What is your Restaurant Plan of Attack?
 

What do you do when you go out to eat and have no idea what your calorie intake was/will be?

Do you eat smaller meals leading up to the meal out? I can see this backfiring, as I'm a grumpy hungry person, so if I were to hit a restaurant starving I would probably overeat.

Do you try to log the meal when you get home with your best estimates?

We're going on vacation next week and will be eating out every day. (My husband is away in Florida and we're going to visit him. He's lodged in a dorm room with no cooking aparatuses, although we will have access to the commissary and a refrigerator.) I need a Plan of Attack, especially for instances in which I am unable to ascertain the accurate calorie information for food I am eating.

I'm an ovo-lacto vegetarian. I don't eat fried foods. I always get water to drink when we're out. All those things work in my favor, but my nemesis is dessert. I have this weird voice in my head that says that when we eat out, I deserve to get dessert. I fight it but sometimes I give in.

I do realize that several restaurant chains have nutritional information on-line. I may be able to plan our meals out for places that I can pre-plan my menu choices, so that would obviously help.

But, what if we end up at the Mom and Pop Restaurant of Wonderful Home Cooked Food? I know one meal won't kill my efforts, but I tend to slowly melt off track after one splurge and then take a week to a month to get back in gear. In fact, I'm still "recovering" from the weight I put on when my husband was home for six days back in the middle of March. So this is why I'm thinking of formulating a Plan of Attack. If I can stick with my plan, then I'll be able to come home after at least maintaining.

Any ideas?

Kara

We travel quite a bit. And I hope to travel even more. Wine-n-dine vacations in large cities are a favorite respite for us. That being said, we have been very successful maintaining our weightloss (70 lbs for me and 55 for dh) while traveling.

1. I do try to adjust my eating (a little) by eating fewer calories at other meals.
2. DH and I split an entree and choose wisely from the menu. We are vegetarians, so we often split an appetizer instead of an entree
3. Skip the bread and other "freebies"
4. Skip dessert and order non-caloric drinks (usually water on vacation since dehydration is common when traveling)
5. Don't feel guilty about wasting food. Ask for a carry-out container (or leave food on your plate if a carryout isn't feasible)
6. If we don't split an entree, I ask for a carryout container when the food arrives. I split it immediately. Out of sight - out of mouth. If I can't refrigerate it, I leave it on the table or give it to the first homeless person I see (large city vacations)
7. Try to boost the exercise while traveling. Walk to as many destinations as possible. Use the exercise facilities at the hotel. Pack my laptop and workout DVDS, pack a stretchie band.

Well you already talked about my favorite "tool" the online nutrition information. Make a list of Plan Friendly meals at a bunch of different restaurants. If you have access to a fridge wht about bringing along some breakfast foods, yogurt, fruit, maybe some string cheese. For me eating breakfast out is just asking for trouble. You don't eat fried foods so that helps. Otherwise the only thing you can do is make the best food choices possible. Avoid anything with a sauce. Kraft now makes boxes with 8 packages of low fat dressing, 2 Tablespoons per packet. They fit eaily in your purse. There is a Balsamic vinegret with 25 calories, Ranch with 60 calories, and Italian, I am not sure of the calorie count. At east you don't wouldn't have to worry about "mystery dressing"

So if you can hadle breakfast in room, try to choose to have lunch at places that you got nutrition info online before hand. Then that leaves you with supper. A salad is a great way to start, then make the best choice you can. When it comes to dessert, let your husband order it...then just have one or two bites of his.

MOST IMPORTANTLY....ENJOY your vacation!!!!

I travel for work and here is what helps me in reading menus:

1) First look for healthy options - typically not available
2) Next look for a grilled or baked seafood dish
3) Finally, if you think there is no healthy options take the time to read every line item of the menu. We get so busy talking that we tend to skim the menu. But I have found if I look very hard there will be a grilled chicken dish offered with mash potatoes but later I will see a steak that comes with asparagus etc. If you look closely you will figure out what is available in the kitchen and put together your own healthy combination such as grilled chicken with asparagus. Also if they offer a potatoe or rice and it is nothing special that you want to try then substitute with more veggies.

Lori

GREAT ideas! Thank you so much!

I definitely love the idea of packaging up half the meal in a carryout container BEFORE eating! That is spectacular! Plus, it would give me lunch for the next day, which I could share with the kids.

I think breakfast in room is also a splendid idea. The kids love yogurt and the commissary will be easy to get to.

I am used to reading menus thoroughly. I have no qualms about asking for a side of veggies if something usually comes with fries, or asking for two side orders instead of a main meal. Starting with a salad sounds perfect!

These are just wonderful - great start. Thanks for the advice! Now I need to work on eliminating this eating-out-equals-treats mindset, and we're good to go!

Kara