Tips for eating out?

I really don't know where to start with this one.

OP you are way overthinking things and really need to do some more research if you believe that eating low carb means calories don't matter. You also need to read and understand what people are saying. Yes you can eat at McDonalds and then eat candy all day and as long as you are in a calorie deficit then you will lose weight. Nowhere did anyone, on the MFP blog or in these forums, suggest that someone should actually do that. Moderation is not the same as totality.

I also would not recommend lying about, or generally being a PITA about ordering food in a restaurant. That's a sure fire way to piss off some harried server and end up with something undesirable in your food... Like more undesirable than some hidden margarine if you know what I mean.

Lastly, do you really want to come across this high maintenance on a first date? I agree with others that you don't want to be dishonest, but if you are this high maintenance about eating out, what other areas do you obsess about that may also be red flags for a new relationship.

But please, come back and let us know how it goes, what you order, and if you got any dessert, if you know what I mean!

You CAN eat nothing but chocolate (or pizza, or donuts) and lose weight, as long as you are eating at a calorie deficit.

No one said you SHOULD do this. No one said it was healthy to do this. I have only ever seen people advocate working these foods into their diet, not making them their entire diet.

"Can" is not the same as "should". "Sometimes" is not the same as "all the time".

This basic concept is lost on so many people, it makes me weep.

Just inform them that you are allergic to certain products & ask them to substitute where it would be possible. I am sure they would make an exception for you especially as they could end up on a law suit if they didn't.

CorinnaShaw wrote: »

paperpudding wrote: »

OP you are a type 1 diabetic and you are going to try to eat nothing until dinner time ???.

Are you newly diagnosed?
Have you seen a diabetic educator?

Because this is a very very bad idea - how to get a hypo before your date.

Diabetics on insulin must have regular meals.

No we don't. I have been diabetic for 10 years and my BG is actually best managed when I skip breakfast all together and I find that intermitent fasting is also a great way to control it. The whole notion of small meals throughout he day bein better for you is a myth.

On a side note; date went super well. We were together for 12 hours and talked about everything under the sun. We spent half the day hiking so I did cave and get a gourmet burger with garlic fries, but it was the only thing I ate all day and my BG stayed regulated all day. We are going on a second date tomorrow for lunch. No hiking that day (it will be right before church) so I will have to make sure I make a better meal choice.

I didn't say small meals throughout the day,I said regular meals.
Eating one meal a day is not a good idea at all for diabetics on insulin.

Anyway after all that angst about insy bits of sugar in salad dressings, you manage to have a burger and fries - that's quite a turn around in thinking!!

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Note to any new diabetics reading this thread, pay no attention to the food choices above. Blood sugar control and food choices is an hourly affair; not every other day.

I once paid vigil online with a type 1 diabetic who could not get her blood sugars up at bedtime. I helped her stay awake until they stabilized. I understand my online friend's vigilance and her desire to live to morning.

I think I have a picture now. You're type 1 diabetic, you ate only once yesterday, and from your post yesterday... "I am not only trying to keep a caloric deficit but also keep myself in ketosis..." Do you also restrict your insulin intake?

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/skipping-insulin-diabetics-find-dangerous-drop-pounds/story?id=18687005

http://www.wearediabetes.org/diabulimia.php

If that's what you're doing, that's frekkin dangerous. You need help.

paperpudding wrote: »

CorinnaShaw wrote: »

paperpudding wrote: »

OP you are a type 1 diabetic and you are going to try to eat nothing until dinner time ???.

Are you newly diagnosed?
Have you seen a diabetic educator?

Because this is a very very bad idea - how to get a hypo before your date.

Diabetics on insulin must have regular meals.

No we don't. I have been diabetic for 10 years and my BG is actually best managed when I skip breakfast all together and I find that intermitent fasting is also a great way to control it. The whole notion of small meals throughout he day bein better for you is a myth.

On a side note; date went super well. We were together for 12 hours and talked about everything under the sun. We spent half the day hiking so I did cave and get a gourmet burger with garlic fries, but it was the only thing I ate all day and my BG stayed regulated all day. We are going on a second date tomorrow for lunch. No hiking that day (it will be right before church) so I will have to make sure I make a better meal choice.

I didn't say small meals throughout the day,I said regular meals.
Eating one meal a day is not a good idea at all for diabetics on insulin.

Anyway after all that angst about insy bits of sugar in salad dressings, you manage to have a burger and fries - that's quite a turn around in thinking!!

Actually that's a turnaround in everyone else's thinking who were blasting her.

mz_getskinny wrote: »

Eat before you go....and then order salad with no dressing...and water

Best idea!

Don't do it. Too many calories, too much fat, too much sodium, too many preservatives and chemicals, too much work to make up.

Look online at a bunch lf different places and get an idea of how many calories are if different foods. You can use that information as a baseline for wherever you eat out. We don't eat out often, but whenever we do, I log the calories at the start of the day and eat around them to make sure I keep a deficit.

You could:

a) forget about all this and eat what you want and focus on the date
b) ask for a dry grill (and pray they listen) and have something with salmon or chicken

Personally I'd ask for the dry grill, get something with chicken, and log it the best I can. You can leave food on the plate as well. You can control what you eat!

Good luck!

Have fun on your date! OMG my family loves to eat at terrible restaurants so I have developed a million mental games to deal with them.

-When it comes to rolls, the chips and salsa, shared appetizers or whatever else they put on the table before the meal (seriously, that stuff always has more calories than you expect), if you need to take some in order to avoid it being awkward, take one portion, eat some of it, but then leave a little on your plate to show that you are done (this way people are less likely to offer you more)

-If the place has a light menu, order from that. Just imagine to yourself that it is the WHOLE menu and don't even look at the rest of it.

-If no light menu, then try to avoid the fried food or the stuff that's slathered in cream sauce.

-Ask for salad dressing on the side.

-When your food arrives, look at your plate and mentally draw a line down the middle, splitting it in half. Only eat that half. The other half is for lunch tomorrow, ok?

-Try to remember what you ordered so that later on, if the restaurant info is online, you can log whatever you ate.

-Don't worry too much if you go over your calories for the day. The main thing is to enjoy the meal and the company. You can always make up the difference with some extra time on the treadmill later.