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Pre-planned eating before going out?

Phoenix1401
Phoenix1401 Posts: 711 Member
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Is it a good idea to pre plan my meals before I go out to eat with friends and relatives?
Example: I use mfp database and resturants nutrition list on their site to find the lowest cal meal and then enter it in my food diary.
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Replies

  • sam2674
    sam2674 Posts: 55 Member
    I think it's a great idea. I try to do the same thing
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,150 Member
    It's what I do. Also, I only eat half of my meal.
  • meggers127
    meggers127 Posts: 27
    I think it's a good idea as long as you stick to what you planned. We like Red Robin and they have a customizer on their website where you can take the dishes and add or subtract things. If I want my normal burger, it's like 75g carbs with the bun. (I'm on a low carb diet, so that's what I look at). If I take the bun off, that number plunges. But I always pre plan when I go out. I know what I'm getting before I walk through the doors. I don't want to be looking at a menu blindly and hope that what I pick isn't bad. Hope that helps!
  • tinkermommc
    tinkermommc Posts: 558 Member
    I do it too! After a bad trip to applebees where I figured I'd order off the under 550 menu and didn't realize they are full of salt :-( Now I always check before hand!!
  • mamamc03
    mamamc03 Posts: 1,067 Member
    ALL the time!! I dont go into a restaurant or order before I have consulted my app. ;) For example, if I go to Genghis Grill...I have my bowl preloaded into my recipes! LOVES it!! Its better to be safe, than sorry.
  • luvmybaby333
    luvmybaby333 Posts: 241
    I do this quite a bit. :)
  • jennytree
    jennytree Posts: 195 Member
    I look at restaurant menus if at all possible, so that I'm not panicked into getting something worse for me. It's worked well so far.
  • trolkeeper
    trolkeeper Posts: 127 Member
    Is it a good idea to pre plan my meals before I go out to eat with friends and relatives?
    Example: I use mfp database and resturants nutrition list on their site to find the lowest cal meal and then enter it in my food diary.

    always!!
  • ARDuBaie
    ARDuBaie Posts: 378 Member
    Definitely. I have several people who unintentionally try to sabotage all my work by talking me into getting something that I know is not healthy. Usually, they will say something like, "Oh, come on. Celebrate." If I celebrated every time I ate out, I would be a blimp. So I check out the menu online before I go. Most places have online menus. If not, I get a menu from them a few days before. If I have to bring a low fat dressing, they understand. I often bring a tupperware container and I have taken my food scale as well. Extreme. Maybe. But I've lost a lot of weight and there ain't no stopping me now.
  • AliciaBeth78
    AliciaBeth78 Posts: 437 Member
    I'm actually going out tonight with a friend and I already have my meal in my food log! Now as long as I maintain my willpower not to deviate, I should be ok!
  • Raina27
    Raina27 Posts: 133
    I always do!! I pre-plan my meals for the next day every night!! It really helps me...like today is my daughter's b-day and I made sure I planned out my ice cream and cupcakes!! :D
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
    I always pre-plan my meals. If I cannot then I stick to a default of grilled chicken or salmon with no sauce or butter, steamed veggies with no sauce or butter, and either a sweet potato or rice. I also get a salad and tell them no-add ons, only veggies then put vinegar on it. I always manage to stay around 400 calories when I do that.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    I do
  • sfoxy219
    sfoxy219 Posts: 103
    That's what i do. It's better than getting there and taking an hour to search the menu to find the healthiest thing.
  • carajo
    carajo Posts: 532 Member
    great idea! Keep up the good work! I do it as well then if i dont eat whats planned adjust!
  • LenaMena87
    LenaMena87 Posts: 469 Member
    I have to otherwise I literally freak out and WILL NOT eat out! Crazy I know but hey........
  • HeatherNicoleMomOf4
    HeatherNicoleMomOf4 Posts: 201
    ido the same thing it helps me so much
  • MissYatta
    MissYatta Posts: 57 Member
    I always look at restaurant nutrition guides, here, and my calorie book before I go out to eat. It keeps me in line and I know what the healthy options are. It also gives me time to plan ahead with exercise if I know I will be splurging a bit. It's a great idea that lets me go out to eat AND stay in my calories. Nothing wrong with it :)
  • judybrim
    judybrim Posts: 82 Member
    For sure! That even helps you plan out your whole day's #'s. Great job looking ahead to get the whole picture! :D
  • PrincessLou71186
    PrincessLou71186 Posts: 741 Member
    If I can, I always do it.

    I make a selection of maybe three of four things that I would like to eat and go for the lowest cal option.

    I don't look for the lowest calorie option to start with though as I like to choose what I want to eat rather than have it dictated to me, which is what I would feel like is happening.
  • the_energy
    the_energy Posts: 48
    That is exactly what I do! Sometimes you can go oh with more than one option and you always feel good about making better choices after.

    *extra tip: If my friends are having dessert and i fancy something sweet, i have a hot chocolate at the restaurant. If it has some cream on top even better! Lower in cals than a dessert but still a treat, and you don't feel like you're missing out :D xxx
  • j77r68
    j77r68 Posts: 271 Member
    definitely, you don't want to go out and have what you think might be fairly healthy for you and find out that everything is through the roof ! i've done that, well i did have my dinner planned out BUT they stopped carrying it so i had to pick something else. tried to pick the healthiest thing but it didn't quite work out. so now i have a plan and a back up plan. going out can so easily throw off your day it isn't even funny
  • LenaMena87
    LenaMena87 Posts: 469 Member
    Please please please remember salads aren't always the healthiest menu items either! So many hidden calories in them!
  • jerber160
    jerber160 Posts: 2,607 Member
    I've tried to do this and can stick to it when I go somewhere like Outback... but if I get in a nice restaurant, even though I've looked over the menu and planned..... When I hear the specials my pre-planning usually falls to pieces... and I go with it with the theory that you only live once...and that helps me feel like I'm not 'dieting.'
  • MissYatta
    MissYatta Posts: 57 Member
    Please please please remember salads aren't always the healthiest menu items either! So many hidden calories in them!

    This!
  • hutchy100
    hutchy100 Posts: 103 Member
    If i go out for a nice meal then i think what the hell i want to enjoy myself but if it's a trip to red robin or 1 of them places i pre plan as i don't want to waste good calories on crappy food
  • FitLink
    FitLink Posts: 1,317 Member
    Is it a good idea to pre plan my meals before I go out to eat with friends and relatives?
    Example: I use mfp database and resturants nutrition list on their site to find the lowest cal meal and then enter it in my food diary.

    I preplan, but I don't pick the lowest calorie meal. I pick what I want, it's a special occasion to go out with family and friends and deserves to be treated special, then I work what I eat the rest of the day around it.
  • melissan84
    melissan84 Posts: 487 Member
    I since started a less than a month ago, I won't go nowhere without checking the nutritional menu. I like to plan out my day according to the meal.
  • DizsJourney
    DizsJourney Posts: 83 Member
    Definitely plan! also pick a back up meal in case theyre out of what you want! great question and you are doing the right thing! :-) keep up the good work!
  • LilRedRooster
    LilRedRooster Posts: 1,421 Member
    I definitely try and do that before I go out. Gives me an idea of what I want to shoot for in terms of calories. I don't necessarily completely plan it out, but I like to get the information before I go, so I'm prepared once I'm there.
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