I have been eating healthy (I like that better then "on a diet") for about 2 months now and have gone from 264 to 235 so far. I'm really proud of my weight loss and am motivated to keep going till I reach my goal. But now I feel as if all my hard work could be put to waste later today.

I have been dreading this day for quite some time. Every few months the entire family, cousins aunts uncles etc get together for dinner. Well tonight is the night and it's at Olive Garden. I am dreading this so much (the eating out part, not my family). Theres nothing I can eat there (healthy) I am worried I'm going to gain all the weight back. Though I know that will not happen, it still scares me that all this work could be for nothing. I already gained a pound this week (no idea how), I cant gain more.

Have any of you eatten out at all on your diet and still continued on after like nothing happened? I am worried that it will be like "this foods so good" and I'll go back to eatting crap like how it was before. This has happened in the past other times I have tried losing weight. This time is for real and I cant let some trip to the Olive Garden change it all.

I know I sound crazy haha, but this worries me. This diet thing is for real this time.



< he makes me smile I don't know why.

Hey. Congrats on all the weight you've lost so far! There are healthy things you can eat at olive garden. Before you go check out a website with nutritional information (if you search olive garden nutritional information on google a couple choices pop up) and pick what you want, so you know it's a good choice. I suggest the Venetian Apricot Chicken. Also, you can replace the pasta with whole wheat pasta or vegetables. I almost always get extra vegetables instead of pasta. You might find after 2 months of healthy eating that your taste buds have changed even. It happened to me. Now I crave mangos.. lol. Good luck. You can do this!

Dee

For me it is about making good choices. And remember - you are not on a "diet" you are making lifestyle changes for a lifetime. So go and enjoy your family and choose the best possible item and portion size - if it isn't perfect it's OK - also drink lots of water.

Have a great time!

Yes, you can go out to eat and still stay pretty much on your plan! But it's good to have a plan in place before you go.

Things I know about Olive Garden:

- The salad is loaded with dressing, so it's not low calorie by any means. But, you can ask for lowfat dressings.

- You can leave most of the pasta on the plate. For example, get the shrimp primavera, eat the shrimp, but leave all but about three forkfuls of pasta. Or, as the previous poster suggested, ask for no pasta and vegetables instead.

- It's generally not worth taking the pasta home. Offer it to someone else if you like.

- Bread? No. Don't go there. Not if you're having pasta.

- Dessert? Oh please. Skip that.

I realize that your family may have their own routine for this meal, but you don't have to tell them you're "dieting" or anything else. Just that you don't feel like eating more than what you're eating. You don't need any negative attention.

And, ONE meal that goes a bit over does not "ruin" a weight loss plan. You just have to plan ahead for it. Eat less during the day (not NOTHING, just less). Eat a little less the day after, too. It will all even out if you make it part of your plan.

Good luck!
Jay

To add to Jay's excellent advice, I would just say to also make sure to take an extra 20 minute walk or something similar on that day, maybe take an extra 20 minute walk a few times during the week as well.
Oh and you don't sound crazy at all. You sound rightfully concerned as this is new for you. I was a nervous wreck the first time I had to venture outside my safe haven (my home) while I was losing weight.

This lifetsyle is for, well - life and in every life some restaurants shall fall, even during the losing portion of your journey. You can get through this fairly in tact. Really. And once you do, you'll feel GREAT about it and then you will gain confidence for the next time it happens knowing that you stayed in control, didn't "blow" anything and enjoyed the people and your surroundings and yes, even the food.

Stay strong and forge ahead. Just keep on going and going and going and going...... This journey is one of the most worthwhile things you will ever do in your entire life. That's right - YOUR ENTIRE LIFE!!!! Enjoy every minute of it. All the best.

A tip that works for me if I am going to a restaurant that doesn't have website info or say you didn't know what was "safe" to eat at Olive Garden...I stick to salad with low cal, low fat dressing on the side, broth based soups (chicken noodle, vegetable, vegetable beef, minestrone) and lots of ice water.

Please come back later and let us know how it went today...even if it didn't go so well...we'll celebrate your victory with you or offer a pat on the back if you need help to get back OP.

For me, I'm always afraid that one missed step (a big overeat!) will derail my efforts. In the past I've quit a diet over a binge...but not anymore, this place is great for encouragement and accountability!

I'm just starting my weight loss journey so I don't feel truly qualified to offer advice but I had a challenging restaurant situation last night. I heard a quote on the radio last week and whenever I felt like I was on the verge of 'giving in', I would silently repeat to myself, "To thine ownself be true". Best wishes, we are all cheering for you.

And ... in general ... if you're eating with a group, nobody notices whether or not you eat from the bread basket or send back leftovers.

When I was losing weight i still ate at olive garden almost every friday. I would have 1 breadstick, small salad, and usually the venetian apricot chicken, although i almost always only ate half. Don't make the same mistake I did and get a chicken caesar salad thinking its healthy ( my face must have been priceless when i looked up the nutrition.)

Don't stress about the 1 pound, it could be anything. I used to have weeks where I would gain 4. It all fell back off within a few days.

I know someone who worked at olive garden and she told me the salad dressing they use is actually only 90 calories in the whole bowl. Its mostly olive oil. Although that was over 10 years ago and she tends to talk out of her you know what so i don't recomend eating the entire thing. (trust me people will look at you weird, i would know. )

And....even when you make excellent choices, do not be surprised or discouraged in the scale spikes a few pounds over the next couple of days. It is NOT fat. To gain a pound of fat, you'd have to eat 3500 pounds over what your body needs tonight, and that is unlikely.

Do your best and get right back to your plan tomorrow.

I just wanted to add my two cents, hopefully I'm not too late. At least at my olive garden they can replace most pasta with whole wheat pasta. Of course taking some of it home is almost a promise with the whole wheat pasta. It fills you up SO FAST. They have a broccoli chicken dinner that is really good too. Of course this is if you have to have pasta. ;D

Whole wheat pasta or regular pasta is just not that much different in calories. The whole wheat is supposedly more nutritious, but I just don't like it enough to justify it.

If you can't help but overeat it, you're better off skipping it, I think.

Jay

I think you're right to be concerned. I was terrified of eating out when I began this new lifestyle. Sometimes I have found that one indulgent meal sends me to another, and another, so I am leery of "just one meal off plan"

That being said, you CAN eat on plan if you plan ahead (as discussed above) and if you DO go off plan, it doesn't mean the end of your new lifestyle! You can get right back on track.

I hope you can come back on today and post a plan for what you'll do. I find that if I set a goal for the meal (e.g., I won't have any bread, but I will have a glass of wine), that it really helps.

Then come back and tell us how you did!

Sure there is.

The minestrone soup is healthy. It has a LOT Of salt, so be prepared for some water retention - but it's nothing more than a veggie soup, otherwise. It's about 100 calories a bowl.

The Venetian Apricot chicken is 380 calories.
The mixed grill with all chicken is 660 calories.
You can ask for the chicken marsala with veggies, rather than pasta.
The herb grilled salmon is served with veggies and should be fairly low cal.

It wont' be perfect - and you'll probably go over your calories or whatever your plan is. But you CAN make healthy choices even at Olive Garden. Just dont' eat the breadsticks and avoid anything with a cream sauce.

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