How can I go out to eat, but still lose weight?
novinamorozzi
Posts: 2
In most restaurants, there isn't any information on the calories or fat in the meal you're ordering. How can you keep track of the fat, protein, and calories you take in?
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Replies
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Simple, I do it every Friday and Saturday.
Friday is usually Pizza. I usually eat 4 slices.
Saturdays are usually some pretty nice restaurants. I eat appetizers, dinner and desserts. I cut everything in half and box the rest to go.
Been doing this since I started my lifestyle change. I lost 88 pounds.
I refuse to deprive myself.0 -
A lot of places have there menus online and will often include the calories. If they don't I always just try to pick the closet item that I can. I had grilled mahi mahi the other night, the place was small and local so the menu wasn't online or MFP so I just searched grilled mahi mahi and picked the other with the highest calories to help account for things I didn't know, like if it oil was used or whatever. Hope this is helpful!0
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Easy, use MFP to determine the restaurant ie Boston Pizza which has all the menu choices. If the restaurant is not on the MFP, then I don't go, or then be very specific about what you want to order and ask for certain things cooked a particular way ie "grilled chicken, no butter or oil to cook it, ask for steamed vegs etc. Pick out what your going to eat from the restaurant in MFP in advance and factor in those calories in advance. Don't deviate from the order and have a large water or sparkling water with lemon-ask for two and stick to your selection. You still "get out" but don't deviate from the plan or your goals!0
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Weight watchers oftentimes have a list of restaurants that gives you advice/points on how their menu carries their calories. I always do this before I go out to eat and it helps me a lot - I'll know what to choose beforehand so I know what I'm putting into my body.
If you can't find the restaurant name under WW's program, you can use www.fatsecret.com - This site has probably more variety than weight watchers does (in my opinion) and it's also a great second source to get your information (in terms of calories) from.0 -
Here's a tip I learned from Weight Watchers way back when.
(If you can't find the nutrition content online anywhere).
The second your meal comes, before you even take a bite, ask the server for a to go container. Put half of everything in there.
No bread or chip plate before. Some places can sub raw veggies for bread plate.0 -
Go in with a plan! Look up the restaurant's nutrition information beforehand and go in already knowing what you're going to get! If its a restaurant without nutrition information provided, go simple- Steak and veggies, chicken breast and veggies, whatever you like. If you're trying to stay low cal/low fat, stay away from anything creamy and/or cheesy. You can even ask for your meal (ESPECIALLY the veggies) to be cooked without butter and/or very minimal oil.0
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Here's a tip I learned from Weight Watchers way back when.
(If you can't find the nutrition content online anywhere).
The second your meal comes, before you even take a bite, ask the server for a to go container. Put half of everything in there.
No bread or chip plate before. Some places can sub raw veggies for bread plate.
This!
Also I generally plan for an extended workout. But you'd be surprised how many restaurants have nutritional information online. You'd probably be surprised (or maybe not) at the nutritional information..0 -
I usually compare several similar dishes in the database and go with the highest option. I have even brought my digital scale to restaurants and my own salad dressing.0
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Unless you're going out 3 or 4 days per week, don't worry about it. Make a choice that you can live with and enjoy your meal out. None of us got fat from one large meal per week. Make your best calorie guess and move on. Losing weight doesn't have to be stressful0
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I practice intermittent fasting so for me I just do an 18 or 20 hour fast before I go out. Then I can eat my whole day's calories (if that's what it takes). If I go out on a non fasting day, I just look at the week as a whole and make sure that at the end of the week I'm at my calorie requirement for the week (sometimes I'll cut a hundred calories a day for a few days leading up to it).
Between those two options, I have continued losing weight and have been able to go out periodically with no problem. There are a ton of different ways to do it and I tried several different things but these two ways work most reliably for me. I think that it's all a trial and error process.0 -
the fine art of calorie estimation0
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I find that intermediate fasting can be a very effective way to drop the pounds. In additional to cleaning up your diet, "when" you eat is important too. For example if you change your eating schedule to where you eat all of your meals within an 8 hour window, you will lose weight.
Outside of the 8 hour window, consume nothing else but water. So breakfast, lunch and dinner all have to be eaten which 8 hours. Within 2 weeks, you'll start seeing the weight come off.
You'll preserve your muscle and still consistently drop fat using this method. It takes a while to get used to. It's really effective though. This will allow you to still eat the foods you enjoy in moderation and still meet your weight loss goals.0 -
I have a few restaurants with "safe" meals. For example.... Applebee's has a 500 calorie menu. I know I can eat steamed edamame and a salmon roll at my favorite sushi restaurant.....AND our neighborhood bar and grill makes a great cajun salmon that I order with a salad (1/2 dressing) and the vegetable of the day... skip the bread... but maybe have a glass of red wine... Then, most importantly, when I crave these meals, I indulge.... It's great not to have to cook or clean up!0
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While many restaurants may have online access to their nutritional information some more local ones may not. With those, I tend to eyeball things pretty well now. I've been weighing and measuring my food for a while now and I simply make note of about how much everything on my plate is (making sure to order as healthy as I can in the first place) and then just pull up the stats as I would at home, but grabbing usually the highest calorie options just to be on the safe side.
With most places that list their calories online though, including fast food places, I actually have made out my own "menu" of "diet approved" foods and how many calories each item is and it goes out with me every time I go out to eat. This way I can actually just pull from my own menu no matter where I go.0 -
Get close to it. You will learn to estimate based on other calculations and just plain sense. or if you just "know" it's really caloric, eat half0
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In most restaurants, there isn't any information on the calories or fat in the meal you're ordering. How can you keep track of the fat, protein, and calories you take in?
the food database on MFP is pretty deep. most places will have their food in the system, or you can find something that is probably pretty close.0 -
Unless you're going out 3 or 4 days per week, don't worry about it. Make a choice that you can live with and enjoy your meal out. None of us got fat from one large meal per week. Make your best calorie guess and move on. Losing weight doesn't have to be stressful
This.0 -
Unless you're going out 3 or 4 days per week, don't worry about it. Make a choice that you can live with and enjoy your meal out. None of us got fat from one large meal per week. Make your best calorie guess and move on. Losing weight doesn't have to be stressful
This. Don't overthink it.0 -
I like to look their web page up and know what my options are by looking at their calories in the nutrition info. Applebee's has a low calorie menu! I think their meals that are in that are under 550.0
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In restaurants, I avoid fried stuff, cheesy stuff, sauces, and gravies and get salad dressings on the side.0
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It's actually quite simple. Track before you go.0
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Unless you're going out 3 or 4 days per week, don't worry about it. Make a choice that you can live with and enjoy your meal out. None of us got fat from one large meal per week. Make your best calorie guess and move on. Losing weight doesn't have to be stressful
This!! I have a planned meal out once a week (some weeks we will do 2 meals out), we go there and the rules are I can have whatever I want off the menu, but it has to be eaten there and nothing is brought home. So we do an appetizer, main meal, and dessert.... This has work pretty well for me so far... Best of Luck....0 -
try and log it the best you can based on the ingredients or type of dish.
as others mentioned, ask for a to go box when the meal comes out and take half home, many places the portions are way larger than they need to be.
skip anything fried, heavy in cream or thick sauces, super cheesy etc or ask for lighter amount. go for baked or steamed options. or if you know you will be going out to eat try and get some more exercise in, as long as your numbers are good for the week it shouldn't be a problem. i personally hate going out to eat because i don't know what's in my food or how they prepared it, but if i do i try to log it the best i can.
or you can bring a food scale with you.0 -
Just order really simple food that you know the ingredients to and eat a normal portion.0
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Don't worry about it too much. Do the best you can. You know what is good for you - veggies, fish, salads, skip sauces, etc. - whatever works for you. If you want something that you know is bad for you - eat half and save/throw away the rest.
The point is, it doesn't matter as much whether you accidentally order something with too many calories one time - the goal should be to make smart choices consistently , and in the long run one or two meals won't matter either way.0 -
I have experimented many times on how many calories make me feel full, stuffed and about to barf ! lol has no one else done this?0
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Know before you go - research beforehand so you're armed with knowledge, or make educated decisions about what you're eating. Ask for veggies to be cooked without extra butter/ oil. Stay away from deep fried. Order salads without cheese, croutons, fried strips. Dressing on the side. Order healthy fats on your sandwiches like avocado instead of mayo. If whole grain is an option, choose it. It's not too difficult, you control what you eat. Not the menu.0
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My husband likes to eat out EVERY night!!! So I do like all the others have suggested. I do research before I go. It's not the best thing to do believe me. I eat a lot of grilled pork chops and chicken. Salad. I even have found some good pizza. Old Chicago makes a good thin crust . Hubbie doesn't like it but I ask them to special make me things. My sodium is over a lot of times but I stay on a 1300 calorie diet set by a dietician for my diabetes.0
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Ask for dressings and sauces on the side. That way you have a bit of control of things that can rack up the calorie count. Also, check out the restaurant's website if they have one. Some have very extensive nutritional information provided0
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I always stick with a grilled/baked/blackened fish, no sauces, nothing creamy. Ask for it served on veggies if it doesn't come this way already. Still delicious, and pretty safe. I do have cheat days though, and 'pre-burn' some calories to spend later.
My boyfriend and I often split entrees and still have leftovers. Restaurant portions are so huge! Don't eat more than half of whatever it is.0
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