1. Know the plan in advance. I usually am by myself, so I don't have to worry about where anybody else wants to go. But I try and start my day and play my meals out for the entire day - and even log them on MFP first thing in the morning.
2. If I'm on the road for all 3 meals I will usually eat breakfast at my hotel - usually a hardboiled egg, fruit, and 1 piece of toast with PB. Or an egg white omelet (ask for very little oil to be used) filled with veggies, no cheese. Or toast with peanut butter and a banana. If I don't have breakfast at my hotel I'll often do a Starbucks Oatmeal w/ 1/2 of a package of nuts they give you (50 calories) and cut up a banana. Then I'll try to have a lighter lunch - salad with protein, or 1/2 sandwich & salad or something. This frees me up to have a bit of a bigger dinner - steak or chicken or fish with veggies. And sometimes a glass of wine.
3. Simplify your meals when you go out so it's less overwhelming. Grilled chicken or sirloin or grilled shrimp or grilled fish. Ask for sauces on the side, ask for them not to add butter to your fish/meat, which they often finish it off with to add flavor. Avoid things that add calories - sauteed, fried, scampi, etc. Ordering a sandwich on a bun? Ask for no butter on the bun - pretty much everybody adds it.
4. Ask questions! If you aren't sure how something is prepared, ask your server. Do not be afraid to speak up! I customize most meals, and I've found waiters are VERY happy to accommodate or answer questions.
5. For salads, ask for the dressing on the side so you control how much goes on your salad. I personally use a fork and dip the tines into the salad dressing. I've found that doing this I use less than 1 tablespoon on even a full size salad. Doing this means I can still have my beloved full fat ranch without it sticking to my hips.
6. Ask for a box when they bring you your food. You're much less inclined to sit and pick at your food if it isn't in front of you. So box up 1/2 the meal before you even start eating.
7. Enjoy your company! Having conversations during the meals causes you to eat slower, giving your brain more time to register that you're no longer hungry, so you can stop eating before your plate is clean.
8. Does the restaurant have a 'skinny' menu (like Cheesecake Factory) or have healthier items noted on their menu (like Outback?) If so, zero in on those items, and don't 'look around' the menu too much. Reading about a 14 ounce New York Strip Steak can make it sound REALLY good. But if I didn't read about it, I'd be fine not having it. So I just don't explore the menu too much.
9. Share with others! Often when I'm by myself I'll order an appetizer and a side salad. But if I'm with some of my friends we'll each get something that sounds good and split it, or each order a side salad and split an entree.
Note: There is a time and a place to not worry so much about finding every way to shave off a few calories and just enjoy the company and the meal and get back on track the next day.
These are things that I do because eating out is part of my lifestyle - it's not a 'special occasion', once in a blue moon type of thing. Treating every trip to a hotel as a 'vacation' mentality is partially what got me to 60+ pounds overweight, so I've had to adjust my mindset. You just can't do that when you spend 150+ days a year in hotels. I'm certainly not great at it - it took me a year to lose 35 pounds, and as you can see I've gained a few back. But I'm fighting the good fight and working hard to finish off this journey the healthy way! 0 -
As has already been said, I take it one meal at a time. But some advance prep is possible.
1. If it's a fast food joint, I pack my own food in a small cooler to eat and order coffee at the place.
2. If it's a more formal franchise restaurant, I check its website in advance. Most restaurant websites include nutrition facts. That way, I can make an informed decision when ordering, even though the food is not generally what I would eat. Some independent restaurants have websites and nutrition facts as well.
3. If no advance prep is possible, I treat the meal as a special treat and do my best. I log it here as accurately as I can and make sure to go easy the next day on sodium and fat.
+1. To everything but #1. That's a bit awkward IMHO. I just find reasons to not do fast food. It's not good for anyone, anyways. There is always a better place...
Most importantly, check for websites and nutritional information. Heck, I've ended up ordering and loving stuff I thought I'd never like based on calorie count. Tilapia is delicious any which way! :-)
^agreed. Another few tips you can keep in mind is:
A. theres no rule that says you HAVE to eat ALL the food. Save some for later!
B. STAY AWAY FROM ANYTHING THATS CARBS. Bread, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, french fries. obviously if its a burger joint, your gunna struggle, but eat a burger, just no fries. Anywhere else, avoid the carbs, most resturants have ungodly amounts of fat in their food. Coupled with the carbs, its a disaster. Fat and protein by itself will not make you fat. Fat and carbs will make you fat.
C: Get any and all sauces/dressings on the side, then you can control how much of it you eat.0 -
I travel 50%+ of the year for my job. So about 1/2 of the meals I eat in a year are eaten in restaurants, or on the road at least.
Your situation is particularly difficult. When I've had to travel for work I've always been a little on edge. It's worse when I didn't like my job because I was bored and unhappy and felt I was thrust in a situation in which it would be easy to gain weight if I didn't watch it. The ability to order room service lost its attraction quickly. (I also ate out alone, but that's a different kind of problem, even if you don't mind your own company.)
Probably the worst situation was when I had to do some work on a team for a company that owned several fast food restaurant chains. We were working in a windowless room 12 hours a day. I thought that for lunch and dinner we could at least get out and have some nice, healthy food. But the company gave us passes to its awful restaurants and the head of the team was such a suck-up that we had to eat the phony, uninspiring food every break.0 -
I really have to find a way past this while still being able to maintain a healthy lifestyle
you're right. and the key to that is realizing that one meal didn't make you overweight, and one meal isn't going to make you thin. It's a whole lifestyle of overeating that makes you gain, and a whole lifestyle of mindful eating that helps you lose.
Just enjoy the occasional meal out without concerning yourself about the calories. If all your other food choices are logged and accounted for accurately, you should be just fine.
totally agree :-)0 -
I loved your reply, and although it wasn't for me...I'm takin' notes! Thank you for sharing the part about SPEAKING UP!
I read just about every single new label I come across in the grocery store, so why should I find out a little more about my meal and how it's prepared. Great point! I try to be mindful of the nutritional information before going out, but it's not always available. I had no idea restaurants would add butter to sandwich buns either! Those sneaky sneaky line cooks! My DH is a chef first and foremost but is a restaurant manager by day, so I'm definitely going to be asking him some insider questions tonight..
Also for the OP, my advice is simple and probably well known by now...Don't assume a salad is a better option than anything else on the menu. I once thought I could order any salad on the menu and still trick myself into the "Yeeeeah, what's up? I ordered a salad. Look at me, being all healthy and stuff" mentality. LOL
Ohhh, and this is big for me so maybe you too....Normally, if I would go to a place like Red Robin or something that had bottomless drinks, Strawberry Lemonade for instance, I would literally drink like 4-5 of them! They're 125 calories each so I just drank away 1/3 of my daily calories. It's always ice water with extra lemon slices for me now, and sometimes I'll add a packet of sugar. I'd rather save the 600 calories and put them toward my meal. 0 -
I order the appetizer ,, seems like it is a small plate of a real meal. Especially Houlihans, good food but they give you a lot of food for the money. so you can order from the appetizers in a restaurant.
First go to a restaurant that most likely will have something for you. then pick a salad with some meat on it, rather than make meat the main part of the meal.
Order a soup if its not cream based, that will fill you up. In fact, soup and salad might be just great.
Order fish made without butter or added salt. Just tweak the menu - ask the server if you could have some plain meat or whatever without sauces.0 -
I still love going out, I just stick to restaurants that have a 'healthy' menu.0
-
I go out at least once a week. Most restaurants like Chili's here in the states now have nutritional information, and with a smart phone you can look it up online. I just make smarter choices ... maybe skip the bread and potatoes, don't choose something with a sauce that's likely full of sugar and/or HFCS. For other sauces, I'll ask for them on the side. Instead of fries and other sides I'll scan the menu for veggies and ask for them as a replacement for the fries/mashed potatoes/rice/etc. Or I'll eat half of them and leave the rest. I hardly ever go to fast food places like McDonalds, it's just too difficult to find a good choice ... though I'm fond of Wendy's chili with a side salad from time to time.0
-
Almost every place has at least a soup or salad, so it does seem ridiculous to not eat when you go out. If they don't have anything healthy at all on the menu, just get a box and save half of it for another meal. If you're worried about going over on calories, boost your workouts for a couple days and you'll be fine.
Your family will be more supportive if you're not weird about it.0 -
Mfp has like almost every major food chains menu. If not, you can always replicate it by looking at what's in the meal and using similar options.0
-
Cooking has always been a joy for me so I don't mind doing it and I used to enjoy taking a break and going out to eat as well. Since I have started being mindful of what I am eating and trying to eat only real food, I've started to not like going out. I really like knowing what's in my food and what I'm putting into my body and when we go out (especially the places my family usually wants to go to) I don't know and that upsets me. Now I've gotten to the point where when anyone even suggests going to eat somewhere I really dread it and usually end up just not eating anything. That of course upsets my husband and makes everyone else (including me) uncomfortable. I really have to find a way past this while still being able to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Any suggestions????
S
What helps me, becuase I go out to eat twice a week.. I try to order from those 560 calorie menus that some places have... if not that, I just try to order the healthiest thing on the menu and only eat half of it, savin the rest for later. Even if its not the healthiest thing, I enjoy it anyway because you know what? We only live once. Btw, I've been doin this for years, and still managed to lose weight and inches. I think what does it is every day that I'm not going out to eat I try my best to eat healthy, and drink 9 cups of water a day to flush any crap out. Works for me.0 -
Almost every place has at least a soup or salad, so it does seem ridiculous to not eat when you go out. If they don't have anything healthy at all on the menu, just get a box and save half of it for another meal. If you're worried about going over on calories, boost your workouts for a couple days and you'll be fine.
Your family will be more supportive if you're not weird about it.
This. Or, if the place they want to go has nothing you're able to bring yourself to eat, suggest they go while you enjoy some me time. That way you're not uncomfortable with the choices and they aren't uncomfortable eating in front of you.0 -
I have learned how to order in healthy ways. Grilled chicken, shrimp, steak without sauces. Grilled vegs or a salad with lite dressing, veg or tomato based soups. I have been able to find a healthy alternative in every place I've been to, including the local diners. Even if you get a large salad and nurse it through the whole meal, you will be eating and enjoying the company of your family. Try to relax and enjoy your life, one meal will not break you.0
-
I am a vegetarian and most often the only non meat option at a restaurant is a veggie burger and although I love veggie burgers, you can only eat so many! I've learned a great trick though, I eat off the side menu. Most are veggies and baked potatoes and rice. Plus ordering off the side menu is much cheaper than ordering a full meal!!!0
-
As has already been said, I take it one meal at a time. But some advance prep is possible.
1. If it's a fast food joint, I pack my own food in a small cooler to eat and order coffee at the place.
2. If it's a more formal franchise restaurant, I check its website in advance. Most restaurant websites include nutrition facts. That way, I can make an informed decision when ordering, even though the food is not generally what I would eat. Some independent restaurants have websites and nutrition facts as well.
3. If no advance prep is possible, I treat the meal as a special treat and do my best. I log it here as accurately as I can and make sure to go easy the next day on sodium and fat.
+1. To everything but #1. That's a bit awkward IMHO. I just find reasons to not do fast food. It's not good for anyone, anyways. There is always a better place...
Most importantly, check for websites and nutritional information. Heck, I've ended up ordering and loving stuff I thought I'd never like based on calorie count. Tilapia is delicious any which way! :-)
I do #1. I hate McDonald's but my husband loves it. He only eats there a few times a year, but when he does and I'm with him, I pack a decent salad and get a coffee.0 -
You've gotten some good advice here and I'll try not to repeat what's already been said. You can't stay out of restaurants the rest of your life. Consider it a challenge. There are some places that might be almost impossible (sports-bar types, for example), but nearly every place has some lean options. I'd rather eat a meal that's not terribly filling (green salad, dressing on the side and an order of steamed vegetables) than consume high-calorie things I don't really like that much (in my case, fried or fatty foods). If you've been logging your food, you know what the lean options are even if it's a family-owned place where the menu changes every week and there's no nutritional information. If there are some places where you find it hard not to overdo it (buffets, the dessert menu at Cheesecake Factory), try to stay out of them, but you should also focus on finding ways to enjoy a restaurant meal without feeling guilty.
A few years ago I took a job that involved a fair amount of travel. A colleague told me she'd gained 20 lbs. since taking the job. I was determined I wouldn't, and I didn't, despite the fact that I always enjoyed a glass or two of a good wine chosen by another team member who was a wine lover and I never saw her drink alcohol. You can do this.0 -
Use this link to prepare, so you know what you're getting into befoe you've already eaten it:
http://www.nutritionix.com/restaurants0 -
I understand your dilemma. Every weekend I eat out with family and friends and don't always know where we're going---we all take turns choosing. I just follow a sensible diet through the week and make sure to eat less on the day we're going out so that I'll feel more comfortable ordering something at a restaurant. I wouldn't want to go if I wasn't going to eat at the restaurant, as I would feel so uncomfortable and know others around me would, too. I generally can find something I enjoy that works, even if it means bringing half home for another meal. I do get frustrated trying to estimate nutrional information at a restaurant, but I just do the best I can and record it all when I get home. If I know ahead of time where we're going, I check out the menu, if available, and look to see if there is any nutritional information. Then I use whatever I've found to plan ahead what I'll order at the restaurant, as well as what else I'll eat that day at home. For example, today we ended up going to a Mexican restaurant. I had chicken toritilla soup (but without the cheese or chips---no sacrifice on my part, as I have always eaten this without the cheese and chips, even when not trying to lose weight). I actually have gone there before and ordered chicken enchiladas and eaten one and taken the other home; by planning ahead, I kept under my TDEE. I didn't want to do that today because I have a doctor's appointment Monday, with blood work, and I don't want to skew the results by eating anything out of the ordinary.
Remember, we're all trying to change eating and exercise habits for life, not just until a certain amount of weight is lost. So, in the long term, it works better if we can learn how to handle normal activiites with friends and families, including going out to eat. Just estimate the best you can, exercise portion control, and everything will work out.0 -
Your situation is particularly difficult. When I've had to travel for work I've always been a little on edge. It's worse when I didn't like my job because I was bored and unhappy and felt I was thrust in a situation in which it would be easy to gain weight if I didn't watch it. The ability to order room service lost its attraction quickly. (I also ate out alone, but that's a different kind of problem, even if you don't mind your own company.)
Probably the worst situation was when I had to do some work on a team for a company that owned several fast food restaurant chains. We were working in a windowless room 12 hours a day. I thought that for lunch and dinner we could at least get out and have some nice, healthy food. But the company gave us passes to its awful restaurants and the head of the team was such a suck-up that we had to eat the phony, uninspiring food every break.
YES - in house work meetings with catered food in is the WORST. I agree - because you literally have no choices, and may not be able to get in any activity. I am in marketing / special events, so I at least am usually on my feet when I'm at events. My biggest issue is that my day is never the same - sometimes it's leaving the hotel at 5 am and getting back at 1am, and I'm just too tired to workout and being tired leads me to lack willpower to make good choices. But 90% of the time I at least get to make my own decisions, even if they aren't always good ones! I have gotten over the stigma of eating alone - I'll usually just sit at the bar and be on my phone looking at Twitter, or talk to the people around me if I feel social. And I've been doing this for 12 years as of this month - I have seen a BIG change over the years in the availability of healthy food. This goes for restaurants, but also for airports and even gas stations. Nicer gas stations like QuikTrip, WaWa or RaceTrac often have fresh fruit, hardboiled eggs, string cheese, etc so you can piece together a healthy meal on the go! It's really eliminated a lot of my excuses. Haha! 0 -
I couldn't agree more i hate going out the only good thing is spending time with my family/friends0
-
I really dont find it hard to eat out and probably do once a week, there is generally always a good option. Steak or Chicken are good options, as I consider eating out a bit of a treat I will always some of my days calories so I will have a lil more calories..Chicken dishes with things like a avocado are always yummy to me. When eating out italian I will go for a pasta that is a tomato base, if I want a cream based one I will eat very light that day. Just try and plan ahead, check out the menu online if you can and walk in their with a plan, remember this isnt a diet....just a new way of living 0
-
Use this link to prepare, so you know what you're getting into befoe you've already eaten it:
http://www.nutritionix.com/restaurants
Thanks for the link! When I do eat out, I usually look up the restaurant's nutrition information before I go & plan what I will eat ahead of time. Having all the info in one place seems convenient. It is a hassle sometimes going to each individual website to search for nutrition info.0 -
grilled chicken is the answer for me. Most fast food places have grilled chicken sandwich and side salad. Most restaurants will have a grilled chicken entrée. At tumbleweed last week, I got grilled chicken, baked sweet potato, and the grilled vegetables. The only hard part was not eating the free chips and salsa.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 424 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions