[Firecracker777]

I hate going out to eat anymore. I want to count what I'm eating but its so hard. Last night I had the fiesta lime chicken from applebees, no cheese and didnt eat the tortilla strips and only ate half the chicken and rice. Well I believe the whole meal was 1285 but how do I take into account how much the strips and cheese were?

[HadEnough]

This probably won't help you, but here is what I do. I don't worry about it. I eat out so infrequently, that I try to order sensibly when I do. I eat 1/2, take 1/2 home for my kid to eat.....and then I move on to the next meal which will be OP. My thinking might be a little different than most people here, but I have lost and gained so many times, that this time I am going at it with a whole different attitude, which is that this change is for a lifetime.....and what I do, I have to be able to do forever. It is not a race, it is a marathon, so it does not matter to me if it takes longer to get the weight off. Like, I said, I have a little different attitude, than most I think. I am not obsessing about every single thing I do this time....that is what led me to fail in the past. Sorry if I got off topic.

[mandalinn82]

Well, life doesn't come with a calorie label, unfortunately. So you just have to make your best guess. I'd probably deduct 100-200 for the cheese and the tortillas, and divide the remainder in half.

Even if you're way off with your estimates, my experience is that if you make a genuine effort to track, it all evens out in the end, and overall, you keep losing weight. So estimate as best you can, then move on and don't worry about it!

Another way to think about it - did you eat less last night than other times when you'd go to the same restaurant? Was the rest of your day better/lower calorie than those other times you visited? If so, you've making vast improvements, deviations of 100-200 calories aside.

[ThicknPretty]

When I read your post, I was going to say pretty much what Mandalinn did! It's all about progress and making healthy changes, not about sticking to a strict set of rules 24/7 and holding yourself to an impossibly high standard. When I go out and eat something, I just know that it's probably a little higher in calories than what I normally eat on my diet....but still WAAAAY better than what I would have eaten before!! That's what counts. Sounds like you did great.

[Firecracker777]

thanks everyone...i guess you are right! usually before id order like a bbq bacon cheeseburge with fries! so a little rice and grilled chicken is a better choice, plus i only had half wen usually id eat every single piece on the plate!

[Teresa2010]

Originally Posted by Firecracker777

thanks everyone...i guess you are right! usually before id order like a bbq bacon cheeseburge with fries! so a little rice and grilled chicken is a better choice, plus i only had half wen usually id eat every single piece on the plate!

Exactly!!!

[Kristi78]

I know what you mean about the frustration. I want to be precise with the calories, but there will be times when it is impossible. I went out to lunch today and did my best to guess the total calories.

[jigglefree]

they have their meals with the nutrition information online. We usually do that. It's amazing the amount of cals in those salads. I think you did great by making the most healthy choice you could. I try to do the best I can when we have a date night.

[Karen925]

Howdy,
Sticker shock and distrust of restaurants has helped me plan my meals ahead of time. I call ahead or look online, review the menuand rationally plan it out. if I have a few days heads up, I usually eat smaller (less caloric) meals preceeding the event to allow a nice cushion.

Do I expect to get exact numbers either going out or in general, No. I expect that being aware of what I am eating, which daily logging does, plus weighing myself daily, which I do unless I am travelling, that the weight will come off over time. I am paying attention to what I am doing. This is the key component.

I think it is the weekly/monthly/yearly averages which matter most.

Best wishes to your journey.

[toobig]

Its enough to make me crazy sometimes!

[beachbabe8406]

I hate eating out too for that same reason! I have to travel for work and eat out quite often. It's pretty hard to guess the calories in dishes. I mean it's great if the restaurants have their nutrition information online, but so many places do not. I find it best to look at the menu online beforehand if possible and try to determine calories before I even get to the restaurant.

[minijaxgrl]

Applebees DOES NOT post their nutrition info online. Unless they it is one of their 550 or under meals. The only place that they give out info is in California because it is the law. But on their website they straight out say they wont give out that information. Which totally pisses me off....

[ginnym1981]

dwlz dot com
is a great website for restaurant info. The gal does weight watchers so she lists the points but also has the calorie ranges for many items at MANY restaurants.

Check it out!

[Shmead]

My rule of thumb for unplanned eating out (when I didn't get to check it out in advance) is to get a non-cream, non-potato, non-chili soup--I get tortilla or chicken noodle or vegetable or bean. Skip toppers. You can reliably count these as 350-400, in my experience.

[nicholealyssa]

I definitely know what you mean! It's extremely hard for me because I live in south korea right now so any restaurant we go to (that isn't on base) is in Korean and its virtually impossible to get nutrition info from them! I usually just eat small amounts and use my best judgment and if I'm still feeling guilty I do an extra workout that week lol