Everyday Systems

Anybody using habitcal to restrict eating out? I'm trying to limit myself to once a week when it's my choice. This would not include things like business lunches or planned social events.

Even a one plate meal at a restaurant usually is loaded with a calories. I also realized how much money I was spending on eating out. I think No S can help with both of those problems.

We don't do that formally, but informally we do. It just costs so much to eat out, and the food isn't as nutritious.

Plus, I like planning and making meals for my family (most days, anyway). Trying new recipes is fun to me.

Another nice thing about No-S is that I've begun to enjoy my meals in a way I never used to - even N-day meals. There used to be all this internal chatter ("Can I have feta on my salad... it's x points/calories. If I don't have it I could have a cookie. But I like it... " Then I'd do without and eat six cookies b/c I felt like I'd been cheated....). Now, I just have what I want - since I'm not ALSO eating cookies or chips or other snacks all day, it just isn't a big deal. And that makes cooking a LOT more fun.

I don't use Habitcal to monitor it, but like KCCC I don't really LIKE to go out to eat that often ... although my husband loves it.

We have found a balance, he goes out to eat for lunch at work and since I work at home I tend to stay home and eat. Dinners are light at home during the week unless something special comes up.

We usually go out once, twice or not at all on the weeknd just depending on what's going on.

If this is a "habit" you are trying to get into, all I can say is I am using Habitcal to help me with two other habits I am trying to develop and it is a very effective tool.

So I say go for it and just use it as long as it is helpful!

Blueskighs

I'm realizing more and more how bad for you eating out is... My mom and I are going to Chili's tonight, so I went to their web site to check out their menu and also found nutrition facts. What an eye-opener! One of their chicken sandwiches has 1500 calories --- and that's NOT INCLUDING FRIES. So crazy, eh?

It's amazing what poverty, distance and being married to a chef do to get rid of the eating out thing.


f

about eating out ... there's an interesting and 'fun' book out called 'eat that not this' (I say fun, b/c it really depends on your version of fun

i skimmed through it at the book store, and it is full of pictures of best and worst choices at most chain restaurants, fast food, grocery items etc.
after looking trough it i thought a lot of it was common sense, but some of the info was surprising. It would be good to have if you eat out a lot, but want to know your 'go to meal' or defaults at any restaurant.

I eat out a lot, but with the price of groceries in new york, it can be cheaper to eat out then at home (so sad), the quality of restaurants here is amazing AND new york city has a new law that requires nutrition facts on menus. Its an eye opener, especially when you rationalize that a Frappucino is NOT a sweet ... it is

If you find with your lifestyle that eating out happens often, then embrace it.

Personally I do great in restaurants; it’s at home that is hard for me. At home I want to pick while cooking. I want to have "just a little more". And I want to pick while cleaning up. In a restaurant I don't those three problems. And I am so happy to have someone else serve me that it doesn’t so much matter what I am having as it is enjoying the relaxing experience.

Use this as your opportunity to educate yourself. Go into a restaurant and do your best to choose healthy, low cal stuff and then go home and Google it and see how you did.

Remember the basics, if it's fried and drowning in sauce it's probably a bad choice. Mayo and dressing on the side. Ask for a to go box right away and put 1/2 or more away for lunch for the next day or two. Make special requests - grilled not fried. Ask that they don't bring the 1,000 cal bread that comes with your 100 cal salad. Etc. Etc. I am sure after a short while you will have a default meal at all of your favorite places.

Remember the importance of keeping this easy so that you can continue with it. I enjoy cooking but others don't and even if they try super hard to keep it up, they won't.

You can do this, so don't let those glossy pictures in the menu throw you off track!

I definately do much much better when I don't eat out. In fact, I'm trying to eat out only on S days and just let that be my treat. In other words, for me, a sucessful N day is no sweets, no snacks, no seconds and no eating out.

I eat healthier at home than when I eat out and I also eat less at home.

How can a sandwitch have 1500 calories??? I mean, I cant even imagine a deep fried chicken sandwitch would have that many. Am I just nieve?

Betty wrote:How can a sandwitch have 1500 calories??? I mean, I cant even imagine a deep fried chicken sandwitch would have that many. Am I just nieve?

Here are a few sandwich examples:

• Quizno’s Chicken Carbonara Sub, large 1510 calories
  Chicken, bacon, mozzarella cheese, mushrooms and creamy bacon alfredo sauce;
  
  Scholtzky’s Phily cheesesteak sandwich, large 1615 calories;
  
  Quizno’s Honey Ham and Swiss Sub, Large 1360 calories
  Honey-cured ham, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayonaise.
  
  Subway ham and cheese Sub, footlong 1040 calories
  Bread, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions,
  Green peppers, olives, mayo, mustard, olive oil blend.
  
  Arby’s Roast beef and swiss market fresh sandwich, regular 810 calories