Eating out...?

If you're having serious cravings & feeling deprived, you may be headed toward a binge. :noway:
Don't let it happen.
Look up the calories for the foods you like - Chinese or whatever. Then plan out what you can eat for other meals that day & how much exercise you need to stay within your nutritional goals for the day.
Be proactive & plan it out. Then it will be even better when you know you stayed on your plan & still got to eat out.
Be extra careful with your foods the days before & after. Since there's extra sodium in many restaurant foods, drink extra water that week.
You can do it.
Enjoy!
:flowerforyou:

you could also try splitting an entree w/ a friend/boyfriend/husband! I say if you think your going to go on a binge have a little of what you want!

I too think that you should not deprive. Yes you are trying to lose weight, but you are also wanting this to be for a lifetime, right? Your body and mind will resent you and this "calorie restrictive time" if you dont enjoy some of your favorites once in a while. And it will be much easier for you to continue this type of food lifestyle in your maintenance period if you already know how to incorporate the healthy w/ the unhealthy. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. Just enjoy each bite and stop eating when you are full. Don't stuff yourself!

And bonus! having a little unhealthy can give your metabolism a little super boost and help you get over a plateau. I was stuck at 178 for 2 weeks. last night had a hamburger and a glass of sangria and boom...down 2lbs this am. :drinker: :flowerforyou:

Since "Portion Control" is my new best friend....... :laugh:

I use this approach when going out to an Asian restaurant with friends.
We always eat "Family Style" = many plates of different foods shared with all.

Instead of heaping piles of stuff on a plate, ask for a rice bowl to eat out of.

I then measure by eyeball, quantities of approx. 1/4 cup of only my faves.
Rice first in the bowl, others on top, one at a time usually.
Eat slowly, use chopsticks & savor those tasty bites!

Notice how you feel when eating & STOP before getting full.
It takes a few minutes for fullness to set in..........

ENJOY but don't overdoobie doobie do! :flowerforyou: :bigsmile:

You can eat out....just make healthy choices and another good idea is to order a meal and ask for a box so that you can split your meal before you start and eat the rest the next day for one of your meals to stay on track.
Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Nutrition Facts For Foods

First, like all restaurants, it depends on the restaurant you go to. There are greasy pit stops, and there are more authentic Chinese restaurants. The more authentic, the more likely the less garbage (heavy sauces) you'll find in the dish (where a lot of the calories are). I'm being rude, but I'm not trying to be so forgive my lack of diplomacy. What I mean is not that these restaurant owners are not trying to be authentic, but rather, in order to survive, they must develop dishes that their public understands and wants. Southern Cantonese cuisine is focused on flash stir fry, on fresh ingredients, and minimal sauce. It's about the crispness of the food, and the flavor from within. Northern cuisine (where it is colder) tends to be hot (and sometimes more sauce). Although I hear that spicy foods can help with losing weight.

Don't deny yourself. Like going out to any restaurant, just limit the times you do that. But Cantonese cuisine is quite easy to make, and you can do that yourself. Most supermarkets have Asian ingredients (ok, so I don't know if most supermarkets have them, but they do in California and New York). And instead of white rice, you can make brown rice at home (although I love, love, love Jasmine rice).

Now, I know that many of you know that much of the food found in some Chinese restaurants are not really Chinese per se. For example, Sweet and Sour Pork was invented in the U.S. to accommodate American tastes. Yes, a certain element of it is Chinese, certain flavor profiles. But the high content in sugar, lots of breading, deep frying, heavy sauce was added to meet tastes here.

I know I am very picky about my Chinese cuisine and somewhat of a snob (I don't do it on purpose). But I grew up with a Mom who was a teacher of Chinese cuisine in Hong Kong, and a father who knew a lot of the managers in Chinese restaurants in Chinatown (where we would get special treatment every time when we went for dinner). So, be patient with me. I can't help it, it's ingrained.

Although there is a lot more to it, I would first think of Cantonese food like this: lots of veges, very thinly sliced meat, flash stir fried in a very hot wok (putting food in layers to develop flavor profiles), flavors from natural ingredients like fresh ginger and garlic, or maybe a little rice wine). One of my favorite things to eat is Bok Choy: Hot wok with a little oil, sliced ginger and garlic for 5-10 sec, bok choy for a few minutes (until it's the softness/crispness that you like), and you're done. Salt it to your liking. The Chinese food I grew up with is not fattening, not over sauced, full of dark veges, and moderate portions of protein.

Sorry, I didn't mean to go on a rampage, but I'm passionate about Chinese food. I want you to feel good about it, not feel guilty. Chinese food at its best is very healthy, and an excellent way to maintain a healthy diet.

Peace, and enjoy your Chinese food!

First, like all restaurants, it depends on the restaurant you go to. There are greasy pit stops, and there are more authentic Chinese restaurants. The more authentic, the more likely the less garbage (heavy sauces) you'll find in the dish (where a lot of the calories are). I'm being rude, but I'm not trying to be so forgive my lack of diplomacy. What I mean is not that these restaurant owners are not trying to be authentic, but rather, in order to survive, they must develop dishes that their public understands and wants. Southern Cantonese cuisine is focused on flash stir fry, on fresh ingredients, and minimal sauce. It's about the crispness of the food, and the flavor from within. Northern cuisine (where it is colder) tends to be hot (and sometimes more sauce). Although I hear that spicy foods can help with losing weight.

Don't deny yourself. Like going out to any restaurant, just limit the times you do that. But Cantonese cuisine is quite easy to make, and you can do that yourself. Most supermarkets have Asian ingredients (ok, so I don't know if most supermarkets have them, but they do in California and New York). And instead of white rice, you can make brown rice at home (although I love, love, love Jasmine rice).

Now, I know that many of you know that much of the food found in some Chinese restaurants are not really Chinese per se. For example, Sweet and Sour Pork was invented in the U.S. to accommodate American tastes. Yes, a certain element of it is Chinese, certain flavor profiles. But the high content in sugar, lots of breading, deep frying, heavy sauce was added to meet tastes here.

I know I am very picky about my Chinese cuisine and somewhat of a snob (I don't do it on purpose). But I grew up with a Mom who was a teacher of Chinese cuisine in Hong Kong, and a father who knew a lot of the managers in Chinese restaurants in Chinatown (where we would get special treatment every time when we went for dinner). So, be patient with me. I can't help it, it's ingrained.

Although there is a lot more to it, I would first think of Cantonese food like this: lots of veges, very thinly sliced meat, flash stir fried in a very hot wok (putting food in layers to develop flavor profiles), flavors from natural ingredients like fresh ginger and garlic, or maybe a little rice wine). One of my favorite things to eat is Bok Choy: Hot wok with a little oil, sliced ginger and garlic for 5-10 sec, bok choy for a few minutes (until it's the softness/crispness that you like), and you're done. Salt it to your liking. The Chinese food I grew up with is not fattening, not over sauced, full of dark veges, and moderate portions of protein.

Sorry, I didn't mean to go on a rampage, but I'm passionate about Chinese food. I want you to feel good about it, not feel guilty. Chinese food at its best is very healthy, and an excellent way to maintain a healthy diet.

Peace, and enjoy your Chinese food!

:drinker: I know what I'm having for lunch!:bigsmile: You made me hungry:laugh:

My guy and I go to all-you-can-eat buffets (Golden Corral, usually) once a month or so as a treat. No, I don't look it all up ahead of time, and yes, I log it all here. Keep a notebook handy so you can write stuff down as you eat.

I've stayed within my goals for the most part, every meal out. I avoid pastas, breads and sauces, eat meat broiled or roasted, lots of salad & veggies, and one-two bites ea of several different desserts (OMG their sugar free blueberry pie is to die for). I NEVER finish everything I put on my plate and I always stop well before I feel uncomfortably full. I don't worry too much about it and if I go over a bit, I go over...it isn't worth freaking out about and knowing I have a cheat night coming makes the sacrifices much easier in between. :bigsmile:

That's exactly what I did on a cruise one summer. I didn't gain a pound the whole 2 weeks & I tried everything!
:huh:
Now if I could just do that on a daily basis I'd be doing great!
:grumble: