Anyone else stress over going over?

scottbrown78

I have been watching my calories for just over 3 weeks and have had one "off" night. My wife and I went on a date to a local steak house and I went WAY over my calories, I fretted over it and didn't even enjoy my meal. My wife and I are supposed to go out with my bro and SIL tonight for dinner and I am freaking out over it, because it is an all you can eat pizza joint, granted I wont eat all I can. But still how do you relax and let yourself have a meal you know will turn your numbers red?

LisaKC

Welcome to my world! I'm just getting back to MFP after a long time away, and I also used to stress out over eating out. Here's an idea. If you know you are going to go out for a meal, get in some extra exercise that day (the key is that you have to plan to go out; not just go out on the fly because you failed to plan a meal at home). That will give you a little more leeway in terms of available calories. If possible, go to a restaurant where you are familiar with the menu. Figure out in advance what they have that fits into your eating plan. Do they have great salads? Veggies? Don't skip the steak if you want it, but maybe eat only half of it. You can also have a healthy snack before you go out, and you won't have such a big appetite at the restaurant. Sometimes instead of a whole meal, I'll order a large salad and maybe an appetizer. It's plenty of food for me. Don't let what others are ordering dictate what you are going to eat. It's your body and your choice.

Don't freak out if you go over. Learning how to eat out while taking care of yourself is part of the journey. After you go out, figure out what you did right or what you could have done better. Don't expect to get it right the first time around. With a little practice, you'll see that you can make good choices when dining out. Word of warning - if you go over and gain weight that week, don't assume it's the calories you downed at the restaurant. It might be the salt. Restaurants are notorious for heavily salting foods and for those of us who tend to retain water, this can translate into added pounded in the short term.

Sorry to ramble on so long. Hope this helps. And ENJOY your night out!

itssera

Losing weight is not math, although it may sometimes seem like it on mfp when you're constantly counting how many calories you've eaten at lunch and how many you've burned during exercise. Sometimes, you overeat. And even if that red and bolded font under your food diary when you exceed your calorie goal is depressing, you gotta get over it and try to be better tomorrow.

A few weeks ago I overate at a restaurant (I couldn't even log on the calories, I felt so guilty) and I felt like all my work had been ruined, so I let go of my diet for two weeks. I gained 2 lbs. But it wasn't from the dinner, it was from the following two weeks.

I read this on tumblr and it's so true: saying "I ruined my diet with this meal, I might as well go all the way and eat anything from now on" is like saying "oh, I dropped my phone, I might as well smash it until it breaks."

One meal is nothing. There are 28 meals in a week.

newmooon56

Yep- feel the same way and am already planning as I sit here how to get thru tonight. I am going to a concert, may want one drink (high cal) and not even sure what my choices for dinner could be. OR should I eat at home and if Im starved when I get in at 1am - eat a small something and go to bed? Or .. or .. or ..

So yea.. I feel ya. My plan so far is to walk/jog for about 45 minutes if nothing else, maybe something more intense if I get to feeling it- then when faced with food choices later- I will try very hard to choose well. If I dont have good choices to choose from- I did what I could to get ahead so to speak of this day. Tomorrow I work out hard again to make up for some sins and just keep on keeping on.

I have stopped going out "just cause" which I did once or twice a week. I dont miss it. The food now seems not worth it and even unappealing sometimes. I also save money by not going to applebees and random junk chains like that.

Tonight you can try 'listening to your body'- stop eating when full. Not sure if you can 'hear' your body? Do the best you can, make logical choices and tomorrow get some extra time in your work out and eat well. One night out now and again should be fun- not stressful - enjoy!

wonderstruck91

something that's really important in being successful with this is allowing yourself occasional meals like this. mind you, they should be occasional, but as others have said, it's all about getting right back on track and not allowing the overeating to take over again. sometimes in life you DO go out, you do celebrate, and you do eat a lot more. you need to be able to still live. try not to beat yourself up over it, and just get right back on track!

newmooon56

I read this on tumblr and it's so true: saying "I ruined my diet with this meal, I might as well go all the way and eat anything from now on" is like saying "oh, I dropped my phone, I might as well smash it until it breaks."

I love this- and it is so very true. I try to remind myself of this on my occasional nights out.

pinuplove

I'm one of those people who doesn't log my cheat days. I've found it to be the only way I can mentally give myself permission to eat what I want. So far it hasn't hurt my progress at all

scottbrown78

Thanks for the replies. I have already done some research as to what foods they have that is going to give me the best "cost, benefit". But I am going to do something I have never done before at an all you can eat joint....start with a salad.

JessicaBR0

Still eat breakfast and lunch but try to eat less calories for those two meals than usual and workout today. Since pizza is very caloric, try to have 2 slices of pizza max with a big salad with little or no dressing.

scottbrown78

I'm one of those people who doesn't log my cheat days. I've found it to be the only way I can mentally give myself permission to eat what I want. So far it hasn't hurt my progress at all

Love the screen name and the pinup girl in your progress bar! pin up girls are sooo hot!

opuntia

I don't stress about it. I like a nice meal and I'm not going to ruin it by worrying about calories. I don't gain weight from having an occasional day of eating a large number of calories. Even last week, I had several days of eating quite a bit more than my goal number of calories - one day I ate 3000 calories - and I found (rather to my surprise) that I didn't gain weight from it. I assume eating healthily and in moderation most days will make one's weight even out to reflect those days. Also, if I eat way over my calories one day, I am generally not so hungry the next day, so I eat less, and it evens out.

Tim Ferriss, in 'The Four-Hour Body', actually recommends having one day a week of eating whatever you like, to keep your metabolism on its toes and stop it slowing down. This makes sense to me.

pinuplove

I'm one of those people who doesn't log my cheat days. I've found it to be the only way I can mentally give myself permission to eat what I want. So far it hasn't hurt my progress at all

Love the screen name and the pinup girl in your progress bar! pin up girls are sooo hot!

Thanks, I think so too! My ultimate goal is the be pinup material :happy:

justjenn1977

Thanks for the replies. I have already done some research as to what foods they have that is going to give me the best "cost, benefit". But I am going to do something I have never done before at an all you can eat joint....start with a salad.

I have gotten to where when I take the kids to cici's (all you can eat pizza joint for my non USA friends ) I can just eat a BIG salad... and I am fine with one or two plates

when we go to golden coral or the chinese buffet I have a harder time... so I don't go to them as often... and when we go I tend to eat a lot of salad... and I insist we sit on the side AWAY from the deserts and don't even walk that way!

but to answer your original question... I tend to think of calories on a weekly goal... and I like to do 5 days at 1800 then 2 at 2100... works for me (especially when I can exercise)

Nina2503

Dont stress!!! Life is flexible, so we need to be flexible with it, going over for a day isnt the end of the hard work you have put in so far, as long as it isnt every day.

If you know you are going out in advance, you can try and check the menu beforehand, try and choose healthier choices from the menu and then maybe make lower calorie choices the rest of the day to compensate and maybe do a bit more exercise.

Try and enjoy the occasion and not stress over the food!

delilah47

IMO your wife/friends should show a little consideration and choose a place where you, at least, have a fighting chance of eating healthy.

subcult

No I go over all the time. I have been hitting the weights pretty hard the past few weeks no weight loss or gain. I plan on doing the same for a few weeks according to Mfp I should be gaining so far I have not. I have been really really bad some days too.

scottbrown78

IMO your wife/friends should show a little consideration and choose a place where you, at least, have a fighting chance of eating healthy.

We go there because it is inexpensive and the kids can go into the arcade and play while the grown ups talk.

pwittek10

Do not stress!
Just know you may go over but keep in mind cut back before you go.
Meaning if you know your going somewhere later in the week cut back before hand
I think of it as banking calories

LADYDEBORAH1984

I went over today, not by loads but its fine, will be good the next couple of weeks!

TheRealParisLove

When I first started seeing results, I used to freak out when my meal options got extremely limited (such as a family gathering). These days I aim to go over at least once a week with a "not so healthy" option. This week I had fish and chips, beer and a strawberry shake in one day, and I was way, way over. I also hit a new low on my weight this week, so I'm no longer worried about going over.

D3vAnge1

IDK if it's socially acceptable, but I tend to plan ahead...Eat very little throughout the day. Slice of toast, half an apple; 1/2 c tuna or chicken salad (or stuff a tomato or half a pepper with it as the filler); nibble on grapes throughout the day as a snack & chow down at dinner (or whenever the planned outing is). Usually these outings (for me anyhow) are in the evening around dinner, by then because I hardly ate throughout the day, my eyes truly end up larger than my belly so I don't end up splurging as I feared I would.