Can I lose weight and eat out?
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amusedmonkey wrote: »What kind of job requires that you eat out every day? It is tough to lose weight and eat out as many options are high calorie. I don't eat fast food at all and I don't recommend that fast food be a part of any weight loss program.
Really? I had fast food yesterday and still ended up with extra calories at the end of the day.
OP, there are several ways you could go about it. Have you looked into intermittent fasting where you restrict your intake to a certain eating window? In this version of Intermittent fasting you basically skip a meal or two (would be breakfast, or breakfast and lunch in your case) and concentrate your calories into one meal and possibly a few snacks, which would allow you to eat the same portions you are used to most of the time.
Some other options would things like increasing your activity level for extra calories, having smaller breakfast and lunch, being picky with your restaurant menus ordering lower calorie options, leaving a portion of the food on the plate, eating lower calorie days to save up calories for days you expect a social dinner, or a combination of several strategies. I have managed to eat out even on my fasting days when my calorie budget is only 800 calories. After a while you get good at manipulating your intake to fit in your social life and career.
WOW! I don't get anywhere near that number of calories. At 1300 a day I CANNOT eat out at a deficit. I can't imagine you are eating at a deficit with that kind of calorie goal...
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Lol.1
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It's been answered, but heck yeah! We just had a birthday lunch last weekend. Mexican. I got shrimp fajitas, didn't eat the tortillas (you can do that, LOL, tortillas are fine, I just wanted to bank those calories I would have eaten for dinner instead). Was fuller than full, came in under 500 calories and had tons of veggies for the health factor, which I've been working on specifically during the latter half of this year.
I mean I had to roll myself away from that table, I actually woudn't eat as much of the dish next time, thought I was going to go full Creosote. Given the giant size of restaurant portions I had leftovers anyway and had them for lunch the next day.
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I don't know if you personally can, but one certainly can lose weight eating out. Difficulty comes from having to estimate your calorie intake rather than being able to measure it as you can with prepared meals.0
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amusedmonkey wrote: »What kind of job requires that you eat out every day? It is tough to lose weight and eat out as many options are high calorie. I don't eat fast food at all and I don't recommend that fast food be a part of any weight loss program.
Really? I had fast food yesterday and still ended up with extra calories at the end of the day.
OP, there are several ways you could go about it. Have you looked into intermittent fasting where you restrict your intake to a certain eating window? In this version of Intermittent fasting you basically skip a meal or two (would be breakfast, or breakfast and lunch in your case) and concentrate your calories into one meal and possibly a few snacks, which would allow you to eat the same portions you are used to most of the time.
Some other options would things like increasing your activity level for extra calories, having smaller breakfast and lunch, being picky with your restaurant menus ordering lower calorie options, leaving a portion of the food on the plate, eating lower calorie days to save up calories for days you expect a social dinner, or a combination of several strategies. I have managed to eat out even on my fasting days when my calorie budget is only 800 calories. After a while you get good at manipulating your intake to fit in your social life and career.
WOW! I don't get anywhere near that number of calories. At 1300 a day I CANNOT eat out at a deficit. I can't imagine you are eating at a deficit with that kind of calorie goal...
You cant imagine losing weight eating 2400 a day? I can see that easily, with activity 2400 nets me about 1 pound lost per week and I'm not even overweight really. I maintain at about 3000. If I were obese probably wouldn't even need the activity to lose at that amount. 2400 is probably my lean no activity maintenance.2 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »What kind of job requires that you eat out every day? It is tough to lose weight and eat out as many options are high calorie. I don't eat fast food at all and I don't recommend that fast food be a part of any weight loss program.
Really? I had fast food yesterday and still ended up with extra calories at the end of the day.
OP, there are several ways you could go about it. Have you looked into intermittent fasting where you restrict your intake to a certain eating window? In this version of Intermittent fasting you basically skip a meal or two (would be breakfast, or breakfast and lunch in your case) and concentrate your calories into one meal and possibly a few snacks, which would allow you to eat the same portions you are used to most of the time.
Some other options would things like increasing your activity level for extra calories, having smaller breakfast and lunch, being picky with your restaurant menus ordering lower calorie options, leaving a portion of the food on the plate, eating lower calorie days to save up calories for days you expect a social dinner, or a combination of several strategies. I have managed to eat out even on my fasting days when my calorie budget is only 800 calories. After a while you get good at manipulating your intake to fit in your social life and career.
WOW! I don't get anywhere near that number of calories. At 1300 a day I CANNOT eat out at a deficit. I can't imagine you are eating at a deficit with that kind of calorie goal...
Different people with different activity levels, ages, heights, etc., have different TDEEs. Some are much higher than others. So it is very possible that this person was in a deficit.First, I would not call telling someone to watch their sodium intake "medical advice" and secondly, very few people suffer from low bp (although I do). I can raise it without eating super unhealthy fast food though. Even if you can balance the calories, fast food will never be "healthy" and should certainly be eaten infrequently and in moderation.
You can't go around calling individual foods/meals healthy or unhealthy. It is the context of the overall diet that matters. A cyclist with a large amount of calories to eat who rides a fair distance daily is not going to fret over the "unhealthy" burger he/she ate if their overall diet is varied and macros/micros are generally met.
Another way for you to picture this - since you consider fast food to be "unhealthy," would you consider grilled chicken breast and steamed broccoli a "healthy" choice? Either one of these foods can be part of an overall healthy diet, but if one were to eat a diet consisting only of the "healthy" chicken breast/broccoli, they would be severely lacking fat and many other nutrients that are found in other foods. But no one is going to eat a diet of nothing but chicken breast/broccoli, and the vast majority of people do not eat a diet of nothing but fast food.4 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »What kind of job requires that you eat out every day? It is tough to lose weight and eat out as many options are high calorie. I don't eat fast food at all and I don't recommend that fast food be a part of any weight loss program.
Really? I had fast food yesterday and still ended up with extra calories at the end of the day.
OP, there are several ways you could go about it. Have you looked into intermittent fasting where you restrict your intake to a certain eating window? In this version of Intermittent fasting you basically skip a meal or two (would be breakfast, or breakfast and lunch in your case) and concentrate your calories into one meal and possibly a few snacks, which would allow you to eat the same portions you are used to most of the time.
Some other options would things like increasing your activity level for extra calories, having smaller breakfast and lunch, being picky with your restaurant menus ordering lower calorie options, leaving a portion of the food on the plate, eating lower calorie days to save up calories for days you expect a social dinner, or a combination of several strategies. I have managed to eat out even on my fasting days when my calorie budget is only 800 calories. After a while you get good at manipulating your intake to fit in your social life and career.
WOW! I don't get anywhere near that number of calories. At 1300 a day I CANNOT eat out at a deficit. I can't imagine you are eating at a deficit with that kind of calorie goal...
I only get 1380 now and I can eat out and feel full, full, full and stay within my calorie goals. I go for a salad with dressing on the side or if at a Mexican place, I'll top my salad with salsa. Or I get some sort of fish with veggies, or chicken, or an eggwhite omelet with a cup of fruit. I haven't had any trouble eating out at get-togethers.
Granted that example was McDonald's but they have salads too (though their salads are pretty bland), or I'd get a lettuce-wrapped grilled chicken or lettuce-wrapped burger or whatever...there's food there that would fit into my calorie goals.
I do get Del Taco every once in a while and their regular tacos are only I think 160 calories...I can have two. Or at The Habit, their lettuce-wrapped char is under 300. (I would have to look these up for the exact counts as I don't remember off the top of my head but that's the ballpark.) Then a salad can go on the side and as I said, after that I'm feeling quite full.1 -
We grab Chick Fil A with some frequency. I typically get the grilled nuggets or grilled sandwich with a large superfood salad, depending on how many calories I want to spend on the satisfaction of having a bun. I squirt on a packet of their bbq honey and it's pretty good.
At Chipotle I get a kids meal with beans, rice, fajita veggies, and a chicken quesadilla.
At Noodles & Co I will either get a small med salad w/ grilled chicken, penne rosa w/ grilled chicken, or spicy Korean beef.
At Red Robin I get the chicken ensanada platter w/ two chicken pieces.
Oh. And Modmarket I get a half three cheese pizza with a side of arugula salad.
That's all I've really tried since being on MFP.
Our life is crazy busy, so convenience foods are a part of that and I've just had to learn how to adapt to keep it within my calories. We have scaled back on how often we lean-to restaurants, but sometimes it's unavoidable and between these places which are all in my area, I always have something to turn to that fits my needs.0 -
Hey everyone,
I am struggling to find a solution that will allow me to sustain a long-term weight loss strategy. Due to the nature of my job, I eat out every day, some days restaurant style and some days fast food. I would like y'alls opinion on whether or not you believe I can lose weight counting calories if I'm eating out everyday at work.
Thank you all in advance!
Yeah, but IMO and experience, eating out regularly makes things more difficult. Why can't you brown bag some days?2 -
First, I would not call telling someone to watch their sodium intake "medical advice" and secondly, very few people suffer from low bp (although I do). I can raise it without eating super unhealthy fast food though. Even if you can balance the calories, fast food will never be "healthy" and should certainly be eaten infrequently and in moderation.
Actually, low BP is not a rare condition...
Also, one's sodium intake and what is appropriate will be highly variable...you can have too much, but you can also have too little...the more active you are, the more sodium you need, etc. I often take a couple swigs of pickle juice for example after a long sweaty ride...0 -
What kind of job requires that you eat out every day? It is tough to lose weight and eat out as many options are high calorie. I don't eat fast food at all and I don't recommend that fast food be a part of any weight loss program.
Consultants that travel weekly for work, stay in a hotel and get paid a per diem usually eat out daily. One could buy groceries and bring back to the hotel but why when you can eat out for free:).
I think fast food has "healthy" options as well but any option as long as it's in your calorie goal is fine too. Most people eat fast food occasionally some eat it often and still lose weight.1 -
I eat out at least once a week. I've lost about 39 pounds so far. I seldom go to places where menus are posted with any kind of nutritional info. Logging is a challenge so I try to estimate and I will usually overestimate because really I have no idea.. I will typically drink more water if the food is high in sodium. If my entree can be ordered as a small plate, I'll do that. Unless the bread/rolls that come with my meal are supposed to be phenomenal, I skip those, dressing on the side, etc. I'll also try to get in more walking/steps if I'm eating out.2
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amusedmonkey wrote: »What kind of job requires that you eat out every day? It is tough to lose weight and eat out as many options are high calorie. I don't eat fast food at all and I don't recommend that fast food be a part of any weight loss program.
Really? I had fast food yesterday and still ended up with extra calories at the end of the day.
OP, there are several ways you could go about it. Have you looked into intermittent fasting where you restrict your intake to a certain eating window? In this version of Intermittent fasting you basically skip a meal or two (would be breakfast, or breakfast and lunch in your case) and concentrate your calories into one meal and possibly a few snacks, which would allow you to eat the same portions you are used to most of the time.
Some other options would things like increasing your activity level for extra calories, having smaller breakfast and lunch, being picky with your restaurant menus ordering lower calorie options, leaving a portion of the food on the plate, eating lower calorie days to save up calories for days you expect a social dinner, or a combination of several strategies. I have managed to eat out even on my fasting days when my calorie budget is only 800 calories. After a while you get good at manipulating your intake to fit in your social life and career.
WOW! I don't get anywhere near that number of calories. At 1300 a day I CANNOT eat out at a deficit. I can't imagine you are eating at a deficit with that kind of calorie goal...
That day was 1463 net calories, or a bit over 500 calorie deficit for me. That's only 163 calories higher than your budget. I was supposed to eat at maintenance because I'm doing alternate day fasting (1 day at 800 calories, maintenance the next), but I failed to make it to maintenance yesterday. This is what today looks like:
Regardless, if you remove the pie and replace the fries with apple slices it's pretty much manageable even for lower goals.3 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »What kind of job requires that you eat out every day? It is tough to lose weight and eat out as many options are high calorie. I don't eat fast food at all and I don't recommend that fast food be a part of any weight loss program.
Really? I had fast food yesterday and still ended up with extra calories at the end of the day.
OP, there are several ways you could go about it. Have you looked into intermittent fasting where you restrict your intake to a certain eating window? In this version of Intermittent fasting you basically skip a meal or two (would be breakfast, or breakfast and lunch in your case) and concentrate your calories into one meal and possibly a few snacks, which would allow you to eat the same portions you are used to most of the time.
Some other options would things like increasing your activity level for extra calories, having smaller breakfast and lunch, being picky with your restaurant menus ordering lower calorie options, leaving a portion of the food on the plate, eating lower calorie days to save up calories for days you expect a social dinner, or a combination of several strategies. I have managed to eat out even on my fasting days when my calorie budget is only 800 calories. After a while you get good at manipulating your intake to fit in your social life and career.
WOW! I don't get anywhere near that number of calories. At 1300 a day I CANNOT eat out at a deficit. I can't imagine you are eating at a deficit with that kind of calorie goal...
Of course you can, many of us have done it/do it. You just need to do a bit of pre-planning (which is a good idea, regardless of where you're eating), which is what many of us have recommended to the OP.
A couple of examples-
I decide to go to Subway for lunch and I have 1,300 calories for the day to play with. I go on Subways website and decide I'm going to have a 6 inch chicken and bacon sub on Italian bread. I opt to go without cheese, chose all the veggies and then light mayo. Total calories= 430. And I decide to include a serving of their broccoli cheddar soup as well. That brings my lunch calorie total to 600 calories (I drink a diet coke with the meal).
That leaves me 700 calories for the rest of the day. Knowing this, I then plan my supper and decide to do a chicken/rice/ veggie combo, for 370 calories (400 if I add a bit of sweet n sour sauce).
That leaves me 300 calories, which is enough for a serving of oatmeal in the morning with 1/2 banana added in
and then a 100 calorie Greek yogurt for afternoon snack.
Grand total-right around 1,300 calories.
Now let's go to McDonalds. Again-I jump on their website and plan the day around my lunch there. I decide I want a Big Mac. Instead of fries I go with a side salad and half a pkt of their low fat Italian dressing. I'm out the door with 600 calories.
That's gives me 700 for the rest of the day. I go with 2 whole scrambled eggs with bacon bits and salsa mixed in, for a breakfast calorie total of 180.
Snack is going to be an apple, for around 100 calories
and then supper is going to be baked salmon and veggies, for around 300 calories.
I have enough left over for a cup of hot cocoa before bed (regular, made with water)-I may even get crazy and add a splash of Peppermint schnapps to it as well
Grand total-right around 1,300 calories.
I can do this over and over again, with different restaurants and food/meal combos. All showing that you can most certainly eat out on a 1,300 calorie plan. Plus there's many of us here who have higher calorie allotments, including the OP who has a daily calorie goal of 1,580.5
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