Do you log calories when you eat out?

heartofplastic
heartofplastic Posts: 68 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Was wondering how you all log calories if you eat out and there's NO calorie count on the menu. What do you do? Overestimate or not log at all?

Replies

  • LazyCatPame
    LazyCatPame Posts: 112 Member
    I try to look at the ingredients the food contains, and guestimate them individually (20gr of lettuce, 250 of pork...).
    Not the best, but it's better than nothing... and it definitely keeps you accountable.
  • daniip_la
    daniip_la Posts: 678 Member
    I tend to grossly overestimate, and eat lighter for the rest of the day.
  • Shells918
    Shells918 Posts: 1,070 Member
    I estimate as best as possible
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    We have a lot of small restaurants where I live that don't have nutritional info available. I try to find something equivalent from the database from a chain restaurant. Calorie count might be higher but I'd rather be over than under in estimating
  • RoseTheWarrior
    RoseTheWarrior Posts: 2,035 Member
    Guess your best and use quick add.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    Estimate on the higher side and then again, I plan for meals at restaurants. I usually eat lite all week long so,I can eat more on the weekend.
  • nancy1465
    nancy1465 Posts: 25 Member
    I try to find out the restaurant before I go out and check out the nutritional value of my choices. If its a bbq, I eat light during the day and definitely log it when I get home as best I can.
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    If it's something like a burger, I'll try to "build" the food.
    1/2lb or however much of 80/20 ground beef
    One of the higher estimates for a bun
    A tablespoon or so of butter to account for the grill
    Cheese
    ETC...

    If it's something that would be too complicated to build, I'll look through the database for something similar and find something on the higher end to log it as.

    If it's a chain that does have calorie counts, I'll probably log the meal as 1.1 or 1.2.
  • fitgirldc
    fitgirldc Posts: 55 Member
    If I know I'm going out in advance, I eat light to accommodate the meal I want. If I find out later in the day, then I look at the nutritional value of the menu before hand to try to find something that won't tip me over too much.
  • LisaKay91
    LisaKay91 Posts: 211 Member
    I choose the closest thing to it with the highest calories in the data base.
  • Zipp237
    Zipp237 Posts: 255 Member
    capaul42 wrote: »
    We have a lot of small restaurants where I live that don't have nutritional info available. I try to find something equivalent from the database from a chain restaurant. Calorie count might be higher but I'd rather be over than under in estimating
    This is what I do. Italian - Olive Garden. Burgers - Burger King.

    There should be a law that everyone has to give out nutritional info. It sucks for dieters and people with specific health issues.
  • michelleepotter
    michelleepotter Posts: 800 Member
    Zipp237 wrote: »
    capaul42 wrote: »
    We have a lot of small restaurants where I live that don't have nutritional info available. I try to find something equivalent from the database from a chain restaurant. Calorie count might be higher but I'd rather be over than under in estimating
    This is what I do. Italian - Olive Garden. Burgers - Burger King.

    There should be a law that everyone has to give out nutritional info. It sucks for dieters and people with specific health issues.

    I actually wrote to one restaurant about getting calorie estimates, and they told me it would be "irresponsible" of them to provide that information, because it wouldn't be the same from one meal to the next. :/
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I'm going to an all you can eat buffet today, so I'm totally guesstimating. These outings are so infrequent that I'm not that bothered if I've guessed wrong. If they were a regular thing i would put much more effort into getting the calories as close as possible . When we go out to a normal restaurant then i trawl websites and the entries on here until i find one that matches up.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I log all ingredients separately, by weight. I've weighed enough of my food at home that I'm comfortable eyeballing it at restaurants. And I almost always add a whole tablespoon of olive oil or butter.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,195 Member
    capaul42 wrote: »
    We have a lot of small restaurants where I live that don't have nutritional info available. I try to find something equivalent from the database from a chain restaurant. Calorie count might be higher but I'd rather be over than under in estimating

    This is exactly what I do. I always use the same entries too so at least I'm consistent. It seems to work well for me.
  • xvolution
    xvolution Posts: 721 Member
    I only eat out twice a month, so for those days I don't log at all. I do compensate by having a light breakfast, no lunch and a more vigorous workout later in the evening.
  • Bee_Le
    Bee_Le Posts: 48 Member
    Take a picture, so you can remember what's on the plate and try to reconstruct the calories from there. And sometimes trying to google/find calories online.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    queenliz99 wrote: »
    Estimate on the higher side and then again, I plan for meals at restaurants. I usually eat lite all week long so,I can eat more on the weekend.

    I do this too, and I often look up the restaurant menu options ahead of time on their website (I've always done this even before counting calories) and then I can look at the database to find a few options that work within my plan. I also prioritize what I eat... If it's a place with an amazing dessert menu, I might just get a salad or a small appetizer or share an entree so I can have dessert.
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    I over estimate in case there is hidden oil, butter etc.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    I don't. I very, very seldom eat out, but if I do, I don't log because that makes me want to walk into traffic. Instead, the next day, I up my workout absolutely as long and as hard as I can tolerate.
  • Bearbo27
    Bearbo27 Posts: 339 Member
    We rarely eat out but tonight we went to Red Robin. I got the Avo-Cobb-O salad. I looked on their website and got the nutrition info. If it's a place that doesn't have that, I would look at each ingredient and log it separately. I logged the dressing separately. I don't douse my salad in dressing either, I dip my fork in the dressing, then the salad. I ended up only using 1/2 of the little cup they have be but I still logged the whole thing. I tried to over estimate in case portion were a little off.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    I'm going to an all you can eat buffet today, so I'm totally guesstimating. These outings are so infrequent that I'm not that bothered if I've guessed wrong. If they were a regular thing i would put much more effort into getting the calories as close as possible . When we go out to a normal restaurant then i trawl websites and the entries on here until i find one that matches up.

    Oh boy oh boy... I just got home from the buffet feeling like a stuffed pig, i logged 2400, but i'm thinking the dessert alone would have been 2000 calories!! Back on the horse tomorrow, it was worth every bite :relaxed:
  • xjessicaxrx
    xjessicaxrx Posts: 144 Member
    Wow some people put way too much effort into this for 1 meal! When I eat out (not very often) I dont log it, I Just Enjoy the food and get on with life haha
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