Help with going out to eat!

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JenniTheVeggie
JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Tomorrow my husband and I have a rare chance to have a night out without the little ones. He wants to go out to eat but I don't know what to get. I am a vegetarian and I am doing low carb, no extra sugar so I was thinking a veggie burger without the bun and then a side of veggies?

In the past when we have gone out we would of ordered a high fat appetizer and often split a dessert.

Replies

  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
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    If its a rare chance to go out without the kids, and not likely to happen again in the near future, would you not just have whatever you want and enjoy your night?
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    Some good ideas here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/558989-eating-out

    If it's such a rare treat, I would suggest you get what you want and enjoy it.
  • JenniTheVeggie
    JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
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    I've only been at this for less then 3 weeks. I don't want to go off my plan at this point because I don't think I would get back on.
  • TKHappy
    TKHappy Posts: 659 Member
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    My advice it to try and find the menu of the place you are going online and see if it has nutrition facts, thats what we do! Also as a vegetarian myself, I tend to order just sides a lot, like a baked potato, broccolli, squash, guacamole, ect. The veggie burger with no bun is a good idea, or even better if they have a portobello mushroom burger. You can't go wrong with a salad.

    Have fun! :)
  • Lize11e
    Lize11e Posts: 419
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    What I do before I go out to eat is get online and look at the nutrition fact sheet for wherever I'm going and make a plan. Once I choose what I am going to have at the restaurant I know what I can have earlier that day and not blow my diet on the date.

    On a side note, my mother is a vegetarian, has been all her life. It is amusing to me that people ask me, "Well, does she eat fish?" LOL Um, no. Fish is meat. If once it walked, swam or moved in some other way of its own accord, my mother won't go near it!
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    On a side note, my mother is a vegetarian, has been all her life. It is amusing to me that people ask me, "Well, does she eat fish?" LOL Um, no. Fish is meat. If once it walked, swam or moved in some other way of its own accord, my mother won't go near it!
    This comes from the fact that so many people call themselves vegetarian and DO eat fish. I met one person who said she was a vegetarian because she didn't eat red meat. You can't blame people for being confused.
  • Lize11e
    Lize11e Posts: 419
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    I've only been at this for less then 3 weeks. I don't want to go off my plan at this point because I don't think I would get back on.

    Good job. Very commendable attitude to have. Do what YOU are comfortable with.
  • Comabo
    Comabo Posts: 6 Member
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    Like the others have said PLAN. Look up the resturant and see what their choices are. I do it all the time. And most times u can sub or request something. I would tell the waiter that ur veg/low carb and see what they can do for you. NEVER be afraid to ask.
    Good luck and stay strong
  • JenniTheVeggie
    JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
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    Nope..I do not eat fish! LOL. I also don't eat anything with gelatin, chicken/beef broth etc.
  • IveLanded
    IveLanded Posts: 797 Member
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    No wonder so many people on here don't really lose weight.........I can't believe all the advice to eat "whatever you want", i.e. "hey, eat what got you to the place where you were unhappy!"

    When I started venturing out again after I started my weight loss, I got used to asking for modifications OR I just get a salad. Going out for a nice night w/o the kids, for me, is more about getting out and being social with other grown ups........I don't need to treat my body poorly in order to have a good time and enjoy myself.

    Occasionally I just put in an extra hour or so of work outs if I know I'll be eating something high calorie or having a drink.
  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
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    How about working out a little extra or eating extra healthy today and tomorrow so you can bank some calories and not worry overly much about what you're eating? That's what I try to do.
  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
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    No wonder so many people on here don't really lose weight.........I can't believe all the advice to eat "whatever you want", i.e. "hey, eat what got you to the place where you were unhappy!"

    When I started venturing out again after I started my weight loss, I got used to asking for modifications OR I just get a salad. Going out for a nice night w/o the kids, for me, is more about getting out and being social with other grown ups........I don't need to treat my body poorly in order to have a good time and enjoy myself.

    Occasionally I just put in an extra hour or so of work outs if I know I'll be eating something high calorie or having a drink.

    To each his own. For me, going out isn't just about being social. It's also about enjoying food that I don't cook, often about food I wouldn't even know how to cook. I for one would be miserable if I had to go out to a Japanese place or Ethiopian place and figure out a way to eat salad.
  • peacek
    peacek Posts: 211
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    No wonder so many people on here don't really lose weight.........I can't believe all the advice to eat "whatever you want", i.e. "hey, eat what got you to the place where you were unhappy!"

    When I started venturing out again after I started my weight loss, I got used to asking for modifications OR I just get a salad. Going out for a nice night w/o the kids, for me, is more about getting out and being social with other grown ups........I don't need to treat my body poorly in order to have a good time and enjoy myself.

    Occasionally I just put in an extra hour or so of work outs if I know I'll be eating something high calorie or having a drink.

    To each his own. For me, going out isn't just about being social. It's also about enjoying food that I don't cook, often about food I wouldn't even know how to cook. I for one would be miserable if I had to go out to a Japanese place or Ethiopian place and figure out a way to eat salad.
    ^ This
    I love food!!!!
    Take a night off and enjoy- but workout and eat healthy before and after.
    Don't walk into the restaurant starving though!
  • mellabyte
    mellabyte Posts: 193 Member
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    If I know ahead of time, I try to pre-game it. I either plan to work out extra that day, or I plan to eat very healthy, low carb meals and snacks - but still filling (so protein and fiber filled) so I don't end up starving if it's a going out dinner. I also do what other's have suggested and look up the menu online if it's available so I can plan ahead.

    If it's spur of the moment, I usually ask about modifications. I'm pescatarian with strong vegetarian leanings, and eating seafood out can be really pricey (and sodium-filled) so I try to opt for vegetarian. I sometimes ask if something can be made without the meat and sub in something like mushrooms, spinach or broccoli, have the sauce/dressing/fixings/etc on the side, ask if they offer brown rice/wheat pasta/wheat crust/etc... I also try to only eat half of what is served, since restaurants like to double (and even triple) the serving sizes. o_o;;; My friends joke about how I always edit an order. :)

    In the end, you can usually quick save yourself by staying away from anything swimming in butter or gravy, is deep friend, subbing carbs for a veggie side and just eating half. That's what I do if I panic. -laughs-
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    No wonder so many people on here don't really lose weight.........I can't believe all the advice to eat "whatever you want", i.e. "hey, eat what got you to the place where you were unhappy!"

    When I started venturing out again after I started my weight loss, I got used to asking for modifications OR I just get a salad. Going out for a nice night w/o the kids, for me, is more about getting out and being social with other grown ups........I don't need to treat my body poorly in order to have a good time and enjoy myself.

    Occasionally I just put in an extra hour or so of work outs if I know I'll be eating something high calorie or having a drink.
    Excuse me but I lost 17 pounds rather easily and I am currently at my goal. I went out to eat all the time while I was losing weight and I never got the freaking salad. Having a big meal on a special occasion is not going to derail your weight loss. Nobody got fat by overeating as a rare treat. We got fat by overeating on a regular basis.

    If you choose to never have a treat and never go over your calorie goal, that's fine, but don't trash other people who make a different choice.
  • gettinfit4god
    gettinfit4god Posts: 63 Member
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    On a side note, my mother is a vegetarian, has been all her life. It is amusing to me that people ask me, "Well, does she eat fish?" LOL Um, no. Fish is meat. If once it walked, swam or moved in some other way of its own accord, my mother won't go near it!
    This comes from the fact that so many people call themselves vegetarian and DO eat fish. I met one person who said she was a vegetarian because she didn't eat red meat. You can't blame people for being confused.

    Right! And by religious definition, fish is not considered a meat. That doesn't help the confusion either!
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    On a side note, my mother is a vegetarian, has been all her life. It is amusing to me that people ask me, "Well, does she eat fish?" LOL Um, no. Fish is meat. If once it walked, swam or moved in some other way of its own accord, my mother won't go near it!
    This comes from the fact that so many people call themselves vegetarian and DO eat fish. I met one person who said she was a vegetarian because she didn't eat red meat. You can't blame people for being confused.

    Right! And by religious definition, fish is not considered a meat. That doesn't help the confusion either!
    SOME religions define it that way.
  • gettinfit4god
    gettinfit4god Posts: 63 Member
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    People keep saying it... You have to research before you go out and decide what to have before you even enter the building. I eat out quite a bit! I work in a kitchen and am a single mom, so not only do I hate cooking off the clock, I don't want to spend what little time I get out of work in yet another kitchen.You can do it. It just takes preperation.

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