So where I live Cheesecake Factory has started providing the nurtional info for their food. Last night we went there for dinner and I was looking through my favorites and they were all in the 1500-2000 range!!!! I wasn't suprised, but sad because that would mean that should I decide to splurge on one of those meals I have to doctor them up quite a bit (i.e. no fries, dressing on the side, only eat 1/4-1/2 of what is served) or just go with it and add some extra exercise later. I was good though and got the Weight Management Spicey Chicken Salad for 440 (but I didn't eat all the rice and had the dressing on the side because I ate some crackers I shouldn't have earlier in the day). But I was happy and I know that I can always get that fatty sandwich and cheesecake later...this was a tip I read on another post recently that there will alway be another time you can eat __________. So you don't have to eat it now.

It seem like most of the places DH and I eat at on date night have meals with calorie counts above a 1000 (including some salads). I figure if I split a meal with DH then I can still have something I love. Now, the cheesecake factory would be hard but it is nice to know they do have lower calories options.

Good job on finding something healthy. Eating out is always a tough situation. I try to plan ahead by looking at menus online; however, I rarely eat out. I haven't been to the cheesecake factory before, but I heard it's yummy.

We just ate there yesterday. I planned my whole around that meal. My fiancé wanted carrot cake, so we got a piece to go. I googled it when we got home and the center for science in the public interest's website came up. It declared cc factories carrot cake "food porn". It comes in at over 1500 calories and has the equivalent of 3 quarter pounders grams of fat.
Needless to say, I ate 1 bite and left the rest for him. Couldn't bring myself to eat anymore of it. Just not worth it, at least not for me.

Glad to know that they are not offering the cal counts. My sister is going there for her birthday on Friday and wanted me to to. I declined because I did not think I would be able to go. Now I know that I can go and get the salad.

Another thing to note is that every Cheesecake Factory meal is several servings. Even NOT dieting, my favorite (Chicken and Biscuits) would feed me about 4 times. The meals are HUGE!

The cheesecake and other desserts are massive, too. I got a slice of cheesecake to go last time I went there, and it took me over a week to finish. It's easily a few desserts - I made mine into about 8. LOL

It wasn't until I started counting the calories at restaurants that I really got a reality check on how easy it is to overeat without realizing it. I mean we all know that portion sizes are big, but when you start to count, it can really be shocking, even for a seasoned counter like me.

When I eat in restaurants I stay away from mixed foods when I can. I order foods that are separate (meat & veggie, eggs and bacon, etc) so that I can see what I am eating and what the known calories are. Mixtures are more difficult to calculate. I also (whenever possible) look up nutritional info beforehand. I have several restaurant meals that I like already entered into my nutritional software so that it's a one click entry. That helps with planning.

Recently my husband said to me, "Hey honey, for our date, do you want to go try that cheesecake place you mentioned?" He was talking about the Cheesecake Factory, which is a little bit of a drive away from us, but has nice ambience, so I had considered that it might be a fun date.

Then I started thinking and thinking about the food, and how caloric it is, and what I'd have to do that day to make things balance out calorie-wise...

And we ended up instead spending our date night grabbing a latte, perusing a bookstore, then rollerskating Avoided all those calories and probably spent at least $30 less than we would have.

Most of the time, eating dinner out is just not worth it to me, in either the calories OR the money we spend.

Sarah, good for you! Just curious...did you miss the Cheesecake Factory, or was it just as fun to do the latte, bookstore roller skating?

I used to eat out all the time, but now it seems like it's just more trouble than it's worth and no way do I want to accidentally eat 3000 calories in one entree. My hubby works evenings and I work at home, so we usually go do something in the daytime during the week. He really likes to ride the bicycle, so I am trying to get in better shape with it and hope to one day keep up. I used to be able to do 28 miles. Sometimes on the weekends we take the bicycles and go to the great outdoors to ride and we just take whatever is on my plan along to eat. I'm surprised that I don't miss going out for dinner as a "date thing to do and wondering how others handle it.

Sometime this year, I am gonna plan to blow the whole thing just one time and drive 4 hours to have greasy deep fried fish and way too salty malt vinegar and side dishes at Long John Silver's. At least that's the plan for now. LOL! I may get to the point where a splurge is in order and decide I don't want it after all.

Barb

Exactly right! I went to Applebees for a steak dinner (390 cal) (I live in the midst of steak heaven) and it was better both calories and cost. Go figure Ruth's Chris.

I used to LOVE LOVE LOVE cheesecake factory, but I always felt a little bad going there, not because of the nutrition, but because it is a little pricey. When I decided to try to eat healthier and nutrition became an issue, I started thinking that it would be great if they offered their menu items in 1/4 size portions and at 1/4 the price. That is plenty of food because there portion sizes are unbelievably huge and then the price is within my budget.

Does anyone else wish that too... that all restaurants offered half-sized or quarter sized entrees for half the price. I wish I could pay for only what I wanted to eat. When I indulge in out meals I make a point to not take leftovers home so it always feels like a waste of money.

No day but today,
Dana
http://morethanmediocrity.wordpress.com/

I love the Cheesecake Factory - the food, the servers (polite and friendly) and the atmosphere! My husband and I share the Chicken Salad Sandwich and a salad. Yum! The 1/2 sand is only 548 cals and maybe the vinegarette salad is 100 cals more. I can eat a little less dinner and breakfast for how great I feel when I go there!