Eating out

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Burtsieboop
Burtsieboop Posts: 13 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there! How does everyone log their meals when they go out for dinner? And how do they know how many calories are in their meals? Anyone have any secrets?
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  • cookielover_96
    cookielover_96 Posts: 177 Member
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    It's difficult if it is a buffet. I'd would call it a cheat day and not log.
  • kdz526
    kdz526 Posts: 210 Member
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    I tend to see where i am going and check out the menu online, and then decide what will fit in the budget that I will enjoy.
  • RetroPolkaDot
    RetroPolkaDot Posts: 83 Member
    edited January 2016
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    sometimes you can find nutritional info online. If I can't find that then I just search out what I had and try my best to find a similar dish. It might not be 100% accurate but I figure that attempting the best i can is better than not bothering to count it at all.
    I rarely go out to restaurants for meals so I usually order whatever I like and call it a cheat meal.
  • Marianna93637
    Marianna93637 Posts: 230 Member
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    Most of the main restaurants are actually in the database. PfCHeng, Denny's, Applebees, Chili's etc. You can choose from there. If it's not, then just estimate. for example you can look up tacos and see what would most likely match it. You might be way off, but just try your best. Either way, eating out will most of the time result in very high calories.
    It's kinda sad that if I go to Denny's and have an omelet, its 1000 calories!! Yes I could do the low calorie choice for 500, (not even that low) but I could make them myself at home. Might as well enjoy it. Chinese food is the same thing. I still log everything as best as I can.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    Chains are in there. fr other places, find a similar dish and pick a higher calorie one.

    i eat out all the time.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Depends, usually don't. I don't eat out a lot. So I don't worry about it.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I can never stick to my calories if I eat out for dinner, because I'm a 'hungry earlier in the day' person and I can never save calories for it!

    But that's always an option - save calories by having a light breakfast and lunch.

    Then either enjoy it and eat what you want, or go for sauces/dressing on the side and no fried things. And skip dessert. Then pick an equivalent in the database and log that.

    Buffets, yeah those are tough and I really try to avoid them...
  • jmh_90
    jmh_90 Posts: 17 Member
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    If I go out it is because it's my "cheat meal" and I don't count calories. I just enjoy it. But if it's not the time for my cheat meal yet I always go for a salad with the dressing on the side and a source of protein in it but I make sure that it's not fried. Later on you can log in something similar to what you ate..and with a salad it's hard to go over your calorie budget.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    jmh_90 wrote: »
    ..and with a salad it's hard to go over your calorie budget.

    salads in restaurants are notoriously riddled with hidden calories.

    even at home, i can make a 700 calorie salad without thinking about it lol

  • alaromeny91
    alaromeny91 Posts: 8 Member
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    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »

    even at home, i can make a 700 calorie salad without thinking about it lol

    How are you doing that? Is it dressings? Avocados? Meat? Oil?

    I love eating lettuce, spinach, cucumber, tomatoes, radishes, gerkins, etc as you can totally pig out and it hardly makes a dent on your calorie allowance.

    No dressing, no oil and just a tiny bit of 'posh salt'(we like the pink Himalayan or Hebridean Rock Salt) and some black pepper.

    I tuck into it when the cravings get too much and I'm full pretty fast.
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
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    Most of the time I quick add 1000. Unless it's something I know is even over that - like sushi I log 400 calories per roll. Chinese I log 1000 cal per "plate". Pizza is usually in the database.

    I know it's not that accurate, but I don't eat out too often.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    Once you log and weigh at home all the time you get good at eyeballing restaurant meals. I even log my meats and veggies when I'm out down to the gram/oz now. I usually have to add a tablespoon for olive oil or butter as well. If there is bread involved I usually go with the highest calorie option to be safe.
  • Kvm11628
    Kvm11628 Posts: 7,386 Member
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    Just do your best to estimate based on menu equivalencies you can find in the database. More importantly, think about the menu choices and what, naturally, might be most prudent. Ask for modifications (like dressing on the side) when you can. Avoid the bread basket. And, if I know the portion is huge, I always visually divide my plate so I am not finishing the plate.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    alaromeny91 wrote: »
    callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »

    even at home, i can make a 700 calorie salad without thinking about it lol

    How are you doing that? Is it dressings? Avocados? Meat? Oil?

    all of the above. your body needs protein (meat, egg, nuts,etc)- that helps keep you fuller longer. avocados have wonderful fats and nutrients. I'm not saying my salads ARE that high in calories, but i could certainly make them that way if I weren't mindful of weighing my food.
  • jenniferpiotrowski0
    jenniferpiotrowski0 Posts: 215 Member
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    Usually I look for nutritional information online or Google the restaurant to see how many calories are in the food options then when I get there I search for the food and pick the closest match for the food I ate..I sometimes end up just eating half of everything I get including my drink if it is a Pepsi product. I also try to sneak in exercise calories if I happen to go to the mall or something after going to the restaurant to get calories back. If there is something at the restaurant that is hard to calculate calorie wise or easily binged on like a bowl of chips then I skip on that but if its bread I will just have one piece at olive garden or something. I try to pick something that I know might be lower in calories that I still like but there's not always that option. Sometimes they will have lighter options listed on thier menu but some will not. I have found that if they do thier selection of food options are very small but if you find something in the menu that's lighter then I would go with one of those if you like what's listed.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    It depends. If it's a chain, and the stats are online, I might preplan. Yesterday, though, we went to Bravo Cucina Italiana and I waited until I got there. I know they have a good "lighter side of Rome" menu.
    In the end I had the grilled salmon, roasted asparagus, and spinach/butternut squash with pesto.

    For local menus, I tend to play it safe: caesar salad with protein, or meat and veg. But we eat out often. I can't just go for it every time we go out.

    Federal law requires chains to post their info, but has given them an extension until December to get that info posted. I LOVE THAT. And I can't wait until the next phase (smaller restaurants) post theirs as well.

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    jmh_90 wrote: »
    If I go out it is because it's my "cheat meal" and I don't count calories. I just enjoy it. But if it's not the time for my cheat meal yet I always go for a salad with the dressing on the side and a source of protein in it but I make sure that it's not fried. Later on you can log in something similar to what you ate..and with a salad it's hard to go over your calorie budget.

    Yeah go and look at salad calories in chain restaurants, lol.

    Cheese, nuts, croutons, dressing... oh hello 1200 calories salad.

    I really hate ordering salad at restaurants. You never know how many toppings they'll put in, there's always some weird combinations I don't like, and it's often tasteless lettuce and if I'm going to have salad, I'd just rather do it at home where I'm in control of toppings (and dressing. I love my own dressing but in restaurants I have to ask for vinegar as I don't really like low calories dressing and the full fat stuff is too many calories). I'd much rather go for grilled meat and veggies if there is the option.. at least it's easier to estimate.

    Honestly given the choice I'll always pick lunch over dinner. Half the time I can even afford dessert and I'm so full that I can skip dinner (or have a small one). Win/win.
  • tkc616
    tkc616 Posts: 18 Member
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    I try to order something like Chicken/salmon and a veggie. Or if I get something more fattening, I don't eat the whole things but eat half and use the other half for lunch the next day.
  • howeclectic
    howeclectic Posts: 121 Member
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    I try to keep it simple. Baked potato. Grilled chicken. Vegetables... Avoid bread. No turkey burgers (some of them are worse than hamburgers). Sandwiches.... No sauces... No cheese... Make sure bread isn't grilled... Salads.. Dressing on the side... No cheese... No nuts...

    Finally... Guess the calories and add 50% to that estimate.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    Others have answered well already about logging chain restaurant food from their websites, and just estimating from similar entries for independent restaurants.

    But I wanted to add - one thing that has been a downfall for me, was getting in the habit of just not logging when I have had a lot of restaurant meals in one week. For example, around the holidays eating at various parties & events, and then restaurant meals on top of that...it really got me off track even as a person who has been maintaining for years using this website. For some people (ME) tracking all of the food I eat is super important to continued success. It's a very slippery slope sometimes when you go out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner 2-3 days a week because of a busier social life and just think "ahh I won't log". I did that in Nov-Dec of last year and piled on several pounds I am now working to shed. The other 2 years I was logging estimates and fared much better, it keeps me accountable.

    Just a word from my own experience, but even if those "guesses" and estimates are off by 300 cal it's probably better than getting out of the dedicated logging habit and just letting everything kind of slide...

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