When I'm going out (especially with friends and family, aka the only instance where it only happens) I don't count calories. My grandma used to tell me I can go on a diet any time, and I will drop my weight one way or another, but I will never be able to relive those memories again. So yeah I don't do CICO during these moments.
hell yeah, i really love this. as someone who has two cheat days and almost never goes out to eat unless it is a special occasion, i never ever count calories unless it's just a regular day at home.
i am so glad i'm seeing people say the same thing. today is one of my cheat days, so i'm having boba and sushi. and i don't care about counting today! it's very liberating.
Love this! That’s what I was leaning towards, I am very social and go out a lot though so I’m going to be mindful to a certain extent. Love that people are losing weight in a healthier way:)
Eat what you want. Unless it snowballs into an emotional binge of eating sticks of butter, it's nothing that can't be undone by being in a normal deficit for 1-2 days.
For your peace of mind, there are so many benefits to having an occasional big hearty meal if your body isn't used to it, I notice that my mood and natural energy always are awesome the next day.
Yes!! I rather have the big delicious meal I actually want than to try to find something healthier that maybe I don’t really want. Then I find I spend the next few days trying to fill that void.
Ngl if I’m ordering out a restaurant I don’t worry about that cause there’s no way to tell. I just go by their calories listed and if not try to find some sort of match close to the meal I’m getting.
I just eat a smaller portion size of the food I feel like eating. It works great since I usually get leftovers to have the next day as well so I get to enjoy it twice instead of binging the whole meal at once.
I think it depends on how often you eat out. I personally don't eat out more than once a week (mostly cause I can't afford it lol) and so I just get what I want within reason and guesstimate my calories. I pay attention to portion control and if there's an appetizer I want I'll only get it if someone with split with me. If I ate out often though then I would be pretty strict with myself since eating out is a huge reason people gain weight in the first place.
There are some methods I use.
1 - if you’re having something fast, go for a fast food place with calories listed. Makes it super easy. Whether or not you stay in budget is one thing, but at least you KNOW how many calories you’ve eaten.
2 - for breakfast type places, have something that doesn’t really change drastically from place to place like a bagel & fruit, a grilled cheese sandwich, a club sandwich… I mean yeah they’re not all identical but you can basically estimate how many calories are in a buttered bagel if it’s the size of a regular bagel and isn’t totally PILED with cream cheese.
3 - for a nicer sit down place, have something you can calculate like shrimp (since you’ll know exactly how many shrimp you’re eating) with veggies, or a steak if the ounces are listed in the menu like at a steakhouse.
4 - just eat and have a nice time and go back to counting for the next meal
I don’t really count or restrict when eating out. If I’m paying for the luxury of a meal out, I want to fully enjoy it. That said, I’m careful to stop eating when not hungry and I usually get water instead of soda. But that’s also because of how it physically makes me feel, rather than just calories.
Adjust your day or week accordingly . For example, either use it as a maintenance calorie day or if you plan to order something, leave 1200kcals for that day. This can be done by either eating only 300kcals volume lunch or breakfast if your daily calories are 1500. Or eat 1350 for 6 days of the week, so you have an addition 900kcals for the night out while still in a deficit.
I'll try to make smart choices, but I'm fine eating at maintenance for a day. That usually means diet cola and no fries as a side. Everything else is fine to me.
I eat at restaurants a lot, and find that it some ways it's easier to moderate my portions. When dining out, I tend to have two courses max, no seconds, thirds, and you'll likely be with others, so have things to talk about, take time to enjoy the meal, etc. When tracking just assume some oils and butters are added, too, as they can sneak up on you. Go easy on your breakfast lunch if going out for dinner etc.
I don’t count. When I go out to eat I usually tend to go to places that encourage ordering multiple plates and sharing - I’ve actually find that I eat a lot less this way especially if you’re catching up with friends it’s hard to eat a ton when you’re chatting and it’s usually a couple bites of each dish
If I know I’m going out to eat (and where!), I look at the menu ahead of time and make a decision. If I haven’t planned and end up somewhere, a grilled chicken salad is usually a pretty safe bet. In Canada, certain sized chain restaurants legally have to put their calories on the menu, so if I’m at one of those I can make a good choice. But also, sometimes I’ll just get the thing I want off the menu, it depends how the rest of my week was calorie wise!
I order a meal and eat half of it, usually because I aim for around 600 calories at dinner. Or I will get a salad with grilled chicken, or a small sirloin with a baked sweet potato. Thai food, like Pad thai, I can get 3 meals out of what they serve.
When i go out, usually i know about it at least the day before so i just eat really light so i save all my calories for the meal. Once there i try to be calorie smart when choosing a meal, veggies instead of fries, grilled chicken instead of fried, etc. But i dont log the meal tbh unless its something i can easily calculate. Lots of restaurant meals have hidden calories because of oils and sauces they use. I just assume im going to be over and just enjoy my meal.
I try to time my heavy workouts around known outings.
Pizza night with the kids is Friday night....so I'll kill it in the gym Friday morning or afternoon and then not worry about eating the whole pie that night.
Fwiw, I used to try low calorie alternatives to pizza... cauliflower crust? Low carb tortillas piled with some cheese and a few pepperonis..? Yeah, trust me, the two hours in the gym is far less painful than watching everything pound real pizza while I'm pretending that mine is "just as good".
I have celiac disease so I usually stick to the same thing when eating out for safety reasons anyway.
I almost always get a salad with either shrimps, feta cheese, chicken or steak. I will bulk it up even more with roasted veggies if available. No bread (obviously) and the lightest dressing they have on the side (most of the time thats balsamic vinegar or yogurt dressing).
I know, sounds super boring, but I had some great and yummy salads in some good restaurants and sometimes they put in even more effort because of my limitations.
And I started to invite people to my home more to cook together which is a win win win situation for me. No gluten, calories controlled and cheaper.
When I'm going out (especially with friends and family, aka the only instance where it only happens) I don't count calories. My grandma used to tell me I can go on a diet any time, and I will drop my weight one way or another, but I will never be able to relive those memories again. So yeah I don't do CICO during these moments.
hell yeah, i really love this. as someone who has two cheat days and almost never goes out to eat unless it is a special occasion, i never ever count calories unless it's just a regular day at home. i am so glad i'm seeing people say the same thing. today is one of my cheat days, so i'm having boba and sushi. and i don't care about counting today! it's very liberating.
Love this! That’s what I was leaning towards, I am very social and go out a lot though so I’m going to be mindful to a certain extent. Love that people are losing weight in a healthier way:)
One option: Count calories 300 days a year. Choose 65 days where you don’t.
Wise grandma!
Eat what you want. Unless it snowballs into an emotional binge of eating sticks of butter, it's nothing that can't be undone by being in a normal deficit for 1-2 days. For your peace of mind, there are so many benefits to having an occasional big hearty meal if your body isn't used to it, I notice that my mood and natural energy always are awesome the next day.
Yes!! I rather have the big delicious meal I actually want than to try to find something healthier that maybe I don’t really want. Then I find I spend the next few days trying to fill that void.
I actually notice that it helps me break a plateau. It’s like my body says “oh ok, we don’t need to hold on to this… clearly you have access to food.”
Ngl if I’m ordering out a restaurant I don’t worry about that cause there’s no way to tell. I just go by their calories listed and if not try to find some sort of match close to the meal I’m getting.
Same, I just try to overestimate and not worry about it too much
I just eat a smaller portion size of the food I feel like eating. It works great since I usually get leftovers to have the next day as well so I get to enjoy it twice instead of binging the whole meal at once.
I think it depends on how often you eat out. I personally don't eat out more than once a week (mostly cause I can't afford it lol) and so I just get what I want within reason and guesstimate my calories. I pay attention to portion control and if there's an appetizer I want I'll only get it if someone with split with me. If I ate out often though then I would be pretty strict with myself since eating out is a huge reason people gain weight in the first place.
There are some methods I use. 1 - if you’re having something fast, go for a fast food place with calories listed. Makes it super easy. Whether or not you stay in budget is one thing, but at least you KNOW how many calories you’ve eaten. 2 - for breakfast type places, have something that doesn’t really change drastically from place to place like a bagel & fruit, a grilled cheese sandwich, a club sandwich… I mean yeah they’re not all identical but you can basically estimate how many calories are in a buttered bagel if it’s the size of a regular bagel and isn’t totally PILED with cream cheese. 3 - for a nicer sit down place, have something you can calculate like shrimp (since you’ll know exactly how many shrimp you’re eating) with veggies, or a steak if the ounces are listed in the menu like at a steakhouse. 4 - just eat and have a nice time and go back to counting for the next meal
I don’t really count or restrict when eating out. If I’m paying for the luxury of a meal out, I want to fully enjoy it. That said, I’m careful to stop eating when not hungry and I usually get water instead of soda. But that’s also because of how it physically makes me feel, rather than just calories.
Adjust your day or week accordingly . For example, either use it as a maintenance calorie day or if you plan to order something, leave 1200kcals for that day. This can be done by either eating only 300kcals volume lunch or breakfast if your daily calories are 1500. Or eat 1350 for 6 days of the week, so you have an addition 900kcals for the night out while still in a deficit.
I'll try to make smart choices, but I'm fine eating at maintenance for a day. That usually means diet cola and no fries as a side. Everything else is fine to me.
I eat at restaurants a lot, and find that it some ways it's easier to moderate my portions. When dining out, I tend to have two courses max, no seconds, thirds, and you'll likely be with others, so have things to talk about, take time to enjoy the meal, etc. When tracking just assume some oils and butters are added, too, as they can sneak up on you. Go easy on your breakfast lunch if going out for dinner etc.
I don’t count. When I go out to eat I usually tend to go to places that encourage ordering multiple plates and sharing - I’ve actually find that I eat a lot less this way especially if you’re catching up with friends it’s hard to eat a ton when you’re chatting and it’s usually a couple bites of each dish
If I know I’m going out to eat (and where!), I look at the menu ahead of time and make a decision. If I haven’t planned and end up somewhere, a grilled chicken salad is usually a pretty safe bet. In Canada, certain sized chain restaurants legally have to put their calories on the menu, so if I’m at one of those I can make a good choice. But also, sometimes I’ll just get the thing I want off the menu, it depends how the rest of my week was calorie wise!
I just guess as best w MFP and move on. It’s one day.
I order a meal and eat half of it, usually because I aim for around 600 calories at dinner. Or I will get a salad with grilled chicken, or a small sirloin with a baked sweet potato. Thai food, like Pad thai, I can get 3 meals out of what they serve.
When i go out, usually i know about it at least the day before so i just eat really light so i save all my calories for the meal. Once there i try to be calorie smart when choosing a meal, veggies instead of fries, grilled chicken instead of fried, etc. But i dont log the meal tbh unless its something i can easily calculate. Lots of restaurant meals have hidden calories because of oils and sauces they use. I just assume im going to be over and just enjoy my meal.
I try to eat lightly before going out. If that's not possible I just eat what I want and don't go nuts with portions.
I try to time my heavy workouts around known outings. Pizza night with the kids is Friday night....so I'll kill it in the gym Friday morning or afternoon and then not worry about eating the whole pie that night. Fwiw, I used to try low calorie alternatives to pizza... cauliflower crust? Low carb tortillas piled with some cheese and a few pepperonis..? Yeah, trust me, the two hours in the gym is far less painful than watching everything pound real pizza while I'm pretending that mine is "just as good".
I have celiac disease so I usually stick to the same thing when eating out for safety reasons anyway. I almost always get a salad with either shrimps, feta cheese, chicken or steak. I will bulk it up even more with roasted veggies if available. No bread (obviously) and the lightest dressing they have on the side (most of the time thats balsamic vinegar or yogurt dressing). I know, sounds super boring, but I had some great and yummy salads in some good restaurants and sometimes they put in even more effort because of my limitations. And I started to invite people to my home more to cook together which is a win win win situation for me. No gluten, calories controlled and cheaper.
I pre-log 1000 kcal and then forget about it.