How to handle eating out
 

I am okay with counting calories at home. I don't know what to do about going out to eat. I had some friends call yesterday wanting to go out to eat. We went and I ordered from the smaller lunch menu and only ate until I was just full. I know I can look online, but I already know it is more calories than I would eat at home.

What does everyone do? Just not eat out? Save up the calories?

I try to look up the calories, but that's harder to do with non-chain restaurants...
If the info isn't online, I just try to make a non-ridiculous choice :)

I get the best choice from the options, that still appeals to me. If that's still too high calorie I'll ask for a box right away and put half of it away. If I know ahead of time and it's a place with the menu online I'll look ahead of time, and plan. If not I'll just eat light earlier in the day, and the next day (if I didn't know ahead of time that I was going out).

Plan, plan, plan. You can usually find something on the menu that is the same calories as what you would usually have for lunch or dinner--soup, especially veggie or chicken broth soups (not potato!), is usually very low calorie--350 or less. Grilled chicken breast w/o any sort of creamy sauce, double steamed veggies. A lean small steak. Some salads, especially with no dressing.

Anyway, plan on-line before you go and practice your order. When you get there, don't look at the menu--why tempt yourself when you've already decided? It's FOOD PORN, designed by honest-to-god geniuses to make food look ever better than it really is. The only way to win their game is not to play.

If I get surprised and must eat out, I go for one of the things I listed above. Or, more often, I just don't eat. You don't have to. Sip coffee or a drink and chat with your friends. I will do a lot for my friends and family, but I am not going to eat to make them feel better.

I try to make sensible choices when we go out and I plan the extra into my day. I have to admit I'm much pickier about where we go out to eat now - used to be I'd eat anything anywhere but now if I'm going to be eating higher calorie or off plan at all (or on plan but one meal taking a bigger chunk of my daily allotment) it had better be a really yummy meal that is worth the calories.

Thanks for all the great replies. I just started on here a couple of days ago and I really haven't gotten a "plan" yet. I am reading labels and was a smarter shopper at the grocery store today. However, I know I need something more solid. It is just that every time I have told myself that I have to eat this or exercise like that, I feel like such a failure when I don't do what was on the "plan". I can't tell you how many times I have sat down, written down my plan and then found the notebook or whatever weeks later since I stopped my "plan".

I would never havethought to not eat while out to lunch. But why not just have a tea or maybe a side salad and fruit. Good thoughts.

Finding this very hard. Went to a restaurant yesterday and didn't eat because I was so apalled by the number of calories :o

Everytime I sit down at a restaurant with my family I ask the waitstaff for the calorie counts for their food menu items. Either 1) they have a notebook to give you with the information, or 2) they have the notebook in the manager's office and they can look up the items for you if they notebook can not leave the office. These are the only two things I have had to do so far. Oh, except for Chipotle, they only have their calories online but even then I just got what I knew I could add up in my head and because I carry my calorie counter book everywhere I go.

Oh, one of the most important things: when you look at the nutritional menu, you have to look at everything on the menu. Most of us have 3-4 go-to items that we eat when we eat out: for me, it was 1) burger 2) fajitas 3) south-westerny sort of salad. Pretty much any time I ate out, I ate one of those unless it was an ethnic place--and I have a list of the 2-3 things I look at at each type of ethnic place as well. I never even LOOKED at seafood, say, or really any kind of meat platter (like grilled chicken breast or steak). Nothing wrong with those things, they just weren't what I saw myself eating, so I didn't look at them.

A new lifestyle means looking at the whole menu and finding new choices, not just ruling things out because they aren't what you always do.

An analogy: my brother was in college and called my dad and said "I can't take Chem next semester. All the sections are conflict with my other classes". My dad got ahold of the schedule and was looking at it and saw that there was an 8:30 section and he knew my brother had no classes then. He asked him about it, and my brother was truly, truly startled: he really, honestly didn't even see that section because he ruled out classes before 10 without even thinking about it. A lot of people (myself included) look at menus that way. Try to be open minded!

calorie counter book!!! so obvious but i did not think of it....i just found the sticky post for newbies...maybe that will help me figure all this out

forgive me, this is like my second day at this

There are also quite a few good books written on the topic of eating healthier in restaurants. I have several on my wish list.


I just went to amazon.com and typed these words into the search box

restaurant calorie


and it came back with 185 results (some may not apply, but the first few look promising).

Read the summaries, and the customer reviews, and the publication date. You can save a lot of money if you don't mind buying a previous edition, but you don't want it so old that most of the information is out of date.

Many of the books also provide other nutritional information in addition to calories. I count calories with an exchange plan, so instead of restaurant calorie, I typed in restaurant exchange.

I was a waitress for awhile...you can order alot of healthy food as side items. For example a grilled chicken breast, veggie, baked potato, grilled shrimp, applesauce, small salad, etc. It's not advertised on menus, but you ask and it's there. Much much healthier than ordering items off menu. Also, alot of places have pam you can have them use that instead of the butter they use on the grill. Most of the portions are comparable to the meals and cheaper. I actually will only eat like this at restaurants now.

i have buying a calorie counter book on my to-do list for tomorrow. I also spent some time tonight making a plan based on info I have learned from this site so far.

I plan to eat 3 meals at 400 calories and 4 snacks at 100 calories for a total of 1600 calories for a week. If I have lost between 1 and 3 pounds I know I am on track.

I also have decided to try to get 750 minutes of exercise a month.

My plan is to not plan the exercise cause that always stresses me out.

I do think I should plan my meals the night before.

I feel really good about what I am doing. I actually feel more in control than I have with any other attempt at weight loss.

Thanks to everyone on this site. I am so glad I made this discovery.

I don't eat out very often, but when I do I make sure I plan the rest of my day accordingly and leave myself lots of wiggle room. I've gotten pretty good at eying portions and guesstimating calories.

I rarely have a problem with it because I hate eating in front of other people- and it helps motivate me to go for the soup and salad instead of sitting in front of someone chowing down on a burger.

Arm yourself with knowledge ahead of time- skip the appetizers, have water, no dessert, and box half of whatever it is. And most importantly, savor and enjoy it!

If you have a smartphone you can get an app that lists the calories at major restaurants. And if you have internet on your phone you can pull up the website to look. Since getting my phone, I've been known to take a quick trip to the restroom to "wash my hands" before ordering if I'm not familiar with the menu.

Honestly, I eat out rarely. On my way down I flat did not take any chances. I usually ordered a dry house salad and if I was hungry I would order a grilled chicken breast with nothing on it--or else boiled shrimp.

My phone is the kind they give you free at the phone store...haha. I am headed to the bookstore today to get a pocket size calorie book. My family really likes to eat out.

My husband told me last night he wanted to go out for breakfast so I was able to go online and find a 400 calorie meal. I can handle that okay. But sometimes it is spur of the moment and some restaurants don't offer that info online.

I am feeling better about this plan. I finally feel like I have some real direction, you know? Getting on here has helped me so much. It will be so encouraging to watch the pounds melt away:}

My daughter is getting married in a year and I really want this 20 pounds off of me by then. I don't want to tell my family or I will have to hear about every bite I put in my mouth, you know? They will mean well...but I don't do well with that kind of help. I don't like explaining myself over and over.

I have been "trying" to lose these 20 pounds since Christmas if you can believe that. I just couldn't get my head around how to do it....I think I have finally figured it out:)

That's not saying a lot, my boyfriend got his blackberry free when we signed him up for Sprint at the store. ;)

Oh....I should fix my comment....ummmm...my phone is pathetic:)

My friends know that most of the time when I join them at a restaurant, I'm only going for their company. I order ice tea (unsweetened) but I tip as though I ordered a meal.

Depending on what time I meet up with friends I eat my at home meal before or after.

Bought my calorie book...was thrilled that my favorite dish at Olive Garden is just a little over 400 calories. Obviously I will need to resist the never-ending bread bowl:)

I try to make the best choices when eating out. Here are some of the tips I use:

1. Eliminate the fatty extras Butter, fatty dressing, cheese, fried. You know the culprits. If you are getting a salad and it has full-flavored dressing, cheese, fried chicken and bacon on it, it's probably going to have more calories than a burger. Ask for grilled chicken, the low-fat dressing option and no cheese. Or, if you can't live without it, leave the cheese and take the other two options. You'd be shocked at how many calories you save. If you MUST have a burger, hold the mayo and/or cheese and get it without a bun. A burger is surprisingly delicious when eaten with a knife and fork. Always order grilled, not fried.

2. Box half immediately Sounds weird, but it WORKS. Ask for a box immediately and put half of your meal in it, and then clean your plate. I'm always shocked at how just the sight of an empty plate makes me more satisfied than I thought.

3. Research beforehand You'd be surprised how many restaurants (even non-chain) have nutrition information online. If you know where you are going, have a game plan. Even if you can't find the nutrition information, you can probably find the menu. If you plan it out before you are sitting at the table, under pressure to make a decision, you are more likely to make smart choices.

4. If you have a Smartphone, take advantage of your resources I've heard a lot of good things about the Lose It! app on the iphone, I have an Android phone and I use Calorie Counter. There are so many restaurants in the database. Technology is great. Use it. If you think it's rude to use your phone at dinner, step away from the table before you order.

5. If all else fails, order grilled fish or chicken Every restaurant has a grilled fish and/or chicken option. It's almost always the best choice. Order veggies as your side. Guilt-free.

6. Don't order the fattening beverages Water, unsweetened tea, diet soda or light beer. Don't drink anything else.

If you use these tips when you are going to eat out, you'll make better choices automatically, and you won't feel as guilty about indulging once in a while.

Like everyone said, phone applications, websites for the restraunt before going, and if you cant find anything on the menu many places can alter whatever menu item to your liking. Example: "Can I get this salad but instead of (all the crap they put on salads,) can I just have grilled chicken, vegetables, and some balsamic vinegar on the side?" or even salsa as dressing. Yes this may be boring and a waste of money to order when out, but its a good option to think about when nothing else is doable.

Agreed, but I'm a strong believer in that you can find something healthy and satisfying at ANY restaurant. Even if you order something that is a bit of an indulgence, you just eat less of it. It's all about moderation.

charmtime, THis is a little off the specific question you asked, but I wanted to let you know there are several free online food journaling sites. I use the daily plate. The other ones I can think of are fitday, & sparkpeople. Most of these sites have the calorie counts of the major chains and will help you keep track of your calories etc. Good luck, and Welcome to 3FC!

This is a minefield for me, but I find that it has to do with my attitude. To whit, there are certain affirmations I tell myself:

1) If I am going to eat out, I am entitled to an enjoyable experience. And I am willing to pay for it, as I know it's going to cost me.

I hate being relegated to chicken caesar salad on a pile of lettuce with no dressing & no croutons, while everyone else eats richly or greasily. So I start way back with restaurant choice. I make sure my voice is heard. I do not just say: "Whatever. You make the choice." So as not to seem like a pain in the butt.

2) The type of restaurant is terribly important, and I want to go where I want to go.

These are my observations. These apply if I can't get hold of the menus online. Restaurants that make me happy tend to be 1) located in fairly expensive neighborhoods, or in places where affluent or the health-conscious cluster; 2) are often seafood-focused, but can't be fried seafood joints; 3) are into "new American" style cooking, have chefs that advertise their adherence to the idea offering a locavore & seasonal menu; 4) follow the newer, lighter Italian style of cooking or Mediterranean ideas (which often excludes out the old traditional red sauce places).

3) Once I'm there, in the restaurant, and have gone over the menu, I want what I want.

Within reason. (Usually.) I will ask questions, and if they have to go back to the kitchen to get an answer, that's fine. I will describe exactly what I want & I will tell them exactly what to leave off. If the dish isn't what we agreed it was going to be, I send it back. I am polite but firm. I am nice, though. These people have hard jobs; no point in making them harder. But I don't hold back just to keep from angering them or to keep them friendly & liking me, the way a nice ladylike girl would.

4) Behaving the way very food-conscious women behave is okay if you're in a place where they often eat.

If the place is known to be frequented by model/actress types, I will be even bolder about this, and I will order off-menu, pretty much creating my dish, though based on a menu offering. A very common ploy of mine: Point to the fish that they do all kinds of decadent things to, and say: "I want that, only I just want it grilled. And I want steamed vegetables on the side." Leave it to them to come up with the vegetables. They usually have them lying around anyway. (I will tip decently for this treatment, BTW, like 25%-35%.) I do not pull this stunt everywhere, though.

I rarely eat out, but when I do, here are two of my strategies:

I split a meal with the person I'm with,

and/or

I take Tupperware or something similar, and ziplock baggies. I put what I don't plan to eat in the Tupperware. When I get to the car, I put the food in an ice chest and enjoy knowing I have another meal or two all ready for me.

Granted, this wouldn't be feasible at all restaurants, but it works for the places I go.

Hope you have a great time!

I do 2 things, either save up so I can safely eat 800 calories or order soup or salad for 500 calories or less. I have a very good intuitive feeling of calories so that works for me. Too much reading of calorie charts :dizzy:. Sometimes I check online what the calories are for something I would typically order.

I found that much less food fills me up now and I haven't even lost that much yet.

You know, I just started counting calories on Saturday and I am amazed at how different my body is acting. I get full faster....eat slower....enjoy my food more. This is amazing.

I am use to eating smaller portions, I can't eat "too much" or I am uncomfortable. No matter where I go, I order as healthy as I can, eat only part of it, and get a take-out box for the rest. I ALWAYS order water to drink.