Counting that MASSIVE meal out (1,914 calorie dinner)
Replies
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InkAndApples wrote: »rainbowbow wrote: »On days i know i'm going to go out to eat for dinner i'll fast/
TBH i much rather eat whatever the hell I want at the restaurant and I know i can only do *so* much damage. Of course i don't just go crazy, but atleast by fasting during the day I know i've limited the amount i've gone over my calorie goal.
I know some might disagree -- but I'm a huge fan of this strategy. I dare say I enjoy the occasional fast (and honestly don't mind hunger that much). But if I know I'm going out for a full rack of ribs at night, I'll fast the day until that big meal.
This specific case -- the Indian restaurant was spur of the moment, so I didn't do that.
I wasn't even aware that doing things this way was a thing to take note of, let alone one people might disagree with - to me it's just common sense, if I'm having a big meal I "save room" for it, always have done. Weird how you don't realise how other people see things sometimes.
Someone once jumped down my throat when I said I did this once -- that I was putting my body in "starvation mode" and that multiple meals were needed to boost metabolism like "kindling on a fire" and eating a large meal all at once means "your body has no choice but to turn most of it into fat."
With more research I'm not sure any of that is true.
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I don't know that *I* would actually say "foolishly eat that much" out loud, but I'd certainly think it.
I would hardly consider one high calorie meal on a special occasion "foolish."
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fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »If you think that was a lot, you may wish to avoid the post-Thanksgiving threads. So far the most I've seen was 8,000 plus from that tall guy from Texas.
Rare special occasion big meals can be part of a healthy life. It's when they become habitual that there's a problem.
Not mine. Honestly, such meals would make me ill. My stomach simply can't deal with that much food at once. I am miserably uncomfortable if I overeat. Thank goodness - because I do love food!
I am not loving the judgement some posters are assigning to his choice of meal. That's beside the point and doesn't answer his question.
Of course a "splurge" for you would be different than a splurge for the OP. No one is saying you have to eat this much food to consider this scenario. When YOU splurge - do you track it or not.
To answer the question for me - I would try to track it. Guesstimating portions is not my skill (hence why I'm now using MFP), but out of curiosity I try to log it. But in the end, I enjoy my meal, knowing I don't do this every day (or even every week), and move on.2 -
Chicken Pakora
... Just enjoy your meal, don't over do it and have fun with your friends 
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If it was as rare as hen's teeth -- like friends coming from out of town for one meal in several months, I'd just chalk that day up to an experience. If it's more a part of the normal swing of things, I do my best to account for it and, if I've gone over for the day, subtract those calories in succeeding days. The way I do this is by looking at the overage and then putting it as quick calories in the next day's breakfast. I keep doing the quick adds until I'm back to zero over. That way I keep to my average number of calories for the week's weight loss.1
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I track everything, even if I have to estimate. I just like numbers. I make up for it if I feel like it, and call it a day if I don't feel like it, accepting a setback if there is one. 1914 calories would not be massive to me. I may end up only slightly above maintenance if I'm active that day and had the rest of my meals under 500-600 calories. Sometimes I just have one meal up to maintenance on purpose. In reality, most people who feel that they've overdone it haven't really done as much damage as they think in one day. Sometimes I have days that are over 3000 calories, now those do mean actual gain, but I would only be setting myself back for one week, if that. No big deal. I'm generally very relaxed about occasional overeating. If it's occasional, it's negligible to me. I'm very careful not to fall into the habit of eating over calories more often than my deficit can handle, so I don't see a problem if you're in control.1
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puzzledstill wrote: »I did much the same yesterday.
Meal in Michelin star restaurant in London.
I've recorded everything - best guess basis. Totally over calories (1400) - but how many times do you have a 60th birthday ?
I did make some sensible choices.
I did walk a lot -(17000 steps) part of my gift was a tour of Kew Gardens - but then today I've been travelling home - so little walking.
All to say special days are part of life and MFP has to fit in with that. I'm absolutely back on track today. So one day hasn't become 2 or 3 as it would have pre-MFP.
OP, on the way to losing a third of my body weight, there were a few special occasions when I ate way over goal, and way over maintenance . . . 5000+ calories in a day, even, which is a lot for someone who's (in maintenance) a 120-something pound 61 year old woman. @puzzledstill, one of those was the day of my 60th birthday party, an estimated 2524 calories at the party, and 3354 for the day.
I still got to goal (60+ pounds lost) in less than a year.
One of my strong beliefs is that the weight loss process offers opportunities to learn how to eat in a healthy way forever. Therefore, I wouldn't do anything while losing - other than a moderate calorie deficit most days - that I couldn't see myself doing forever. I'm certainly not going to give up celebratory eating for the rest of my life, even though at my age that's maybe only 20 years.
If an over-goal day or event was known in advance, I might try to schedule in some fun extra physical activities in the days beforehand, eat a little lighter (100-200 calories max less) for a few days before, and eat lighter at other meals the day of the event. Unless I literally didn't feel hungry the day after, or had notable extra energy from the extra food, I did nothing the day(s) after, except return to my regular healthy routine.
To me, after-compensation smacks of the idea that overeating is sin, for which we must do penance - and that's nonsense. (I know it doesn't strike everyone that way. ) It can also leave one feeling hungry, and set up a later binge. (When eating reduced calories the days before, the special event replaces the risked binge.)
For unplanned over-goal days, there's no chance to bank calories ahead, but i still just returned to routine afterward.
And yes, log it (IMO), even if you have to estimate. There are several reasons: It will give you more accurate data cumulatively to estimate your personal NEAT/TDEE. It will let you estimate the delay it caused in reaching your ultimate goal. (When your routine daily deficit is netting you a pound of loss per week, 1000 calories over goal calories is 2 days' delay - usually not such a big deal if you so it once a month or less.) Finally, it will let you consider in the cold light of day whether the indulgence was worth it - sometimes it is, sometimes not, IME - and learn from that for the future.
Granny sez: Under no circumstances give in to guilt or drama: Entirely optional, no fun, and neither one burns any extra calories.9 -
If I have a special occasion or huge eating day with unfamiliar foods, I often just "quick add" 1000 or 2000 calories, a rough estimate of how much it was. The main function of logging for me is to have an accurate idea of my calorie needs so if I want to gain or lose weight I know what adjustment will probably give me the result I want. This week was my birthday and I had two big overage days. Looking at my weekly average calories, I know I'm at maintenance for the week and won't expect to see a loss on the scale. Seeing that reminds me that if I'm trying to lose, I better not have a 3k day very often.0
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collectingblues wrote: »fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »So best friends are in from out of town, we decide (it's restaurant week) that we're going to go to our favorite Indian Restaurant. Of course eating out on a weekday goes against rules I've set in 2017 -- but it's a special occasion so what the hell.
For the day so far, I've had a cucumber/chicken salad and 20 grams of protein (about 546 cals).
For the dinner? My god. As you can expect it's all the favorites:- Chicken Tikka Masala Entree
- Chicken Pakora appetizer
- Garlic naan
- 22oz beer
- Two samosas
The restaurant doesn't have nutrition information on the menu, so I go to this site this morning to find super rough equivalents and try to keep my logging for the week semi-accurate (I've been weighing food and tracking macros):
https://delishably.com/dining-out/How-Many-Calories-In-Indian-Food-Items-With-ChartList
Since I'm giving IIFYM a shot (a rather flexible / carb-cycling version of it) I plug those rough numbers into my sheet and:
My back-of-the-napkin calculations come to a 1,914 meal that runs straight over my target and barrels over my TDEE (Wow).
Then I remember most of these are rough averages anyway, including the TDEE and target.
Part of my goal with this entire operation is to develop some sense of control over dieting -- relinquish some of that obsessive "clean eating" mindset I get into for normalcy and, with all my progress (235lbs+ to 187lbs [height 6'1] in 6 months) avoid going out and then devolving into the old f**% it attitude that I know could get me back where I started in no time.
To make a long story short -- when things like this come up, do you try and track them using whatever method you can? Do you ignore it and just chalk it up to a "night off?" Do you over-compensate in the gym? Do you worry? I find I'm obsessing probably more than I should -- curious how other folks here manage it.
I don't do it. I don't eat that much in a DAY, much less one meal. If I were to foolishly eat too much, I would certainly track it. And yes I would try to get in more exercise that week, for sure.
I think it is a bit rude to write "foolishly eat that much". Many of us enjoy a delicious dinner out once in awhile, WHILE losing weight, while staying fit too. Track it or not. Extra exercise or not.
Perhaps rude to write it out loud, but I don't think it's any different from anyone else having an opinion on anything around here. And I can certainly understand the perspective.
For me, the meal the OP is planning, in combination with what they've had already that day, is only ~200 calories sort of my TDEE from Sunday, when I ran a half marathon: AKA, when I had a heck of a huge calorie burner. I can't even fathom being able to eat a meal that large and not having some serious regret over it.
I don't know that *I* would actually say "foolishly eat that much" out loud, but I'd certainly think it.
I still think it was rude.
And some people have bigger TDEEs than you. Imagine that.3 -
InkAndApples wrote: »rainbowbow wrote: »On days i know i'm going to go out to eat for dinner i'll fast/
TBH i much rather eat whatever the hell I want at the restaurant and I know i can only do *so* much damage. Of course i don't just go crazy, but atleast by fasting during the day I know i've limited the amount i've gone over my calorie goal.
I know some might disagree -- but I'm a huge fan of this strategy. I dare say I enjoy the occasional fast (and honestly don't mind hunger that much). But if I know I'm going out for a full rack of ribs at night, I'll fast the day until that big meal.
This specific case -- the Indian restaurant was spur of the moment, so I didn't do that.
I wasn't even aware that doing things this way was a thing to take note of, let alone one people might disagree with - to me it's just common sense, if I'm having a big meal I "save room" for it, always have done. Weird how you don't realise how other people see things sometimes.
Someone once jumped down my throat when I said I did this once -- that I was putting my body in "starvation mode" and that multiple meals were needed to boost metabolism like "kindling on a fire" and eating a large meal all at once means "your body has no choice but to turn most of it into fat."
With more research I'm not sure any of that is true.
It's not 3 -
rainbowbow wrote: »On days i know i'm going to go out to eat for dinner i'll fast/
TBH i much rather eat whatever the hell I want at the restaurant and I know i can only do *so* much damage. Of course i don't just go crazy, but atleast by fasting during the day I know i've limited the amount i've gone over my calorie goal.
Ooh I used to fast when it was going to be a big night out, I don't any more.
I have had one too many times of being light headed on the first glass of wine to make that a going concern.
Now I make sure I have a hearty lunch about 4 hours before. It means I can't eat quite as much as I want because I am still digesting lunch, but it is so much more ladylike than having my face planted in my prawn passanda (all time fav Indian dish) yet again.
(The problems of petite older women
)
If I was logging my food still, I would have done a good guesstimate and moved on. It is our everyday habits that make a difference to weight loss long term, not the special occasions.
Personally I don't think that was too much of a blow out meal if the drinks were included too- and I am tiny!
Cheers, h.3 -
It's funny you mention that because I rarely drink (maybe 2-3 times a year) and people are always shocked (heck even I'm shocked sometimes) at the effect you're talking about.middlehaitch wrote: »rainbowbow wrote: »On days i know i'm going to go out to eat for dinner i'll fast/
TBH i much rather eat whatever the hell I want at the restaurant and I know i can only do *so* much damage. Of course i don't just go crazy, but atleast by fasting during the day I know i've limited the amount i've gone over my calorie goal.
Ooh I used to fast when it was going to be a big night out, I don't any more.
I have had one too many times of being light headed on the first glass of wine to make that a going concern.
.
I had two mixed drinks on my anniversary dinner and I was completely smashed. Not good. LOL
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rainbowbow wrote: »
It's funny you mention that because I rarely drink (maybe 2-3 times a year) and people are always shocked (heck even I'm shocked sometimes) at the effect you're talking about.middlehaitch wrote: »rainbowbow wrote: »On days i know i'm going to go out to eat for dinner i'll fast/
TBH i much rather eat whatever the hell I want at the restaurant and I know i can only do *so* much damage. Of course i don't just go crazy, but atleast by fasting during the day I know i've limited the amount i've gone over my calorie goal.
Ooh I used to fast when it was going to be a big night out, I don't any more.
I have had one too many times of being light headed on the first glass of wine to make that a going concern.
.
I had two mixed drinks on my anniversary dinner and I was completely smashed. Not good. LOL
Mmmmm . . . how did hubs feel about it?
Oops, did I type that out loud?! Um, never mind.3 -
rainbowbow wrote: »
It's funny you mention that because I rarely drink (maybe 2-3 times a year) and people are always shocked (heck even I'm shocked sometimes) at the effect you're talking about.middlehaitch wrote: »rainbowbow wrote: »On days i know i'm going to go out to eat for dinner i'll fast/
TBH i much rather eat whatever the hell I want at the restaurant and I know i can only do *so* much damage. Of course i don't just go crazy, but atleast by fasting during the day I know i've limited the amount i've gone over my calorie goal.
Ooh I used to fast when it was going to be a big night out, I don't any more.
I have had one too many times of being light headed on the first glass of wine to make that a going concern.
.
I had two mixed drinks on my anniversary dinner and I was completely smashed. Not good. LOL
Those must have been 2 really strong drinks
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So, about 1 day per week, I tend to have a day like this- where figuring out calories is next to impossible(eating out, eating at a friend's, etc)Also, I'm engaged to a 6'5 man who likes BIG dinners- keeping a dinner below 700-800 calories is a MAJOR victory. (It has to do with how leftovers work in our house-they don't). On typical days, I plan my day to hold out for my big dinner& maybe a glass of wine- not eating too much too soon seems to be my key behavior to allow this. On tricky days, I don't attempt to track, unless I can get to the app soon after eating(doesn't happen often-I'm not one for being on my phone when in a social setting). I typically assume I've gone overboard, and am careful that day to limit additional calories-small snacks only if needed. I realize that with the amount I exercise and eat for the rest of the week, it's really hard to completely stall my progress with one restaurant meal & I'm happier overall being able to indulge on occasion. The trade off is not being able to pinpoint how many calories I've averaged over the week, so plateaus are a bit more mysterious.
So what I'm really saying is: don't worry about it too terribly much- as long as you are not doing this every day, the extra calories will barely register as a blip on your weight loss. If you feel the need, you can adjust for the rest of the week, or you can just accept that you won't make as much progress as usual.0 -
rainbowbow wrote: »
It's funny you mention that because I rarely drink (maybe 2-3 times a year) and people are always shocked (heck even I'm shocked sometimes) at the effect you're talking about.middlehaitch wrote: »rainbowbow wrote: »On days i know i'm going to go out to eat for dinner i'll fast/
TBH i much rather eat whatever the hell I want at the restaurant and I know i can only do *so* much damage. Of course i don't just go crazy, but atleast by fasting during the day I know i've limited the amount i've gone over my calorie goal.
Ooh I used to fast when it was going to be a big night out, I don't any more.
I have had one too many times of being light headed on the first glass of wine to make that a going concern.
.
I had two mixed drinks on my anniversary dinner and I was completely smashed. Not good. LOL
Mmmmm . . . how did hubs feel about it?
Oops, did I type that out loud?! Um, never mind.
o...m...g....
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fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »So best friends are in from out of town, we decide (it's restaurant week) that we're going to go to our favorite Indian Restaurant. Of course eating out on a weekday goes against rules I've set in 2017 -- but it's a special occasion so what the hell.
For the day so far, I've had a cucumber/chicken salad and 20 grams of protein (about 546 cals).
For the dinner? My god. As you can expect it's all the favorites:- Chicken Tikka Masala Entree
- Chicken Pakora appetizer
- Garlic naan
- 22oz beer
- Two samosas
The restaurant doesn't have nutrition information on the menu, so I go to this site this morning to find super rough equivalents and try to keep my logging for the week semi-accurate (I've been weighing food and tracking macros):
https://delishably.com/dining-out/How-Many-Calories-In-Indian-Food-Items-With-ChartList
Since I'm giving IIFYM a shot (a rather flexible / carb-cycling version of it) I plug those rough numbers into my sheet and:
My back-of-the-napkin calculations come to a 1,914 meal that runs straight over my target and barrels over my TDEE (Wow).
Then I remember most of these are rough averages anyway, including the TDEE and target.
Part of my goal with this entire operation is to develop some sense of control over dieting -- relinquish some of that obsessive "clean eating" mindset I get into for normalcy and, with all my progress (235lbs+ to 187lbs [height 6'1] in 6 months) avoid going out and then devolving into the old f**% it attitude that I know could get me back where I started in no time.
To make a long story short -- when things like this come up, do you try and track them using whatever method you can? Do you ignore it and just chalk it up to a "night off?" Do you over-compensate in the gym? Do you worry? I find I'm obsessing probably more than I should -- curious how other folks here manage it.
I don't do it. I don't eat that much in a DAY, much less one meal. If I were to foolishly eat too much, I would certainly track it. And yes I would try to get in more exercise that week, for sure.
Don't see it being 'foolish' that is no way to make someone feel better about having a 'bad' meal.0 -
To make a long story short -- when things like this come up, do you try and track them using whatever method you can? Do you ignore it and just chalk it up to a "night off?" Do you over-compensate in the gym? Do you worry? I find I'm obsessing probably more than I should -- curious how other folks here manage it.
I would enjoy the evening with my friends. I wouldn't try to log the meal -- or rather, would log 2,000 calories and let it go. I've logged 5,000 calories before just for laughs and didn't bother with listing the food. If it matters, I reached my goal weight about 10 months ago and have maintained it.
You can still enjoy the meal if you put a few limits on it. If it helps, look up some of the food beforehand (I love Chinese sesame balls, but they are 100 calories each, so I stop at two instead of six). Fill up first with vegetables/salad/soup and then have the other food. Have one dessert, not several. Watch the salad dressing, bread, and condiments. Most of all, cherish your time with good friends. One big restaurant meal shouldn't hurt you as long as it isn't a habit.
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My attitude is, "Life happens."
A spontaneous dinner out with friends, or a pizza ordered in when I'm too busy (or lazy!) to cook the meal I'd intended to is not something to stress over.
My strategy is to log it to the best of my ability and move on. Life's too short. 3 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »My attitude is, "Life happens."
A spontaneous dinner out with friends, or a pizza ordered in when I'm too busy (or lazy!) to cook the meal I'd intended to is not something to stress over.
My strategy is to log it to the best of my ability and move on. Life's too short.
I'm a fan of this attitude. As long as I can get right back to it the next day, I'm not going to stress. And this thread has been helpful w/ that. Thanks all 5 -
I track with estimates, eat lighter throughout the rest of the week, and move on. As long as big blow out meals are not a regular thing, what I do for 99% of my days determines my weight and long term success, not a single meal. I've maintained my weight over 5 years at this point.
And I know everything is relative, but "MASSIVE" meal?
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MegaMooseEsq wrote: »That sounds delicious. I take one night off a week and between alcohol and snacking could certainly hit that many calories in an evening.
I have a friend who is Vegan 6 days a week and eats whatever he wants on Sunday without logging it, and he continues to lose weight. In fact he's almost to his goal already. I say logging or not, enjoy yourself and get back on the horse the next day!0
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