Before I decided to get back on the weightloss train, I chose a location for a birthday celebration lunch with my co-workers. Lunch is tomorrow, Day Two for me. I'm not sure what to choose. Am I stuck with salad? Do I order a large pasta dish and plan to eat half and bring the other half home to DH? I could use some guidance, pls. I LOVE italian food , so resistance will be hard. Oh...and don't suggest eggplant (yuck!).
Considering the occasion I'd say to give in to what you want. Just try to pace yourself and keep in mind of how much you've consumed. Keep a variety of healthy foods with what you want and you should be fine. Maybe some iced tea to go along side it? :P
It depends on what plan you're doing. I count calories, so my first inclination would be to look up the nutritional info. Then I would try to figure out which meal gives me the most bang for my calorie (1 slice of pizza for 500 cal vs. huge salad for 650 cal). If you really want pasta then yes, you can box up half of it before you start eating so you're not tempted to "have another bite".
Based on that menu, I would go with a salad with the dressing on the side or if you wanted to splurge a piece of pizza with side salad. It is hard to splurge at the beginning of a new plan though.
I tend not to order salads in restaurants just because I found the calorie value for most meal-type salads is not low enough to justify to myself getting that instead of a hot meal option I'd prefer.
I don't really have that restrictive a diet and usually work off calorie counts but I'd probably get a personal size pizza and eat half of it (my favourite kind is thin crust ham & mushroom which is about 800 calories for the whole personal pan or 400 calories for the half I eat as a serving), keep the rest for lunch or dinner the following day. I suppose I could get a slice instead, but something about having more than 1 piece to eat (albeit smaller pieces) makes me feel like I'm getting more to eat. Also with pizza, I try to stay away from meatball, sausage and pepperoni just because they tend to add quite a calorific bang compared to other ingredients. To drink, I'd have either plain water or a diet coke.
However ultimately, it IS a one-off. It's your birthday lunch. If you plan a higher calorie day than usual, it's not the end of the world. It's not like you're planning to eat that way forever. Life happens. Maybe plan an extra workout or two in this week, and make sure you're back on plan for dinner. It'll be ok. Have fun!
Last edited by toastedsmoke; 10-10-2011 at 07:03 PM.
The best choice would be the fire roasted cod with a side salad and skip the garlic knots.
Everyone's got a different approach so you have to do what works for you. Personally, I've chosen to stick like glue to my plan this time around, even when I go out to a restaurant. When I do go out, I get grilled meat or fish and veggies and/or a salad and skip all the bread and starches.
I'm with April Snow; if it were me, I'd get the cod. It sounds really good, and if you're a calorie counter it would be pretty straightforward to estimate your calories for the meal. I'd ask for no garlic knots and no mozzarella (the pecorino alone will give you enough of that cheese flavor without as much added fat/calories), but I'd probably keep the spaghetti as the side just because I love pasta and that would be the "treat" I'd enjoy for the birthday meal. I'd eat half of the meal and take the rest home.
I'm with you all.. in one sense, I'd say 'what the hay, it's my birthday!' and have what I want so I don't feel deprived, resolving however to eat only half of what I would usually eat and take the rest home.
If that will make you feel bad/guilty/make you go off track long term though, I'd also order the cod with a side salad instead of the spaghetti.
Have a great birthday - looks like a fab restuarant!
Celebrate, it's your birthday. Living with a successful diet plan means knowing how to handle days when you indulge and work your everyday lifestyle around them. I had a fun birthday a couple of days ago and didn't gain a pound. Just made sure to work off the cake and cheeseburger that I had. Have a great one!
considering it's just day 2, i wouldn't splurge. i'd get a slice of thin crust pizza or the cod, like the others have said. idk if you should use your birthday as an excuse to splurge there, because i'm assuming you're having a bday dinner as well? i just know that when i first started out, i'd hit a bump on day 2 and not return for weeks. starting out is really rough.
Fire Roasted Cod
A 10oz portion of cod served on a bed of Fresh
Tomatoes, Fresh Onion, Fresh Garlic, & Sweet
Roasted Red Peppers topped with Pecorino
Romano & Mozzarella Cheeses & Fresh Cilantro.
Served with a side of Spaghetti...14.99
I'd ask for no mozz cheese and no spaghetti, maybe switching it out for a salad or some kind of vegetable if they have it.
If I'm going to be successful at this, I need to keep it livable. I ate a smaller breakfast so I could have a bigger lunch. In the end, here's what I did. They had a lunch special of the 8-in. personal pizza. I got the all veggie one, had a side salad first, and then ate 5 of the 8 pieces (the pieces were small...but it felt like a lot!). Unsweetened iced tea to drink.
I'm satisfied and I didn't gorge. I feel pretty good about it! One day, one meal choice at a time, right?
Need help w/Birthday lunch pre-planning
, so resistance will be hard. 
Oh...and don't suggest eggplant (yuck!)
.
Maybe some iced tea to go along side it? :P
