Hey everyone!
I'm sure this topic has been covered many a time...but here's one more

So it's my friends 18th coming up this saturday, and to celebrate a big group of us is going to an italian restuarant~ this is the first time I'll have eaten out in the three months or so I've been calorie counting. And I'm scared :/

The restuarant doesn't have an online menu. It's italian, so I know the majority of dishes will be pizza or pasta based. I'm a vegetarian. I don't eat carbs... The salads will be full of oil and cheese...I don't want to cause a scene but I really don't know what to do. I hate causing a fuss and showing myself up, it just makes me feel so rude if I ask the waiter for something different to the menu like asking for a salad without dressing etc.
What's annoying is it isnt a problam with temptation because I dont WANT to eat horrible food, it actually disgusts me and the idea of eating it makes me feel quasy. I know that one night in a long term of eating some simple pasta dish will be fine...but I don't want to eat it, I want to be healthy darn it D:
Helpppp please wise ones

You've got several options here.

Of course, you already said it but let me say it again... You've been doing great, you've lost a lot of weight already (congrats!!), you won't gain it back by eating whatever sounds good for ONE night. In fact, I once had the very same feelings about eating at an Italian restaurant... I was way over-obsessing about the calories, the carbs, everything. I went the restaurant anyway with my friends, but realized that there's so much more to life than microanalyzing everything we eat. I ate something very sensible (small serving of pasta with marinara and vegetables) and just enjoyed spending time with my friends.

But if you really think you won't want to order anything, maybe you could go visit the restaurant ahead of time, tell them you have to be really careful about what you eat, ask if you can see a nutrition sheet if they have it, or just a menu and ask lots of questions about dishes you might order. You don't have to be on a "diet" for all they know, you could a serious allergy. Then, you can know ahead of time what to order, say it in a really calm, no-big-deal way, and your friends shouldn't give you a problem about it.

Don't be afraid, though, to "make a big deal" about what goes in your food. I do it all the time, even when I go out to eat with a big group of people. I don't make a scene about it, most people don't even notice, and the ones that do say, "Wow Liz you're really eating healthy!" It's rarely an awkward moment, but if it is, sometimes I blame my extreme healthy eating on my marathon training and say, "I just gotta be careful or my runs suck!" And that's usually that.

Good luck!

I would do the same thing, I'd stop by the restaurant and ask to see the menu, write down a few options and look it all up ahead of time.

Calorie counting isn't an exact science, I often use a pre calculated calorie count for many restaurant selections even if my meal may not have the same exact same ingredients. You can look through the many italian restaurant selections that can be found online and get a feel for the calorie ranges of the different foods. Low carb is going to be difficult as italian foods are based on pasta and bread, but it's not impossible. There will be soups and salads to choose from.

There was one italian restaurant I use to go to that had a wonderful fresh spinach and walnut salad with raspberry vinaigrette. Report back what you decided what to do and how it went if you can. Best wishes it goes well for you.

If this Italian Restaurant is Maggiano's then everything is loaded down. Order a tomato based soup and salad with the dressing on the side. Otherwise it's calories and fat by the gobs. I went last month and got the soup and salad. But don't worry about ordering or changing the order to suit you, it's your money you're spending.

Waiters and Waitresses are used to people customizing orders. And it wont seem fussy if you just say, "I'll have the garden salad, no cheese or croutons with the dressing on the side please" soup is a very good option too as jiggle free mentioned.

An italian restaurant near me has an option to substitute sauteed veggies (zucchini and such) for pasta. So you can get any of their pasta dishes without pasta and with veggies instead.

I'd definitely recommend visiting the restaurant to see what options are available. You can also always ask for dressing on the side.

I'd go and enjoy it AND feel fine asking for the dressing on the side etc.

But your body needs protein, fat & carbs to function so maybe you could let a little whatever go on this occasion and get back to your routine at your next meal?

Have fun and do not feel bad for getting what YOU want and need to live how you want to, your friends may not "get it" but should support you or at least let it go if they are true friends.

Good luck!

Thank you for all the great advice guys!

I think if I go, I'll have to order soup soup & salad or something~
Shall let you know how it goes! <3