Constant going out to eat sabotages me

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jenna2cu
jenna2cu Posts: 35 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone,

I hope some of you can relate and give me advice! I always eat much better at home of course when I prepare my meals. My family and boyfriend love going out to eat. I get together with my family once a week and it always involves going out to eat. Same with weekends with my boyfriend. It’s very hard to make healthy choices when going out to eat. Has anyone else faces this struggle? Do you just avoid going out to eat? Go out to eat and just visit but not eat and then eat your healthy meal at home? Please give advice 🙏🏻

Replies

  • carrangie60
    carrangie60 Posts: 1 Member
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    This is also an issue for me. Fish and chips every Thursday. I need to break the habit my husband and I have created.
  • VegjoyP
    VegjoyP Posts: 2,715 Member
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    I'm plant based and bo not have any problems. It is important to me how I eat and biggest thing is make no excuses for my choices. I look through menu and ask for modifications. I inquire ahead sometimes to see what they can do to accommodate. I also look for places that are versatile or vegan friendly. For example I ask for them to cook without oil and butter, no cheese, etc. Grilled or steamed, never fried. Even a salad can be tweaked. I ask for things like avocado, nuts or something else to add even. I also plan if I am going to deviate, but that's not much because I feel better eating on my plan then not
  • perryc05
    perryc05 Posts: 209 Member
    edited September 2022
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    It's always a tough one as you can't always measure what's in a prepared meal accurately but you have to live a little too. I work on on an 80%-20% sort of rule and just try to observe very healthy eating and calorie control with regular exercise 80% of the time, while allowing myself the occcaional indulgence(s) once or twice a week. For me that is mainly eating out. I think the best weight loss plans are the ones you can stick to in the long term. Except for soft drinks and some highly refined processed foods I don't really exclude much from diet either.
  • goldenxbeauty
    goldenxbeauty Posts: 154 Member
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    That was my issue before work. I have an hour commute and e joy my fancy coffee drinks and my coworkers like ordering in during our shift or meeting up for lunch beforehand.

    It just came down to discipline.
    I started bringing my dinner. I tried my best to eat lunch before leaving the house. I cut down my fancy drinks to one per pay period(rather than 4-5) and I stopped ordering food at work except every other weekend when I work. I try to go for healthier options as well but I have the advantage of a single work shift netting me 15,000 steps minimum plus more physical labor so I dont feel guilty if I do treat myself 2 weekends per month.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 1,974 Member
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    A few tips from my own experience and podcasts I've followed:
    • Plan ahead - bank some calories for something special
    • Pick one thing in the meal to be special (main dish, or dessert, or an appetizer) and choose conservatively on the other items
    • Pick the restuarant, and take a look at the menu before going - put the info into your tracker BEFORE you go, so you know if it fits your plan.
    • Order first - this will help you stick to your plan vs hearing everyone else's choices first and changing your mind
    • Go in with a plan and avoid looking at the menu when you're there - write it down or a note in your phone if you're not sure you'll remember, and stick to that. Don't look at all the other delicious looking (but totally unhealthy) options on the menu
    • Ask for a to-go with your meal, and immediately put half your meal away - bonus, free lunch the next day!
    • If possible, avoid places that have all-you-eat pre-meal apps like chips and salsa or bread baskets - it's not hard to blow an entire week's deficit just nibbling on those things
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,527 Member
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    Split meals with somoone.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • mrmota70
    mrmota70 Posts: 525 Member
    edited September 2022
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    carrangie60 wrote: »
    This is also an issue for me. Fish and chips every Thursday. I need to break the habit my husband and I have created.

    Enjoy it. Just share the plate of it with your husband. I do that myself as well with other foods. Evil pancakes. We share a short stack 1 and 1/2 small pancakes a piece. Don’t deprive yourself. Just watch the portion. And I’ll say it now before the no work out police get here. Pay some toll. Workout. Or we do it early and run errands afterwards. We also double it up as multiple meals. Eat breakfast a little later closer to lunch. 600 cals is a good amount for a meal but when you divided between two meals it’s not such a bad thing. Find hacks that work for you and allow the treats in moderation.
  • mrmota70
    mrmota70 Posts: 525 Member
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    ninerbuff wrote: »
    Split meals with somoone.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    Ha ha that’s what he said. I’m he 😂
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,902 Member
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    When out to eat, I divide my food in half when it arrives and bring half home for another meal.

    In the US, chain restaurants (those with more than 20 locations) must disclose calorie counts on menus, including online. So if we're going to one of those, I can look ahead of time and decide.

    Sometimes my partner wants takeout from a chain and I will look at the menu and decide I'm just going to eat from the frig. I always have chicken, rice, and beans ready to eat.

    I would have had a LOT more meals from local chain restaurants if not for the calorie count information! However, I am eyeing 99's new PORK CARNITAS MAC & CHEESE despite its whooping 1,310 calories...

    Sometimes my partner will go out for fast food breakfast or lunch and I go with him to be sociable but bring my own food.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    What do you consider healthy vs unhealthy choices? I tend to look at my diet in the context of the whole and not get too much into the weeds of individual meals all being as healthful as possible. My overall diet evens out with very healthful foods, decently healthful foods, and not so healthful foods.

    The biggest thing with eating out is the portion sizes really, particularly when you're talking about weight management. I definitely limit eating out in that I have a family of four and it gets expensive pretty quick, but we typically go out for lunch or brunch on a Saturday or Sunday. If I'm going out for lunch, I typically skip breakfast that morning and generally dinner that evening is lighter as well. Same for brunch...I basically just eat two meals on those days and my at home dinner is typically much lighter than my lunch or brunch.
  • bobschmidt21
    bobschmidt21 Posts: 9 Member
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    Focus on lean protein in your main dish. Most places have some kind of steamed or seasonal veggies to get as a side.

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