Coping with eating out...

[ChubLock]

It's the one area I am really struggling with - I don't think it helps that I've been for two curries in the last week (special occasions though) and it's been a major downfall for me. I'll have to work extra hard at the gym or pool on Sunday. But obviously, I'm sure there will be other occasions - how do you cope with meals out?!

 

[ApplySomePressure]

Hey I don't know how much help I'll be since I'm fairly new to this but I'll give it a go! I've only been out for a meal once since starting this for a birthday lunch with mum to pizza express & I ate a huge meal and stayed under calories.

For me the main thing is planning, looking at the calories on the website so there are no nasty surprises later on when I'm putting it into mfp. I knew I was going out so I didn't have breakfast & just had a tin of soup at night.

If you have any influence over the restaurants you go to try to choose ones where you can access the calorie information. A lot of chains will happily supply it if you email and ask.

If you can't choose try and exercise beforehand for damage limitation.

But if all else fails just remember it's only one meal and don't beat yourself up about it.

I know I won't be under cals tomorrow as I've got a belated birthday night out but I'll try and get extra exercise in and will get straight back on track after.

 

[Bostik]

I always have a lower calorie lunch if I know I am going out to eat. If I know where I am gonna go, I will look at the menu online if I can, see if they have calories. If they do then great, just need to choose! If not, then I'll have a look, try to estimate calories with other restaurants information and decide that way. Also, my portion sizes have got a lot smaller now so I don't bother getting a starter most of the time now. That saves a lot of calories! If it is a last minute thing where I don't have any information for the place, I just read the menu and try and pick something that doesn't seem too bad calorie wise.

 

[Morrigan]

I always have a lower calorie lunch if I know I am going out to eat. If I know where I am gonna go, I will look at the menu online if I can, see if they have calories. If they do then great, just need to choose! If not, then I'll have a look, try to estimate calories with other restaurants information and decide that way. Also, my portion sizes have got a lot smaller now so I don't bother getting a starter most of the time now. That saves a lot of calories! If it is a last minute thing where I don't have any information for the place, I just read the menu and try and pick something that doesn't seem too bad calorie wise.

I do exactly this! Also, if I must have dessert, I usually try and persuade someone to share it with me. Or I'll have a coffee whilst other people have a dessert so I still feel like I'm getting something

 

[Nightwishes]

I'm new to this and was concerned like you with today being my first meal out since dieting. I ended up having a nice meal at Pizza Hut as a pre-birthday treat and it wasn't over my calories for today. Pizza Hut are offering free salad bar with any main meal so I opted for a big bowl of salad instead of a menu starter and then just ate half my vegetarian goats cheese and rocket pizza, I asked for the rest to be put in a box for another time so it was out of temptations way. Knowing I was going out all day shopping in the sunshine and would be eating out I didn't have any breakfast but took a little healthy snack with me just in case I felt hungry which I didn't need. I found that Pizza Hut have a pdf you can download showing all the nutrition for everything they make so I'm sure other places will have their info online and it turns out it wasn't overly 'naughty' because I had just the half of the pizza

If you fancy something from the menu but it seems 'naughty' then ask if they can do it as a starter size and just add a side salad to bulk it up