[Volschika007]

Hey guys I'm about to head out for work so I'll check responses probably around lunch but I thought I'd go ahead and post this.

I start a new internship today and because of its location I'll be at my parents half the week for the rest of the summer. My parents work pretty late every day and because of that tend to eat out for dinner every night. Everytime before this when I come home and eat out with them it halts my progress for a few days (and sometimes a week depending on how bad it is ). Breakfast and lunch I'll be fixing myself, but I'm dreading dinners. I pretty much know what I gotta do : pick healthy options when I go out, watch portions, or fix my own dinner and let them eat by themselves. The biggest thing is, when I'm faced with my favorite mexican restaraunt or favorite cheese burger place...how do I say no?? Especially when it's being paid for. Any advice on resisting delicious food? I guess over all its just gonna be up to my dedication to say no, but wondering if there are any helpful tips or advice that could help me. Related circumstances of you guys saying no, too, would be helpful. Always great to know I'm not alone Thanks!

[daniprice]

I can't dine out regularly. It is my weakness, so I try to limit it to 1 meal per week. It has been tough in the last couple of months because I have lots of Taurus/Gemini family and friends. Lots of birthday dinners out. I've been able to maintain my progress though.

You know how they say to talk to the server about steaming veggies, no oil and other requests? That's a good idea and servers are used to fulfilling those wishes. That said, I just don't do that. Don't feel comfortable. The way I avoid the delicious food is by choosing other delicious food.

So here are my personal restaurant rules:
- avoid dishes with cheese. I love cheese but restaurants tend to really overdo the cheese in their dishes. In a Mexican restaurant, fajitas are good because you can control how much you include.

- avoid cream sauces. so at a pasta place go with the tomato sauce and at a Mexican restaurant go with the salsas

- pick one "big ticket" item. so at a burger spot, I may have a burger but no fries. I'll taste a couple of my husband's fries just to reminisce I'll have veggies on the side. I avoid side salad at places like that because they are often gross and dressing is extra calories anyway. If I do order salad I order balsamic vinaigrette and avoid creamy dressings.

- drink only water or seltzer. I may have one glass of wine on a special occasion

- no dessert, but may share dessert on a special occasion

- don't eat it all. portions are always too big. It may be good to pack stuff up before you even start to eat.

Above all, you may just want to limit how much you go out with them. It would be too much of a challenge for me. When I start eating out too much after awhile I'm just like might as well go for extra calorie thing. bad scene. Best of luck.

[twinieten]

This is a tough one!! Restaurant eating always does me in, yet it's hard to resist going, and it's even harder to make good choices once I'm there.
It's a half a week, though, so I'm sure you can come up with something.

Perhaps pick one day that you go out with them, and stay in and eat for the rest of the days, let them go alone. Or you can offer to cook one or two days of the half week, and everyone can stay in.

Another thing I do is I get on line and check out the nutritional info. I pick my meals in advance based on calories. If their menu isn't on line, I'll email the company and ask for it. If they have nutritional info, they'll email me (chains that exist in California will have nutritional info). If you were to check now, you could email the companies and that gives them a few days to respond. Then you'll be ready.

Then I think above all, keep your calories down and make really good choices during the half weeks you're not with mom and dad. And don't forget to visit the scale. It will keep you accountable!

[Misa66]

Sigh wow yes this is one of the hardest tests you will have to go through but honestly for me as hard as it is I just stop myself from going out :/ yesterday my parents made bacon hot dogs and they smelled SOOO GOOD but realistically I was not hungry, and even if I was I knew I shouldn't be eating that and as difficult as it was and smelling them the whole afternoon I stopped myself and had a 230 cal lean cuisine meal and wow I feel so proud of myself! I knew that if I would have had 1 or 2 yeah of course they would be delicious but the guilt in regret the rest of the night definately would not have been worth it going accompanying your parents once a week I think would be okay as long as you don't binge the whole meal but I read a quote that said "cheating will taste good for 30 minutes, 3 hrs after you will feel guilt and 3 days later you will regret it. Are those 30 minutes really worth it?"

[krampus]

How flexible are your parents? Would they be down for subbing somewhere like Panera that has healthier fare in lieu of a Mexican or burger place?

[PinkLotus]

I have to avoid eating out unless it's going to be a cheat meal, because at this point, I can't be trusted in restaurants. If the meal is planned far in advance and I have to decide what I am having before setting foot in the place (like for work luncheons) then I can and will make healthy choices. But otherwise, I have to avoid them at all costs.
Sometimes (most times) resisting is very difficult. I just think about how guilty I will feel after, and how it's not worth it. It's very hard to say no, but I always feel really good about myself afterwards.

[DezziePS]

If your parents are eating out every night because they're tired after a long day of work and don't feel like cooking, have you considered offering to help cook for them? Is that an option? It would be a pretty nice "thank you" for letting you stay with them during your internship. Even if you didn't cook every night, you could make dinner for the three of you pretty cheaply at least one of the nights a week you are there, or perhaps you can work something out where they will help you pay for groceries.

[sontaikle]

One thing that helps me stay on track when eating out is to realize that eating out is more about the experience than the food. Spending time with loved ones is important and unfortunately many choose to do it around food! My fiance and I go out to eat a lot because we need to get out of the house and when we're at his house there is never anything but crap available there.

So I plan ahead. Many restaurants have healthier options now and at this point I have several go-to meals at each place we frequent. I'm not afraid to ask for substitutions, but I find that often I don't have to.

Look up the restaurant information online if it's a chain place. Even if you can't find their own nutritional info, I find that myfitnesspal is great and has a lot of restaurants' info! Plus they have the nutritional information with substitutions (so if you choose double veg as a side rather than the usual, they have that so you know how many calories you're eating).

That said, there are times when you just want a giant burger and fries or something. Eating half or less of the meal is usually the safest way to not go crazy and the bonus is that you save $$$ because you can eat it the next day. If it's hard to resist the food on your plate, ask for a take out box as soon as you get the food and put away half or more. Close it and put it aside. It will be silly to open it up and take the food, right? I used to do that a lot, but I find I don't have to anymore. I can just portion it as I eat

Or you can have the restaurant do that for you! There are a lot of places that have half a sandwich and soup or salad dinners and lunches. Panera comes to mind, and I also had a similar dinner at Friendly's—half a turkey bacon cheddar sandwich with a salad. 520 calories.

Eating out doesn't have to be a battle. You just have to be aware of certain things and be smart about it. Most of all just enjoy the fact that you're spending time with your folks

Edit: oh and when I mean half the meal I literally mean half the meal. I will eat half a burger and half the fries. Best way to warm up fries? Put them on a tray in the toaster oven and bake!

[Thistleberry]

You've been given a lot of good advice about what to do when going out to eat, but is there any way you can just opt out? You said your parents work late and don't feel like cooking which doesn't mean the same is true for you. I live with my parents as well. They like to go out to eat on occasion or make food that I'm not particularly interested in or know will be a problem for me. I just do my own thing and we're all happy. There are non-food ways we spend time together instead.

[fatbookworm]

Daniprice (well, and everyone so far. This forum has so many great commentors!) had SO many good pieces of advice, but this one:

Originally Posted by daniprice

- pick one "big ticket" item.

is SO important for me. I really struggle with feeling deprived if I diet, so this one really helps my mindset. For example, I was carpooling with some friends of mine and they went to Smashburger (both "ugh!" because I was a captive audience and "yum!" lol) Instead of going crazy like I used to, I just got a small burger and ate it with only 1/2 the bun and about 5 french fries, which combined were about 500-600 calories. That way I got the taste without having tons of calories.

Another thing I do is prioritizing. Last night we got Italian, so I really focused on having a pasta dish I liked, i.e. the "big ticket" (although I did deliberately pick out a lower calorie one that appealed to me). I totally passed on the salad and had one piece of bread. Although sometimes I would have wanted the bread more, and those times I would get a low-cal soup or salad.

Also, I plan my calories based on what meals I am eating in what places. If there is an afternoon barbecue, for example, I plan out my eating so I am only having, say, a yogurt for breakfast and a green juice for dinner. That way I am making sure to leave room in case I go over my food budget at that meal out.

Oh, and lastly, like everyone else is saying: WATER! Water is my best friend at restaurants. I always drink two big glasses before I eat anything, so my stomach will feel much more full and I won't binge.

I hope everyone's advice helps!

[djs06]

You said they are tired at the end of long days, so they end up going out to eat. Is there any way you can cook for them? Throw some stuff in a crockpot in the morning, or marinade some chicken and stick it on the grill or in the oven. There are tons of quick and healthy meals you can make and I'm sure they'd appreciate it! I find that I'm not able to get into the 'groove' of restaurant/takeout meals because it becomes all too easy to do every day. Although I do have maybe one lunch and one dinner out per week and it's not too hard to plan for. Don't be totally strict with yourself (unless that's how you work best), just be reasonable.

[Sum38]

I had such hard time learning how to eat out, without pigging out.

What has helped me;
~I always split a meal with my hubby.
~I punch in the calories I am about to have; I use myfitnesspal.com That itself is a major turn off from food.
~I have learned to eat slow
~My fav; moment on the lips, eternity on the hips
~You need to decide if being "fat" is less important" to you. Or would you rather be "skinny".

Those pointers have helped me so much. I still enjoy the experience and food, but in a controlled way. I usually leave the restaurant happy, full enough, but not stuffed and proud of myself.

Good luck!

[pixelllate]

I don't think too hard about "how" to resist, I just do it-I would fix the dinner because I find that in a lot of places the healthier options are either a head of iceberg lettuce and some tomatoes or just lighter (but still calorie laden) versions of the full meal and I like to finish my plate. Even if the delish food is being paid for. Its only a momentary regret. I sit through it like I do a period cramp if I am out of painkillers. I always know that the next morning I am SO much happier when I say no. So I go for what gives me long term happiness instead of that momentary sensation of the food.

[Volschika007]

thank you so much for everyones replies Many of you suggested cooking for my parents and I think that's a great idea...but I'm really not much of a cook. Maybe I could throw some Voila in a skilet or something lol. My mom has some recipes I know I could follow but all the ones I know are really not any better than a restaraunt - such as lasagna loaded with cheeses.

As far as healthier restaraunts...its not much of an option. I could definitely go by myself but if I wanted to still go with my parents, my dad has a very physical job and eats SOOOO much. there's really not a healthy place around here I know of that fills him up. for example at panera he'd end up ordering 2 sandwiches and soup and who knows what and come home and still eat something else lol. so he complains about not getting enough food and its super expensive. its like his stomach is a bottomless pit but he is really in shape for his age. Makes me a little jealous sometimes - i got the bad genetics lol. Or maybe I just need his job...

Thanks for all the other tips on how to eat healthier at restarants...I especially love the idea of putting half my meal in a to go box before I even begin eating my meal. So thanks sontaikle

all the quotes and other tips/advice on keeping my head in the game is also super helpful and I'll probably be coming back here and re-reading those before dinner time each day lol.

[EagleRiverDee]

Originally Posted by Volschika007

thank you so much for everyones replies Many of you suggested cooking for my parents and I think that's a great idea...but I'm really not much of a cook. Maybe I could throw some Voila in a skilet or something lol.

You have to learn some time, might as well make it now. Many foods are very easy to cook.

For example, roasting a chicken is as easy as placing it in a pan, sprinkling on some spices (I'm partial to black pepper, rosemary, garlic) and roasting for an hour or so at 350°. When the legs start to droop and the skin is golden brown I will cut into the breast right in the center and if the juices are clear it's cooked. A rice dish (can be cooked in a rice cooker) makes a nice side dish.

Steak is super simple - I tenderize it, spice it and put in the oven on broil. When it is golden on one side, I flip it, when it's golden on the other I turn the oven off but leave the steak in until it's the color I want in the center. Steamed broccoli or a bake potato make a nice side dish.

Seafood is simple and definitely better to make at home because it costs much less that way. Crab and lobster you just boil (they make a seasoning you can add to the boiling water if you want but I never use it, preferring the natural taste). Shrimp can be wonderful if you sprinkle with garlic and then shake in a bag with flour to give it a light coating and sauté until golden on both sides in olive oil.

Grilling is super simple as well. I made a salmon fillet over the weekend that layed out on a sheet of foil, whole fillet with skin on. I put about 2 tbs of maple syrup on the salmon, then sprinkled with black pepper and rosemary. I grilled it for 20 minutes and threw some wood chips in the coals for some extra smoke flavor. It was incredibly easy to prep, and easy to cook, and tasted restaurant quality.

If you're intimidated by cooking, I bet we could get a beginner's recipe thread going. Cooking opens up a lot of food choices and YOU get to control the amount of fats, sodium, sugar etc plus you know it doesn't have all the chemicals and stuff that some restaurants use.