Ordering when you go out to eat!

Melissaol
Melissaol Posts: 948 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Last nights a group of us went to Longhorn Steak house. If was my first time there.
I ordered the crusty chicken and a Cesar salad, and a sweat potato.
It is so hard to go out with a group and try to order. I didn't eat all my potato, and salad.
I stayed in my calories for the day, but I still think I made the wrong choice.
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Replies

  • pamwhite712
    pamwhite712 Posts: 193 Member
    I have the grilled trout and green beans when I go to Longhorn. They have a menu section that's called 500 calories or less (something like that). Where they prepare the entrees in a healthier way.

    If you went over, it's not the end of the world. Take it from someone who did last week and bounced back.
  • 33le
    33le Posts: 11
    If you know where you are going to eat you can check out the menu online, a lot of restaurants have nutritional info available, and you'll be able to make a wise choice before you get there and are pressured to order .
  • Jesea
    Jesea Posts: 376 Member
    If I haven't been to a particular restaurant recently, I try to plan ahead what I'm going to order, usually choosing several options in case the menu has changed, That way I can allow enough calories to enjoy myself!
  • Melissaol
    Melissaol Posts: 948 Member
    I just feel so bad and mad at myself for making the wrong food choice. Sometimes I think I'm to hard on myself.
    I always have a hard time when I go out to eat.
  • urglewurgle
    urglewurgle Posts: 224 Member
    I go out to eat so rarely I will order whatever I want to be honest.

    If its just grabbing a quick lunch somewhere then I'll pick the option that contains the leanest protein and avoid anything fried or cheesy!

    Don't feel guilty! Enjoy your food!
  • cjs3001
    cjs3001 Posts: 273 Member
    I just feel so bad and mad at myself for making the wrong food choice. Sometimes I think I'm to hard on myself.
    I always have a hard time when I go out to eat.

    Well, to be blunt, stop it. Sounds like you made a good choice an feeling bad will just make you dread going out and that'll only make it worse. You did good, be proud x
  • alienrite
    alienrite Posts: 314 Member
    At the end of the day, if you're staying within your goal then you're doing fine. Some days can be better but at the heart of it, it's using more calories than you consume.
  • justicekenny
    justicekenny Posts: 80
    Last nights a group of us went to Longhorn Steak house. If was my first time there.
    I ordered the crusty chicken and a Cesar salad, and a sweat potato.
    It is so hard to go out with a group and try to order. I didn't eat all my potato, and salad.
    I stayed in my calories for the day, but I still think I made the wrong choice.

    cheer up buckaroo .. your fine .. calories in / calories out .. you were under for the day ..
  • red8424
    red8424 Posts: 160 Member
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  • Richie2shoes
    Richie2shoes Posts: 411 Member
    You stayed under your limit, so don't sweat it. If I know I am going out and where we're going, then I try and look up the menu online and plan ahead. If not, I just make the best choice I think I can and enjoy the meal.
  • wannatangle
    wannatangle Posts: 80 Member
    I love Longhorn. I am sure they have a menu online. I am going out tonight and I have already gone and found the menu, decided what I am ordering, and have it logged. Now I know what I can or can't have for snacks ;)
  • iveyroze3
    iveyroze3 Posts: 89
    eat half of it if it's something you want and take home the rest. Two meals. Portion sizes are large when we eat out and not to mention sodium. Don't be too hard on yourself. You should be able to eat some things on occassion and moderation. I have looked up their foods ad similar foods and seems steak,chicken are the healthiest. Ask for sauces,butter,ad dressings on the side. Sometimes a taste is all you need to not feel deprived. In short. You are ok,you stayed in calories. Don't deprive yourself all the time or you might get down wrong path. eg; binges,eating out of anxiety,boredom. You care about it I can tell.Just be accountable for what you eat ,write it dowm. It's always a learning experience.
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    If you know where you are going to eat you can check out the menu online, a lot of restaurants have nutritional info available, and you'll be able to make a wise choice before you get there and are pressured to order .
    This!! I always check out the menu online. I pick out what I'm going to have before I even get there. Easy peasy!
  • skiersteve12345
    skiersteve12345 Posts: 89 Member
    just plan ahead of time, for example its my 21st this Saturday and im going to be going out for a meal with the family on Friday and out with my friends on Saturday, so to compensate for the stupid amount of booze and food i will consume in those two nights im low carbing it for the next 4 days and increasing cardio, ive done this so many times and i know when i wake up on Sunday i wont have put on any weight, just remember you cant get fat over night :)
  • zrmac804
    zrmac804 Posts: 369 Member
    If you're at a steakhouse I would go with a small steak, plain baked potato and two grilled or steamed veggies. Sirloin and filet mignon are good choices. Ask for the potato toppings on the side and you'll have a healthy, hearty dinner!
  • purpleipod
    purpleipod Posts: 1,147 Member
    I just feel so bad and mad at myself for making the wrong food choice. Sometimes I think I'm to hard on myself.
    I always have a hard time when I go out to eat.

    I'm confused, you still stayed in your calorie limit and you're this worried about it?
  • Betty_Canada
    Betty_Canada Posts: 85 Member
    Most of the time I just get what I want.

    I like ceasar salad, and most places will substitute out the potato for a salad if I ask, or bring a double serving of whatever veggies come with the meal, like green beans. If I leave the bun off, most sandwiches are not too hard on me (I'm very sensitive to blood sugar spikes and eat with that in mind).

    But frankly, if what I *really* want is spaghetti and meatballs or the chicken pot pie, I order it. If at all possible, I ask for a lunch portion, since I have difficulty finishing most restaurants' huge dinner portions anyway.

    Going out is a treat around my house, and we behave accordingly. :)

    =Betty=
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I usually look up the nutrition info ahead of time if it's available, and since most restaurants serve huge portions, I divide the meal in half as soon as the plate is set in front of me, and I take half home for lunch the next day.
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
    Write it off this time, and next time, PLAN AHEAD. Do what others have suggested and check the nutrition info online before you go. Since this "always" happens, write down what you decide to have, and don't even look at the menu when you get there. I can't help but suspect that if this is a pattern for you, it's a way of you sneaking in a meal you want when you know you can make better choices by saying, "Oh, I just can't help myself." Of course you can help yourself. Plan the most desirable meal that fits within your day's goals, and stick to your plan. If you know you really really want the bacon-encrusted deep-fried pork rinds with extra cheese sauce, plan your day's calories around it by having a smaller lunch and putting in a heavy workout. You can do it!
  • curejenn
    curejenn Posts: 70 Member
    Life is too short to worry about these kinds of things! It is one meal! You tracked it.. enjoyed it... now move on! Seriously, obsessing over these kinds of things is the start to failure. Because guilt leads to self worth issues and before you know it, you throw in the towel!
  • efirkey
    efirkey Posts: 298 Member
    I think you did excellent. You stayed within your calories for the day. You chose healthy items: chicken, sweet potato, and a salad. And you got to go out and hang with your friends....you did excellent!
  • penguinlally
    penguinlally Posts: 331 Member
    you ate out and you stayed under! Win - Win! Don't sweat it too much.... but you can plan ahead...
    If I know ahead of time where we are going out to eat.... I try to check out their menu online and the calorie / nutrition as well.... if I'm not sure (or can't find it) I go for grilled / steamed and any/every sauce on the side. I dip my fork in the sauce/dressing before the veggie etc..... I feel its more mindful....and LOADS less sodium... I do find that I retain a ton of water after eating out. so loads of water before and after helps too.
  • Eyvette1
    Eyvette1 Posts: 76 Member
    Stay away from anything that says crusty.....

    Always go for grilled, ask for no salt to be added and substitute the potatoes for veggies.

    We like to eat out and you just have to learn to ask for what you know is right.

    (Not always fun but you can do it!)
  • LokiOfAsgard
    LokiOfAsgard Posts: 378 Member
    What is the difference between a 'bad'meal and a 'good' meal.
    You stayed in your calories and that's a good thing. Most people wouldn't consider thinking about calories when the go out to eat.

    Don't be too hard on yourself, you gotta enjoy life a little :) And I don't think you actually messed up. Even if you had, tomorrow's a new day and you can start all over :)
  • sherrirb
    sherrirb Posts: 1,649 Member
    I just feel so bad and mad at myself for making the wrong food choice. Sometimes I think I'm to hard on myself.
    I always have a hard time when I go out to eat.

    If you stayed within your calorie goals for the day, why are you beating yourself up?!?!?!


    You need to just relax and look at the big picture here:
    1. You stayed within goal
    2. You were out with good friends enjoying yourself
    3. You didnt eat the whole meal
    4. Today is a new day
    5. You are beautiful, so stop putting yourself down!!!
    6. This is an NSV!!

    Your choices for dinner were not bad if you were able to stay within your calorie goals!!! Many people here are still unable to go out to a restaurant and show restraint. You did! You succeeded here, this is NOT a failure.
  • mhorn2142
    mhorn2142 Posts: 319 Member
    I tend to look at the menu in advance when possible. I shoot or the grilled stuff. I always feel as though I am not going to be happy with my choice. I always feel like I really want to pick something that is unhealthy... but when I make a good choice, I find I am way more satisfied because I don't have the guilt. I went to Mimi's Café the other night and got the grilled chicken with a field green salad, and fruit. It sounds way too healthy to be fun, but as it turns out the chicken was cooked perfect and amazing (I got it blackened). I loved that I made a great choice and was totally satisfied. especially since I love fruit.
  • Pamko57
    Pamko57 Posts: 182
    Don't beat yourself up. Could you have made better choices? Maybe. But as another poster said, if you were under your calorie intake goal, it's not a big deal. I did the same thing about a month ago, order ground sirloin instead of chicken. It wasn't a bad choice, but there was too much and I ate it. I was under my daily goal, but it made me sick.

    I learned from it. Most places have an online menu along with calorie and other nutritional information. I dropped 130 pounds in 1996/97. I had to write everything down in a notebook. I had to guess and use calorie count books. It was so much more difficult back then. Even about 7 years ago, I was trying to lose some weight, and I used another online fitness program. They pretty much had nothing logged. You had to get the package and enter the info. NOW, though, it's so much easier to keep track.

    What I learned from my bad choice and eating too much ground sirloin was to make a plan before I go out.

    Over 15 years, I gained back almost 100 pounds of the 130 I lost. I remind myself if I have 50 calories too much or don't make the best choices, that this is a marathon, not a sprint. We have to know this is a life style change and there are going to be days that we have to make choices, and there are going to be days we make the wrong ones.

    As I told a young friend who was beating herself up over a 400 calorie cookie, "cookies happen." The important thing is not to let times when we could have made better choices get us offtrack. (And I don't think you did.)
  • Pamko57
    Pamko57 Posts: 182
    I've actually lost 44 pounds. 28 since joined MFP.
  • hiyomi
    hiyomi Posts: 906 Member
    This is giving me a really hard time also, my friends and I always wanna go out on the weekends and its so easy to go over my calorie limit. I really really really need to stop going yolo on weekends though, all my hard work through the week just to gain a pound back because of one weekend is killing me ~.~
  • lilncbrat
    lilncbrat Posts: 56 Member
    Melissa: You know that inner critic that is always putting you down? Tell her to shut up and go make someone else feel bad, you were within your caloric limit and that was a choice you made. A good choice!
    THIS was the hardest thing for me to learn and sometimes, it's still an issue.

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