Logging restaurant/takeout meals

fattyclatter
fattyclatter Posts: 28 Member
edited December 3 in Health and Weight Loss
What do you guys do if you eat out at a restaurant or order takeout from somewhere that doesn't list the calories? Like, how do you log it? Do you add the individual components and guess the weight? Or just quick add estimated calories? Leave it blank? Make a note?

I ordered takeout on Wednesday and I will again tomorrow but I'm not sure about the best way to log it. I know someone's probably gonna say something like "it's your diary, do what works for you" but I'm curious if others have a good system. I've left the dinner section blank but made a note of what I ate and where I ordered it from, but I might go back and quick add an estimated amount of calories just so that when I look at my weekly stats it's more accurate.

Replies

  • cabwj
    cabwj Posts: 843 Member
    edited July 2016
    What I do is browse through the websites for chain restaurants that do list nutri-info and find something close to what I ate. I tend to eat at little mom and pop type diners that never have a website. Based on what I ate I might look at Denny's, Chili's, Claim Jumper, etc.
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    I typically will use a chain I familiar with that publishes their nutrition information and log a similar equivalent. So if I order a burger and fries at a local place I'll log an applebees burger and order of fries. If the burger or order of fries is bit bigger or smaller i might adjust the percentages but in the long run its not going to make a huge difference unless its an everyday occurence.
  • Will_Run_for_Food
    Will_Run_for_Food Posts: 561 Member
    If you only go out once in a while (i.e. once or twice/month), don't worry about it too much. If I'm going out to eat, I will be on my best behaviour during the day and then be okay with ordering a main and not feeling guilty. Or, I will take part of my meal to go and have the rest the next day. Tonight, however, I will be splitting an appetizer or two with my husband since we both had heavy lunches. Then I'll just log my closest guess, even if I think the meal was 1,000 calories. The main thing is not to worry too much so long as it's not a habit. You'll drive yourself crazy otherwise!
  • gonetothedogs19
    gonetothedogs19 Posts: 325 Member
    "What do you guys do if you eat out at a restaurant or order takeout from somewhere that doesn't list the calories? Like, how do you log it? Do you add the individual components and guess the weight? Or just quick add estimated calories? Leave it blank? Make a note?"

    You don't log it. You just enjoy the meal and don't obsess about counting every single calorie you eat every day of the year.

    365 days x 3 meals a day = 1,095 meals. If you don't count 10 restaurant meals, that means you are not counting less than 1% of you meals. What could possibly happen to your weight if you don't count less than 1% of your meals? Answer - nothing.

    Oh, and don't order the Fettuccine Alfredo with bread sticks and two beers, and cheesecake for desert.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I guesstimate. There are a lot of restaurant and rake away items in the database though.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    gonetothedogs19 wrote: »
    "What do you guys do if you eat out at a restaurant or order takeout from somewhere that doesn't list the calories? Like, how do you log it? Do you add the individual components and guess the weight? Or just quick add estimated calories? Leave it blank? Make a note?"

    You don't log it. You just enjoy the meal and don't obsess about counting every single calorie you eat every day of the year.

    365 days x 3 meals a day = 1,095 meals. If you don't count 10 restaurant meals, that means you are not counting less than 1% of you meals. What could possibly happen to your weight if you don't count less than 1% of your meals? Answer - nothing.

    Oh, and don't order the Fettuccine Alfredo with bread sticks and two beers, and cheesecake for desert.

    Wow! The first part of your reply is spot on but the last part is so odd! Did you have a typo?
  • melodyesch
    melodyesch Posts: 49 Member
    Depending on what I have, I will either try to break it down into components and guesstimate or just choose something similar. The other day I had a buffalo chicken salad. The restaurant has the item at 1800 calories. But I had grilled instead of fried chicken, left off the cheddar cheese, tortilla strips and bacon. They usually mix it swimming in dressing but I had them serve the dressing on the side. So it ended up being grilled chicken with buffalo sauce, lettuce, some blue cheese crumbles and about 1/3 of the dressing. I could have gotten really technical about it and guesstimated the portion sized of each component I did have, but in the end I said to hell with it and just logged 1/2 complete salad and moved on.
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
    gonetothedogs19 wrote: »
    "What do you guys do if you eat out at a restaurant or order takeout from somewhere that doesn't list the calories? Like, how do you log it? Do you add the individual components and guess the weight? Or just quick add estimated calories? Leave it blank? Make a note?"

    You don't log it. You just enjoy the meal and don't obsess about counting every single calorie you eat every day of the year.

    I would advise against this, especially when first starting out. I wouldn't say to drive yourself nuts over it, no, but try to find something comparable to what you ate and log something like 1.25 servings to account for error. If all else fails, just quick add 2000 to 3000 calories depending on what you ate. It's better to overestimate than to act like it never happened in my opinion.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,188 Member
    I eat out pretty regularly at some local mom and pop restaurants. I just use the nutrition information from a similar chain. I always use the same entries so even if they aren't exactly right at least I am consistent. It hasn't hindered my weight loss.
  • typeitdaily
    typeitdaily Posts: 3,322 Member
    cabwj wrote: »
    What I do is browse through the websites for chain restaurants that do list nutri-info and find something close to what I ate. I tend to eat at little mom and pop type diners that never have a website. Based on what I ate I might look at Denny's, Chili's, Claim Jumper, etc.

    Exactly what I do.
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