QOTD: 5/29/03: Dining Out Dilemmas

[justin's mom]

What is the most difficult part of dining out while on program? How have you learned to handle that?

[netekay]

Going to a pizza parlor.

Before WW, it was nothing for me to polish off a medium, thick crust pepperoni and green olive pizza because that is my comfort food. Of course, after doing it, I would be sick and REALLY full!

Now, we still have pizza but I have thin crust vegetarian and I add green olives and count a few extra points. I also split it with DH and add a huge salad to the meal so that I am not ravenous when the pizza comes.

Lynette :D

[plcm111195]

The most difficult part of dining out for me is not having control over what goes in my food. I try to order items that should be ok, but whether they brush oil on my salmon before they grill it, I don't know. And it drives me crazy, but I understand that I can't have control over everything and try to eat lightly the rest of my meals or maybe the next day just in case. I find I generally over-estimate my points when I'm out to eat. When I bring half of something home and weigh it, it usually is much less than I expected.

[SSKatie]

The toughest part for me is the hurry that we all get in at a restaurant to get our food and EAT! I have to calm myself down and not let myself be rushed so I can select what foods I'm choosing to use my points on.

[vegie-girl]

eating out in general is pretty horrible... point #01 im already picky about food (it has to be something i really want or i won't eat it) point #02 im a vegitarian... and it is hard to get truly vegitarian foods out unless you are at a really nice restaurant (nicer than the burger joint across the street) other than salads... and even then... i once went to a place that refused to serve a salad without meat... needless to say... i enjoyed a luscious glass of ice water with a twist of lemon at that dining experience... its just variety and control issues...

[melsullivan]

I think the hardest/worst part of eating out OP is the temptation of the foods on the menu, even if I go in planning to order a salad and some fish, looking at the nachos, cheese sticks, or creamy fettucine alfredo with extra cheese on the menu makes me feel deprived because I know that I can't have those things.

I have stayed away from restaurants since going on WW for this reason, until I *know* that I have the determination and willpower to be able to sit in front of a menu like that and STILL order fish and a salad, I will be eating at home smile.gif

On the bright side we've saved a LOT of money by not eating out so much. And that is a positive thing.

Cheers!

[patinoh]

I agree with Melanie....we're saving money,by not eating out.I never went into a restaurant,planning to stuff myself,but did choose what I wanted.The fun of eating out...for me...was choosing food I seldom cooked at home.Without that option,it doesn't have much appeal.I can eat salad & grilled meat at home.So that's where I am at this point in time.PatC

[Charline1009]

My husband and I eat out once a week. (Before Weight Watchers, we ate out at least three times a week.)

To be totally honest, it doesn't pose a problem if I am with my husband. We both choose the restaurant and we go to places that I feel are worth the points. (I don't like to waste points on icky fast food junk.) tongue.gif

Eating out with coworkers is the worst. They watch what I order and make plenty of comments about it. (I end up spending more of my banked points than planned, just to convince them that I do eat.)

To deal with it, I pack my lunch. I only eat out with coworkers when my principal requires it.

[JMC]

I am a bread junkie, and have an extremely hard time not eating the rolls/bread that are on the table before the meal.

[Paris Madeleine]

The most difficult thing for me is figuring the points. I like to eat at homestyle, family-owned ethnic restaurants which don't usually have nutritional values available. So I find eating out to be somewhat of a Russion roulette for me.

[krispy913]

For me the problem lies in the fact that everyone is getting something really fattening and yummy. At home we all eat the same thing for dinner, but when you are out and an appetizer is ordered I want a piece. I want to try what others are having (my friends and I have always passed around our plates). That is where my problem is. I order something good, but it is never all I eat, there is something always added.

Kristi

[Kathyski]

The hardest part for me is making the wise decision of what I SHOULD have versus what I really WANT to have. Most of the time they are not the same thing. Of course that's after deciding where to go that would have the best choices in the first place. Then there's always the problem of only eating what a correct portion size is, since restaurants, in general, give you almost double what a normal portion is. It seems when I ask for a doggie bag I either forget it at the table, or we don't go directly home to refrig it or I forget to eat it later. Then I feel like I've wasted money.

So, as you can see, eating out is difficult all the way around for me right now. Maybe later on when I'm more under control it will be easier. But for now I think I better stay where I have the control.

Kathy

[Tyannah]

The hardest thing about dining out is the choices I should make but don't always make the right ones. I try to make good choices but there are so many different temptations when dining out.

I enjoy having a few drinks before diner and then I have to chose something low in points for my meal.

I usually choose chicken as my entree with vegetables or a salad but I often worry about how it was prepared. Sometimes you cannot chose grilled or broiled at the restaurant. I find it hard to stay away from appetizers as well. Desert is not a problem because I do not have a sweet tooth.

I find it quite stressful when we eat out somewhere that I do not have a clue of the point values in the food. It seems that we eat out less and less lately.

The only way I know how to handle the situation is to eat more vegetables when eating out. Do anyone have any suggestions? graemlins/ugh.gif

[jlrose]

I don't have much trouble with eating out. But I agree with Joanne that you just don't know what they're putting in the food, like added fat. The only other problem is that I tend to order the same things over and over since I know they are low-point.

[irishskm]

graemlins/wave.gif I have a really difficult time when we go out to eat. I guess the biggest problem is portion control. I usually can make good choice on my selection, but have problems leaving food on my plate. We have reduced the number of times each week that we eat out. This isn't really fair for my DH because he enjoys eating out. I will be watching this string to get some ideas for myself.. Thanks for putting this question out there.
Sharon

[Betina]

My biggest problem in eating out is that although I go into the restaurant with the good intention of ordering the light item that is within points I change my mind once sitting down and looking at all of the good food on the menu. I don't want to feel deprived. The way I deal with it is to allow myself to eat one meal at any restaurant once a week. The rest of the week I stay within points and I work out. I think that knowing that I can have anything I want actually helps me to not over do it. I know it will not be the last time I get to eat at this restaurant or eat really good tasting food. I know ww doesn't advocate spending more than 10 of your banked points on any one day but it is what is currently working for me.
- Betina

[slave2cats]

Great topic!

It was hard for me at first, but now with almost 8 months OP under my belt - actually it's more like out from under my belt ;) - it's much, much easier.

For one thing, the more time goes by, the more committed I am to making this change. So I'm far less tempted than I was before. It's not like I've never had that food before, and it's not like I won't ever have it again .... just not this particular meal.

For another, I don't deprive myself, ever. If I want a high point item, I plan for it. And if I find myself wanting something I didn't plan for, I'll ask for a bite of someone else's :D I've turned into the Queen of One Bite. Counted of course, need you ask? ;)

One bite usually satisfies me these days and believe me, bucko, I don't waste that one bite on those lame-o chips and salsa or those crappy breadsticks - I use my one bite where it counts.....on that cheesecake :D

Bethanne

[brdwygurl]

Wow what a great thread. The eating out issue is a biggie for me.

The biggest dilemma I have is how to count the points. I don't usually eat at "chain" restaurants, so there isn't a convenient way to look up the points. Generally I try to find a known points item that is similar and use that as a guide. Erring on the side of caution and usually overestimating the point value.

Other than that my strategy is all about compromise and portion control. If I know the restaurant has a dessert I LOVE I chose a very light entree. I know that if I want that cheesy/creamy entre that means no appetizer and no desert. I have also found eating half helps, or just tasting things. And luckily the people I go out with are you usually interested in splitting appetizers or desert so that is really nice. Because nobody said you have to split it equally ;) So take a bite or two, dont feel deprived but also don't feel guilty about going off program.

I am also a bread junkie, and the butter adds up. I read on these boards once "if the bread isn't good enough to eat without butter, then it's not good enough to waste the points on" and that has really stuck with me. So a plain boring dinner roll I won't bother with....no a piece of foccacia bread? that's another story :D

and of course all of this is planned/banked/activity pointed ahead of time.

[slave2cats]

Here's a little tip my leader gave our group for guessing:

Nothing has more points than straight fat - so 3 pts per tablespoon is the max you ever have to count. Of course that's a measuring tablespoon, not a heaping silverware tablespoon.....

Once you're OP for awhile you get a pretty good feel for equivalencies and can generally make a pretty good guess as unfamiliar food.

Scrape off the sauce - there will still be enough left on the food to get the flavor, I promise
Eat a half-portion - that's lunch tomorrow taken care of!
Go for the fat-free dressing, or straight balsamic vinegar if you don't like your salad in the nude
Skip the bread and the croutons - croutons are just stale bread

It does get easier, I swear smile.gif

Bethanne

[SFCatwoman]

Ditto to everything everyone wrote!
I am a big salad eater, and what is more points friendly than a nice salad except if it's slathered with high fat dressing. I have stash of airline size liquor bottles filled with fat free salad dressing in my refrigerator. I put one in my purse whenever I go out to eat, and I have no problem asking that my salad be served without dressing, and adding my own at the table (even in the fanciest restaurants).
By the way, my favorite dressing is Kraft Free Caesar Italian.

[Momof2pugz]

I know that this is an old one, but I thought that I would answer. The hardest thing about eating out is selection. There are way too many unhealthy, high point menu items out there. It is soo hard to eat a turkey burger when right next to it on the menu is a thick bacon cheeseburger.

I only limit myself to going out to eat once a week. I think I would die if I had to do anymore than that.

[tortoise123]

Everyone has heard this before, but attitude is everything (along with knowledge and having a plan, as well as a backup plan.) I don't focus on what I can't have - I find something I love that is also acceptable. And if there isn't anything healthy and delicious on the menu, why are you eating there?

Eating out when I travel is another story. When I visit in North Carolina, I eat fried seafood, hush puppies, waffles, and barbecue - but only once EACH and even then I don't clean the plate. And my food during the rest of the day is extra-healthy. And I try to fit in an extra walk!

I refuse to obsess about what someone does to my food in the kitchen - it's what I do with my food daily that matters!

I almost never eat dessert anymore. I carry a s/f peppermint patty or a bit of really good chocolate in my purse to eat with my coffee.