Does anyone else go out for Chinese?

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xButtercup
xButtercup Posts: 15 Member
in Food and Nutrition
...or used to go out for Chinese? My boyfriend and I are HUGEEE Chinese food lovers. We don't go out much anymore. Maybe twice a month, and that's to a buffet. I usually stick to one plate of salmon, hot dogs wrapped in bacon, green beans, and a sugar roll, then I get a plate of strawberry syrup-covered bananas, deviled eggs, and a sugar cookie.
Can we still go out to eat while I'm dieting? What kind of Chinese foods can I eat at a buffet without going over my daily calorie goal (1200 calories)?

Replies

  • ericadoucet
    ericadoucet Posts: 7
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    honestly chinese food is a HUGE calorie buster. I ate shrimp lomein last week and it was about 1100 calories alone. I couldn't believe my eyes. Chiness food has lots of oil and salt. The best thing that you can eat is soup but I don't suggest anything else. Try cooking it at home. I hope this helps. :happy:
  • TheKitsune6
    TheKitsune6 Posts: 5,798 Member
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    A lot of that doesn't sound like chinese food.... (hot dogs wrapped in bacon? Strawberry syrup over bananas? Deviled eggs?)

    However, I'm a true believer in moderation. You should still be able to go to those buffets, just be aware of how much and what you are putting in your mouth. :) You can do this especially if you are exercising extra to make up for any calories. Just educate yourself :)
  • 4lafz
    4lafz Posts: 1,078 Member
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    I found a local "wok express" that lists calories online. You may want to ask at your local restaurants to see if they have. Obviously, some things are better than others. There is lots of information available online - even generic. MFP lists some items too. I have to "budget" calories for it but I too love it!
  • lilac67
    lilac67 Posts: 311
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    I never deny myself anything, but I do try to keep it reasonable. I always start with a plate of salad, careful of the dressing-- I'm a vinegar or lemon juice user. I try to stay away from the saucier dishes and make sure my plate is 1/2 steamed veggies. I do love crab ragoon and eggrolls. I usually have only 2 of each. For desert, I have fresh fruit with a macaroon or a small square of cheesecake. I always have water with lemon at the resturant as well as the rest of the day to flush the extra sodium I may have had.
  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 5,023 Member
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    I would stick with things that are not fried and things with alot of veggies, like broccoli beef, chicken with vegetables, kai pao chicken, mongolian beef , also the soups are a good choice. I hope this helps. Japanese food is actually better calorie wise and some of it is similar.
  • RaeN81
    RaeN81 Posts: 534 Member
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    There is nothing wrong with going out for chinese or anything else. Remember that when you finish losing weight you will likely need to continue watching what you eat and unless you intend to never go out again you need to learn how to go out without busting at the seams! Buffets are a definite challenge because there is so much to choose from and you can easily overeat without even meaning to. Try going with a game plan in mind and as others have suggested, budget the number of calories you are aiming for and bulk up on veggies so that you feel full and satisfied.
  • diet45
    diet45 Posts: 392 Member
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    I love Chinese Food, too. I have a hard time eating it because I always retain water after eating it, even the places that say they don't use MSG. I have a hard time believing them. We have a Panda Express here and I usually get the Mushroom Chicken...the calories are online. It is sad when we have to give up everything, moderation is the key.
  • rinster
    rinster Posts: 3
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    Chicken (or prawn) with pineapple is about as low as you can go in the UK. It's nice - a poor man's sweet and sour!!!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I love Chinese Food, too. I have a hard time eating it because I always retain water after eating it, even the places that say they don't use MSG. I have a hard time believing them. We have a Panda Express here and I usually get the Mushroom Chicken...the calories are online. It is sad when we have to give up everything, moderation is the key.

    Its the sodium that makes you retain the water, not MSG.
  • Kminor67
    Kminor67 Posts: 900 Member
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    I am also a chinese-food addict. Because my husband and I have been pinching pennies to make ends meet, I have been making chinese food at home for years. It tastes almost as good, and has a LOT fewer calories. Go to Lightandtasty.com and look up healthy chinese recipes, and they have several there, or just look up regular chinese recipes and substitute lower fat ingredients, or even just experiment on your own. I have a few favorites that I make at home... and if you want, I can email you a few of the recipes. Good luck!
  • bluiz13
    bluiz13 Posts: 3,550 Member
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    i have chinese takeout on thurs night with my husband after a 1.5-2hr gym session.....i usually get a pint of steamed chicken with snow pea pods, carrots and broccoli and they give me a 1/2 pint of white rice, i "season" it with either soy sauce or maggie seasoning sauce which is light in calories but heavy in sodium obviously...my husband and i share an order of chix wings (3each) and i have switched from an egg roll to a spring roll...i typically eat 2 1/2 of the little solo containers of duck sauce, sometimes 3 depending on how much dipping i do with the chicken wing meat...
    i easily have 1000-1100 calories that night for dinner but with my BIG burn just before at the gym giving me well over 750-1000 i feel it is justified to "splurge" that one night each week.....it hasnt hurt me yet and i'm afraid i will feel like i am depriving myself and my husband of that weekly ritual.....i make good choices every other day and i think that one exception is okay for me....especially since i get the steamed meal....
    oh, ps, i drink a ton of water that day with the extra workout plus to help with the sodium as well as the following day....
  • HOSED49
    HOSED49 Posts: 665 Member
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    We have an Mongolian Grill at one of our Chinese buffet's, so I utilize it over the breaded and fried options that are out there.
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    I would just strongly encourage you to find out the calories (or a guesstimate on MFP) for the place you're going out to eat - and that's with ANY restaurant - before you go so you don't eat what you think is good, get home, and your whole day is screwed up because you didn't check.

    I did this with Panda Express, came home and realized I'd just eaten over 1,000 calories! Just be careful. I'm also one of those "everything in moderation" persons.
  • brittlynne3579
    brittlynne3579 Posts: 217 Member
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    PF Changs has some pretty wicked lettuce wraps that aren't that bad. Plus, if you're dying for dessert they have the little, three bite shot glass desserts. Still not ideal for dieting, but not a complete bust like buffets (which is what your food list sounded like) Hope this helps =)
  • KarenBorter
    KarenBorter Posts: 1,157 Member
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    PF Changs has some pretty wicked lettuce wraps that aren't that bad. Plus, if you're dying for dessert they have the little, three bite shot glass desserts. Still not ideal for dieting, but not a complete bust like buffets (which is what your food list sounded like) Hope this helps =)

    Be careful with PF Changs though. Their listed calories are for ONE SERVING and most of their meals are 2 or 3 (or even 4) per order so whatever the calorie intake is it's times that amount.

    The chicken lettuce wraps for instance are 160 calories per serving which is 640 calories if you eat the entire thing. The SODIUM is 2600mg (which is 100 mg over your daily allotment).
  • Mepheston
    Mepheston Posts: 38 Member
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    I eat Chinese all the time, you just gotta be smart about it.

    Example.

    1 Green Bell Pepper
    1 Red Oniion
    1 Green Onion
    2 cups Broccoli
    1 cup shreeded carrots
    1 can bamboo shoots
    2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
    1 Tbsp Minced Ginger
    1 lb boneless skinless turkey breast
    2 Tbsp Kikkoman Low Sodium Teriyaki Sauce

    Stir-fry in 1 Tbsp EV Olive Oil (NOTE: the burn temp on olive oil is really low so throw in 1/4 cup water first then veggies, then drizzle the olive oil over them and stir-fry)

    Serve With:
    1 Cup Brown/Wild Rice
  • eveunderground
    eveunderground Posts: 236 Member
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    If you love chinese food, then you can and must figure out a way to work it into your diet. You'll probably need to see it as a "treat" and know that it will put a dent in your calories for the day. You should also try to figure out which dishes are the healthiest options. I love eating out and trying new types of cuisine, but I know that eating restaurant food means I'll need to cut back for the rest of the day. The way I see it, life is too short not to have everything you want. I want to fit into the clothes I love and eat the food I love...luckily it is possible to do both!
  • vaughny
    vaughny Posts: 145
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    Bragg's amino acids are a great substitute for soy sauce even better than low sodium

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