managing calories when eating out????

My philosophy is relatively simple, I think. If I am paying restaurant prices, I am going to get something I really want...something I can't (or don't) make at home. So I look at the menu, and chose the healthiest option among all the things that I really want. Sometimes it isn't a very heathy choice, but to me, that's life and I need to deal with it - extra exercise, extra water, being extra good with other meals that day. The other thing I do, is make sure I stop eating when (or before) I am full. That means, more than half of the time, I request a box and take part of my meal home with me. But again - I am flexible - I don't subscribe to that "rule" of requesting a box at the beginning of my meal. At some places, the portions AREN'T that big :laugh: Try not to overdo it with bread, rolls, alcohol or dessert. But most importantly, I make sure I enjoy myself. It may a cliche but for me - it is a lifestye change, and this is how I am able to stick with it. Everyone has their own approach, of course, but I have some MFP friends who seem to "crash and burn" just about every weekend, and I have some MFP friends who are plugging away, slowly and surely. Which would you rather be? :flowerforyou:

If you know where you're going, look at the menu ahead of time. Almost every restaurant has items that can be managed into a calorie-counting lifestyle. Sodium is going to be the worst offender from a nutritional aspect.

Specific to Texas Roadhouse, the other poster was right, Texas Roadhouse cops out of providing general nutritional guidance on their website ("All our food is made fresh by each restaurant so we don't think anything we could provide would be accurate." For 85-90% of the menu, that's bull****. 4 ounces of broccoli isn't going to radically change when you move from once location to the next. A 6-ounce steak is a 6-ounce steak.), so you'll need to go with generic estimates, of which MFP has a lot. Use the USDA guidelines to estimate the steak calories. Use some of the generic MFP listings to estimate sides. Filet and sirloin are generally going to be less fatty than the prime rib or other cuts of beef. They have chicken, but almost all of it is either fried, or covered in barbecue sauce or some kind of gravy.

Personally, when we go to Texas Roadhouse, I tend to keep to a smaller size steak, ask for modifications -- no butter or no added salt, whatever. I get sweet potatoes, not baked potatoes, get the butter on the side.

Their yeast rolls are delicious. As is their cinnamon butter. Beware. And they put a big bucket of peanuts on every table.

I'm sure they've all said pretty much the same thing but planning ahead is huge... I always look up nutrition info first if I can find it. If mfp does not have it, go to the restaurants website. A lot of times I try to plan in advance what I want for dinner and adjust my day accordingly. Of course you can combing your lunch & dinner if there are too many calories, just be careful that you're not hungry later on. Good luck!