I ate out and did LC!
jetsamflotsam
Posts: 170 Member
Today was the first time I've eaten out since starting LCHF (Dr. Eades' protein power). The restaurant we went to had a new menu so I couldn't even pre-plan, but I knew they would have salads. They had an AMAZING Cobb salad. Got the dressing on the side and swapped out honey mustard (which I don't like anyway) for caesar. It was the first time so far that I felt totally satisfied and I probably only ate 1/3 of the plate, boxed up the rest and had it for dinner. Had a diet coke and water for my drink and didn't feel one bit deprived. That's HUGE!!
I also worked at our family business today and didn't have any food prepped, so took 20 minutes to hardboil some eggs and packed some pre-cooked back and cheese. It made a great mid-morning snack when I started getting hungry. Feeling quite proud of myself for making it to Day 7 today with no cheats.
One week down, the rest of my life to go!
I also worked at our family business today and didn't have any food prepped, so took 20 minutes to hardboil some eggs and packed some pre-cooked back and cheese. It made a great mid-morning snack when I started getting hungry. Feeling quite proud of myself for making it to Day 7 today with no cheats.
One week down, the rest of my life to go! 27
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That's great. I'm also keen to see how going out will work.1
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TheBuffster40 wrote: »That's great. I'm also keen to see how going out will work.
Definitely let me know how it goes! Do you know when you'll be eating out?0 -
Had a "shore dinner" on the at a little place on the coast of Maine , about an hour from our home, last night. Lobster, clams and 1/2 an ear of corn on cob. Lots of melted butter for dipping. Did have a small dish of no added sugar ice cream on the way home though. On the whole it was a success! First ice cream in about six months. So far no cravings, though.1
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Decided to try Chili's with the family on the weekend. I had a steak with grilled avocado, asparagus, roasted grape tomato and fried mushrooms. So good, and within my plan for the day! (It also came with fries but my husband and sons split them.)2
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Eating out can be a challenge but if you are able to look up the menu beforehand, it helps a lot.
I go out to eat about once or twice a month with my friends and I just ask them what restaurant they have in mind and then I do a little research. They also ask if it's a place that I can eat at, and if not, then we choose a different place.
Don't be afraid to ask questions. Chicken wings are commonplace on menus, but I always ask about flour/breading and the sauces before I order. Be weary of some salad dressings, but regular ranch or ceasar is usually a safe bet. Lettuce wrapped burgers have been my saving grace in some places, especially pubs that rely on fryers a lot for their food.
Great job on your food choice while going out! The more experience you get, the easier it gets as well. Kudos!2 -
Most restaurants will accommodate specific requests as well. My favorite place for lunch has a couple of great options. There's a salmon caesar salad I just love. Or I get the philly cheese steak, no bun, with veggies on the side. I get a pile of beef, onions, and peppers with provolone cheese melted over the top, and a side of snow peas, sometimes with bacon.3
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Great job, Cobb salads are awesome!
My favorite swaps are:
Red Robin - swap fries for steamed broccoli, lettuce wrap the burger
Subway - Any sandwich in a bowl. Look up the dressings before you order. My favorite is the double chicken salad.
Any steakhouse - Grilled chicken or steak, no sauces. Seasonal veggies on the side.
Jimmy Johns - Unwich any sandwich. The gargantuan is my favorite if I'm REALLY hungry.
Mc Donalds - Order any burger and just pick off the buns. They can never seem to grasp "without a bun". Ask for a fork and knife.
Old Spaghetti Factory - Low carb cheesecake. Don't order any other food from this place. They do have a cobb salad but it looks like they ran it through a blender and I got food poisoning from there.. lol.2 -
I travel frequently on business and often have little say in where we go to eat.
I don't even order off the menu. I just tell the waitress what I want to eat. The cooks in the vast majority of places are bored of preparing the exact same thing day in and day out. When you tell them what you want, I found have it extremely rare that they don't do exactly as you ask. The harder part is getting the waiting staff to actually ask the cooks if they will do it.
When it comes to pricing, they really don't know what to do... so they make something up. It is almost always very very reasonable. Not always... I have paid way too much on occasion... but most of the time.
Examples:
I would like an 8 oz steak and fill the balance of the plate with veg and salad. Please... no carbs on the plate.
I'd like 6 egg whites / 2 egg yolks scrambled up, sprinkle some cheese on top and have some salsa on the side. No toast.. nothing else on the plate please.
I'd like that fish(point to an item on the menu) with that appetizer(point to another item) on 1 plate as my main entree.
It is always safe to just order the protein and have them fill the plate with salad and vegetables.
All day meetings are the hardest. They always bring in donuts, fresh fruit, warm cookies, fruit drinks, etc into the meeting room and very little that I can eat.
I sit there for long hours, staring at crap food, starved and bored for eternity. On occasion I ask if they can bring in a meat and cheese plate or something like that. It is always awkward. I bring in protein bars but they don't seem to help as much as you would think.
I still hate long all day meetings and still struggle at them.
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I would love to be able to order like that at a restaurant here in Phoenix, but I doubt anyone would comply.0
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I would love to be able to order like that at a restaurant here in Phoenix, but I doubt anyone would comply.
You never know until you try.
Some things they can't change (like sauces already made, or stuff that may be pre-mixed) but a lot of modifications can definitely be made. They want your business.
If they don't try their hardest to comply with your needs, then they risk you being upset and word of mouth can spread fast when it is bad news.
I have been in situations where it was a pop-up restaurant and there wasn't anything low carb available on the menu except for the salad. Even that needed modifications. But I asked the appropriate questions and the chef even came out to speak with me. It's definitely doable.
Don't get put off by going out to eat because you are low carb. If going out to eat is a way of spending time with friends and family, don't deprive yourself. Just do a little research before going.1 -
I eat out and make special requests all the time. It's all about creative thinking and having general ideas to plan ahead!1
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My family has loads of allergies (including my son's two anaphylactic allergies) so I have no qualms special ordering, and even ask to speak to the chef when it's a new restaurant.2
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I always ask for what I want in a restaurant. Most of them will comply, because they want your money! Don't be afraid to ask! You could ,potentially, lead someone to LCHF! You never know who needs to hear it. At Wendy's the other day, the server asked me about being low carb, and how I've done with it. She said she was going to try it, even the cook was asking questions for his wife!1
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I travel frequently on business and often have little say in where we go to eat.
All day meetings are the hardest. They always bring in donuts, fresh fruit, warm cookies, fruit drinks, etc into the meeting room and very little that I can eat.
OMG I know what you mean. I travel a lot, teach across the country, and even when we are organising the events, trying to find venues that will offer or create a menu that I can tolerate, let alone that keeps me satiated and sharp and alert- it's as if some hotels and conference centres don't know what real food is. I am sure that real food costs more than dim sims, and salt and pepper squid, cheesy dips and crackers, sandwiches, muffins and pastries, and i tell them I prefer to pay more for all guests to eat well.. but they often don't have the staff to prepare 'real food'.
I can and do often take my own food, but at the end of a day or 2 or 3 teaching, I can be tired and a bit vulnerable to temptation- which I would prefer not to be staring at me:)1 -
@jersamflotsam Same here, loads of allergies for many years and epi-pens didn't exist when I was younger. People who are allergic to nuts, coconut etc learn how to order food and what to request.
It is very easy for me to request " no sugar, no starch, no cornstarch" or really anything..no bun, no fries...so I eat out often and find it very enjoyable.
I don't miss or want potatoes, fries, rice, pasta, bread or desserts--- eating LCHF is in many ways a simplified WOE.
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That's great, o.p.!
I rarely eat out and cook pretty much everything from (mostly) whole food at home, so reading this thread was interesting
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