WEEKEND IS COMMING, OH NO!!!!

salu1975
salu1975 Posts: 26
in Health and Weight Loss
I just cant help but slip on weekends. With everyone home and eating yummy foods, eating out, trying to get all my errands in and eating well, I cant help but indulge a little. Saturday nights we usually eat out. Let me mention that my husband loves fried food and steaks, but he is underweight and healthy, so when he orders his food, I just cant sit there with a salad in front of me! I just dont have that kind of discipline! Can you guys suggest some good restaurants that have healthy items which are yummy as well so I dont feel deprived.

Replies

  • RunDoozer
    RunDoozer Posts: 1,699 Member
    I like Pita Jungle
  • inskydiamonds
    inskydiamonds Posts: 2,519 Member
    What about if you cut the burger in half and put half of it away before you start eating, so you only have a half to work with? This obviously isn't exactly answering your question, but I love sandwiches and burgers and this is what I've been trying to do.
  • tljmiller
    tljmiller Posts: 1
    Believe it or not, Applebees has an "Under 550 Calories" section of their menu, and the dishes are delicious!
    http://www.applebees.com/menu/under-550-calories
  • Katemarie34
    Katemarie34 Posts: 144 Member
    Applebees- has some 550 calorie meals, lots of them- or has weight watcher meals on their menu. Might want to try those.
  • Sherrim13
    Sherrim13 Posts: 12 Member
    I agree with the above. Applebees has a great steak meal for around 400 calories that includes veggies and potatoes even.
  • 714rah714
    714rah714 Posts: 759 Member
    The weekends are when I eat back my exercise calories so nothing off-limits
  • trud72
    trud72 Posts: 1,912 Member
    steak is good....add in a salad and hey healthy meal...:bigsmile:
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    Why not have a steak? A small steak won't be that high in calories. Get veggies as a side.
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    if you could put aside half the meal in a doggie bag right away that sounds like a hell of an idea, most restaruants give you way to much food for one meal for a typical person.

    but i love the skinnylicious menu at cheese cake factory. everythings less then 600 calories. thats not going crazy for anybody i don't think, pretty much everybody can plan around a 600 calorie meal at least.
  • thingal12
    thingal12 Posts: 302 Member
    I don't know where you live or what restaurants you frequent, but when I go to a restaurant I normally order seafood, dressing on the side if I get a small salad, I even order a sauce that's supposed to be cooked with the food, on the side (ex. I get angel hair grilled chicken and vegetables that has brown butter sauce with the sauce on the side- and I generally eat just 1/8 of that sauce).
  • hark15
    hark15 Posts: 148 Member
    Wherever you go just scope out the menu before hand and plug it into your diary. Fish is usually a good option and opt for veggies or a salad instead of fries if you do decide you want to indulge in a steak. And if you go for steak - try to go for a leaner cut, like a filet. Pre-logging and sticking to your plan will help!

    As for the rest of the weekend - start your weekend days with a protein-filled breakfast and keep healthy snacks in your purse that you can have while you are out running errands! It is SO hard but you can do this!!
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    steak is kinda nice because you usaually order it by the .oz so you know just what your getting.
  • dorothytd
    dorothytd Posts: 1,138 Member
    Don't know where you live, but Applebee's has some good menu items that are lower in calorie. One of my favorites is jalapeno lime shrimp. But really, you can make a meal better for you. Switch out the fries for broccoli (I do this at Friendly's even). Grilled chicken instead of fried. Maybe some fish instead?

    Saturdays are tough. I try to start the day with a really good workout. It not only burns extra calories, but puts me in a healthy mindset. If you're going out to dinner, don't starve yourself all day, but eat some filling foods that don't have a ton of calories. Great time for an egg breakfast, maybe some turkey sausage or bacon?

    Eye on the prize. If this is every week, you need a plan. You can rock it!
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
    I always get a steak or chicken, and then a side salad or steamed veggies. I can splurge on potatoes too, and eat half.. I ordered a 10oz steak before and took the rest home for stir fry lunch the next day!
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    also the applebees and skinnylicious menus can be found in the mfp database. not all of them have the macros added and i'm not sure how accurate they are anyway
  • AmesMc1972
    AmesMc1972 Posts: 194 Member
    Longhong Steakhouse has a new Under 500 calorie menu.
  • josavage
    josavage Posts: 472 Member
    I get up early on Saturday and Sunday mornings and work out at the gym or run. I make sure I have a good calorie burn for the day. If we are eating out, I make sure the rest of my food for the day is healthy and low cal. I have a real problem with sodium so even when I stay within my calories eating out, I always put on a few pounds. I don't eat out during the week and I'm very careful with sodium at home so those pounds come off after a couple of days of cleaner eating and exercise.
  • jonesin_am
    jonesin_am Posts: 404 Member
    I try to only go to restaurants that post their nutritional information. I don't usually try to get something low cal but also don't go overbaord. I order what I want. I am eating out (which I don't do often) so it is my time to indulge. But I do, however, ask for a to-go container with my meal and once it gets to me I immediately cut it in half and put half in the container. Since restaurant portions are always huge, you still get a regular size meal. I also will order a side salad, or extra veggie (and ask for no butter/oil, etc) to help fill me up depending on what I ordered.

    Something else that helps me on the weekends is planning my meals ahead of time. If I am stuck in the house or running errands I am more likely to keep snacking and eating and grabbing what's convenient. If I plan what I am going to eat in advance then there is no questions, no figuring out what I am going to make, and gives me a small challenge - stick to what I already planned.

    Weekends are my downfall. A lot of times I don't end up tracking because I grab this and that. So, this meal planning thing is fairly new to me.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    The weekends are when I eat back my exercise calories so nothing off-limits

    Yep! Just like an all you can eat buffet for me. Plus Saturday is my long run day-so that's another 1000-1200 to add to the mix. Bring on the gluttony (j/k).
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    Get outside! We try to go for a walk every weekend. Once it warms up, we will be swimming again, instead.

    Don't order a salad if it makes you feel deprived. Choose something from the menu you can make fit in your macros. Eat half a hamburger or take it out of the bun. Pile on the lettuce and tomatoes. Find grilled fish or chicken.

    As for restaurants themselves, can you eat local instead of a chain? Obviously the local diner isn't going to be much help if you live in a small town, but even small cities usually have lots of options. Any Asian cuisine, except Americanized Chinese, will have healthy options. French restaurants are good, as well. You can even go Cajun, as long as you stick to blackened options. I highly recommend you try a vegetarian restaurant at some point, even if you aren't interested in making it a lifestyle. Argentine restaurants are good for high protein diets.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    hmmm, well i say, work extra hard during the week,,, and stay on track, then ,,,come weekend time,,, PARTY ON>
    Eat and drink what you want!< ENJOY.
  • salu1975
    salu1975 Posts: 26
    Exercising a little extra sounds like it would work.. maybe put me in a healthy mindset for the day.. I'll try that.
    I love cheesecake factory! I did hear about the skinnylicious menu, but have not tried it. Now if I can just stay away from the cheesecake:tongue:
  • danibu98
    danibu98 Posts: 281 Member
    I'm the exact same way. So far on the weekends I make sure to work out to get more calories to eat back. I have to be honest though, I bet if you go back through my diary a few weeks that I never log food between 6 pm Saturday and 9 am Sunday.... I try to go into dinner with at least 900 calories left but I don't really log. I'm very much a work in progress on this one. It is a weakness
  • marinegirl92
    marinegirl92 Posts: 184 Member
    My go to restaurant selection (which is usually avail on any menu) is the chicken ceasar salad

    * I ask for the dressing on the side so I can control.
    * If it comes with a side of breadsticks/focaccia bread or anything I ask that they bring a smaller portion

    I don't feel like I'm missing out. Plus I take a few sips off my husband's beer (I LOVE MICROBREWS)

    Shazam I'm still on my plan and happy about it!
  • Ramberta
    Ramberta Posts: 1,312 Member
    Honestly? It doesn't really matter too much which restaurant you're at, because many are starting to serve "lighter" or "leaner" fare, i.e. options that aren't deep-fried and are served with veggies or fruit as sides rather than carbs. Last night at Chili's I got the Mango Chile Tilapia (Looks like this except with fish instead of chicken http://nrn.com/site-files/nrn.com/files/uploads/2012/12/MangoChileChicken copy.jpg ) and it was very satisfying, and I even took some leftovers home.

    The key to eating out without blowing your daily calorie allowance is to STOP EATING WHEN YOU ARE FULL. Don't feel pressured to clear your plate, don't feel pressured to "just try a bite" of everyone else's entrees (unless you want to), and listen to your body. When you start feeling not-hungry, slow down, and when you think "I couldn't possibly eat another bite" then DON'T! It's hard to do, especially when the food is tasty, but restaurant portions are horrible, even in the "healthier" side of the menu, for being at least twice the size they should be. Enjoy your food, but don't stuff yourself! Then you won't feel guilty afterwards. :)

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