MEXICAN??!? Scarey or not...?

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  • JMJohnson1005
    JMJohnson1005 Posts: 222 Member
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    Mexican food is my favorite so I do not hold back when I get to eat it, which is not very often. My husband will only eat at the Mexican restaurant in his home town, which is an hour away. I have gone from ordering 2 quesadillas to just 1 though! I eat all the salsa, chips and cheese dip I want though.
  • VegGrrl
    VegGrrl Posts: 336 Member
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    Decline to have the chips on the table and order simple rice and beans. Preferably the vegetarian beans if they have 'em so you don't end up with a dish of lard. :wink:
  • sbwood888
    sbwood888 Posts: 953 Member
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    I always do REALLY bad when I go to a Mexican restaturant.
  • Twylyght
    Twylyght Posts: 224 Member
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    Plan ahead! Decide what you are going to have before you go and log it, then make sure you stick with that and you will do just fine. A couple chips and salsa are okay as long as you don't go overboard. Watch your sodium. Mexican food can be loaded with it sometimes! And have fun!! Mexican is my fave and I eat it often!!
  • LyssaMarie13
    LyssaMarie13 Posts: 45
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    Just only allow yourself so many chips... Eat as much salsa as you want. (tomatoes are amazing for you!) As far as entre goes MOST Mexican places have their version of a shrimp cocktail. They put shrimp in a glass usually. fill it with tomato juice, add avacado, onions, and cilantro. You can get it cold, warm, or hot. It's amazing! I like it a lot. It's a bit more expensive than just getting an enchilada or something, but it's worth it when you see how much better it is for you!
  • kbw414
    kbw414 Posts: 194
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    I don't eat out period if I'm trying to lose weight. It's very, very hard. In fact, I've noticed that most of my weight was gained BECAUSE I was going to restaurants several times a week. I recently ate at a restaurant and ordered what I thought to be a small, reasonably portioned, healthy meal. It turned out to be over 800 calories. You just have no idea how the food is cooked (which is one of the major ways that calories can be added, for example, adding butter or oil), and many restaurants still don't offer nutrition facts. Mexican food is particularly tricky. If you go to one of those semi fast food places like Qdoba where you can make your burrito to order, it can be over 1000 calories! Refried beans are especially bad for you. And all of those chips, tortillas, etc tend to be high calorie.

    If you want Mexican, I would suggest you try making some Mexican food yourself at home. In my experience, the calories and portion sizes are more controllable and I can usually make more delicious food than you can find at most restaurants for under $30 a plate. Save yourself some money too!
  • krystico
    krystico Posts: 104
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    I order the "Mama's Skinny Enchiladas" at Don Pablos and actually count out my chips! The enchiladas are pretty good!
  • ShellyKay67
    ShellyKay67 Posts: 489 Member
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    I usually just tell them not to bring the chips and salsa..........yes, it's hard, but it's harder to resist if they are sitting on the table!
    Good luck!
  • Tomhusker
    Tomhusker Posts: 346 Member
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    Mexican food is my favorite when going out to eat. However, the sodium is absolutely ridiculous. We always go out to eat on the Friday nights that I meet a mini-weight loss goal. I forgo all my inhibitions and just enjoy the treat. I loves me some Mexicans foods.
  • Tomhusker
    Tomhusker Posts: 346 Member
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    I don't eat out period if I'm trying to lose weight. It's very, very hard. In fact, I've noticed that most of my weight was gained BECAUSE I was going to restaurants several times a week. I recently ate at a restaurant and ordered what I thought to be a small, reasonably portioned, healthy meal. It turned out to be over 800 calories. You just have no idea how the food is cooked (which is one of the major ways that calories can be added, for example, adding butter or oil), and many restaurants still don't offer nutrition facts. Mexican food is particularly tricky. If you go to one of those semi fast food places like Qdoba where you can make your burrito to order, it can be over 1000 calories! Refried beans are especially bad for you. And all of those chips, tortillas, etc tend to be high calorie.

    If you want Mexican, I would suggest you try making some Mexican food yourself at home. In my experience, the calories and portion sizes are more controllable and I can usually make more delicious food than you can find at most restaurants for under $30 a plate. Save yourself some money too!

    As I mentioned, I love the stuff. I learned how to make a pretty solid Mexican seasoning mix that I use to cook homemade tacos or chili. I can control what goes into everything and keep the numbers reasonable.
  • thedreamhazer
    thedreamhazer Posts: 1,156 Member
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    Vegetarian fajitas are the best! Ignore the sour cream, cheese, and tortillas. Only eat half, take the rest home.

    And ask them not to bring the chips and salsa if you're worried. I always eat the chips and salsa, though, and I'm not even that thrifty about it. I just plan ahead, make sure I get a good burn for the day, and allow it to be my splurge. If you don't want ot splurge, just do your best to not eat the chips. Temptation is difficult, but possible to get through!
  • melibea
    melibea Posts: 228
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    I love Mexican! I try to avoid it if I can because cheese is my weakness and everything Mexican seems to be 102490324 times better with super extra cheese.
  • jakemg
    jakemg Posts: 42
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    Salsa is actually pretty low in calories. I try to get more salsa on each chip and keep track of how many chips I eat. Our town has the world's best Mexican restaurant. I always just order my normal (a giant steak burrito), but I only eat half. This keeps the calories down pretty well (and TBH, that giant burrito really is two portions) and it gives me a tasty meal the next day. It's hard not to eat the whole thing because it's delicious, but if you can control yourself, you can still eat what you want, just in moderation.

    That and I only go there like once a month. This way, I don't get sick of it, and it's a nice treat.

    :)
  • AllisonS79
    AllisonS79 Posts: 51 Member
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    Here is a link to an article from Self Magazine. I remembered reading it a couple of months back and I think there is some GREAT info here. This is info you can use and you wont feel deprived. It's more about making a "smarter" choice, even if not always the best choice for weight loss.

    http://www.self.com/fooddiet/2011/05/easy-mexican-menu-swaps-slideshow#slide=1

    Looks like you'll have to copy & paste it into your browser.
  • briabner
    briabner Posts: 427 Member
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    Chips and salsa are me WEAKNESS!!! What I do is that I allow myslef to eat either 5-10 chips (depending on how my eating has been for the day) I then break up the chips (usually into about 3 or 4 bite size pieces) and then eat as much salsa as I want. Also, when ordering an entree I order the grilled chicken fajitas, and if they have a smaller portion available like a lunch portion I always ask for that. I dont use the soft tortillas included because they can be as high as150-200 calories per tortilla. So, I just eat the fajitas with lots of salsa, no cheese, and maybe guacomole (high in calories, but good for you).
  • brph26
    brph26 Posts: 207 Member
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    I actually had Mexican for lunch today. I had 2 beef hard shell tacos with lettuce and cheese with sour cream on the side, and chips and salsa. According to the MFP calculations that all was only 505 calories... I only ever get tacos though, mainly because no one in my house will eat them, so I rarely get them. I suppose they are a better option compared to some of the other dishes.
  • khstafford
    khstafford Posts: 19
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    Okay so As I am reading these responses to my question, the common denominator is CHIPS.. and PLANNING ahead before you go. So this is what I came up with

    No chips and salsa- if I do Ill have less than 10.
    Shrimp, Peppers,onions Salsa and Rice

    That puts me at a lower end of cals

    Well see.. im meeting a client for dinner so I wont be shoveling food in my face, fab... so self control will be easier.. now if I was alone or with friends, i would have way less will power!
  • khstafford
    khstafford Posts: 19
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    yay thanks!
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    The last time I went out for mexican, I probably over did it with the chips and salsa but my meal was pretty light. I got the grilled chicken taco salad without the shell and no dressing - just used some of the guac as dressing. Sure avacado is high in fat but it's good for you!

    Something to always keep in mind when knowing you're dining out is to keep your other meals as light as you can (without being too extreme about it) and get some good calorie burn in advance. That way you've got that cushion and it shouldn't throw you too far off track. Also, drink a ton of water - all restaurant food is full of sodium!
  • DarMC
    DarMC Posts: 78 Member
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    I agree with a lot of you!

    Limit your intake and choose healthier dishes.

    I make my own food, and use corn tortillas. Carne asada with lettuce and tomatoes and tons of salsa. 2 tablespoons of pinto beans or black beans. I count my chips and eat lots of salsa. I stay away from the cheese, sour cream and avacados.

    I eat chips and salsa almost on a daily bases (my bad)!

    I have always been addicted to salt! A big weakness!! And I do know how bad it is for me!! :(

    Have a great day! :)

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