Eating out - how to not make it a cheat meal?

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nespinosa3
nespinosa3 Posts: 116
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been seriously trying to lose weight for 5 months now. I have lost 10 pounds, still 10 more to go. Some stats: woman, 5'5, 155 pounds (GW: 145), 26 years old. It's been slow moving, but I feel like I look better and my body fat has gone down almost 2%. I eat 1500 calories every day, do weight training 2x a week and cardio about 5-6 days a week.
My biggest problem (besides my weight loss going snail-pace) is that it seems like EVERYTHING is about eating out. Every single activity people want to do is eating out or ordering pizza. It's really hard because it's very difficult to find anything remotely healthy or below 1500 calories in most restaurants (my daily allowance). I live in a pretty unhealthy city, and sometimes it's part of my job to have working lunches. Most of these lunches take place somewhere where there are only greasy burgers, fries, hot dogs; where even the "skinny/healthy" menu is at least 500+ calories. How do you guys deal with this? I am really trying to minimize how much I go out to eat because it's ridiculously high in calories; but when I do, I honestly don't know how to get back from it.
Should I try to fit it in my daily calories, so eating out but then for dinner pretty much having fruits and salad? Or just go over and eat less the following couple of days? It's really sad because there have been multiple times when I jst go out, watch everyone eat and not order anything, because I'd rather save my calories for something I love. And I'm trying not to have a cheat meal every week because of the slow weight loss.

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  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    I know exactly how you feel. I have a large family and every single month it is someone's birthday or anniversary. I plan ahead as much as possible. I search the online menus and play around with the tracking tool. I add and remove foods until I come up with a combination that works within my calories limit. Perhaps you could suggest restaurants that provide a better selections of food other than hot dogs or burgers. It also helps to earn the calories before you use them. If I plan to eat out, I work out an extra day or a little longer so I get more calories to eat.
  • airangel59
    airangel59 Posts: 1,887 Member
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    I often eat out, I do check the menu online and plan the entire days meal out in advance. I will usually eat a lighter BF & Dinner if dining out for Lunch. My calories are less than yours..it's not easy but it's doable.

    Also ask the wait staff about cooking/preparing the meal lighter if possible, ask for veggie substitutions over pasta/potato etc. I also will take home half if the portions are large. I avoid the bread basket and I've been known to bring my own salad dressing (that can totally KILL a healthy salad at a restaurant....if you must use theirs, dip fork into it then into the salad)

    Good luck when eating out...it isn't as easy as it was before trying to lose weight but I've lost weight & enjoyed meals out with careful planning.
  • sodakat
    sodakat Posts: 1,126 Member
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    A hot dog or hamburger isn't super high in calories unless its a gourmet burger joint and even there you could cut the burger in half and take half with you (even if you toss it later). I've had plenty of thin friends over the years who have asked the waitress to put half their portion in a to-go carton instead of even bringing it to the table! -- so if I don't eat all of mine now who really cares? Another thing I do is order salad and put the meat from a sandwich on it, regardless if that isn't how its served. Most places have some kind of salad with meat now though. If they don't offer low cal dressing, just get it on the side and dip your fork in it before you spear a bite of salad -- that's of course if you don't want the calories from regular dressing.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
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    Don't forget the water. Drink before each meal and you'll eat less.
  • Cookie_4
    Cookie_4 Posts: 152 Member
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    I LOOOOOOVE eating out and trying to stay on a calorie limit was the bane of my life at first (I know, dramatic :blushing: ) but now I just plan for them by looking at menus beforehand like the others mentioned. I'm always tempted to change my mind when I see what others are eating but I try to pick something less calorie intense but still yummy so I don't feel like I'm on a diet.

    Remember that eating out is supposed to be fun, not stressful. Enjoy!
  • ChrysalisCove
    ChrysalisCove Posts: 975 Member
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    My husband's family LOVES to eat out & so does DH. I always pre-log so I know what to order & have rarely struggled to keep my meal btwn 500-700cal, so I just plan for that & make lighter choices like tilapia or grilled chicken for my other meals & fibrous fruits / veggies for snacks. I also always drink water - restaurant drinks are overpriced anyway!

    ETA - Worst case scenario you could always ask for no cheese / no bread / veggies as a side
  • smn76237
    smn76237 Posts: 318 Member
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    I know how you feel! There's nothing wrong with eating out, but when it's several lunches and dinners every single week, it is hard to keep on track. Especially in San Antonio...so much yummy food.

    For me, I just have to be a bit of a buzzkill with friends and turn down some dinners, bring my own food, or eat before going to a place where my friends will be ordering pizza. Obviously you can't turn down working lunches, but a 500 calorie meal isn't bad if you can find it. Or, maybe you can bring your lunch from home and just go to the restaurant and just get a side salad or something. Best of luck; I only eat out once or twice a week just because it is hard to keep my deficit up where restaurant calories are so high!
  • eileen0515
    eileen0515 Posts: 408 Member
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    I've yet to find a place that would not make substitutions for me. I'm super nice and courteous when I ask though.

    Ask for.

    Burgers wrapped in lettuce, skip the cheese, skip the catsup, double veggies (tomatoes, onions) Fries are a no brainer.

    Many places can grill up chicken breast or top sirloin, substitute steamed veggies for the usual calorie dense sides. Ask for a garden salad, omit any bacon, cheese, croutons, basically plant food. Get whatever dressing you like, on the side. Amazing how much as little as a tsp. can do for flavor.

    Pizza I have no idea...this would be shark infested waters for me, I love pizza. Even portion control comes at a heavy cost usually. Skip the greasy meats I guess.

    Do you home work on restaurant nutrition websites, if they are a chain you can pre-plan and suggest those places for dining.

    Now normally I would suggest just having what you like, and factoring it into your weekly deficit, but you eat out a ton! You need survival skills.

    Good luck
  • bethlaf
    bethlaf Posts: 954 Member
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    look Atkins is UBER famous, most menus are used to catering to people with it ..

    just do it .. do not let it get you down , so the pizza place is on the menu again , that sucks ..

    can you suggest alternatives?
    if your too junior to strongly suggest... then still make it a shot, do you guys always go same old same old ???
  • ashandstuff
    ashandstuff Posts: 442 Member
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    Due to my dietary restrictions, I'm forced to look up menus to restaurants and make sure the food I eat is safe/won't make me sick.

    If you make it a habit to look up the menu before you go out to eat, then you will have more success making choices that fit into your macro goals.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    It sucks. I know people say to just eat half, but really, a lot of times I'd just be starving if I only ate half a 800 calories burger. I stick to places that have low calorie menus (I can fit 600 calories for a restaurant meal though). Or get salads with dressing on the side and without nuts, or get grilled chicken/steak with veggies. It's doable in most places.

    Pizza place, yeah, I'd have to order a small thin crust cheese pizza and eat half, and I'd probably be hungry 2 hours later.

    My main issue is when people start to order dessert, then it's just over.
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
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    I prefer to eat at locally owned restaurants, so generally the calorie information is not on-line. However, I always ask for a to-go box to be delivered with my food and I put half (or more) of the meal in it and take it off the table before I eat anything. Then I spread out the remaining food on the plate, not having to worry about deciding when to stop. Generally, what is left to eat is plenty of food, as much as I would normally eat at a meal anyway.

    And I have a whole other delicious meal for sometime in the next two days.
  • dsb188
    dsb188 Posts: 121 Member
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    I would check the menu online and also see if they have a light menu. I know i went to TGIF and they had alot of stuff under 500 calories.
  • jennaworksout
    jennaworksout Posts: 1,739 Member
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    eating out is hard…but I find i always resort to the same thing…a salad of some sort with a chicken breast on top , dressing on side, so you can add jus enough that its not loaded :)
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,660 Member
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    I know this sounds like promoting "Big Food," but one of the good thing about the chain family restaurants -- applebee's, 99, outback, etc. is they often have a menu section that lists meals that are under a certain number of calories. I would say stick to basic meals -- protein, vegetable, and starch or a salad with lowfat dressing and lean protein. I try to focus on the nice experience of eating out, rather than feeling pressured to order something fattening. A complete meal for between 500-700 calories at a restaurant is pretty good. That's about what I eat for supper at home.
  • nespinosa3
    nespinosa3 Posts: 116
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    Yeah, at least I'm glad I have been doing some of the things mentioned here.
    I prefer any restaurant that has their nutritional info online. THey are *scary*, but I can almost always find something around 500 calories, so I can work around that pretty easily.
    The biggest problem is that everything just revolves around food! Any simple activity contains junk food, any event contains junk food. Not just junk food, but super high in calories. And this happens multiple times a week. It's just frustrating because I end up going to places, not eating, and waiting until later to eat something that I cooked. Because, as much as I can try to work around it, it really goes against weight loss and healthiness to eat 4-5 times a week.
  • cheliekayy
    cheliekayy Posts: 37 Member
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    My diary is a virtual bible for anyone looking to eat out and stay within calories! I'm a dining out junkie and eat most of my meals away from home.
    Tips :
    1. Plan ahead. I have low fat salad dressing ready, in case a place doesn't have it. (This seems to be my most common block)
    2. Try to stick with larger chains that have nutrition info available. Many family places don't.
    3. Ask the chef if at a family place and you don't know. I will frequently ask "How much butter / oil is used to prepare this dish?" (I know that's going to shoot the calories / fat content up quickly). Or how many ounces of meat? Pasta? Etc. I've never had an issue getting answers.
    4. At chain places - in my state it's law that they provide a printed nutrition / allergen information book / page. I ask for it often.
    5. Watch portions. If it's a rare case that I can't find anything I want that's within my range - ill cut a meal I do want in half and add a salad. Or split meals with someone I'm dining with. You can even ask your server to have the chef divide it before hand. Half for now - half to go!
    6. Drink only water.
    7. Substitute extra veggies for carb loaded sides. "No, I don't want a potato and broccoli, can I please I have double broccoli?"
    8. Omit things. Can I have that with no cheese? Or grilled without added oils.
    9. Substitute things. I was dying for a burger the other day. Too much fat though. The waitress was happy to make my desired burger with grilled chicken instead.
    10. Do not rely on the stuff entered in MFP for restaraunts. Confirm it on website or nutrition book.
    11. Ask waitresses / chefs for low cal suggestions. Sometimes they'll offer things not on the menu.
    12. Remember to treat the waitress well :)

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