Do you log calories when you eat out?

heartofplastic

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?

LazyCatPame

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

I tend to grossly overestimate, and eat lighter for the rest of the day.

Shells918

I estimate as best as possible

capaul42

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

Guess your best and use quick add.

queenliz99

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

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

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

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

I choose the closest thing to it with the highest calories in the data base.

Zipp237

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

Zipp237 wrote: »

show previous quotes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I over estimate in case there is hidden oil, butter etc.

gothchiq

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

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 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

xjessicaxrx

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