Shock and awwwwww, man! NEVER AGAIN - a lesson learned

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24

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  • LazyDaise
    LazyDaise Posts: 48 Member
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    Steak and salad every time!
  • moc585
    moc585 Posts: 1
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    That is disappointing...I know how you feel. I have done the same thing. But today is a new day!

    I love when restaurants have low cal menu items that actually live up to low cal.

    For examples, Applebee's has a Under 550 calories menu and it actually is. And the choices are yummy too!

    As another person already posted, I try and check the restaurants website before I go so I go with a plan.

    I sometimes get frustrated that everything has to be so planned out - but its not worth the awful surprise that you blew a bunch of calories, especially when it doesn't seem worth it.:glasses:
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
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    I don't go out without know the menu first.
    And usually, I make it a "free day", because I am not going to nibble on carrot sticks and soy wafers while everybody else is enjoying fabulous foods. I'd rather just blow it out, eat what I want, then consider it a "free day/cheat day".
    I love my cheat days, or as I prefer to say: "RE-FEED THERAPY"
    I have a weekly day where I eat about twice my daily goal, and a monthly food orgy where I eat like a man going to the electric chair for 24 hours.
    LOVE IT!
    It's nice knowing I am never more than 7 days from eating anything I desire in whatever quantity I want.
    I'd go nuts otherwise.

    I have lost over 70 lbs doing this, so those who say it inhibits progress are clueless. I still get people who want to argue...:laugh:
  • CheleLynn44
    CheleLynn44 Posts: 339 Member
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    My mom learned that same lesson when she first started on here. She struggles sometimes with how to find nutrutional values online and will get frustrated easily, but the one time she didn't check ahead of time she got burned just like you did. I was kinda glad it happened to her cause it helped with her stubbornness to learn how to navigate the websites!!

    Isn't it amazing how much some foods we thought were doing us some good are filled with calories and sodium? Since I have addedsidium to mu coir diary man oh man have so many things surprised me!!
  • lmelangley
    lmelangley Posts: 1,039 Member
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    Did it myself. I don't remember the full meal calories, but I had a fish sandwich at Friendly's that rang in at 900 calories alone. Lesson learned.
  • jvorrei
    jvorrei Posts: 13
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    That is beyond crazy. see, here in the UK, there are a lot of restaurants that will show the calories on the menu... wtg I say ^^

    I need to move to the UK! I find if I check the calorie content first, I'm less likely to eat junk... I think restaurants should be required to list calories for everything on a menu. Might help those of us who want to make good choices.
  • loopybec2002
    loopybec2002 Posts: 313 Member
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    Thats wrong! I am goingout tonight and there isn't any calories listed on the website. I am now lorried
  • Kelekat
    Kelekat Posts: 174 Member
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    I take my Trader Joe's Champagne Vinegrette dressing with me when I go out to eat....40 calories-2 tablespoons--and delicious. Then I choose a non-fried protein option and a salad. Works every time.
  • Cris725
    Cris725 Posts: 81
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    Yep, I did that, now I look at the nutrition online before I go to the restaurant!

    Thats exactly what I do also. If we decide we want to splurge on fast food, I go to the website and decide what I want before I even get there. Things are so deceiving. And I think we've all had to learn that lesson. LOL. :glasses:
  • Zaggytiddies
    Zaggytiddies Posts: 326 Member
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    I love Champps and they have Shrimp and white wine sauce over summer squash that is tasty and 550 cals
  • 10_M
    10_M Posts: 22
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    I've found that, surprisingly, at places like that a hamburger is often the best option. 1/3lb, no cheese, no mayo is only about 600 calories. And order it without fries.
    I was hoping someone would mention this, burgers are definately a good option...when you take control over what and what you not put on it! Red Robins is a good place to go if you are on a diet, choose a grilled chicken or veggie paty, no sauce and lettuce wrapped! Comes up to 300 calories! Pasta, although delicious and innocent is normally packed with calories.(PS hidden calories at restaurants is why I hate eatting out!)
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
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    that is CRAZY! you've got to watch anything creamy or cheesy!
  • Kirkajuice
    Kirkajuice Posts: 311 Member
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    Thats wrong! I am goingout tonight and there isn't any calories listed on the website. I am now lorried

    Sometimes you can find the information on other sites. Google "nutritional information (insert menu item) (insert restaurant)" without quotation marks. There's almost always somewhere that has the info.
  • Hoppymom
    Hoppymom Posts: 1,158 Member
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    It happens. You didn't even mention the sodium and that is where the restaurants REALLY get scarey! I have to agree with the poster who talked about Applebee's 550 and under menu. I am never disappointed in the selction. Lots of variety and great taste. The postions are decent too.
    Conventional wisdom reminds us that mistakes are good and that we can learn from them and you clearly have.

    Check out the thread that ran yesterday about Dr. Oz's philosophy that having a cheat meal once a week or so actually increases weight loss. Another psoter mentioned that this is what he does. For me this week... it'll be the SuperBowl food.

    Enjoy your journey!:flowerforyou:
  • jsmith0644
    jsmith0644 Posts: 66 Member
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    oof! I had to give up on restaurant food, except vegetarian (even that mildly surprised me).
  • GBO323
    GBO323 Posts: 336 Member
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    I check restaurant website for nutrition info. No issue asking my coworkers to consider another place that I can calorie count since I keep a list of them handy. If not possible to change, that I go the low carb route of grilled protein, grilled veggies, and clear soup/salad. Filling and less likely to oops when I put it into the Tracker when I get home.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    I had similar in Pizza Express. I went for a salad thinking it would be lower cals than a pizza. It was 844 calories! HOW? When I make salad at home it's about 100 cals max. How do restaurants manage to cram so many calories into their food?
  • 519harley
    519harley Posts: 241 Member
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    Have you ever seen the book called Eat this, Not that! by David Zinczenko? It goes over a lot of chains accross the US and shows what is better to eat vs what you think is lower in calories. Very good book! They also have the version called Cook this, Not that.
  • shellimus
    shellimus Posts: 158 Member
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    I love having MFP on my phone...it makes it so easy to check restaurants before I go. I always try to look at the menu online also. It seems what I would have chosen is NEVER the healthiest item....kinda scary....you just can't always tell by the description.
  • WilliamsPeggy
    WilliamsPeggy Posts: 440 Member
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    I hate it when that happens.

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