Success plan for eating at someone else's home?

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Tobysgirl212
Tobysgirl212 Posts: 27 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I would love your advice for how you count calories when you're a guest at someone's house. As someone who weighs and tracks all my meals home, it is a real challenge: I have no idea what will be served until we arrive, and then I have to figure out what and how much to eat. I also tend to eat when I'm nervous, which doesn't help! How do you all successfully navigate these situations? We have two upcoming functions back to back--a dinner with family friends on Saturday and lunch with different family friends on Sunday. Thanks in advance!

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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,550 Member
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    Go for the vegetable plates.

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  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
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    I don't particularly avoid any foods. I eat what's served and then log a comparable entry in an amount I've approximated. One day of inaccuracy isn't going to do much in terms of your progress. Sure you may lose a little less (or none at all) for the week, but so long as you go back to normal logging practices, you'll continue on how you were.

    Same for parties and holidays. Enjoy them, log what you can and move on.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Do a bit more exercise, eat small portions, have a day at maintenance
  • morihay
    morihay Posts: 50 Member
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    I take a picture of my plate and once home find it easier to remember what I ate and estimate sounds funny but I have forgot things I ate in till 2 days later ect. But I'm a little OCD about tracking even if I have to estimate a meal
  • CuteAndCurvy83
    CuteAndCurvy83 Posts: 570 Member
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    Eat a small healthy meal before you go and bring something on the healthier side to share, like a veggie and hummus plate, that way if it's a calorie heavy meal you can eat what they serve in smaller portion and rely on the veggie plate for extra filling or snacking.
  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
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    I just eat light beforehand, and then enjoy myself while out although I keep an eye on portions. I take a larger serving of what's better for me, and select what looks good from the rest, again...taking a sensible piece. If there is dessert I'll take it but depending on what it is, maybe eat half.

    Don't stress. You're just eating with friends, and you don't have to load a plate up to please anyone. Just estimate your calories and call it a day. No biggie.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    i dont eat food other people make often, because most of them cant cook worth a darn. lol

    beyond that, this is why weighing and cooking at home is so important- you get pretty darn good at estimating amounts and what is in food - so when you are away from home, it's a little more accurate ;)
  • toe1226
    toe1226 Posts: 249 Member
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    Never go to a friends house starving. I'll eat an apple and a few nuts, like 200 cal total RIGHT before I go. Then I'll go super small portions, pic of the plate.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
    edited January 2016
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    I try to eat lighter meals or snacks before going, personally, then make sensible choices once there... just a spoonful of the high calorie stuff, more meat and veggies. Obviously it depends on the friends though, I've visited people who only had high calorie food available (veggies drenched in butter etc), so I basically ate a small (but not totally tiny as I find it rude) portion of it... still probably ate 800-900 calories for the meal, lol (dessert was homemade chocolate pudding and I definitely wasn't going to pass on that - although you can get a small portion or leave some in the plate too).

    If I had eaten beforehand so I wasn't hungry, that would just be extra calories, so I don't really understand why people do that... as I find it rude to go to someone for a MEAL and eat like a bird... but I guess I'm French and food is something we like to share...
  • Tobysgirl212
    Tobysgirl212 Posts: 27 Member
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    morihay wrote: »
    I take a picture of my plate and once home find it easier to remember what I ate and estimate sounds funny but I have forgot things I ate in till 2 days later ect. But I'm a little OCD about tracking even if I have to estimate a meal

    I think I may dare to try this. Where I get sloppy is nibbling and going for seconds or thirds until I just don't keep track or care anymore. At least this way I'm held accountable. The trick will be how to not look like a weirdo photographing the plate of food. Maybe I'll say it's for my Instagram, lol.


  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,598 Member
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    Eat lots of nonstarchy vegetables before you go there so that you can eat small portions over there without losing your mind.
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
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    There's an old trick that will charm your host or hostess and make estimating much easier. Praise the meal greatly, and insist on getting the recipes :wink:
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
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    Do not take pictures of your food. Just don't do it. Trust my answer, please.
    You can do that at restaurants. Not at other people's homes.
  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
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    JanetYellen wrote: »
    Do not take pictures of your food. Just don't do it. Trust my answer, please.
    You can do that at restaurants. Not at other people's homes.

    ^^
    1000 times...yes.

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Can you ask what the meal will be? Every time we have friends over or go to friends' houses we talk about it beforehand.
  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
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    When I eat dinner at home it's roughly 400-500 calories. When eating at someone else's home, especially for a special occasion, I assume it will be at least twice that amount and plan accordingly. That may mean skipping breakfast that day or putting in a longer workout.
    I also know that some friends or family tend to order pizza so I can prelog two slices plus some extra calories for a dessert or drink. Others tend to have subs or pasta. Same thing. I try to guess and prelog and then obviously adjust afterwards. I don't take pictures of my food. My memory can handle a few hours.
  • ki4eld
    ki4eld Posts: 1,215 Member
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    I rarely go hungry, but I absolutely will photograph my plate no matter where I am. If someone asks, I'll explain that I need to track what I eat. Sometimes, that opens a dialogue about healthier eating. Sometimes, they look at me like I'm a little nuts. I'm ok with either. I'm not ok with mis-logging food.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,142 Member
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    I watch my portions, I eat less during the day and if possible exercise more, I enjoy the company and the food, I may even skip desert if there is something very sweet (don't like the stuff), I am grateful that somebody cooked for me and that I don't have to clean the dishes/kitchen, I don't take pictures and I don't log anything. What is the point of over estimating or underestimating? There will be no accuracy in the logging either way.
  • deshayvan
    deshayvan Posts: 3 Member
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    I definitely eat an apple or veggies before I go to someone's house just because it's fills me up and also I'm always a little Leary of eating other people's food anyway. But if you do eat before you go it helps. If you don't eat before you go just eat smaller portions. I'm a firm believer in its not what you eat but the amount of what you eat. Portion control for sure.

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