Dinner out....HELP!

Pick something, eyeball the portion and don't sweat it too much unless you plan to avoid eating out for the rest of your life. It's just one meal.

Maybe get something that looks the healthiest (look for steamed, grilled, etc)

Ask for veggies as a side always.

Maybe portion control? Eat 2/3 of everything?

Get whatever your heart desires, but only eat half of it.
Take the rest home for lunch tomorrow~

Ok, didn't see you were a vegetarian until after I posted. Grilled fish sandwich then? Pub foods are hard for vegetarians on a diet, I'm assuming! Or pescatarians, or whatever.

I mean, order a side, but then don't eat it.

Why...?

Shrimp sizzling fajitas, for the win!

Pretty tricky menu. The Sesame Seared Tuna Salad might be an okay option if you can get the dressing on the side and hold the crispy wontons. Other than that, I would either a) use portion control, b) block out 500-1000 calories for the meal, or c) just let yourself have this as a reward for your hard work and get right back on the diet as normal.

Good luck! Eating out can be quite a tricky thing!

Generally, I'm with the others: most restaurants give you too much food, so eat about half and save the rest for lunch. That should keep you around 5-600 cal. And one meal won't make or break you.

For MFP - you'd be surprised what they have in the food archives. If you get fish and chips, just search for "restaurant fish and chips" and log whatever MFP says for one serving. You'll be in the ball park.

Then go for a walk with your date "to get to know each other." He doesn't need to know your ulterior motive to burning off some of the dinner he he he .

Since I've gone at this hard core I've been avoiding dining out, but now the time has come where I'm meeting someone for dinner tonight and I'm at a total loss as to what I should eat?

Without measuring or a food scale how am I supposed to track my calories? I checked the menu of the place online and it's pretty much "pub fare". I'm a pescaterian so obviously I don't eat burgers or chicken wings lolol - there is tilapia on the menu but it's encrusted with stuff - so I just have no clue.

Oh - and it's a date and I don't want him to know I'm trying to lose weight. I want him to think that I think I'm totally awesome the way I am

Here's the thing: as a single man in your same age bracket, let me assure you that he doesn't care what you order. As long as you aren't ordering two lettuce leaves for dinner or, on the flip side, an entire school of fish, he doesn't care what you eat. He likely won't even pay much attention to it other than to ask you if it's good.

Get what you want, do the best you can and don't overthink it. If the conversation is so tough than it centers over your choice of food, chances are you're going to be wanting the night to end quickly anyway.

Good luck!

LOL. This is true, up to a point. So on my first date with the now boyfriend, I finished my entire plate of food before he was even half done. I didn't even know I was doing it - it was a big CrossFit day! He now insists on telling everyone the story. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

But, yeah, OP - just have a good time and be yourself. Order what you like. I suggested the fajitas because you can have one full one with tortilla and all and then just eat the remaining shrimp and veggies.

Since I've gone at this hard core I've been avoiding dining out, but now the time has come where I'm meeting someone for dinner tonight and I'm at a total loss as to what I should eat?

Without measuring or a food scale how am I supposed to track my calories? I checked the menu of the place online and it's pretty much "pub fare". I'm a pescaterian so obviously I don't eat burgers or chicken wings lolol - there is tilapia on the menu but it's encrusted with stuff - so I just have no clue.

Oh - and it's a date and I don't want him to know I'm trying to lose weight. I want him to think that I think I'm totally awesome the way I am

Here's the thing: as a single man in your same age bracket, let me assure you that he doesn't care what you order. As long as you aren't ordering two lettuce leaves for dinner or, on the flip side, an entire school of fish, he doesn't care what you eat. He likely won't even pay much attention to it other than to ask you if it's good.

Get what you want, do the best you can and don't overthink it. If the conversation is so tough than it centers over your choice of food, chances are you're going to be wanting the night to end quickly anyway.

Good luck!

^So much this. As someone who's had to go through a little therapy for caring too much about what other people think of me, this should be your mantra.

Easy!
Sesame Seared Tuna, no crispy wontons and ask for the dressing on the side. A great meal with a hearty protein, which will keep your tummy full. If you're worried about feeling full, grab a light snack before you run out the door, to ensure you won't reach for bread (EMPTY calories) or a greasy appetizer.
I'm not aware of your full journey, but I can empathize with being afraid of eating out! I've completed 2 rounds of Whole30, but realized after my first round, sometimes you gotta eat outside of the comfort and control of your own home - and there ARE options. Good luck tonight

So, OP is a pescatarian, which means no chicken and no beef... apparently some people don't read the whole post lol.

I think the flatbreads look good, most of them don't have meat and they seem to have lots of veggies with some cheese and if the bread is "ultra-thin" like it says, it's probably not too bad. I'd probably get the tilapia although "parmesan-encrusted" probably means it has lots of cals... Since you've been good about not dining out lately, I think one meal won't be a big problem. Don't go absolutely crazy, but choose something that looks fairly low-calorie and if you're really concerned, don't eat the whole thing. Most importantly, have fun on the date and try not to stress too much!