Eating out

Kgremmy

The husband and I are going to have a date night this weekend and will be eating out at a cajun restaurant. I am trying to stay at 1300 calories and was wondering for those of you who plan on date nights, do you "bank" your calories for the larger meal or do you just plan accordingly? What do normally get at a cajun restaurant that fits into your meal plan? TIA

wallflower_17

I usually do a combination of "saving up" calories that week as well as doing some planning ahead. If the restaurant has their menu and nutritional information online, I would start there. Otherwise, you could plan for some lean fish with veggies - cajun food is known for spice which isn't a bad thing...lots of flavor and not necessarily additional calories. I would just be cautious of starchy veggies (corn, potatoes, etc) and don't be afraid to ask them to cook something in a lighter version.

Most importantly...one night won't derail you completely, so be sure to relax and enjoy the time with your husband!

WholeFoods4Lyfe

I practice Intermittent Fasting on and off, so on days when I want to splurge, I just skip breakfast and lunch. If that isn't an option for you, you could always eat 100 or so calories under your daily goal for the 5-7 days leading up to your big meal, and kind of bank your calories that way.

OR you could just go and enjoy yourself and not worry about it. I know that it sounds counter-intuitive when you are trying to lose weight, but one meal won't completely derail you, I promise. Just make sure you get back on track the next day. And don't be surprised if you see the scale move up, a lot of restaurants use A LOT of Sodium in their food which can cause (temporary) water retention.

kimny72

I tried to bank a small amount of calories, tried to make smart but still special and yummy choices, and assuming it is a special and rare occasion I allowed myself maintenance calories for the day.

If it's more a once a week thing, i would try to stay to my deficit while banking a couple of hundred calories. Personally I find avoiding the bread basket and skipping alcohol were no brainers, and perhaps skipping apps so I could have dessert or vice versa.

echmain3

Appetizer is the new entree.

As always you have to be careful there too. Many appetizers can have more calories than an entree.

But usually they’re smaller, cheaper, and are just one item.

OooohToast

Sounds lovely OP ! I offer to drive datenight so my partner can drink and I save on the booze calories. Other than skipping the breadbasket, I drink water and pick the options I fancy on the night, enjoy them and try not to eat until I am stuffed. I get back onto the plan the next day. If I can get some extra exercise in then I do so, but try not to make it a make or break rule because surely the first rule of date night is to have a great date night !. Hope you have a lovely time OP.

cwolfman13

My wife and I might get one date night per month...two if we're lucky. We just enjoy ourselves. It's a blip on an otherwise very large radar and that's it. It's not really material to the bigger picture.

endermako

i eat less earlier in the day to have more calories saved for dinner, sometimes if it was a lot of food i'll also eat a little less the next day as well.

RachelElser

also at ANY restaurant, I ask for an extra plate (if they don't have them on the table like Applebees) and literally cut everything in half and put it on the plate to go home. Portion sizes are mostly stupid big. I used to try and just eat half, but I always overate but now I do it first and know I can eat the entire plate that is in front of me.