Need some tips for eating out

LongTallSally76
LongTallSally76 Posts: 19 Member
edited November 2024 in Motivation and Support
Hello! I've been using MFP for a couple of weeks now. I have twice gone out to Yum Cha with colleagues and been proud of myself for eating lunch before going and enjoying only the jasmine tea and company at the restaurant whilst everyone else ate. My husband wanted to eat out yesterday so we went to a lovely Vietnamese restaurant. I ate only half my dish and concentrated on the vegetables and a really small amount of noodles. I think that suited my husband because he ate his and the other half of mine as well! I don't know how to guess the calories and enter it into MFP. I didn't lose any weight yesterday but it's hard to do better next time. How do you count your calories and stick to your diet when you eat out?

Replies

  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
    If it's not a place that posts its calorie counts, I just take a rough guess based on other stuff in the MFP database. Generally you can't go too wrong eating half and taking half to go. With the caveat that some folks will retain water like no tomorrow if they get too much sodium, and almost all "eat out" food is freakin' brimming with sodium (it goes away after a couple of days, but until then...sheesh). Hopefully you're not weighing every day -- that's the path to insanity.
  • Train4Foodz
    Train4Foodz Posts: 4,298 Member
    Hey there,
    Personally when I go and eat out, I use my 'cheat meal'. Once a fortnight I give myself a pass to enjoy the food I wish without thinking too much of the calories (I still log but only approximately, usually finding something as close as possible on the food database).
    This of course isn't for everybody and if you find yourself eating out a lot, it can be a good idea to find the nutritional information on the plavces you go to eat (you'd be suprised how many places offer the nutritional info now).

    It sounds like you have a great attitude to keep making this healthy lifestyle work for you.

    Wishing you complete success.

    Adam
  • amtru2015
    amtru2015 Posts: 179 Member
    I always try to look at the menu before I get there and choose so I'm less tempted by all the appetizers etc. Also, I always try to find a dish that is just protein and veggies.
  • LongTallSally76
    LongTallSally76 Posts: 19 Member
    Thanks for the good advice. I'm going to put it into practice this Friday
  • LongTallSally76
    LongTallSally76 Posts: 19 Member
    Tonight is another eating out challenge for me. I'm going to do the best I can. Wish me luck!
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