Restaurants: The Big Challenge
The hardest part about being on this diet was giving up going out for dinner as often as I was. I love treating myself to a meal that someone else is cooking, having a glass of wine and relaxing; especially in the summer on a patio. Unfortunately going out for dinner causes issues when you are calorie counting and makes it a tiny bit more difficult.
At home it's easy to take the MyFitnessPal app and scan bar codes and find fresh foods but unless the restaurant is a major chain, you cannot find it in MFP. This leaves you guessing as to exactly what you ate.
I also find I end up eating like a bird for the entire day when I know I'm going out for dinner. To the point that I'm ready to just eat anything put in front of me by dinner time (which is probably not good!)
That said, the things I do to make things easier for myself are as follows. I find eating out at independently owned restaurants that make all their food fresh is a good fit. It's easier to calculate what you're eating and at least you're making an effort to be healthier. I also tend to order "simple" items off the menu that should be easy to find (For example, when I have Thai food I generally stick to red curry chicken as it is low calorie and easy to find in the calculator.) The other thing I do is add dinner into my calculator at breakfast. I look up the menu online ahead of time and plan my day around whatever I can, and want, to eat at the restaurant. This way I can control what I eat the rest of the day and truly enjoy my dinner out without feeling as though I'm being forced to order something I don't want. It helps stay within my calorie consumption for the day.
I will admit though, I really do miss eating out!
At home it's easy to take the MyFitnessPal app and scan bar codes and find fresh foods but unless the restaurant is a major chain, you cannot find it in MFP. This leaves you guessing as to exactly what you ate.
I also find I end up eating like a bird for the entire day when I know I'm going out for dinner. To the point that I'm ready to just eat anything put in front of me by dinner time (which is probably not good!)
That said, the things I do to make things easier for myself are as follows. I find eating out at independently owned restaurants that make all their food fresh is a good fit. It's easier to calculate what you're eating and at least you're making an effort to be healthier. I also tend to order "simple" items off the menu that should be easy to find (For example, when I have Thai food I generally stick to red curry chicken as it is low calorie and easy to find in the calculator.) The other thing I do is add dinner into my calculator at breakfast. I look up the menu online ahead of time and plan my day around whatever I can, and want, to eat at the restaurant. This way I can control what I eat the rest of the day and truly enjoy my dinner out without feeling as though I'm being forced to order something I don't want. It helps stay within my calorie consumption for the day.
I will admit though, I really do miss eating out!
Comments
Post a Comment