Motivation to Not Eat Out

LexiLuLavender
LexiLuLavender Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all! I've been off of MFP for a few months now and I'm ready to come back.

The hardest thing for me is finding the motivation to not eat out for dinner. I'll eat well for the entire day, and then right after work, have the urge to eat out. And it's a little bit harder on the weekends when I'm not working.

What has worked for you to keep you from eating out? I am open to any and all suggestions that have helped you to reach your fitness goals.
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Replies

  • Hannahwalksfar
    Hannahwalksfar Posts: 572 Member
    Make and enjoy home cooking or choose options in your calorie budget.
  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
    Welcome back to the community! <3

    If you haven't already, read the stickies at the top of the getting started forum. Very informative and helpful.

    I fill out the food diary a few days in advance. I know which foods I have in the house, so it's a way to avoid food waste, as well as knowing exactly what's in my mealss since I'm making them myself. Perhaps you could try that.

    Good luck with your journey!
  • missysippy930
    missysippy930 Posts: 2,577 Member
    Nothing wrong with eating out, but it saves money cooking meals at home. Planning and prepping in advance helps a lot. Sometimes if you prep ahead, it’s easier to stick to your plan.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    Eating out is often significantly more expensive than cooking my own food. It helps that I also enjoy cooking, but even if I didn't, it would be cheaper to cook my own food.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    If you prep your evening meal the day before then it will only need cooked/heated up when you get in. Planning ahead is key. And just think of the money you'll save. :)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Planning ahead is indeed key.

    I work from home now, but when I worked in an office, I used to spend a few hours on Sundays cooking 4 lunches and dinners, which I'd have during the week.

    On Fridays I'd get takeout for lunch, eat half, and have the other half for dinner.
  • 1BlueAurora
    1BlueAurora Posts: 439 Member
    I learned to make soups. Chicken Tortilla Soup. Thai Rice Noodle Chicken Soup. Vegetable Soup. Get on the internet and search those terms, then print out the recipes that have 4 or 5 star ratings that look simple to make (like, they take 20 minutes to chop vegetables and meat and 20 to 30 minutes to cook). Go shopping for the ingredients on the weekend. Make one of the soups. Eat the soup. Put the leftovers in the refrigerator. Have the soup for the next night's dinner. If you get bored, the next night add some rice and salad. Repeat.
  • GrizzledSquirrel
    GrizzledSquirrel Posts: 120 Member
    Cooking is so relaxing, creative and satisfying! Enjoy it!
  • skelterhelter
    skelterhelter Posts: 803 Member
    edited September 2019
    Here are some things I did to wean myself off of fast food/restaurant eating:

    1) Try to make a knock-off version of things you love from takeout/fast food places. Pinterest often has dupe recipes for popular fast food items. Often times I'll make a spicy chicken sandwich with Boca Chick'n patties, a light hamburger bun, some pickles, and Bolthouse Ranch and, paired with a serving of Ore Ida Golden Fries, really satisfies that craving for fast food for half the calories.

    2) Make the fast food trip a once a week treat. Set aside one day a week for you to indulge a little (if you don't have enough calories for it, bank a little during the week). Saturdays are usually my fun day off with a friend and we choose a restaurant we both like and I'll eat the things I don't normally eat. The food actually tastes better because I'm not having it all the time anymore and it's a special meal with a friend.

    3) If I really HAVE to have it that day (sometimes things do come up. You have a long day, errands to run, etc), either take the hit and have a lighter day the next day, or make sure you have healthier options planned for the drive-thru. It's a lot easier to make modifications and substitutions at restaurants nowadays. I love Subway for turkey or veggie subs paired with Baked Lays; Taco Bell has some options. Their tacos aren't a terrible calorie bomb, and I know their Power Menu has some good items. I wanna try the sub in a tub from Jersey Mike's. Little changes like that such as omitting the bread and oils make it a little more doable.

    Don't beat yourself up over it! Make room for the things you love!
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    I like to set guidelines for myself. I try not to be too hardcore about it "NEVER eating out" would not be realistic AT ALL for me. But my husband and I try to plan/cook at home Sunday through Friday whenever possible. My one exception is a standing lunch date w/ my dad during the work week.

    On Saturdays, we go out. We typically look forward to that and plan ahead. So it's not a blah fast food pickup, but something nicer like trying a new restaurant or traveling an hour to another city to do an activity & dine out there. We TRY to make it just one meal (lunch or dinner) but we both understand that it could be more practical to dine out twice if we're going out of town, or if we're entertaining friends...and that's ok! It's just the nightly dining out type of thing that we're both trying to avoid in order to eat healthier AND save money.

    One of the major ways I gained a lot in the past was when I went from being on a tight budget to having more extra cash. It became habit to go out for sushi or ice cream to "treat myself" after a stressful day at work or dealing w/ personal stuff. Those special treats turned into a habit - and that meant I was dining out or getting takeout all the time and for little or no "reason". My ex was the same way and we both gained a lot of weight (and were overweight to start with). Fortunately my current husband is more disciplined and a good influence on me to do the same...cooking at home has become our go to instead of dining out.

    Planning ahead is really important IMO, and be sure you are eating enough food prior to dinnertime too! I find that if I eat at least 400 calories at lunchtime, I'm not "starving" after work and dying to stop and get something for dinner...but if I'm to eat less than that, I've found I'm just so hungry by 5-6 pm that the very idea of going home and cooking a meal is exhausting! I know a lot of people swear by meal prep and don't mind eating the same things night after night, but I like to mix up my at-home meals so that I'm not bored and actually look forward to dinners at home. It doesn't have to be exotic & thrilling though...to me "breakfast for dinner" or homemade pizza is something to look forward to through the Sun-Fri week.

  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
    We used to eat out all the time before I lost weight. I learned that it wasn't worth the calories to me. Once I had a repertoire of dishes I liked to make that were more satisfying it became easier. I agree with cooking in bulk. I tend to make things that can be transformed. For example if I am cooking chicken I will cook extra for another dish in the next day or two. If I fry ground beef I cook extra. One serving will be for say tacos the other half for spaghetti. The chicken could be sauteed breast with potatoe and veg the next one might be a chinese stir fry. This reduces the amount of time cooking and creates variety at the same time. The other option is to pick a couple of restaurants that have lower calorie dishes that you can work in to your calorie budget. We have a chicken place that does broiled chicken with a side of veggies that I can easily have as a dinner without breaking my calorie bank.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    edited September 2019
    I'm on track to finish paying off my debt in the coming months. My food budget is $200/month. That includes things like laundry detergent and toilet paper.

    In other words, if I want to reach my financial goals, I can't afford to eat out more than once or twice per month.

    Maybe come up with something you want and set aside the money you would have spent eating out to do that.

    That being said, if your purpose for not eating out is purely about weight loss, you can eat out and still reach your goals.
  • MadDogManor
    MadDogManor Posts: 1,530 Member
    I leave my cash and credit card at home. That way, I can’t go thru drive thrus or pick up something on the way home. Then once I’m home, it’s hard for me to get motivated to go back out.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    I am motivated to have cleaner logging so that keeps me eating my own food most of the time. I will have the occasional week where I will eat out many times but with the exception of a few trusted sources of salad I generally just eat out once a week.

  • Ldenzel
    Ldenzel Posts: 91 Member
    Why do you want to eat out? Is is the social aspect? Don't like cooking? Are you really hungry at the end of the work day that you just want to eat and not have to cook?

    I personally fall into all 3 of these categories. I despise cooking, and then the eventual clean-up. When I started my weight-loss endeavor, I signed up for a food service (Freshly) that sends me fresh prepared meals that I just need to pop in the microwave. This has really worked for me as there is no clean-up and it doesn't take any time to make so it's just as convenient as grabbing take-out or eating out. I have a few, quick/easy recipes that I use for the remaining days of the week.

    I still eat out a couple times a week though because my husband and I enjoy the social aspect of eating out with friends. I will usually check the menu ahead of time to find something that fits within my calorie budget. Pre-planning what I eat really helps me stay on track!
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,352 Member
    Honestly? I just eat out usually. I don't cook and am not crazy about eating alone, so I'll take any excuse to eat somewhere other than over my own kitchen sink. I lost 60 pounds and have maintained most of that loss for 3 years now--all eating out 3-5 times a week. Like one of the other posters, I order meals from Freshly for my lunches and home meals. When I either get tired of those or get a better offer, I just go out. As long as I stick to my "restaurant rules", it's not a problem.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    LexiLuLavender wrote: »
    Hi all! I've been off of MFP for a few months now and I'm ready to come back.

    The hardest thing for me is finding the motivation to not eat out for dinner. I'll eat well for the entire day, and then right after work, have the urge to eat out. And it's a little bit harder on the weekends when I'm not working.

    What has worked for you to keep you from eating out? I am open to any and all suggestions that have helped you to reach your fitness goals.

    I eat out often because it is inexpensive ($3.17) plus I get great coffee and free wifi. When I get home there are the dogs to run and horse poop to scoop so I want to be ready to go to work and not on a full stomach.

    The key to eating out is to stick with your plan. I have order the same meal for about 4 years now of fresh ground beef off of the grille with a lot of coffee and creamer.



  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    acpgee wrote: »
    I love to cook but also love eating out. Eating out gives me ideas to expand my kitchen repertoire sometimes. Other times I love eating out at places where I just can't replicate the food at home in a domestic kitchen. Restaurants that cook over open fires, use wood burning smokers, or wok asian food at extremely high temperature.

    I make room for restaurant meals on the weekend by doing an extra big cardio workout beforehand.

    Agree with this.

    For OP, I understand the impulse when one is tired, etc., and what has worked for me is having ingredients I can cook from at home, making enough for leftovers so there often is something available if it's extra late or I'm extra tired. And, most of all, just making myself do it, and be creative with what I have in the refrigerator. What I found way back when I first started cooking regularly is that the more I did it, the more I found it relaxing and tended to prefer my own cooking for daily meals. And if you aren't tied to recipes and are willing to work with what's on hand and experiment and also to just cook pretty simply much of the time, it feels easy and is fast. I usually think about what I am going to make earlier in the day so that I get excited about it and am craving it on the way home. I do plan ahead as to the protein I will use, so it's in the refrigerator and ready for me.

    I sometimes read cookbooks or cooking websites for ideas, and that helps me be excited or inspired to cook too, although I rarely follow recipes because it's tedious IMO.

    That said, unlike some others I'm not anti restaurants at all, and there are tons of excellent restaurants (from the somewhat higher end with great chefs, to many focused on local, in-season cuisine, to many specializing in a wide variety of cuisines) in my city, from which I get ideas or try things I haven't had before or eat a style or cuisine I'm not skilled with, etc. I really like trying new restaurants or going back to old favorites, but indeed it is expensive so it's more part of my social life, something we do once a week (occasionally twice) before a play or the symphony or the like. I tend to use the cals from my weekend long run or else just eat super light the rest of the day so as to fit it in.
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
    It's hard to find motivation to NOT do something. Might be easier to find motivation to DO something instead. Lots of good ideas about food prep above. Start with a commitment to eat at home for one day. Build from there.
  • meltoine
    meltoine Posts: 46 Member
    Transfer the money you would have spent to a savings account, then at the end of the month buy something to treat yourself - new outfit, mani/pedi, new book, whatever floats your boat.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    This is easy.

    $$$
  • JenSD6
    JenSD6 Posts: 454 Member
    I've usually planned my dinner out ahead, and I'm looking forward to eating it when I get home.

    I'm cheap, and restaurants are costly by the time you add on a decent tip. And with fast food, I find I often don't feel very well afterwards. What I will do if the mood hits is stop at the grocery store for a pre-made salad instead, bonus points if it's at the expiry date and 30% off. lol

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