I dont know how to eat wisely when away from home

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gabriellesfavata
gabriellesfavata Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I do great with eating healthily and proportionally when I am home. However, when I am out to eat at a restaurant or someones home, It becomes a losing battle for me. And I end up hating the result on the scale the next day. I need advice of how to help my lack of restraint while not home.

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  • fun_b
    fun_b Posts: 199 Member
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    I have the opposite problem. I seem to eat better when I am at work or eating out. However on the weekened I just crave bread all the time :(
  • mapnerd2005
    mapnerd2005 Posts: 363
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    find the book Eat This/Not That. It has nutritional information for most of the major chain restaurants/fast food places. What I really like about it is that it suggests alternatives to the least healthy food items on the menu. There's also a supermarket section and a menu decoder.
  • kat5556
    kat5556 Posts: 164 Member
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    I always look online at the restaurant's menu and nutrition information and decide what I'm going to order before I get there. In the case that it's a place that doesn't have this online, I'll order grilled chicken or fish usually blackened if they have that. But then we go out for burgers and fries too knowing they'll be high in calories but I just eat really good the rest of the day at home. It's all about balance.
  • dawnmcneil10
    dawnmcneil10 Posts: 638 Member
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    Are alcohol or carbonated beverages a part of your eating out? Both of those things will cause bloat and water retention showing an immediate gain at the scale.
    If I'm going to a dinner party I usually have a small salad before I leave home, it puts a little healthy in your mind and your body. If it's a restaurant meal I automatically get in a quick workout even just 100 calorie burn seems to help my mind and I want healthy food. Another thing I've found is I don't weigh myself for 2 days after eating out, no sense stressing out over it just get back to your normal healthy routine and it should burn right off.
  • mudonthetires856
    mudonthetires856 Posts: 79 Member
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    With restaurants, I try to look up the info online or try to find it in the app before I go. That way it keeps me on track and since I already know what I'm ordering, I don't bother looking at the menu when I get there. No chances of looking at the menu and being tempted to change to something else the last minute. If it's a small local restaurant, I try to find something in the database that's similar, but I choose the one with the highest calorie count. I'd rather overestimate than underestimate.

    At a friends house, I'm kinda sneaky. I tell them that I love the dish and ask for the recipe. Then I log it later. My close friends know I'm counting calories, so I just ask them what they put in it & I log it while they are telling me. If it's something really high in calories, I don't freak out. I just know that I have to eat better during the week. I care more about my deficit over the week than I do for each day.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Portion size is the most important.
  • 1223345
    1223345 Posts: 1,386 Member
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    "I don't know how to eat wisely when away from home."
    This is exactly what the problem is for 80% of people. I admit, when we travel for any reason, we eat junk with shameless abandon. I also admit that I do KNOW better, I just throw caution to the wind then curse myself when I can't button my jeans for two days after the trip.
  • khadijak17
    khadijak17 Posts: 393 Member
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    if i know im going away for a couple of days or eating out i bank my exercise calories and just enjoy the food in small portions, i know its all a part of life so it happens, i don't weigh myself until im back on track and ive chugged lots of water and eaten right for the week before unless you consume 3500 calories over maintenance you wont gain actual fat, keep logging and enjoy!!
  • bnorris2013
    bnorris2013 Posts: 256 Member
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    I plan ahead of time - Like Tuesday we are going to a steakhouse I will know by tonight what I plan on eating at the restraurant this way I can plan my day out for it
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    I look at calorie counts ahead of time when I can. The rest of the time I just do the best I can based on logging experience. I can generally estimate a portion size. I know that any kind of cream sauce is going to have a lot of calories. I order a lot of grilled stuff, with veggie sides. I don't order dessert.

    If it's a special occasion though I'll just skip lunch and order what I want. If I know what I'm getting is calorie dense I just eat half and take the rest home.
  • wiseeliz
    wiseeliz Posts: 50 Member
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    I feel your pain. I rarely eat out so I typically just let restaurant food be a cheat meal, but I try not to go crazy. I also try to make up for it with slightly more exercise/slightly lighter food choices before or after going - maybe I'll squeeze in an extra 10 minutes on the treadmill or just have a big salad for lunch if I know we're eating out for dinner. If it's an occasional thing, I wouldn't stress too much.

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