Eating Out - how do you cope?

tiermorelass

Just wondering what people's approaches to calorie counting and eating out are?

Here in the UK restaurants are under no obligation to publish nutritional information about their meals and as such, only the major chains have got calorie information for their dishes.

I don't like eating at chains and prefer to support smaller or independent businesses... but I can't successfully calorie count as I have no idea what's in the food.

I'm only trying to lose a fairly small amount of weight and I don't want to give up all the aspects of my social life that I enjoy. So what do you all do to cope? How to you ensure that you are making the healthiest choices and judging your portion sizes correctly?

1skholloway

I try to find something similar in the MFP food list to add in place of food that isn't list or I just guess the calories. I get uneasy when I have to do this but I am getting better at it. I don't eat out much. When possible, I try to choose restaurants that have the nutritional information available. I have problems when I eat with my parents. I know what Mom puts in her food and it tastes good but it's not as health conscious as I normally eat. Sometimes I carry my own food but I don't think my family understands why I do that and it may offend them. Sorry because what I do doesn't help you much. I hope you are able to find a solution that works for you.

Tryingtogetfitdeb

I look for something similar in the food list on mfp too and use that as a guesstimate.

bringbackthejoy

Eat as fresh as you can...that way the hidden fats in the preparation are harder to hide. I eat a lot of vegetables and salads. I have been tracking long enough that I know what 3 cups of lettuce, two tomatoes and 1/2 a cucumber look like. hahaha. I get tripped up on the sodium though because to me, it doesn't taste salty, just delicious. Also, if you are willing to take a little longer, the occasional meal out won't kill your progress if you go over. Just do your best and enjoy your friends.

LisaTcan

I try to stick to protein and veggies and avoid fried foods and carb heavy stuff. I have a glass of wine or a cocktail as my "treat". Those foods tend to be pretty easy to estimate. I also eat a couple of my husband's fries

ContraryMaryMary

I take my best guess based on my cooking experience, then add 50% to account for all the extra butter, fat and oil professional chefs use to make their food taste delicious.

My other trick is to chose an entree rather than a main. And I never have more than two courses. So it's either two entrees or an entree and a dessert. Restaurant desserts are laden with fat and sugar, so I opt for things like sorbet and fruit-based desserts (a single piece of cheesecake can be north of 600 calories before they add cream and coulis).

When in doubt, hit the gym or go for a long run to specifically compensate!!