Eating out

hum, don't eat out? Bring your lunch - it's the only way to "not get in trouble"!

I find it really difficult to "eat well" when out at a restaurant - plus - there is no portion control there!

Good luck!

The obvious answer seems: Don't go to those places and eat your own food instead. But I'm sure you would be doing that if it was an easy option. So, I guess my only advice would be to eat salad if it is available (no dressing or on the side so you can control how much) or if they don't offer that (I am British so don't have those restaurants and have no clue what they sell) find the least calorific thing on the menu of each (or closest to) and eat that. Failing that, only eat half of what is on your plate (if meal sizes are anything that they are portrayed to be over here).

I know how hard it is to resist going out to eat with people you work with--it's sort of expected to get that social time in!

Sometimes it's easy for me to skip by reminding myself that I'm saving money. If you know where you're going, take a look at the menu before you get too hungry and scope out some healthy items that you know will work for you in your non-ravenous state

Once you're there, sometimes it's hard to just go for a salad, and sometimes a salad is just as bad as anything else! Almost everywhere has a grilled chicken sandwich. As long as you don't get mayo or a ton of cheese on there, this can be a really filling and delicious option and you feel like you're having real food instead of diet food. If you can get them to add a ton of delicious low-call stuff on top like grilled onions and mushrooms it can feel even more like a treat. Skip the fries and get a side salad or fruit or veggies and steal a fry or two from a coworker if you just want the taste.

Good luck to you!!

I agree that it's hard to keep up when you eat out every day. I solved this problem by.. not eating out at work. We have a work cafeteria that's subsidized so really cheap, and the food is usually great but i always end up eating too much so i just don't go there. other options are salad/sandwich from the small coffee shop or options down the block (the usual pizza, falafel, burgers etc).

I save calories and money by preparing meals in advance and bringing from home - i maek a pile of chicken breast and freeze them, then add a fresh salad every day. that's my lunch. (sometimes i'll have a chunk of feta cheese, or tuna, etc.). for snacks i bring yogurt, rice cakes, low fat cream cheese, hummus, fruit etc

Besides start packing, you'll save money and calories!!!!

All those place have healthy menu options BUT you have to choose them AND portion control is another issue that you have to watch. Just because it is a salad, doesn't mean it's healthy...got to watch what's on it and how much is there to eat.

Bring your lunch. You'll save calories and money (SO much money). If you really miss it, maybe try eating in 4 days a week and going out on Fridays.

I bring leftovers for lunch because it's super easy and I'm super lazy. Sandwich wraps in low cal / high fiber wraps are my favorite when there are no leftovers.

don't eat out,,, PERIOD!

Ewwww...especially that

start brown bagging it. weight loss is that much more difficult when you eat out...you're much more likely to forgo practicing portion control or to make good dietary decisions when you eat out all of the time...as evidenced by your weight gain. if you do choose to continue to eat out you need to practice portion control and make better decisions about what you're ordering. Even then it can be tough...restaurants are in business to make food taste good...which means lots of added calories from butter and oils...sugar, etc. A restaurant version of something can be a lot more calorie dense than the pretty much same meal made at home where you have control over the ingredients.

Wowzers, 5x per week?!
My advice, DON"T EAT OUT!
If getting fit is your goal, then you need to pack your lunch. 70% of your fitness depends on your nutirition. Don't let other people's lack of dedication keep you from getting fit.
Stay away from those people! lol

Go online and check their menu for any possible healthy alternative...and DON'T CHANGE YOUR MIND WHEN YOU GET THERE!!!! Know what you're going to get before you set foot in the door.

You don't always know the "truth" when you got out - for instance, the last company lunch I went to, I looked at the menu online...great - they had a grilled romaine heart topped with grilled chicken. YUM! And this restaurant doesn't allow any substitutes or changes, so it was pretty much the only thing I could get that wasn't slathered in some kind of sinful sauce or aioli...I asked the waiter how it was seasoned, just to be sure, and he said "oh, it's drizzled with a tiny bit of olive oil and the chicken is marinated in citrus." "So it's healthy and low cal." "Oh, totally!" Then when he brought it out, it had Parmesan cheese all over it. Oh, well...I tried to scrape it off and just stick to the chicken and the romaine heart!

You don't want to/have to be Debbie the Downer when it comes to doing lunch - just be smart about it. Order a salad with dressing on the side and START with that to help fill you up before the entree.

That being said, I hardly ever go out. I always bring all my food to work. Here's my lunch/snack box for today:



I won't eat all of this; I bring "choices" so I can snack on what I feel like...here my snacks are strawberries, pumpkin/cranberry crisps, 50 calorie whipped cream cheese, 80 calorie (with only 8 grams of sugar!) Greek yogurt, a banana, a 60 calorie string cheese, and asparagus. The other items are the fixins for my go-to turkey/black forest ham sandwich - avocado (instead of mayo), sprouts, red lettuce leaves, cucumbers, and 45 calorie Sara Lee whole wheat bread. Needless to say, I ain't starvin'!!!!

Yeah... stop eating out. its pretty simple

I like it.

Stop. Eating. Out.

Bring your own lunches so you have control .......

I got an insulated lunch bag with icepak and thermos ...... I bring leftovers from dinner ...... and soups, stews, chili, homemade salads, mini-bagels & lean deli meats, cheesesticks, cut up veggies, hummus, fruit, nuts, popcorn, and so on ......

Good luck :drinker:

Here's a few pointers to get started...

Look for the grilled chicken things.
Avoid breaded and/or deep fried anything.
Thin, brothy soups are pretty good.
Salads with vinaigrette dressings are usually okay.
Say away from heavy pastas.
Pass on big bread sandwiches. If you get a burger or sandwich take one of the breads or buns off.
Opt for fruit and vegetable sides.
Don't get things covered in cheese.
Keep away from creamy sandwich spreads (mayo, ranch, thousand island). Mustards and hot sauces are the way to go.

Since my parents' recent seperation, most of the time I only get to see my mom when we make plans to go out for breakfast or dinner. Breakfast at a restaurant is usually pretty easy - most places offer plenty of healthier options. But when it comesto dinner, my mom usually likes to go places that don't really have those options. My mom and I both watch what we eat so when we go to dinner we only eat half the portion, and take the other half home for lunch or dinner the next day. You just have to order something that will still be good when heated up the following day.