When you have to eat out..

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  • markink81
    markink81 Posts: 73 Member
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    I can sympathize about being busy. I am not one for eating out. I like to control the food that I shove in my face so one thing that I do is pre-pack food the night before in a cooler with cold packs. This helps both my waist line and my wallet. Plus when it's time to eat I have my meals already to go! The little extra planning and work at night preparing is a pain at times but the benefits out weigh the negatives for me.
  • ghosthackexe
    ghosthackexe Posts: 181 Member
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    Great now I'm hungry T.T *cries in corner*
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
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    I love all you can eat buffets. Its always fun to compete with friends to see who can finish the most plates.

    :huh: WTH?

    You're an MFP Moderator?

    I'm missing the joke.

    Are MFP mods not allowed to eat at buffets?
  • FeelingFroggy13
    FeelingFroggy13 Posts: 66 Member
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    I live almost an hour (one-way) from work/town/grocery stores, etc. So, you can imagine, that once I am in town, I can't skip back home to grab a bite. I was running into the same problem quite often.

    My solution? I made myself a spreadsheet listing all the places that I am most likely to frequent. I went on their websites and selected two of their best options for me. I selected four or five 'sit down' places, four or five 'fast food' places and a few 'breakfast places'. I also looked up information on the best options when looking at ethnic cuisine, Mexican, Asian, Italian, etc....

    With my spreadsheet in my vehicle, it acts like my own personal menu. So instead of stressing about WHERE I am going to eat, I think about what I am in the mood to eat by looking through it. Since I have so many menu options, I don't feel like I am missing out on anything!

    It's working for me at least. Today was my 100 day milestone and I am at 35 pounds lost!
  • StrawberryJam40
    StrawberryJam40 Posts: 274 Member
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    My solution? I made myself a spreadsheet listing all the places that I am most likely to frequent. I went on their websites and selected two of their best options for me. I selected four or five 'sit down' places, four or five 'fast food' places and a few 'breakfast places'. I also looked up information on the best options when looking at ethnic cuisine, Mexican, Asian, Italian, etc....

    With my spreadsheet in my vehicle, it acts like my own personal menu. So instead of stressing about WHERE I am going to eat, I think about what I am in the mood to eat by looking through it. Since I have so many menu options, I don't feel like I am missing out on anything!

    It's working for me at least. Today was my 100 day milestone and I am at 35 pounds lost!

    That is genius!

    I would only add that I would pack something in your purse for emergency so you don't go too long when you are hungry and then over indulge later. Protein bar or like the 100 calorie almond packs. On the go easy to travel in purse without being detroyed to get you by in a pinch.

    I know I get sick and crabby if I go too long without a snack or meal on a busy day. And if I get a snack in, I tend to not over eat later.
  • sparacka
    sparacka Posts: 137 Member
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    I love all you can eat buffets. Its always fun to compete with friends to see who can finish the most plates.

    :huh: WTH?

    You're an MFP Moderator?

    I'm missing the joke.

    I am not joking. It is possible to consume 5,000+ calorie meals and still hit your weekly calorie/macro targets. If I am over my goal one day I just adjust my goal on others to remain on target for the week.

    I have maintained my ideal long distance running weight for over 18 months now, without once limiting my intake at a buffet.

    People need to know that you will not make or break your diet with one meal at a restaurant.

    Most of the top 10 rated professional eaters in the world are lean. Matt Stonie, and Sonya Thomas are two good examples. They exercise and adjust their eating habits to compensate for the very large meals they sometimes consume

    The OP is attempting to lose weight (one would assume by restricting calories, since she is on MFP). She stated that, as a busy mom, she eats out more often than she would like. She asked for advice on how to manage this part of her life without sabotaging her weight-loss efforts. You replied: "I love to have eating contests with friends at buffets!"

    I stand by my first post: your reply is neither helpful nor appropriate.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    Usually I get bibimbap (Korean) or banh mi (Vietnamese) if that's an option.

    But with typical fast food chains I'll usually get:

    Steak N' Shake double steakburger, plain
    Chipotle burrito bowl with steak, rice or beans, lettuce & sour cream
    2 crunchy tacos
    veggie burger at Burger King (or Junior Whopper depending)
    Subway egg & cheese with tons of veggies on flatbread

    Mainly my M.O. is to stick with no fries, no other sides, water to drink...not too difficult.

    sometimes I'll just get Wendy's 4 chicken nuggets (180 cal) to get me by with a bit of protein and then eat a healthier meal when I get home

    Wendy's salads are the only fast food salads I like. Pretty high in sodium, but great calorie counts.

    Mmmmm banh mi, so good. What do you use for a calorie count for them?

    I just enter a few from the database and go with a mid range entry. I have banh mi maybe once every 2-3 months so I'm not too worried :-) But it's a bit frustrating not knowing for sure, I'd agree.
  • SmartForAGirl
    SmartForAGirl Posts: 28 Member
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    I was shocked to find KFC to be my go-to drive thru. Sometimes I just order a variety of individually sized side items and enjoy the veggies. I am going on vacation soon. To lessen my food anxiety, I got online, pulled up menus for our favorite restaurants in the area, did my calorie counts, and planned my meals for the week. Now I can order without frantically searching the database for every item on the menu while my server hovers. I would suggest the same for fast food. Find a meal at each restaurant the family enjoys that you know you can deal with and then you don't have to panic in the drive thru.

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