restaurant and calorie counting

ArubaJane
ArubaJane Posts: 62 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Just wondering how you count your calories when eating in a restaurant that is not advertised on fitness pal.

Replies

  • crimsoncat
    crimsoncat Posts: 457 Member
    I just estimate based on other restaurant that are in MPF. For example, I use the bucca di beppo calories for tirimisu for the tirimisu at the bakery near my house since I know they're around the same size.
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  • JoelleAnn78
    JoelleAnn78 Posts: 1,492 Member
    I look online for th nutritional info - if its not available I use the options provided in MFP. It happens with the local pizza place we go to. They are not listed and have no calorie info available so I use what I can find. It's a rough estimate.
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    try to do what crimsoncat said and use other restaurant entries to base a guess off of. Or if it's a restaurant like I was at today, I can enter the components individually (5oz white meat chicken, grilled; 1.5 cups brown rice, 3oz teriyaki sauce in today's instance).
  • alexapatel
    alexapatel Posts: 87 Member
    I usually enter the items individually and also try to overestimate since restaurants generally have more calories in their meals.
  • DeeBrownBaker
    DeeBrownBaker Posts: 145
    I find comparable meals that are on MFP and overestimate portion size a bit...
  • ladyrider55
    ladyrider55 Posts: 316 Member
    Check online the Restaurant you're going to prior to eating there...most have menu's posted online. I did that before eating at Olive Garden and Applebee's...it was great then I could estimate what the rest of my day was going to be like for eating. :smile:
  • melsmith612
    melsmith612 Posts: 727 Member
    Same as everyone else... I either look it up online using the restaurant's website or use entries in MFP that seem close (usually picking one that is neither the highest nor the lowest calorie count available). It's good for a rough estimate, which is really the best you're going to get anyway if the nutritional info isn't provided.
  • MissJanet55
    MissJanet55 Posts: 457 Member
    I try to figure out what was in the food - I try to order as simply as possible, but that isn't always possible when I'm at an ethnic restaurant - and then I add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil for good measure. I expect restaurants cook with more oil than I use at home. I once read that over three courses in a French restaurant you will consume the equivalent of a stick of butter.
  • girlfromOklahoma
    girlfromOklahoma Posts: 129 Member
    We have tons of fabulous locally owned Tex Mex restaurants in OK. Anytime I eat at one, I just go to like El Chico's or On the Border or something like that... grab their calories and go with it. I realize it won't be exact, but it'll be close enough to keep me int he ball park.
  • JoRumbles
    JoRumbles Posts: 262 Member
    I was just about to post this exact topic. I eat out a lot. In fact, last week I ate out or had takeaway about 4 times. I logged it but think I underestimated as I didn't lose weight.

    Today I ate out and ordered a venison burger with extra salad instead of the chips. It came with a ridiculous amount of oil on half a plate of rocket. I ate it, and I ate the large burger with brie and onion chutney. I did my best to estimate it.
  • JoRumbles
    JoRumbles Posts: 262 Member
    I logged each aspect of my buger today and it came to 712 cals. I hope that was about right. I felt pretty full after it.
  • 970Mikaela1
    970Mikaela1 Posts: 2,013 Member
    I ALWAYS get a bacon cheeseburger with onion rings. I always put it down as 1450 calories.seems to work for me.
  • nicolie81587
    nicolie81587 Posts: 75 Member
    Check online or estimate.
  • JoRumbles
    JoRumbles Posts: 262 Member
    Mmmh, perhaps I underestimated today.

    If I don't lose weight this week I am going to have to give up eating out!
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    I usually ask the chef for a list of ingredients and then I ask him to weigh out all my food individually and then give me that list.
  • JoRumbles
    JoRumbles Posts: 262 Member
    I usually ask the chef for a list of ingredients and then I ask him to weigh out all my food individually and then give me that list.

    If you did that in my town they would probably phone a psychiatric doctor to come get you
  • LavenderBouquet
    LavenderBouquet Posts: 736 Member
    I usually over-estimate or just leave a fairly large deficit (800-1000 calories).
  • LadyOceana
    LadyOceana Posts: 1
    What about getting things from the bakery in the store? They don't have a calorie count on them! How would you figure that out??
  • a_claire
    a_claire Posts: 61
    I usually ask the chef for a list of ingredients and then I ask him to weigh out all my food individually and then give me that list.

    That's just asking for them to spit in your food.
  • a_claire
    a_claire Posts: 61
    What about getting things from the bakery in the store? They don't have a calorie count on them! How would you figure that out??

    Just find something close in the database and go with that.
  • twoss9112
    twoss9112 Posts: 162 Member
    try to do what crimsoncat said and use other restaurant entries to base a guess off of. Or if it's a restaurant like I was at today, I can enter the components individually (5oz white meat chicken, grilled; 1.5 cups brown rice, 3oz teriyaki sauce in today's instance).

    I try to order things that I can specifically enter components for. Example - the two times this year that I've gone to a Mexican Restaurant I have ordered steak tacos so that I can get as close as possible by entering each item.

    I don't just guestimate based on aother restaurant or by what MFP entries there are. I used to, way back when I first joined. That was SO counterproductive. Oh, ok I'm having a Reuben Sandwich... lets seee what MFP says, oh here it is 1 Reuben... ok done.

    WRONG. You have no idea what that entry is, what subs might have been made in, how much cheese was used, how much meat... maybe that was a small homemade sandwich using low fat or light ingredients while the one I have is double the calories, yet I'm using the calories in the app. it's no wonder I didn't lose even one pound.

    I don't recommend logging that way AT ALL, but I know a lot of people do it. I just choose not to.
  • meredith1123
    meredith1123 Posts: 843 Member
    Most every website i visit for a restaurant has a nutrional guide.
    you should check next time before eating out.
  • CharRicho
    CharRicho Posts: 389 Member
    try to do what crimsoncat said and use other restaurant entries to base a guess off of. Or if it's a restaurant like I was at today, I can enter the components individually (5oz white meat chicken, grilled; 1.5 cups brown rice, 3oz teriyaki sauce in today's instance).

    I try to order things that I can specifically enter components for. Example - the two times this year that I've gone to a Mexican Restaurant I have ordered steak tacos so that I can get as close as possible by entering each item.

    I don't just guestimate based on aother restaurant or by what MFP entries there are. I used to, way back when I first joined. That was SO counterproductive. Oh, ok I'm having a Reuben Sandwich... lets seee what MFP says, oh here it is 1 Reuben... ok done.

    WRONG. You have no idea what that entry is, what subs might have been made in, how much cheese was used, how much meat... maybe that was a small homemade sandwich using low fat or light ingredients while the one I have is double the calories, yet I'm using the calories in the app. it's no wonder I didn't lose even one pound.

    I don't recommend logging that way AT ALL, but I know a lot of people do it. I just choose not to.

    Unless you're eating out EVERY meal, it's seriously not a big deal. For most people who might eat out once a week, once a month, whatever... this is the easiest way and not going to be THAT far off. One day a week or a month of over/underestimating your calories slightly is not going to kill your weight loss progress. And seriously, what do you do, bring a scale and pick the entire meal apart so you can weigh each component?? You're never going to be able to get it that accurate anyway.
  • UrbanLotus
    UrbanLotus Posts: 1,163 Member
    Most every website i visit for a restaurant has a nutrional guide.
    you should check next time before eating out.

    Chains do, but locally owned places don't. Since I don't really go to chains, I have really limited my eating out due to this issue. When i do, I do what many others have said - find a comparable meal at a place that has NI listed. This usually takes a lot of googling to figure out who has a similar dish, portion size, etc.
  • marcvandenberg
    marcvandenberg Posts: 190 Member
    Just eat wise in a restaurant.
    You know what's the best food.
    And you don't have to eat it all.
  • CharRicho
    CharRicho Posts: 389 Member
    Just eat wise in a restaurant.
    You know what's the best food.
    And you don't have to eat it all.

    This is very good advice! :)

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