Eating out becomes scary

Wingg_

I now find eating out is a scary thing to do. My parents want to bring my bro and I out for dinner but I feel scared because I don't know how much the prime ribeye steak I am going to eat weighs.. In a situation like this how do you overcome it? I've totally no idea how much the steak weighs and because of this I'm thinking of not going out to eat with them... So eating out has became a problem for me...

steve0820

Threat the outing as your "cheat day" or "cheat meal".

Don't skip out on the Fam just because of a few calories.

ashleycde

Most steakhouses will have the size of the steak in ounces listed on the menu, and if that is not the case, you could ask the server who will either know off hand, or won't mind checking the kitchen for you. Eat a little lighter during the day, or put in a good workout before dinner, so that way you can enjoy a steak and some wine without feeling guilty, because you'll know you deserve it. I find the idea of having "cheat" days throws me off altogether, because there is such a negative connotation around the term. If it suits you, opt for a side of vegetables (I always ask for asparagus and mushrooms with my steak) or a garden salad instead of a baked potato, rice or fries.

elghee123

Threat the outing as your "cheat day" or "cheat meal".

Don't skip out on the Fam just because of a few calories.

Agree! Agree! Agree!

3proud

Hi, I have read some portion control literature that estimates the amt of food related to your palm. (3oz of steak is the size of your palm) For instance: http://healthyshasta.org/downloads/eathealthy/ServingSizeInHand.pdf. For a night out I usual record what I eat but estimate it. Obviously you can't weigh anything. If it is a special occasion, I will sometimes just record "big dinner" at like 1500 calories, especially if I am tasting a bunch of stuff and can't really record it. This includes alcoholic drinks but with a fairly reasonable portion of food (smallish dinner plate). If it is a regular event, then I try my best to record it.

einzweidrei

Simple: You can ask them how much it weighs because generally, steakhouses offer standardized portions. (4, 6, 8, etc. oz.)

For anything else? You can take your best guess and overestimate by a little. And not let calories absolutely control and consume your life. It is VERY hard but it is definitely something to work on.

BTW-I went to an Oktoberfest event at the end of last year when I was losing weight rather than maintaining. I just called it a day and just did a quick add of 4,000 calories.

motivatedmartha

Part of our weight loss journey is learning how to deal with food. Eating as a family is part of life - a very nice part so please don't miss out. Pass on the starter - enjoy a sensible main course - if it's satisfying you won't want a dessert, but if you do, go for something simple. It's one day; up your exercise on the day and following day and you'll be fine.Have fun :drinker:

Myhaloslipped

Just ask the server how many ounces the steak weighs. It won't be a big deal. I used to work in a steakhouse, and servers are trained to know everything under the sun about the steaks. Customers ask that question often, and it is usually listed on the menu.

Blokeypoo

The rest of your life will be filled with birthdays/events etc. It does feel scary but just play it by ear, I often look at menu online or share meals with Hub but sometimes I just relax, what matters more is that you resume sensible stuff the next day.

bheathfit

Look at the opportunity that has been placed before you to learn and grow! Don't be skeeeerd, Just roll with it and trust your instincts!

Whatever worries you after your outing are areas that you have more opportunity to research and learn.

sarahmoo12

Get the menu online, add whatever your going to eat in and then you will see what you have to do to make back the cals. Also since your eating out I wouldnt be to hard on yourself if you go over or get worked up about it. Go out and enjoy your family meal

snowflake954

Remember that you don't have to eat the entire steak either. You can eat half and take the rest home and you'll have something great to warm up for the next day. I second eating light during the day--this does not mean not eating, or starving yourself. Then you'll have more calories in the evening and can relax and enjoy this family time. Another thing- try to exercise during the day, even if it's just a walk since this also will give you more calories to enjoy--the key word here is enjoy. As others have mentioned, this situation comes up often and you have to be in control and able to handle it. Good luck to you.

HollisGrant

I now find eating out is a scary thing to do. My parents want to bring my bro and I out for dinner but I feel scared because I don't know how much the prime ribeye steak I am going to eat weighs.. In a situation like this how do you overcome it? I've totally no idea how much the steak weighs and because of this I'm thinking of not going out to eat with them... So eating out has became a problem for me...

I know how you feel. Sometimes I eat before I go out so I'm not very hungry -- then I order something small and just enjoy the company of other people. I often eat steel cut oats with sliced apple or soup with steamed kale -- filling and low calorie -- then I'm not starving when I get to the restaurant.

Some more ideas:

(1) You can always order something small in any restaurant, like several sides instead of an entrée,
(2) Include a salad with no dressing and use salt and pepper.
(3) Drink water instead of soda.
(4) Skip the bread, greasy potatoes and fries, and anything loaded with mayo. Use mustard instead of mayo -- only has about 5 calories per spoon. Watch for butter added by the kitchen. You can tell the waiter no butter on your food.
(5) You can also ask the restaurant to box up half your meal, take it home, and eat it the next day.
(6) If the restaurant has a website, check the calories before you get there so you already have a plan in mind.
(7) Suggest another restaurant with healthier food.

iitanyia

Also, there are the standards you can take with you. 4oz of meat is the size of a deck of cards, and a cup of vegetables is the size of your fist.

From there you cut what you can have and push the rest to the side, cover with a napkin or ask the waiter to give you a saucer to place the excess so he / she can take it away.

That way you can enjoy your remaining meal without pressure of the extra food in your face and you aren't fussing with your meal while trying to engage with your family during dinner.

Enjoy your dinner out.

BigTireFlipper

Threat the outing as your "cheat day" or "cheat meal".

Don't skip out on the Fam just because of a few calories.

Best answer here. As long as you have been diligently logging your cals a meal with the family isn't going to set you back one iota. Call it a cheat day, call it returning to sanity, call it whatever you want. Just go and enjoy your family and then get back to business. Enjoy it too.

thegilly6

Over time you get pretty good at estimating size. I've even been at the grocery store and looked at the various size cuts and noted their weights, trying to commit them to memory (what little I have). Like another poster mentioned, understand what a 4 oz peice looks like and try to figure how many of those you have on your plate. Always round up in your estimate.

dopeysmelly

Here's what I do. I eat out maybe 2x per week and I have to travel on business trips occasionally.

I eat what I want. I mean I eat what I REALLY want. I don't just eat something because it's in front of me or because everyone else is.

I go easy on the booze. Alcohol is loaded with calories. But if I have only one glass of wine and everyone else has two, that means I choose one glass of the best wine on the menu ;-)

I chose healthier options. So I go for salad, skip the bread, add vegetable sides, and often have fish as an entree. I usually skip dessert as well, or share and have just a taste. But again, if I really want that lovely juicy steak, I have some/most of it, and enjoy it. I can't remember the last time I finished a restaurant steak.

While I'm eating, I focus on every delicious mouthful and the wonderful company, not the calories.

Wingg_

Thank you for all the great advices! I guess I will just go for the dinner because I can't possibly not eat out for the rest of my life!

carla113

Threat the outing as your "cheat day" or "cheat meal".

Don't skip out on the Fam just because of a few calories.

This! If you're taking care of yourself otherwise, then treat yourself to something really good once in a while.

Of_Monsters_and_Meat

Eating out hasn't become scary. You have become obsessive.

Steak places almost always list the weight of the steak. 7oz. 9oz.
Just ask how they make it. Lots of places can do it with just salt and pepper.

hill8570

Thank you for all the great advices! I guess I will just go for the dinner because I can't possibly not eat out for the rest of my life!

Yup, good attitude. Word of advice -- if the eatery has an online menu, it helps to pre-plan the meal to a certain extent. When eating out, it's generally not the calories in the entree that get you, it's the calories in the side dishes. Most places have healthy side dishes if you know what to ask for.

JTick

I normally feel pretty safe with the serving ounces listed in the menu...restaurants aren't going to give you a massive cut that's a lot bigger than the ounces listed. Meat is too expensive for them to do that. If you order an 8 oz. steak, log an 8 ounce steak. If you want some leeway, log it as 9 oz to be safe. I eat out at least once a week. It's only as scary as you make it.

Wingg_

Eating out hasn't become scary. You have become obsessive.

Steak places almost always list the weight of the steak. 7oz. 9oz.
Just ask how they make it. Lots of places can do it with just salt and pepper.

Maybe it's the fear of gaining back the weight that made me obsessive...
I will check with them the weight of the steak. Thanks for the advice!

Wingg_

Thank you for all the great advices! I guess I will just go for the dinner because I can't possibly not eat out for the rest of my life!

Yup, good attitude. Word of advice -- if the eatery has an online menu, it helps to pre-plan the meal to a certain extent. When eating out, it's generally not the calories in the entree that get you, it's the calories in the side dishes. Most places have healthy side dishes if you know what to ask for.

I have just pre-planned my meal, and of course I will opt for healthies sides like the garden veggie. Thanks for the suggestion!

FraggleRockerFitnessLover

I can not relate to being scared to go out to eat. It's all about planning ahead and portion control. Enjoy the damn steak, ask them to weigh it for it and quit being scared, because you'll be going out to eat your entire life from time to time

raventwo

I have to disagree with those suggesting you take a cheat day or cheat meal. Only because for me, it has all to often led to me falling off my plan completely. I changed my life when I learned how to always be on plan, and in such a way as to still eat out fairly often, and enjoy, truly enjoy, my food, cooking etc.

I will research ahead of time, any restaurant we are going to - many, if you google the name of the restaurant with "nutrition menu" or "nutrition information", will have their menu items with the calories counts available. If they don't, I look at the entrees and choose ahead of time, one that looks easily workable for my plan.

I've found that ranch salad dressing, served on the side is usually 2 tablespoons, and I end up having half. The richest salad dressing I use at home is Litehouse brand where 2 tab. is 150 calories, so that is my guide. If I think I have the calories for dessert (and have decided to forgo sharing an appetizer, having a bun with my burger etc.) I may bring my own fav in the car - like a Bumblebee chai tea bar or a Kind dark chocolate nuts & sea salt bar - both under 250 calories.

I've had marvelous luck at Mexican restaurants who are wonderful about serving me an entrée without the beans or rice and instead giving me salad on the plate or grilled veggies.

Chicken is always a good bet when out, you can have a huge chicken breast (raw weight) for under 300 calories, and most menus do list the weight of the entrée (6 oz. steak, 8 oz. chicken breast etc.). Salmon is another good bet.

It can be scary, frustrating at first, but if you *want* to make figure out how to eat out, you can! It's all about finding out how to make it work, versus why it can't.

I've lost as of this morning over 154 lbs. doing this over the past almost 3 years (over 66 since coming to use mfp), and wanted to share what has been working for me.

AliceDark

Eating out hasn't become scary. You have become obsessive.

Not at all. She's just trying to learn a new skill (maintenence) and it's a little scary for almost everyone at first.

OP, it's really common for unknowns like restaurant food to freak people out when you switch to maintenence. It's a different head space than when you're trying to lose, and it just takes practice. If you can look up the restaurant's menu beforehand, easy-peasy! If not, take a guess at what you're going to have and pre-log so you have a ballpark idea of the number of calories you have to play with the rest of the day. If you go over your maintenence calories for that day, so what? Eat a little less over then next couple of days, or work in a little more exercise.

Above all, go and enjoy your time with your family. Eat someting you enjoy, and relax.

Acg67

I now find eating out is a scary thing to do. My parents want to bring my bro and I out for dinner but I feel scared because I don't know how much the prime ribeye steak I am going to eat weighs.. In a situation like this how do you overcome it? I've totally no idea how much the steak weighs and because of this I'm thinking of not going out to eat with them... So eating out has became a problem for me...

Seek professional help as avoiding social situations due to not knowing how much a portion of food weighs is not healthy thinking

meeulk

You can ask, but general rule of thumb is 4oz is about the size of the palm of your hand, 6oz is to first knuckle line and 8 oz is to second knuckle line.

Bry_Fitness70

It sounds like you are trading in the misery of being overweight and unfit for the misery of fanatically adhering to your food logging routine. If you can’t let it go altogether or just ballpark it for a meal (ask he waiter how much the steak weighs, enter the data, move on), you may be a little too obsessive about it.

wheird

If it is becoming scary then you need to rethink a few things.