Counting that MASSIVE meal out (1,914 calorie dinner)

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  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,484 Member
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    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 B))

    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.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    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.
    .
    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.

    I had two mixed drinks on my anniversary dinner and I was completely smashed. Not good. LOL
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,316 Member
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    rainbowbow wrote: »
    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.
    .
    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.

    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.
  • princeofmind
    princeofmind Posts: 95 Member
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    rainbowbow wrote: »
    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.
    .
    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.

    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 :astonished:
  • KiraChristiansen
    KiraChristiansen Posts: 26 Member
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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.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    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.
    .
    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.

    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.... :lol:
  • TheJourneyToFabulous
    TheJourneyToFabulous Posts: 381 Member
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    fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »
    Hypsibius 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:
    1. Chicken Tikka Masala Entree
    2. Chicken Pakora appetizer
    3. Garlic naan
    4. 22oz beer
    5. 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:

    Screen%20Shot%202017-07-19%20at%209.52.38%20AM.png?dl=0

    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.
  • RedSierra
    RedSierra Posts: 253 Member
    edited July 2017
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    Hypsibius wrote: »
    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.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
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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. :)
  • eastouip
    eastouip Posts: 4 Member
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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!

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