Some advice please :)

Dira_81
Dira_81 Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
Today I'll be going away for the weekend and I need some advice : going to my fiancee's mom's house and she always prefers that we go out to eat. She does not cook often in her little trailer and won't allow us to cook either when we are there so I was wondering, how can I keep on track when I know we will be eating out the next 2 nights? I usually opt for the salads but the dressings make those calories super high and sometimes will do grilled chicken but it seems to always be swimming in some sauce. Any words of wisdom? :) I just recently came back to MFP and would really like to stay on track this time :) Thanks all and have a wonderful weekend <3

Replies

  • fighttheurge39
    fighttheurge39 Posts: 53
    Today I'll be going away for the weekend and I need some advice : going to my fiancee's mom's house and she always prefers that we go out to eat. She does not cook often in her little trailer and won't allow us to cook either when we are there so I was wondering, how can I keep on track when I know we will be eating out the next 2 nights? I usually opt for the salads but the dressings make those calories super high and sometimes will do grilled chicken but it seems to always be swimming in some sauce. Any words of wisdom? :) I just recently came back to MFP and would really like to stay on track this time :) Thanks all and have a wonderful weekend <3

    Ask for the dressing on the side and dip you whatever you have on your fork in it, i find i dont use as much. Most restaurants want to please their customers so ask them to skip the sauce on the chicken and maybe ask for a slice of lemon on the side and squeeze it onto the chicken or have them do it? Drink lots of water and if you like the bread ALOT..stay away from it because chances are you are not going to stop at one piece.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
    You can opt out of sauces, but two days of mindful eating is not something you should be worried about. It's an essential skill that you need to practise. How good or bad you do will obviously have consequences, but even if you enter an eating competition, you're unlikely to do permanent damage.
  • tlynnweb
    tlynnweb Posts: 201 Member
    Ask for vinegar and oil dressings or anything that's a vinegar based dressing. Stay away from cream sauces. Most restaurants are really good at special orders. If there's a chicken dish with tons of sauce, ask for it to be just grilled with no butter! You kind of have to visualize what you want to eat and tailor the dish that closely resembles that. I usually just ask for no butter or oil to be used when cooking my food. If they ask if it's an allergy, I just say yes. LOL! Stick with lean meats and veggies and you can't go wrong! Good luck!
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    Today I'll be going away for the weekend and I need some advice : going to my fiancee's mom's house and she always prefers that we go out to eat. She does not cook often in her little trailer and won't allow us to cook either when we are there so I was wondering, how can I keep on track when I know we will be eating out the next 2 nights? I usually opt for the salads but the dressings make those calories super high and sometimes will do grilled chicken but it seems to always be swimming in some sauce. Any words of wisdom? :) I just recently came back to MFP and would really like to stay on track this time :) Thanks all and have a wonderful weekend <3

    If you ask the restaurant to leave off the dressing/sauce, or serve it on the side they usually will.
  • stacifahlsing
    stacifahlsing Posts: 38 Member
    If they ask for your choice in restaurants, speak up. McAlister's and Panara offer really low options and show their calories on the wall. I know it is debatable if those numbers are correct, but there are "safe" choices. I agree with the others... You can do this, just ask them to hold the sauces and dressing on the sides. Clear dressings are better than thick dressings. Drink water to help fill you up. Good luck.
  • gwenmf
    gwenmf Posts: 888 Member
    what about carrying little individual packets of dressing? Wendy's has those that are 40 calories or less.
  • hansea47
    hansea47 Posts: 353 Member
    If you have an idea of which restaurants you'll be going to dine at...and they have a website, you may be able to look up some of the nutrition info online ahead of time. Then you'll know what you're getting yourself into when you order! :)
  • dalgal26
    dalgal26 Posts: 781 Member
    Thankfully most restaurants are offering some healthier choices now.

    If you can, look up the menu nutritional facts before you go... Plan ahead when you can.

    Dressing on the side.

    Fish, fish, fish. I love it broiled, baked, steamed, and yes fried:)

    Steamed veggies.

    Don't drink your calories.

    Above all, ENJOY!

    Wishing you great success in your journey to a healthier you:)
  • uwharriegold
    uwharriegold Posts: 39 Member
    When I go out to eat these days, I stay away from the bread, order lean meat -- not fried -- and have veggies and fresh fruit if it's available. Even if you get a burger, don't eat the bread. Record in your food diary if you have access to a computer. Do the best you can and have fun!
  • Dira_81
    Dira_81 Posts: 3
    Thank you so much everyone! These are tips I will definitely use :) I will have to stay away from the bread...so I'll let my fiancee have it LoL :)
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Ask for oil & vinegar for your salad dressing. Order a grilled or baked piece of meat or fish, with no sauces or gravies. Steamed veggies, ask for a double order and skip the potato or starch.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    Diners!
    My mother prefers to eat out too, and there's A LOT of judging she does ("why order that?" "is that good?" "what? are you on a diet or something?"). So when I'm out to dinner with her, if she asks me where I want to go, I always ask to eat at a diner-type place that serves breakfast 24-hours. With her at the table, I always order 2 eggs (poached, if they'll do it) with hashbrowns and dry wheat toast. (1) no one looks at me weird for ordering this or treats me like a freak (2) no one blinks twice if I don't eat the toast or let someone else eat it or I don't eat all the potatoes (3) I know how many calories are in this (by estimating how much oil they use on their grill and I eyeball the amount of potatoes I'm eating). Poached eggs 150. 1/2 cup potatoes (usually half of what they give you) 200 calories. Dry toast 80 cal. each. Add at least 1 T butter to account for some fat on the potatoes 100 cal. Total: 610. 810 if you eat a whole cup of potatoes. (4) unsweetened iced tea to drink

    Or a short stack of pancakes with only real maple syrup. Again, fairly easy to guess the calories based on the size.
  • Nette_54
    Nette_54 Posts: 265 Member
    As everyone else has suggested ask for the dressings and things on the side so you can dip or pour the amount you want to use or better still have no dressings at all. I go out for lunch every Thursday with a group of people and most of the places we go serve chips with the meals so I ask for them in a bowl on the side so I can have a few then leave the rest, I forgot to do it last week and ate heaps of chips while talking without thinking ! I have always been one for putting up with what comes but not anymore my health is too important so I decided last week to not only have my chips on the side but any dressings or sauces I may have, I don't like onion in my salads either so I started asking not to have onions as well. The are always happy to please the customer ! Also remember alcohol has a lot of calories too if you have a drink. My Curves trainer gave me an good tip too and that was to eat all the healthiest food first like the salad etc that way I will fill up on that and not want to eat too much of the naughty stuff. I anyone asks if you are on a diet then say yes with pride as it is a great thing we are all doing ! I have even asked in some places if they know the calories in the food they are serving hoping one of these days they will start to work that out too, the more people ask the more likely they are to do it.

    Have a great weekend and remember only a couple of days won't do to much damage......... Even Doctor Oz on the telly now recommends a Fat-day............
  • MsipiGRITS
    MsipiGRITS Posts: 128 Member
    Today I'll be going away for the weekend and I need some advice : going to my fiancee's mom's house and she always prefers that we go out to eat. She does not cook often in her little trailer and won't allow us to cook either when we are there so I was wondering, how can I keep on track when I know we will be eating out the next 2 nights? I usually opt for the salads but the dressings make those calories super high and sometimes will do grilled chicken but it seems to always be swimming in some sauce. Any words of wisdom? :) I just recently came back to MFP and would really like to stay on track this time :) Thanks all and have a wonderful weekend <3

    Ask for the dressing on the side and dip you whatever you have on your fork in it, i find i dont use as much. Most restaurants want to please their customers so ask them to skip the sauce on the chicken and maybe ask for a slice of lemon on the side and squeeze it onto the chicken or have them do it? Drink lots of water and if you like the bread ALOT..stay away from it because chances are you are not going to stop at one piece.

    ^ This, definitely! Because of a terribly busy schedule, I tend to eat out a lot, but there are lots of options out there, such as the above. I've had a great grilled fish sandwich and simply took off the bread and set it to the side. The fish was plenty of a meal in itself! The idea of looking up the restaurant's nutrition information online is also great!!! I have most of the places I frequent bookmarked and if I know I am going there, I look on the nutrition sheet and decide ahead of time what I am going to order. Works great!!! One thing I have also learned is to ask! At one fried chicken place I asked if they had anything on the menu that was not fried (thinking the answer might be no...). They had both grilled fish and chicken tenders! Voila! The side items may be more challenging, but you can always pass on those or generously "share" with your group! :o) Most restaurants are pretty flexible with special needs ordering and if they are not, I simply do not return! haha Good luck and enjoy!
  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
    Grilled or baked lean meats
    ask that they skip adding extra butter or oil on the meat (sometimes they add a dollup right before bringing it out for look)
    Ask that the vegetables are just that and they aren't covered in butter or sauce.
    You don't have to eat a salad!!!!!!
    Sauces on the side, dip you fork in it, then the meat/item.
    Ask for your to go container right away, and put half of everything in it right away before you eat.
    Most of all don't worry too much, don't get peer pressured into something you don't want.
    Estimate when you log. Find something in the database that is closest and use that from a chain if you're going to a place that you can't find info for.
    Broth soups.
    If you have bread you don't need to butter it.
  • Dira_81
    Dira_81 Posts: 3
    Thank you so much all! Love all the tips & all the help :)

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