How do you calorie count when eating out?

find something as close as possible in the database and chose the one that seems like it makes the most sense.

it also helps if you can substitute stuff for something that is in the database. for instance a boba drink from the place i go top might not be in the database, so i'll just choose the same drink and size from one that is.

I don't.

You can look online for nutritional information on their sites usually, and if not, then you can usually search and find an average calorie count. I like Chinese food, and the place I order out from doesn't have a site or calorie info on their menus, so I've just gone online to find a lo mein average calorie count and gone off that.

I usually save eating out at restaurants or fast food spots for the weekends and make it my cheat day since my family loves going out on the weekends to eat. If its a cheat day then I have no care in the world lol but if its not my cheat day then I tend to stick to something low in calories. Meaning I get a salad, or chicken, vegetables, etc. If you get a salad and they give you extra salad then it will only hurt you by like no more than a couple calories, keep in my mind this is just the vegetable portion im talking about, not taking sauce into consideration. As if it were something like mac and cheese or ice cream, if they give you extra then you can easily add 200 calories. Ask for any type of dressing to be put off to the side so you can add as you like. Usually when I do this I make sure I either get some cardio in or if not then I keep my daily calories under 100 whatever my goal is.

I look up the restaurant's menu on their website and see if they have a listing of nutritional information there prior to eating out. This makes it easy to pick out what I want before-hand--or at least narrow down some choices.

Today we had a cheat day at the chinese food place close to my house, no info, so what I did was put down Panda express as my guide.

Make the best guess you can based on available info or similar items in the database and up the portion size to bump up the total numbers a bit. Published calories can often be on the lower side of what actually ends up on your plate. Cooks and servers are often generous with portions since they do work for tips. Regardless, it's better to be off by being over a few hundred calories or so than under in your guessing.

Don't stress about it too much and move on. Estimates when eating out are close to impossible to guess or verify with any accuracy. You know you'll be over your target, so cut back the next couple days to compensate and it all should net out for the week.

I tell them specifically how I want my dish prepared the waiter talks to the Chef to confirm prior to my order for example: chicken breast sautéed in olive oil, two servings of veggies instead of the starch and for me no bread.

I try to stick with really simple things, like a grilled strip steak that is 6 oz and get the sauce on the side and with steamed veggies. (There are a lot less surprises that way then say...chicken cordon blue)

Then match that to the MFP database, maybe including a TBS of olive oil. And like a PP said, green salads are pretty easy, dressing on the side. Shrimp cocktail, poached fish, baked chicken breast with some simple veggie side- things with very few ingredients, even if they are not inherently low cal, they are easier to guestimate.

For lunch I'll get a fruit salad and 2 eggs, again something that is easy to estimate. But maybe once a month I just go with whatever I want and do my best to log it, and then move on. Once in awhile should not harm, especially if you get extra work out time that day.

Great minds think alike lol

it's true!

I don't.

I just eat in moderation, stick with lean proteins, lots of veggies, skip the bread and dessert, make sure I choose foods I really enjoy and avoid the foods which just scream unknown, huge calories at me. I also never eat until I'm "full" - it takes the brain a while to catch up to the stomach on satiety, so I try to take my time and that way I leave happy, not hungry but not unpleasantly full.

I hate playing the guessing game. But if we eat at someone else's house or at one of the many independent restaurants in my area (I don't remember the last sit down chain I've eaten at), I just try to take an average. It's a pain because you have to scan through lots of database listings, but I just do my best. For example, the other day I had an amazing meatball sub. Lots of bread, decent meatballs, cheese but not a ton. I found meatball subs listed anywhere from 500 to 1200 calories. I went with one that was around 700-800 since I only ate half and called it a day. I generally will try to overestimate and then just roll with it. (And try not to make a habit of it, to keep my diary semi-accurate over time. The past few weeks have been killing me with lots of necessary eating out.)