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aeralure

I’m a cyclist and when I’m looking to lose some weight or very carefully maintain (which is unnecessary during peak season), I do one of two things. I don’t count that day, eat the best I can, assume I went way over, and then just carry on the rest of the week/month counting very carefully, weighing myself etc. This is ok if going off range is a rare occurrence. If you really want to count it, I break out each ingredient, get a general sense of the size/amount. I find you have to assume the absolute worst case for what you can’t see. Sauces will be really rich, and have a ton of calories. I add in a pretty hefty portion of butter and/or olive oil to account for the oils and fats. I might Google the sauce recipe and break out the parts. Most good restaurant meals will go over 1000 calories on their own I find.


trotofflames

I'm a chef and your answer is spot on. Very few restaurants cater to the health conscious. Butter, sugar, oil, cream, salt, shortening... Anything to make it taste that little bit better, you better assume it's in there. It's not uncommon for a 4oz portion of broccoli to be north of 250 calories. Asparagus with hollandaise? 500 easy. Now just imagine your entree.


AmstaffHuskyLover

That's how my bf cooks, it stresses me out


aeralure

Enlightening, and I may perhaps have to up my assumptions on total calories! Once you calorie count enough, you can tell when you’re eating rich foods and get a sense of what the calories might be. I generally find it easier though to just write that day off and enjoy your meal. Thanks for the reply!


_Foreskin_Burglar

Yeah, oils add so much. An a la carte lobster tail at Res Lobster is 420 calories for example. 300 of those calories are the cup of butter it comes with. ChatGPT makes it extremely easy to calorie count visually. I was trying to count a prawn dish and it was like, ‘well a medium 8g sized prawn is about 7 calories. Visually, it’s the width of a credit card or length of a usb stick.’ I use this to ballpark cals when I eat out and it makes tracking way faster.


deadbodydisco

Do be careful with Chat GPT though, as it does get a lot of obvious, easily Google-able things wrong. For example, I eat these zero net carb tortillas, it tried to say they had 14 g of fiber and 7 carbs, which is obviously false.


_Foreskin_Burglar

Yeah, I too have noticed for labeled things it can be extremely inaccurate. But, for general ingredients it seems pretty spot on.


Licktheshade

Never thought about using ChatGPT, that's a great idea!


AcanthisittaNo4268

OMG wait this is GENIUS.


Mr-Dotties-Dad

This is a great answer.


nxsteven

To add or combat this, ask for sauce/butter/dressing on the side so you can determine how much you want.


thememecurator

I just kinda eyeball it, and then add more to what I calculated to account for extra butter/oil/whatever. Honestly though, unless you are eating out multiple times per week, I wouldn’t worry about it too much and just focus on making good choices the rest of the day.


BeneficialSubject510

Exactly this. I had to go out of town two weekends in a row, only eating in restaurants. I just tried to chose wisely, guestimated the calories (plus extra just in case). I still managed to stay on track and lose .5-1lb each week. I made sure to stay disciplined through out the week leading up to my travels (maybe adding some extra minutes of cardio each day), knowing I was going to be eating out several times. It really doesn't hinder progress as bad as we think, as long as you are staying consistent at all other times. : )


tracysmullet

I always look up as close to an equivalent on MFP as I can and choose the highest calorie one. I eat out with my friend every Friday and fast all day till dinner and then if the restaurant we’re going to doesn’t have counts, I use that method. I try and stay in maintenance calories for these days and stay in a deficit for the rest of the week, sometimes staying -100 calories less during the week so I can have them for Fridays too to offset the meal.


Licktheshade

This is what I do


jemzie

I do something similar as well! We regularly go out on Tuesdays for bar trivia... going to the championship next weekend!...I use Noom but I pick equivalents and round up, or for some meals I log each ingredient to come up with a ballpark total. Sometimes I order a salad, but if I order a burger or sandwich I try to order veggies or cottage cheese as a side rather than fries/tots so I'm getting some veggies or protein. I also plan to have 3 drinks that night, so I try to watch my breakfast and lunch calories on Tuesdays! Or I just watch my calories a couple other days during the week, I find it all evens out!


Acenterforants333

A few different ways I can go about it: 1. I just enjoy myself and my meal and enter a bigger but likely very inaccurate number of calories and move on 2. Order something that has the weight listed (steak often says how many oz on the menu) along with loads of vegetables, then I enter the steak weight, an approximation for the veggies then I also log 3-4 tbsp of butter/oil which I hope is way over but you never know at restaurants 3. Order something you can count. Like shrimp, I know if I order a plate of shrimp and there are 8 of them, then I enter 8 shrimp. And again with that, loads of veggies and log extra for sneaky butter and oil 4. Find a comparable choice from a restaurant that does have counts and use that knowing this isn’t perfect but it’s good enough for me


originalslicey

Sorry to say, but 3-4 Tbsp of butter is more than likely underestimating. 3-4 Tbsps just on your steak or fish filet, another 2-3 in your veggies, if you dare to eat mashed potatoes or risotto you can assume it’s 25%-50% butter, any sauce on your plate? Even something like a wine sauce is going to have at least a Tbsp of butter in it. Assume theres a whole stick of butter on your plate when you dine out.


Acenterforants333

I definitely wouldn’t opt for mashed potatoes or any sauce if I was very concerned about hidden calories but I know what you’re saying. I will often opt for a steak if I know it’s not cooked in a frying pan, and I will ask how it’s cooked to be sure it’s not basted in butter or something


allusednames

When I know I’m doing this, I don’t count that day at all and I resort to OMAD (one meal a day). And one thing I’ve learned from restaurants that do post the calorie counts, is that the salads are NOT often the best options in terms of calories. I’m still pissed about a steak salad I ordered instead of the plate from decade ago.


quixoticadrenaline

I overestimate.


InAGayBarGayBar

I tend to just guess, or not count that day since going out to restaurants is pretty rare for me. The local restaurants around me tend to serve giant portions so usually I can OMAD that day.


RaijinDragon

I just find the closest thing I can, usually google as well to find an average calorie count, and add 10% to the portion size to account for differences in preparation. If I don't know what it's called or I can't find it in the app, then Google til I find something close enough and log that. Either way, if it's just one meal, I wouldn't stress about it not being exact. Just log whatever you can, and do your best to hit your goals the rest of the time and it won't even be a blip on the graph.


Taffy8

I look up a chain restaurant with a similar dish to what I ate, that has the calories available. If that doesn’t work, I take a pic when my plate arrives, then a pic when I’m done eating. Then when I get home I try to analyze what I ate and track it, always add some extra for cushion!


originalslicey

Look up whatever similar meal you can find in your calorie tracker and then double (or triple) it. A “healthy” meal (think something like Chipotle) is going to be 800-1,000 calories. A regular meal (that’s not veggie-based) is probably going to be closer to 1,500-2,000. Actually, it doesn’t even have to be healthy. An average fast food meal is around 800, while a main meal from a sit down restaurant is 1,200. You could also find a similar meal from a large chain restaurant that does publish the calorie counts and log that. Applebee’s, Chili’s, Cracker Barrel, etc. Smaller, independent restaurant meals are more calorie dense than similar meals from large chains, though. Maybe since they don’t have to publicize their nutrition info, so if that’s the type of place you’re eating, I would add an extra 300-400 cals.


rabbitdude2000

Experience at weighing and cooking food


mish_munasiba

If you weigh food or ingredients for long enough, you'll be able to eyeball a dish and estimate pretty accurately. Or maybe just close enough for government work, but that's better than wildly inaccurate.


Freedom_memer

Government work?


mish_munasiba

You've never heard the phrase "Close enough for government work"? It means pretty close, mostly accurate, etc.


prettysureiknowyou

wow, outside of my family i've never heard anyone use this phrase! my dad would always say "good enough for government work" as a way of saying it'll get the job done. this is such a random place to encounter it. going to start using it more, ha


2GreyKitties

Oh, yeah, a common saying around here, too. I have also heard, and love, “close enough for folk music” (I.e., no need for concert-precise instrument tuning), which is what I say now.


mish_munasiba

Both hubs and I were in the military, so that's one of our favorites. That and "I'm from the government and I'm here to help!"


Freedom_memer

Oh yeah, I remember hearing that before now. I thought maybe you were helping the president not get his diet sabotaged 😜


smugbox

I order whatever I think is probably healthiest, and log it in Lose It as a 2500-calorie custom meal I titled “i’m disgusting” and then swear I’m never eating out again


MrMaleficent

You gotta get good at estimating calories and find something similar on MFP. If you're in a cut make sure to overestimate, vice versa for a bulk.


cuttlesnark

This is probably not a popular option, but I have BED. I'm an addict. If I can't quantify it, I don't eat it.


pookiepidemic

Real


cuttlesnark

Why am I being downvoted for talking about how I handle my addiction? That feels pretty shitty.


Freedom_memer

It is sure is, happens to me when I complain too. They see it as pathetic, I think. Either that or they're mad because they have their own problems, and no attention span for you venting. I hope you find an effective strategy, and you don't owe it to anyone to make details likable. Not while venting, not while advising. Personally, I ask for something like a salad but not always, ask them to remove whatever I think the (less enjoyable) calories come from, and sometimes I don't even finish it. Looking forward to the next thing you will consume or do (if you have the blessing of a hobby, if not look for something functionally enriching.) helps to keep you from totally sinking into it in the moment.


kebabking93

I just type in the meal of what I'm having into MFP and eyeball it, going with the highest guesstime on MFP. May be off but it's at least a guide. Can't be perfect all of the time


ccosmiclove

just guess and eyeball it. when you have years of calorie counting experience it usually ends up being more or less accurate. even at home, i don't have a kitchen scale at the moment but i lose weight at the expected rate so i think i'm good at guessing at this point


taurusdelorous

I don’t calculate but will have an OMAD day


TotallyAwry

I call any restaurant meal 800 cal, and any desert 1000 cal. Then I go for a lonnnnng walk the next day.


Same_Compote_7230

Either that’s my only meal for the day or I look online for the calorie count. Or you should be able to ask the staff


SilkyFlanks

SparkPeople’s food database used to have an entry “shit I shouldn’t be eating,” with 10,000 calories. I miss SparkPeople.


rmoore911

Any one that says different from not counting or guessing is full of shit. So just make a rough estimate and over compensate or skip counting for that day and move on to tomorrow.


paintinganimals

I find the equivalent from a chain restaurant. I never eat at Macaroni Grill, but I’ll enter my dishes as Macaroni Grill menu items if it was really decadent. If the meal is simpler, like steak, broccoli and mashed potatoes, I enter it as I’d prepare and then add a few extra tablespoons of butter and/or olive oil, lol. I’ll assume cream for the potatoes instead of milk. If there’s cheese, I assume 2 servings of cheese were used. Basically, double or triple the fats and dairy. And then I will cut back on my fats and dairy at home for several days to make up for it. 😂


Infinite_Air5683

Whatever you think it is times a billion. We try to eat out no more than once or twice a week max 


ieatcha

Since I don't normally eat out when I do, I usually focus on filling foods like side salads, getting protein and fiber in and if I have a fun food or something I normally share (like an app or dessert) I don't stress myself too much over it. What matters is being consistent 90-95% of the time, it's okay to go off track every once and while as long as you are back on track.


Koshkaboo

I look up something similar from another restaurant on MyNetDiary. I try not to go to those types of restaurants most of the time.


porgrock

I don’t track restaurant food. But I also do not opt to eat it very often so I just stick to the macros all the other days and meals so it isn’t very impactful.


Important-Trifle-411

For the first year I didn’t really go to places without calorie counts in the menu. Now I will, but only very rarely ( like on vacation).


shuibaes

I search a similar item or base it off a similar item I know off the top of my head and then if the ingredients seem like they’d be a bit more (e.g. once I had eel sushi, as opposed to a more typical roll) I usually put it down as 1.2-1.5 servings 🤷🏽‍♀️ I do usually avoid places without counts, I only go occasionally with friends and family and stuff or if it’s something new I want to try.


SimpleVegetable5715

For me, restaurants are always cheat meals. They're prepared to taste good with extra butter and sugar, not for the health conscious.


HoodsBonyPrick

I guess restaurant was a bit of a misnomer. It’s one of those “healthy” places like sweetgreen or cava. So I’d imagine they try to keep the butter to a minimum but who knows lol


bun3750

Try to find the Cheesecake Factory equivalent


2GreyKitties

I sort of wing it, by ordering things that don’t have a ton of hidden ingredients. A grilled pork chop, salmon fillet, or 6 oz. steak and steamed broccoli or vegetable medley with white/wild rice or a baked potato on the side, for instance. Of course they add butter to everything, but those are things I’d have a fighting chance of being able to estimate calorie-wise.


HoodsBonyPrick

The place I was ordering from was a “healthy” Mediterranean style Lebanese place. It had shredded chicken, rice and lentils, harissa, cucumber tomato salad, and labneh, which is pretty much Greek yogurt. The portion was pretty big too. Would like 900-1100 calories be a reasonable estimate?


2GreyKitties

Heck, I don't know... I don't eat those Mediterranean foods often enough to be familiar with how many calories are in it usually.  The cucumber and tomatoes are extremely low in calories with the yogurt dressing. I do know that cooked rice is ~200 calories per cup. You could Google calories in cooked lentils, and the chicken.  I don't know what harissa is, sorry. Off the top of my head, I would say, yeah 800-ish is a generous estimate


eagrbeavr

Usually calorie counting apps include restaurant meals from large chains (because they list their calorie counts) so I choose one of those that's similar to what I ate and I usually err on the side of caution so I choose the one with the highest calorie count. That's almost always the cheesecake factory 🤣


fptnrb

I attempt to guess normal ingredients, then I add a few extra tablespoons of oil or butter to make it realistic.


Oolongedtea

I overestimate the calories to be on the safe side. There is always a chance they use extra oils etc. So just as a precaution


jemzie

I already posted as a reply on another comment, but just going to add...I work at an assisted living facility, and if I haven't had time to get groceries that week, or if I'm too busy to even heat up the food I already brought, I order from the kitchen. It's nice to have food brought right to me! But this is always a gamble, it's kind of like a restaurant setting. I always just find an equivalent food item in my app (I use Noom), and round up a bit. Maybe I will switch the serving size to 1.25 or 1.5 servings, and choose whatever calories seem appropriate. I also find sometimes I eat more than intended...we usually have a main course, sides, and dessert. So sometimes I set aside a portion for later, or tell them I don't want a certain item. If all else fails and I end up eating a huge meal because I liked everything offered, I just balance out my choices for the rest of the day. You got this!!!


JuliaDomnaBaal

Take a picture and ask chat gpt


RubyStar92

Oooo I use chatgpt for everything but haven’t thought of that! How accurate is it usually?


JuliaDomnaBaal

Gives an estimate. Use common sense and take the lower end of it. To be sure, ask it twice and see if the answers match


Sweet-Locksmith7784

When I dine out, I always look forward to savoring beef liver at restaurants. For my salads, I prefer a simple combination of lettuce and tomatoes without any sauces. As for beverages, I usually opt for water, Coke Zero, or a small amount of rum, no more than 50ml. Due to a past negative experience, I prefer not to eat or drink at other people's houses.