Tips for going out to eat when you're trying to count calories?

I have a lot of dinners and parties and different events coming up this month where there will be lots of food and drinks. Does anyone have any helpful tips for how I can go out to eat and still try to log it correctly and keep it around 1500 calories for the day?

I'd say eat light-calorie and filling meals. If you eat something filling for 150 calories 20-25 minutes before you go out, you'll probably be able to control yourself more if you feel full. You might also want to consider exercising.

Especially watch how much you're eating of the unhealthiest foods, and try to eat more of the healthier parts of the meal. Eat more veggies, eat less fried foods. Pick if you want dessert that night or if you want alcohol/soda BEFORE you go. Allow yourself some wiggle room, but don't get out of control.

If I know I'm going to a dinner party, I'll eat a light cereal breakfast (~200 calories), a light lunch (~400 calories), and filling snacks (~200 calories). I'll probably do some kind of cardio and burn 300 calories, and go to the dinner party knowing that I have 900 calories to still have my daily deficit, and decide if I'm okay with going a little over that day. I'll then make a decision on of one of the following:

1) 20% salad/vegetables/soup, 60% main course, 20% dessert, water

2) 20% salad/vegetables/soup, 50% main course, 10% dessert, 10% beverage

I don't mean sit there and eyeball how many calories you're eating, like literally 20% of your meal would be the salad and half of your meal would be whatever the main course is. Basically just plan.

Most of all, just have fun. Try to moderate yourself, but if you go over 200-300 calories one night a week, it's not going to kill your diet.

If you are going to parties where people are very health aware you may be able to pull this off. If you are going to your typical American party having a typical American diet, I would say that this is very difficult to pull off.

I could tell you what the poster said above, and it's true, but for me: I had to stop going to parties and restaurants and out to eat. I had a job that was around food all the time, dinners here, breakfasts there, receptions here. My life revolved around a restaurant and I hated it.

This may not be your problem, but it was mine. If you find that you can't stay within your calorie range for your health because you are either too tempted by the food or there simply aren't enough or any health options, then you may need to consider a life style change. I had to do this. It was hard at first, but now I look back and I'm so glad that I don't do the things I used to do or live the way I used to live.

Extra excercise is key. Also on the days that you are not eating out, try eating slightly lower than your set calorie allowance. I used to do that, but I was on like 1600 a day. Just skip your dessert. And just have more veg rather than carbs.

During the parties, make some healthy choices, no beer, but sugar free drinks or whatever.

Then again, I'm going to a dinner tomorrow night, which is all you can eat and drink, so I guess I will go over my limit for the day too.

If you are going to a restaurant ask for a nutrition guide.  Most chain restaurants have them.  Sometimes menus will also feature healthier choices.  You can also substitute sides like fries or chips with a salad or veggie. I always have those Lipton green tea on the go packets in my purse so I order water and add that to it.  If it's a house party than that's a little harder.  That will take more self control, I would eat veggies and salad first so that fills me up some before I go for anything else.  Eat until your comfortable, not too full. I also find that drinking a glass of water before a meal fills me up a little.  Sometimes we think we are hungry but it's actually that we are thirsty and maybe a little dehydrated. Don't worry about it too much.  If you worry about it too much you won't have fun, and if you go over some that's OK as long as you are not doing it everyday.

It's always hard to say exactly what went into a dish when you didn't prepare it yourself.  So I think it's better to play safe and go for the vegetable plates and things that you know better. My rule of thumb is that the more it sounds complicated, more likely there is fat/sugar/carbs to be hidden in there. Choose simple dishes. Yeah I know, often this also means picking the stuff that sounds least appealing, but you'll be proud of yourself the next morning when you step on the scale.

When I eat out, I try to keep a mental note of what I had and as soon as I get back home, I write down the ingredients I ate (those I could distinguish as least!). Then I add an average weight or size for each of the items. Add a portion of fat to cover everything that had a sauce/seasoning on. And a teaspoon of sugar. This sounds odd, but I'm a cook. Trust me, sugar finds it's way into the most innocent stew or salad dressing. Remember that the problem always gets down to sugar and fat. So those are the ones you should be keeping an eye at.

Hope this helps!

ps: Nutrition guides in restaurants (unless they are large chains) are not trustworthy.

As far as going out to eat, I have found the following restaurants have a "low-cal/low-fat" portion to their menu:

Applebees

Outback Steakhouse

On The Border

I work hard during the week but on the weekends or nights out, I stick to maintence eating.  It's impossible to know how many cals are in everyhting unless you prepare it yourself.  just enjoy your evenings, stick to the baked goods, try a little goodie here and there and get on with life.