I feel like whenever I am on track for JUST a week, it's someone's birthday or someone at work asks me to go out for a business lunch and I want to pick something healthy... but then alas, I see something that says "with cheese" and I am doomed. Just yesterday my brother asked to take me out to dinner and I told him I wanted to eat healthy to which he replied "psh, you can just order something healthy." He took me to the Cheesecake Factory. I'm so bad at 1) saying no to people because I don't want to give up having a life for going on a diet and 2) choosing something that doesn't have my week's worth of calories in it. Help! Tips! Please!

OMG! Cheesecake factory is the WORST for that!!

If I know where we're going ahead of time, I'll try to find the menu online so I can pick out my healthy(er) meal and so I don't fall into the cheese trap. Also, if you're going to a chain restaurant, they'll have the nutrition facts available online. Those are usually enough to deter me away from the things that I could see myself ordering had I not looked at the stats!

Decide what you want and close the menu, no need to drool over every option. Order first so you don't get derailed by less healthy choices. Almost every restaurant has a salad with grilled chicken on it and that is what I almost always have, hold the dressing. I'm totally used to it now.

I actually like eating at Cheesecake factory because I know they have at least two safe salads. Although generally I hate chains.

I love the salad at the Cheesecake Factory! I think it's called Polynesian salad? I get it without the crunchy wontons and without any dressing. I bring my own dressing from Walden Farms which is calorie free. I end up enjoying my salad and the chicken it has is very nice and lean.

Like the others said, I always check online what a place has and I come armed with my own dressing.

kariatari - Looking at nutrition facts before hand has definitely helped in the past. I just hate how the Cheesecake Factory names their diet meals "Weight Management" such and such. I feel like a lame-o ordering them. I guess I could just get over that.. haha

JessLess - I really should start ordering salads more.. I'm a sucker for sandwiches

luckymommy - that's a great idea. the dressing is where they get you!

This is what I love about eating low-carb - it's actually really easy to choose an on-plan option if you can sub out for vegetable sides and that sort of thing. But actually due to our very restricted budget, I frequently refrain from ordering anything when I'm invited out to celebrate one thing or another. Maybe other people think that's weird but I've grown comfortable with it. I just eat my meal before I go to the restaurant and bring water with me. Just another option!

Once I figure out where I'm going, I look up the nutritional content of the menu items online before going out. I pick before I leave, and stick to it! I try to pick something good enough that I won't feel deprived, but also something safe.

I will look for a menu online, so I can go in there and know exactly what I want.

Echoing looking up online! It really helps to know what options there are.

Also, I find deciding how much I'm going to eat ahead of time really helps control how many calories I consume (restaurant portions are ridiculous most times). If you can, ask for a take out box and put away what you don't want to eat. It REALLY helps to not have that food sitting in front of you because it's so easy to pick and pick until it's all gone.

I've already memorized the on plan things at the restaurants we go to often because they have easy to access nutrition online.

I stick to those and I do not like going to restaurants that do NOT have that info handy.

I'd think about making your own personal list and when asked out, take the initiative and suggest your places.

When there's no getting around it and you have to go to a new place, so with something grilled, entree salad, etc. Eat before you go if you need to keep hunger from leading you astray on their menu.

GL!
A.

[QUOTE=ERHR;3957345]I frequently refrain from ordering anything when I'm invited out to celebrate one thing or another. Maybe other people think that's weird but I've grown comfortable with it. I just eat my meal before I go to the restaurant. QUOTE]

I do this too! It felt weird at first, but it saves the weight-loss efforts and the bank account! It also helps me learn to focus on the people and the celebration and not make everything about the food. I'll drink water or tea or club soda or something while I'm there. The "I'm not eating right now" mindset also helps me avoid the bread/tortilla chips/random appetizers that always end up on the table.

If I do order something, I usually look to make things as simple (i.e. plain) as possible. That way, I can count the calories myself. I ask them to leave off fried things, cheese, sauses, dressings, potatoes, etc., and have them add things like chicken, avocado, beans, lettuce wrap, side salad etc. After all the thought I put into ordering, I am honestly worried more about nutrition/calories than the taste and I am more than happy to be eating something that will help me get to my goals. I tend not to look at it as "missing out"- it will ALWAYS be there when I get to goal. At this point, I seriously have a hard time thinking I'd want to go back to the gooey, fried mess of crap I used to order anyways .

And do celebrations have to eat? Why not play at the park or something?

A.

Great topic! I'm having the same issue. But, I looked up the menu like you all suggested. Difficulty is that it's an Indian place we are going to. It's easy to get veggie stuff - but no clue what they put in the sauce en how much oil they use. Oh well - I think if I leave about 550 calories to be spent for dinner and eat a small portion it should be okay. I'm a vegetarian so it's not weird if I go for only the rice and some veggies. (Cheap also!)