What do to when someone cooks a meal for you

zoemcquaid
zoemcquaid Posts: 34 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I have been invited to my mums for dinner this coming Sunday as it is mothers day.
She has already told me that she wants to do a massive roast with all of the trimmings.
I have only started weighing and tracking all of my food this week, but already I can't imagine not doing it!

What should I do? Should I just let it go for one night, maybe not eat much throughout the day and then allow myself to go over my calories slightly?? (i don't really like this idea much)

Orrrrr, should i bring my scales with me and then just weigh everything once it has been cooked and stay within my calories??
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Replies

  • lemur_lady
    lemur_lady Posts: 350 Member
    Just try and estimate as best you can. There will be many times that you will be unable to weigh things or know the true calorie content of food. Dont sweat it its just one meal. Enjoy it, log it as best you can and move on :)
  • zoemcquaid
    zoemcquaid Posts: 34 Member
    Just try and estimate as best you can. There will be many times that you will be unable to weigh things or know the true calorie content of food. Dont sweat it its just one meal. Enjoy it, log it as best you can and move on :)

    Thanks for the advice! its just all very new to me and I am no where near to being good at eyeballing foods.
  • b0nnyd0g
    b0nnyd0g Posts: 84 Member
    You wont stick with the plan if you let it take over your life. I know you have only just started and are feeling very strong but this is an important day with your Mum that you don't want to spoil by debating about food. Enjoy the day and most important get back on track the following day :)
  • Kargicq
    Kargicq Posts: 72 Member
    Absolutely eat it, log it (guess sizes) and move on! If you have a good relationship with your mother, ask her in advance if it's OK just to have half-portions of everything compared to the others at the table. If you don't, don't make things worse by being confrontational!
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
    What do to when someone cooks a meal for you

    I throw it on the ground. I won't be part of their system.

    threw-it-to-the-ground-cup-o.gif
  • Escloflowne
    Escloflowne Posts: 2,038 Member
    Don't log that day and enjoy your meal without guilt!?

    I.C.E. Cream Official Tester
    IKEA Professional Put Together-er
    Kickboxing Class Attender
    Been in fitness for about 2 years and have studied kitty-gif-ology, nutrition and Dinosaurs
  • lookpretty
    lookpretty Posts: 276 Member
    suggestion from me, if youre weighing daily, skip two days, just my two cents but log the rest of the day, skip the meal, skip weighing for two days, and act like it didn't happen
  • viglet
    viglet Posts: 299 Member
    What do to when someone cooks a meal for you

    I throw it on the ground. I won't be part of their system.

    threw-it-to-the-ground-cup-o.gif

    Im actually giggling at this.


    But in all seriousness, what is the point of trying to lose weight if you can't enjoy life. I say enjoy the dinner and eat moderately. If you can, try and log it, if you cant, just start fresh the next day.

    Try to make the best choices you can make. If in the past you would eat 3 servings of dessert (*cough cough* me), well have one or half a serving. This whole thing is about making better choices towards a better you! Best of luck! :flowerforyou:
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
    Guess and hope for the best.

    BTW, ignorant of me, I had no idea that Mother's Day was celebrated this early in England!! Yay for learning new things! haha
  • dammitjanet0161
    dammitjanet0161 Posts: 319 Member
    Thank them, eat moderately and enjoy it! Agree with all the above suggestions and I wouldn't take scales. A Sunday roast isn't the worst meal in the world anyway, go easy on the roast spuds and yorkshires and fill up meat and veg?

    I do understand your concern though - I'm new here and I was unexpectedly invited out to one of my favourite restaurants on my first day of tracking on MFP! I wasn't going to pass up on the social occasion so I just enjoyed the food, did my best to estimate and logged everything afterwards including the wine. Truth be told, I did go over and it has been my "worst" day here so far, but I enjoyed the day, saw my friends and no damage done.
  • BretagneV
    BretagneV Posts: 5 Member
    One meal wont make you fat..enjoy EVERYTHING :D
  • Fit_Fox88
    Fit_Fox88 Posts: 410 Member
    Eh, just enjoy it. Eat a smaller serving. Is it possible for you to get in some extra cardio before the dinner? That way if you really are worrying about this meal the exercise will set it off a bit. One day won't kill you. Trust me. I had a horrible weekend last weekend and a couple days through the week that weren't logged, counted, weighed and I didn't care. I still managed to lost 4.6 pounds over that time period :happy:
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    You wont stick with the plan if you let it take over your life. I know you have only just started and are feeling very strong but this is an important day with your Mum that you don't want to spoil by debating about food. Enjoy the day and most important get back on track the following day :)

    This ^^ Situations like this are a part of life. Best to learn to deal with them now. Enjoy the meal, but don't pig out. Get back to your routine after.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    So I have been invited to my mums for dinner this coming Sunday as it is mothers day.
    She has already told me that she wants to do a massive roast with all of the trimmings.
    I have only started weighing and tracking all of my food this week, but already I can't imagine not doing it!

    What should I do? Should I just let it go for one night, maybe not eat much throughout the day and then allow myself to go over my calories slightly?? (i don't really like this idea much)

    This isn't something that you do for a period and then stop again, although your ability to estimate will improve as a result of weighing/ measuring stuff/

    Personally I would suggest just estimate and log it, recognising the risk of an overestimation.

    In practice your weight isn't going to be responsive to a single meal, but what you can do is smooth the effect over a couple of days. Perhaps come down a little on goal on Saturday and Monday, or compensate with less intake at breakfast and dinner on Sunday.
    Orrrrr, should i bring my scales with me and then just weigh everything once it has been cooked and stay within my calories??

    Put yourself in your mothers shoes and think about how that's going to come across...
  • MG_Fit
    MG_Fit Posts: 1,143 Member
    One meal wont make you fat..enjoy EVERYTHING :D

    I agree with this. I regularly have a day/week that I just eat or drink whatever :) But you have to bring it every other day!
  • katro111
    katro111 Posts: 632 Member
    I agree with pretty much everyone else... Estimate it as best you can, but one meal won't set you back. :) This happened to me last night - my friend made dinner for us. It was delicious. I ate until I was full (took little bits of each of the side dishes, too). Even if my estimate was off, it was delicious so whatevs. Back to my regular routine today.
  • 2013sk
    2013sk Posts: 1,318 Member
    Its Mothers Day - Enjoy being with your mum & eating good food.

    Have a day off from logging or counting calories : )

    To put on 1lb, you would need to eat 3,500 calories over your maintenance, as if your gonna do that right?

    Its a roast - Enjoy!!
  • RobsGirl_lds
    RobsGirl_lds Posts: 211 Member
    One salad dinne won't make you skinny, one indulgent dinner won't make you fat.

    Enjoy the celebration and get back to tracking the next day.
  • zoemcquaid
    zoemcquaid Posts: 34 Member
    What do to when someone cooks a meal for you

    I throw it on the ground. I won't be part of their system.

    threw-it-to-the-ground-cup-o.gif


    This made me LOL :laugh: :laugh:

    I totally get all of your points, and I will not be taking my scales with me to my mums.
    I'm completely happy having a meal off from logging ect, and yeah, a roast isn't the worst dinner in the world so thanks everyone for your input :D
  • A_nori
    A_nori Posts: 30 Member
    We do dinner with each set of parents once a week, so I have two nights a week that I have to try to make work. The best solution I have come across is to tell both moms that I am working on getting healthier, and to please help me with my goals. The moms tend to make food I can fit into my plan easier. I make sure I get in a good workout that day, and have a lighter breakfast and lunch so that I have 800 - 1,000 calories for dinner. I eyeball my portions and log on the high side (if it was somewhere between 1.5 - 2 portions of Moms homemade pasta, I log 2). I try to make good choices, but I do allow myself to have a small portion of desert and enjoy the meal. If I go a little over my calories that day, then so be it. This has to be for the rest of our lives, so we have to find a solution that works every night not just on the easy ones!
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    Don't log that day and enjoy your meal without guilt!?

    I.C.E. Cream Official Tester
    IKEA Professional Put Together-er
    Kickboxing Class Attender
    Been in fitness for about 2 years and have studied kitty-gif-ology, nutrition and Dinosaurs

    Or even just don't log that meal and make your other foods on the lighter side that day - Eat your delicious dinner without guilt! How often do you get to have a homemade roast dinner with all the trimmings? Enjoy it and and enjoy the time with your family!

    One day does not destroy your efforts! :flowerforyou:
  • mschicagocubs
    mschicagocubs Posts: 774 Member
    I often experience this problem. Between visiting the in-laws or going to my parent's house about once a week for dinner.

    I bug my mom and ask her what she puts in it, but she never measures anything so it's always her best guess.

    I don't with my in-laws on the other hand.

    It's tough, but control your portions. if you have been weighing your food you can kind of eyeball more accurately what a portion size would be. I also try to burn a little more the day of or the day after to make up for inaccuracy.

    If this doesn't happen a lot, like maybe once a month you eat someone else's cooking, I wouldnt even bother worrying so much.
  • ellenmg
    ellenmg Posts: 26 Member
    What to do when someone cooks a meal for you - THANK THEM!
  • DrJenO
    DrJenO Posts: 404 Member
    Practice using a cup measure to eyeball what different things look like

    So many grams of meat looks like this.

    So many grams of potatoes looks like that.

    So many grams of rice looks like this.

    Etc. Etc.

    Enjoy your time w/ your mom!
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
    What do to when someone cooks a meal for you

    I throw it on the ground. I won't be part of their system.

    threw-it-to-the-ground-cup-o.gif

    ANDY SAMBERG........
  • zoemcquaid
    zoemcquaid Posts: 34 Member
    What to do when someone cooks a meal for you - THANK THEM!

    Well obviously, that's standard etiquette.
  • meltedsno
    meltedsno Posts: 208 Member
    I've been in this situation and at the beginning, I would take my scale with to weigh my food. I had to for me... plus it let eveyone know that I was serious this time around. These days, I prepare ahead of time. I've gotten to know how much a "serving" is based on 9 months of weighing/measuring/recording. If we are going out to a restaurant, I will do a google search for the nutritional facts and know exactly what I will be having when we get there. I also make a point of walking... I do a minimum of 5 miles a day -- whether that is at work, outside, on my treadmill, or jogging in place in front of the tv (I've been known to do this standing in a checkout line and I don't really care what anyone thinks)....

    I know some people have said one meal won't make you fat... that may be true for them, but for me, especially when I was first starting out, that one meal would set off a chain reaction and I'd sometimes binge for the next week, month, and heck... year(s)....

    Once I've established a pattern, and people have seen that I am serious, I find I can splurge now and then and not beat myself up.
  • jlynnm70
    jlynnm70 Posts: 460 Member
    I say do the best you can. Eat light early in the day to 'save' calories for dinner, maybe do some extra exercise to 'earn' calories, but for the most part - you go enjoy the day with your mum, log as best you can and move on!
  • larrodarro
    larrodarro Posts: 2,512 Member
    I've got pretty good at eye-balling food to guess the weight. But if your family get togethers are like mine, everyone leaves with a to-go plate. I try to make mine as close to what I ate as possible, then weigh and measure it when I get home.
  • zoemcquaid
    zoemcquaid Posts: 34 Member
    Thanks for all your input, i really appreciate it :flowerforyou:

    I think I will eat very lightly before dinner, and then maybe a workout after (if i can after all the yummy roast dinner!)

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