Does anyone else feel like eat out but healthy defeats the p

NeuroticVirgo

Question: Does anyone else feel like eating out but healthy defeats the purpose of eating out in the first place?

I mean, I get there is a difference between getting the worst thing on the menu and at least trying...but I feel like if I'm going to pay $30 for a meal, and that meal originally comes with a dinner roll, garlic mashed potatoes, salmon covered in some kind of awesome sauce and starts with soup....but then if I were to change my order to no roll, no soup...grilled salmon w/ no sauce...and steamed veggies.....its like... why didn't I just stay home and cook this myself and save like $20. lol

rai8759

Me 2. I feel that way when going out, but then I always wind up eating waaay to many calories!! I think from now on when I eat out I'll have to plan ahead to eat something yummy, but that fits in my calorie budget (maybe after a bad-*kitten* workout!).

sweetie89207

i totally think that if your gonna eat out...DO IT! eat what you want...just do like she said and make sure you did a very high calorie loss exercise routine that day... i mean if you can add 1000 calories by exercise- that gives you the extra space to eat what you want and still stay within your calories for the day...and besides- you dont eat out EVERY day...so treat yourself!...

kappyblu

I understand about that. Taking all of that stuff off defeats the purpose. But if you order the healthier options, you don't have to do that. I love to eat out, too. But I know I would be my own worst enemy. Eating all those huge burgers, fries, chicken fried steaks, giant stacks of pancakes, meat filled everything is how I got here. So, now I carry out a calorie king book everywhere I go. It's full of nutrition for restaurants all over. Tonight we went to IHOP and I was blown away by their veggie omelet. It's served with fresh fruit. The omelet tastes like it has a 1000 calories, but it only has 360 (that includes the fruit!) It's amazing! Even their kids meals come with fresh fruit on the side instead of fries, standard. You can eat out, just choose the healthy options. Applebees also has a bunch of things to choose from that are low cal and fabulous. Good luck, and don't give up!

GirlOverboard

You could always ask the waiter to bring a knife (if, say, you're ordering something like a burger) and a to-go box from the start. Or even just an extra plate. Then, as soon as your order arrives, split it in half. Even if your food is just on a separate plate, you'll be less likely to eat it - especially if you make sure to drink plenty of water during your meal. Not only will you eat less, but you'll get more money out of the meal by splitting it into two meals and having leftovers for lunch the next day. At worst, the waiter looks at you a little funny for asking for a to-go box from the start, but typically they won't if you just ask for an extra plate.

MisdemeanorM

It depends on how often you eat out. So many people eat out several times a week. I eat in a restaurant probably 10 times a year - so when I do, I get what i want.

I just work to not stuff myself and not go overboard. (Do I NEED 3 rolls?!) Maybe I will get a milkshake and a burger at Red Robin, but I might eat only 1/2 the burger and share the shake sips with others. I realize I don't actually WANT the whole thing, I just feel like "if I paid for it"!

Plus, being cheap (read poor), if I can get an extra lunch out of my restaurant meal, all the better.

Now, for those who eat out all the time as just another alternative to cooking - it makes more sense to be choosy and eat smarter in restaurants too.

soze

I eat out very rarely these days. This what I think and I'm no expert believe me. I allow for the calories. I either exercise more or cut back at some other meal. Now I have to say those calories you eat out don't seem to go away so fast as those you eat at home. I think the extra salt has to be washed through the body. Many years ago a WW member said if you eat bad drink good water. She also said, I'm not sure if this is true, that if you drink water afterward the water will suspend the fat and thus carry it out of your body.

Now you can't eat at burger biggie every day and expect to lose weight.

JillTwiss

That's how I felt at Olive Garden, not eating the "endless" salad and breadsticks and then at Red Robin not eating the "bottomless" fries. BUT, I felt so much better afterward. I felt stronger inside, like I defeated something.

eveunderground

I agree that the key is in ordering the healthy options so you dont need to substitute anything...they usually design those options to taste good as is. if you pick one of the less healthy options and remove all the stuff that makes it taste good you'll be left with something completely bland...which would make it a worse choice than just staying home. Of course if there's something on the menu you must have, then get it as is, and take half home like the poster above said.

randilea

That is exactly what I say to myself every time I go out to eat and fight with myself in my head about what to order!!

schpanks

I'm already planning on eating crazy things for my birthday. I'm a vegetarian, so there's not going to be any huge greasy burger in my future, but I want to go out for Spanish food and eat olives and cheese and not think about my calories. If I'm good the rest of the week and give myself a good workout that day, I'm going to eat what I want, know when to stop, and not feel guilty about enjoying myself!

selbyhutch

I feel EXACTLY this way! I can never go out & eat a salad or a piece of grilled chicken. I want a big bowl of pasta or chicken smoothered with something. I'm horrible when I go out to eat.

GrandmaVic

I agree, so when I am actually dieting and trying to lose weight, I rarely eat out. Because as you said, if you can't have the "good stuff", what is the point? Unfortunately for me, eating out is not about the event (as I guess it should be), it's mostly about the FOOD! I'd rather eat at home and at least have low cal things I am happy with rather than go out and deny myself.

PocketNaomi

I can't afford to eat out very often, so I expect to completely and totally eat what I feel like when I do. One day of that may make me gain back a pound or two, but if I only do it three or four times a year, it won't blow the overall pattern. Besides, a lot of the time what I *like* to eat when I eat out is stuff like big portions of meat or fish, but no carbs, so if I make it the only meal I eat that day I probably won't be going radically over anyway, and I won't be hungry for the rest of the day.

lupuslady

I love to eat out, I love the company and having others wait on me. I also found the Calorie King book and I bought two of them, I gave one to my younger son. He was horrified to see how many calories were in his fast food. He now rides his bike 15 miles 3x a week. He lost 15 lbs and looks great. He has become very concious of what goes in his mouth due to MFP. I am so proud of him. He was just nice blessing to my progress with MFP. But I carry my calorie king book everywhere, I don't order until I know how many calories are in the food. Yes I have become a fanatic, but I can't excercise like most of you , due to my arthritic knees and my lupus. So every calorie counts. If I start eating things that I truly love, I will continue to want to eat them. (Like cheese sauces, chocolate desserts, and alcholic bevarages.) So order a meal you know you can enjoy and don't ignore everything but pick wisely. I also get filled up so quickly now, I know I will be taking home half of what I eat. So that helps a lot toward what my choice will be. Good luck and eat out.

grrl77

I've always associated eating out with taking absolute pleasure in my meal, which always means I want the cheesiest, sweetest, hugest thing on the menu that's going to make me unbutton my pants right at the dinner table. Someone here said it - If I have to forgo "all the good stuff," screw that! I could just eat at home! I mean, let's face it. I don't show up at a restaurant because I love the finely detailed engravings on the table. :P I go there because I can shovel mad quantities of crap in my face. My *kitten* might not like it, but hey.

If I'm gonna go out, I generally say well, I'll watch how MUCH I eat, but I'm not gonna just not get something I want. That being said, I've cut back on when I go out to special occasions, and OH the money it saves me!

xxoo!

caitlinclock

I get more pleasure of making an amazing healthy meal at home that I love than "settling" for something healthy when I really want to eat something else on a menu.

giventofly__

I've become a fan (like someone else mentioned) of ordering what I want, but asking for the to- go box right away. I've never had a server look at me strange for that, so I assume it is more common then it seems. Now it seems I have been putting 2/3rds in the box and being full with what I have, and getting two leftover meals out of the one eating out night. It's been a good solution for me, I don't feel denied, if I'm not staring at it I'm less likely to mindlessly eat it, and it feels like a treat getting extra meals out of it. So what started as a calorie nightmare divided by two or three isn't nearly as daunting and guilt inducing. But that's just me.

beckyd_2000

thats an awesome tip! I might invest in one of those books, i have to eat out so much when my husband is home on the weekends. Thanks

beckyd_2000

I usually pick what I want to eat, eat half and send the rest in a to go box, eat the next day for lunch. I really have to watch how much sauce that i eat... it adds up. and i always drink water to help fill and save money.

selbyhutch

The problem with the to-go box for me is this... then I'm still eating the other half of my unhealthy crap the next day. That is also when guilt starts to rear it's ugly head.

katerinab

I pretty much HAVE to choose the healthy options on the menu when I go out. Because typically the items I used to eat on the menus were some of the WORST items on the menu. These days, I find it impossible to get myself to eat at a restaurant that doesn't have nutritional information. My husband might say I want to go to X restaurant (which has no nutritional information) that has barbeque and mexican dishes. I would ask him, well which part of the menu do you want, and then I will direct him to the local restaurant with nutritional info that has his food of choice. I think it annoys him that I do this, but I'm thankful that he still supports me.

I think I am just saving up for Christmas, though. I figure if I do all the losing weight I can before Christmas hits, I should be able to take a couple days off without killing things too badly (plus we're staying in a hotel over the holiday that has a workout room, so I can do that).

NikkisNewStart

I try to avoid eating out as much as possible and for dates we try to do something based around an activity or event instead of food. Thanks to MFP, the food I used to consider "good" now- even just the thought of it- makes me sick! Like- I can't believe I put that in my body and considered it to be "good." Maybe others feel this way or maybe I'm just a weirdo... but smelling oil on fried foods (much less tasting it), seeing creamy sauces, etc... just makes me imagine eating a stick of butter or drinking cooking oil... blahhhh.

I also am shocked, well not really- I expected it based on what I've read on here- that so many restaurants' "healthy" options are usually loaded with sodium... take out the fat, add "flavor" by loading it with hidden salt.

Based on the info I've learned and how my lifestyle has evolved... spending $30 on "good" food equates to spending $30 on a punishment- not only on my body but on my mind. Why would I do that to myself? I'm tired of punishing myself. I want to feel and look good.

I think it is a rotton shame at how overindulgent some food items are- read the thread in this forum titled "Shocking" and see what I mean about the post I made about a pre-MFP meal I used to have at Chili's... it is crazy!

Food can easily be a drug... these restaurants and their advertisements are like a dealer on a street corner trying to lure you in and I'm not buying! Not anymore!

If I do eat away from home- I make sure it is "real" food with recognizable ingredients (that the restaurant is proud of and gladly shares the nutrition info). Sorry for my rant! It just makes me sad and angry at how some of these restaurants do not give 1 flip about the junk they are putting in their foods- and that we in turn consume.

ChubbieTubbie

I try to order something relatively healthier when I go out to eat, and I account for it on my food log and try to make up for it in exercise. I try to only eat out on Zumba days.

MisdemeanorM

Keep in mind too when you are logging your restaurant cals, that that is what the "chefs in the sky" calculate for that recipe, providing it is done to exact specifications.

If you have ever worked in a restaurant you know that butter on the grill is about 5 times more than it calls for, chocolate topping probably 2-3 times too much, often scoops of potatoes etc are larger than they should be and gravy and cheese sauce they are supposed to do one scoop but often scoop 1.5 or 2 because they know the waitress is just going to come back and make them get more when the patron complains (you can help this by ordering your toppings on the side and adding just enough for the flavor). The waitress probably put 3 times more cheese and crutons on the salad than she is told to because she doesn't care about the restaurant bottom line - she cares that you will tip her crap if you complain that there are only 5 (yes, we're supposed to count them!!) crutons and 1 oz of cheese on the salad. The real count on the broccoli side after you count the oil they cooked it in and the butter they poured on it... you could have had the french fries! (though it might say in the book that it is only 100 cals, it's probably more like 250!). Olive garden breadsticks are 150 per, but i wonder what the serving size of the butter they brush onto them is. There's a good chance that they're closer to 175 per.

So, always round up and super over estimate your calories in a restaurant!

But, like I said, when I eat out, because it is so seldom, I enjoy myself and get what I want, so long as I am actually hungry for it.

superwmn

When I eat out, I get something that I wouldn't make myself at home that is also diet friendly. I'm also a fan of getting something that's not 'diet friendly' and only eating half (or a quarter) of it.

If my dinner comes with a ton of sides, I'll have a taste, but don't feel like I'm missing out if I don't eat the bread or finish the potatoes.

Charmagne

godblessourhome

i eat out twice a week (sometimes more, but i am trying to cut back) and i get what i want. always.

the key for me is know what a serving size is. if i order a 1/4 pound burger, i can eyeball what 3 ounces looks like and stop eating at that point. if i want the fries, i eat what would be the equivalent of a small potato or 5-6 ounces. if i order a salad, i stop eating at 2 cups because i know what 2 cups of salad looks like. i could care less about the croutons/tortilla strips/whatnot, but believe me, i want the freaken full ounce of cheese. if i add chicken to it, i stop eating it at 3 ounces. same with veggies, i eat a serving (1/2 cup to 1 cup, depending on type). i am never still hungry.

at olive garden, i always order the minestone soup with tons o' cheese and eggplant parmesan, diabetic portion (they give you six eggplant slices but half the pasta). i make three meals from it.

yesterday i went to noodles and company and had their new meditaranean chicken in a pita sandwich with the tomato and cucumber salad (dressing on the side because i wasn't sure i was going to like it). i ate all the filling but half the pita, and half the salad.

tonight i am going to a french restaurant and i am ordering duck confit salad, ricotta gnocchi and pumpkin creme brulee. i can't wait!

just because the food is there in front of you does not mean you have to join the 'clean plate club'. order what you want, but KNOW YOUR SERVING SIZES!