[xMeaganx]

This isn't a typical situation! I am going home soon, this will be the first time in a year and a half, and I've already been getting invitations to go out to eat. The last time I went home I spent two weeks doing nothing but going out to eat with my friends and the only meal I ate at home was I had cereal once. I don't want to do this again!!! My problem is all of my friends are college students, which means we don't cook! I've thought about doing just one big group thing, but I'm going home in summer and it is just too hard to schedule one day. What do you think? I've not had fast food in forever, because there is none around here. I don't want to go home and suddenly fall back into old habits. I'm also going home "legal" as I turned 21 in Germany and my friends are having me a late-birthday party, which means cake and alcohol...... I know that I shouldn't spend all my time eating out, but I know that without some encouragement I will do nothing but!

[dgramie]

I have found that eating out is the hardest for me to do. I have only eaten out 2 times in 6 weeks. I plan ahead to what i can have and everything. Alot of restraunts have calories listed online. Hubby has brought me home subway a few times.I do find that after eating all that bread on a sub sandwich i am hungry the rest of the day. Red Lobster is a good choice for me because I can go online and choose my food and check out the calories before I go.
Also mexican is pretty easy to control. I count out 10 chips and dont order cheese dip. I get grilled stuff like fajattis and only eat one of the shells.
I would just plan ahead and eat your other meals based on the fact you are eating out. I count calories so its easier for me than some other diets might be. GOOd luck and you can do this!!

[Lovely]

Okay. There are healthier options at restaurants if you do go out. (Or I should say when, because chances are it'll be really tough to never go out.) It takes some planning, but you can often find the healthier choices online if you decide on the restaurant ahead of time.

You don't only need to plan one day to cook at home. Of course you guys can cook! In fact, why don't you change that dynamic and start cooking for them. Doesn't have to be complicated, and it doesn't have to just be salads. There are simple recipes all over 3FC, take some time, find a couple you might want to try, and go for it

About your birthday, is it special enough to you that you want to have a piece of cake and a drink or two? (I ask, because my birthday is not special to me.) If it is, then PLAN to have A PIECE of cake and maybe a drink or two. PLAN! That's all it takes

[bluex]

Fast food is hard, but doable. Restaurants are easy.

Fast food, I never eat the bun, never order the fries, just get a side salad.

Restaurants: You can almost always find some piece of chicken that comes with some kind of potato. I never eat the potato thing and most restaurants will replace that with veggies if you ask. If you can't find that, then get a salad. If it's breakfast, you can almost always choose something besides the hashbrown (just ask it to be replaced with something, I am low carb so I say give me cottage cheese instead, but you can ask for fruit too).

Don't eat any of the bread/chips offered at restaurants. Do not get appetizers either.

Even with all that, I usually take half my food home from a restaurant because sometimes they just give you too much food. I never thought I would do that, but you can train yourself to do it.

Even with that, it's not going to be as good as your plan is at home, but it's the best you can do.

Don't be afraid to be vocal about your preferences. I know that for the first few months of my plan, I was afraid to go out. And going out or god traveling was just the most frustrating thing in the world. I've gotten better and can eat most anywhere, but while I am out and about, I stick to my plan 100%, be more careful while eating out because they sneak in the calories and sugar wherever they can.

[tingirl]

Great advice Bluex! Another thing I do at a sit down restaurant is to visully cut my plate in half and only allow myself to eat half the meal and then ask for a to go box for the rest. Another thing I do is to drink a lot water before the meal comes. Water helps to fill you up.

I've learned to sit back and really enjoy the company and my surroundings. I find that sometimes I enjoy the smells of certain foods even more than the taste (such as BBQ). The food is only part of the experience - make sure you enjoy all of it

[pamatga]

Don't you think????

I think of all of the toughest parts about dieting is "eating out". I hope, we will keep this thread going for quite a while because I am copying and pasting all of the good suggestions here.

I sympathize with turning 21 and eating out so much with friends. I just think it is almost a hobby with us Americans and who knows maybe Europeans do as much as we do. It is social. It is good food. It is delicious and it can be a "diet's undoing". I think that pretty much sums it up!

I went "home" because of my critically ill Mom about a month ago. I was going under a lot of rushed circumstances. I ate every meal out when I did eat. I did not count calories and I ate whatever "looked good" to me. I returned home 9 lbs heavier (and I was gone 6 days!) and very demoralized by the whole experience.

Well, I have lost those 9 lbs (thanks to the stomach flu) and 3 more but I really do want to both travel, eat out and still remain on my food plan.

All I can say is I plan on planning the next time I return "home". I am bringing my food along with and when I eat out, I will follow some of your very good suggestions. Next time, I want to at least return home the same weight that I left. If I lose that would be great too but at least maintain!!

Great thread!!