Returning - need help from those who work away..

Options
Hi all, I am a returning MFP member and would love to hear from anyone! - but in particular those who work away and struggle with eating out for a large proportion of the week. Most of it is down to will power I know, but any tips people can give me will be greatly appreciated x :drinker:

Replies

  • LozzieWebb
    LozzieWebb Posts: 69 Member
    Options
    Welcome back! Sadly I have no tips on eating out regularly as I'm fortunate not to have to travel with work. I would say, though, where possible see if the place you will be eating at has an online menu - you'll be able to decide on what you're going to have by looking at the menu/nutritional values. Ask for meat/fish/veggies to be cooked with no butter/oil. Good luck with your new start :)
  • NanzyBoek
    NanzyBoek Posts: 151 Member
    Options
    Hi,
    I do work away from home, what works for me is:

    bringing instant oatmeal and I just use the hotels coffee maker for the hot water for breakfast. The hotel coffee mug works for the "bowl" and it actually is a very filling snack to. Dont forget a spoon I do all the time lol and they only have stir sticks,

    Making sure the hotel has a treadmill at least if not a full gym. When Im into running I find local trails and have had some of the best runs of my life because of it (Vancover coast line or once in a gorgeous trail in Nova Scotia)

    I bring along pre-measured snacks like nuts, trail mix and healthy bars to avoid bad snacking.

    I pre-plan dinners and found some great resteraunts that serve quinoa and salmon etc. Subway is always around to.

    Lunch's order chicken salad w dressing on the side. Cant go wrong there.

    Never drink booze becasue than your gona eat whatever forsure.

    Always have water on you. I also bring my own tea and liquid stevia.

    Hope that helps :smile:
  • juliebrettell
    juliebrettell Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    I work away a lot too. I ask for half portion on the main if out for a biz dinner where we have starters, no dessert just a peppermint tea. Also keep alcohol to a minimum and white wine or a white spirit.
  • vjohn04
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
    Options
    That sounds like me! Feel free to send me an add request!
  • 2013Alli
    Options
    Thanks everyone! Julie, I've not asked for a half portion before, I'm one of these people who like a quiet life in a restaurant and never complain! I should be braver :-) I do sometimes asked for poached eggs on toast from the hotel on the occasional evening which I do from the phone in my room so it's less embarassing lol
    Vjohn, I've added you, thank you. Nanzy, thanks for the tips - I sometimes take 'Oats so simple' with me. A filling porridge for 210 calories and the hotel does lots of fruit n stuff on the breakfast buffet. I guess it's just evenings really. I wish I liked seafood as life would be much simplier. They do usually have a gym so I should make more use of that. I just get bored. Classes would be better but cant usually get to any due to the funny hours I keep.
    Lozzie - funny you should mention the online menu thing - I have been put in charge of choosing the restaurants from next week. That should help.

    Thanks all x
  • Athena53
    Athena53 Posts: 717 Member
    Options
    Another good tactic is 2 appetizers for dinner- one to be served when everyone else is eating their appetizer, one served with everyone else's main course. One of the appetizers can be near-zero calories (salad with dressing on the side, steamed asparagus) and the other can be more substantial. Morton's Steak House, last I was there a few years ago, offered a beefsteak tomato as an appetizer- for $10! Oh, well- the company paid for it. One of the best restaurant meals I ever had was at a hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant in Chicago. I ordered a white bean and escarole soup as a main course. It just reeked of garlic. Yum.

    And don't be embarrassed about making non-traditional choices such as poached eggs on toast for dinner. There are so many people out there now asking for dressing on the side, no butter on the toast, gluten-free, grilled, etc, You're doing what's best for your body and you're the customer. As they get more of these requests, many restaurants have responded my making some things lighter, pointing out which items are gluten-free or vegetarian, and offering smaller portions or "tasting" menus. They're respondinhg to customer demands.

    I'm not sure what "oats so simple" is, but I've found that oat bran makes very good oatmeal and cooks up very quickly in hot water. I even had it on a plane after getting a cup of hot water from the flight attendant.
  • 2013Alli
    Options
    Thanks Athena :smile:
  • kacolarusso
    Options
    Alli - A comment on asking for something 'special' at a restaurant....GO FOR IT! If you are at a nice restaurat most chefs (from my experience) enjoy this. Recently I went go dinner with a group of friends. We had a friend who is a vegetarian join us. Turns out there was NOTHING on the menu that he could simply order. He asked the waitress what she suggested. She told him she would check and be back in a minute. About 2 minutes later the chef showed up at our table and talked closely with our vegtarian friend to get an idea of what he liked. Then went back to the kitchen and made him the most unbelievable mean you ever saw...which he PERSONALLY delivered to the table! We were all so jealous!
  • susannahsutton1
    Options
    My tricks are...

    2 appetisers. If you don't want to admit to dieting say "all the appetisers look great can't decide so will have two instead of an appetiser and a main"
    Drink water at all meetings
    If you are not veggie, learn to love fish, unless battered or breaded will always be lower cals than meat plus has a higher water content
    High water content foods, e.g. Soup, salad vegetables keep you fuller longer and promote weight loss
    Always ask for salad dressing on the side the excuse is "they always drown the salad in it!"
    You can run or walk anywhere. Have an hrm and exercise kit with you all the time
    No booze or dessert, just because you are away it is not vacation or a weekend!