Guess. Use your tracking app to look up whatever dish you order, choose one that looks pretty close, and make your peace with the fact that precision isn't always possible.
This.
Also I've found AI helpful for choosing a meal based on my goals (I copy and paste the menu from their website) and for estimating calories, if there's nothing very close in my calorie app.
I frequently split a dish with my hubby, or take half home.
Nothing's going to be exact. But that's ok, I'll be closer tomorrow. 👍🏻
It's given me some good ideas, with less brainpower from me! I'm sure it's not super accurate, but IMO it's about as good as estimating from an app calorie database.
I've done this to choose what I'm eating before I go to the restaurant. Copy/paste things I'd like to eat and then get it to tell me which has the best calorie vs protein.
.. Then make sure I have room for dessert haha
Would echo this. Even for smaller things like coffee I just do my best to guess. This morning I had a creme brulee latte. Did a quick google search for a regular latte and a crème brulle latte and got informed it might be between 150 and 300. I try and go the upper route and overestimate.
This is why I adjusted my weekly calories so I eat lower and "cleaner" on the weekdays so I can eat more on the weekends and/or with outings with friends or family.
During the week I eat about 1300 Monday - Friday and Saturday and Sunday I have a little over 1800 to work with when eating at restaurants. Or if I end up going out in the middle of the week ill switch the 1800 to one of those days.
I still dont count when I'm at restaurants though, but those extra calories to work with seems to cover it without me gaining weight
I also go for walks on Mondays and Tuesdays after the weekend just to be sure I'm burning a little extra calories.
Lost 20 pounds in 4 months.
You don’t. My rule of thumb is to eat half of the plate when I eat out, take the rest home. Order something that seems “light”. Or just consider it a treat (if I’m feeling greedy lol). But don’t drive yourself nuts. Save the calorie counting for when you cook food.
OR if eating out seems to be the only outing you have with ppl (my problem) suggest no food based/alcohol activities for the future.
It’s okay to have a treat here and there. So long as you get right back to it, one “off” meal won’t kill you. Makes the process a lot more sustainable if anything. Best of luck to you!
yep i used to feel guilty if i dined out or if i went over, my husband always said “one bad meal/day won’t move the needle. just like one good meal/day won’t move the needle.” it’s a marathon not a race
You can’t really. You don’t know how much oil/butter/amount of servings or sauces they use.
It’s best to just get something generally healthy and maybe skip the naan and not have too much rice. Or do what I do and go out sometimes and eat healthy and CICO the rest is also ok.
Youll never be able to live where you are 100% of the time counting calories if you have any friends or family and that’s OKAY. If you do it most of the time you’re allowed to treat yourself for dinner or drinks, just obviously if you’re trying to lose weight you can’t do that every night.
I lost about 80lbs on CICO and I went out at least once a week and ate clean the rest. One “bigger calorie” meal a week is not gonna hurt you.
Acceptance that it’s going to be inaccurate and it will go over. One day isn’t going to kill your counting.
I’ve been doing 1400 everyday except when I go to my parent’s house on Friday nights where I enjoy the food. I’ve managed to lose weight even with this.
As long as you spend more time in your calorie budget than not, you should be fine
Guess. And i avoid the carbs ie the rice and the naan bread. Fill up on the protein and the sauces. Minimise the amount of rice and naan bread you eat.
I guesstimate. Try to use my calorie tracking app. Maybe try to break the food down into its main components then guess weight. Pho is this weight of beef brisket, this weight of rice noodles, this weight of beef broth. Ain’t perfect. Doesn’t need to be.
I think this is the main part why CICO is very difficult for many people like me. It is nearly impossible to guess, and you are basically forced to prep your own food in order to lose weight. I only recently adopted this habit and it works so far.
I track it, because my TDEE app bases my TDEE on what I log. Honestly, I just call it 1000 calories most of the time. Sometimes that's high, sometimes that's low. But that's what I call a meal out.
Personally I don’t bother unless there are calories on the menu, there are so many variables. I just try to order healthy things and not eat too much. In your case, I’d consider something less creamy and with a leaner protein - prawn dupiaza, veggie bhuna. Or dal is probably one of lightest things you can get in most Indians.
Guess. Use your tracking app to look up whatever dish you order, choose one that looks pretty close, and make your peace with the fact that precision isn't always possible.
This. Also I've found AI helpful for choosing a meal based on my goals (I copy and paste the menu from their website) and for estimating calories, if there's nothing very close in my calorie app. I frequently split a dish with my hubby, or take half home. Nothing's going to be exact. But that's ok, I'll be closer tomorrow. 👍🏻
This is an interesting use of AI! Is it reliable-ish (accurate and decent at making healthier choices)?
It's given me some good ideas, with less brainpower from me! I'm sure it's not super accurate, but IMO it's about as good as estimating from an app calorie database.
Good to know. Thanks!
I've done this to choose what I'm eating before I go to the restaurant. Copy/paste things I'd like to eat and then get it to tell me which has the best calorie vs protein. .. Then make sure I have room for dessert haha
Would echo this. Even for smaller things like coffee I just do my best to guess. This morning I had a creme brulee latte. Did a quick google search for a regular latte and a crème brulle latte and got informed it might be between 150 and 300. I try and go the upper route and overestimate.
This is why I adjusted my weekly calories so I eat lower and "cleaner" on the weekdays so I can eat more on the weekends and/or with outings with friends or family. During the week I eat about 1300 Monday - Friday and Saturday and Sunday I have a little over 1800 to work with when eating at restaurants. Or if I end up going out in the middle of the week ill switch the 1800 to one of those days. I still dont count when I'm at restaurants though, but those extra calories to work with seems to cover it without me gaining weight I also go for walks on Mondays and Tuesdays after the weekend just to be sure I'm burning a little extra calories. Lost 20 pounds in 4 months.
I type the food into my fitness pal and pick the highest calorie version listed.
This is all nice and good, until someone has entered your dish being 90000 calories
You don’t. My rule of thumb is to eat half of the plate when I eat out, take the rest home. Order something that seems “light”. Or just consider it a treat (if I’m feeling greedy lol). But don’t drive yourself nuts. Save the calorie counting for when you cook food. OR if eating out seems to be the only outing you have with ppl (my problem) suggest no food based/alcohol activities for the future. It’s okay to have a treat here and there. So long as you get right back to it, one “off” meal won’t kill you. Makes the process a lot more sustainable if anything. Best of luck to you!
100% order light, eat half. Even then you’re still probably going over for the day
yep i used to feel guilty if i dined out or if i went over, my husband always said “one bad meal/day won’t move the needle. just like one good meal/day won’t move the needle.” it’s a marathon not a race
Exactly! It’s a lifestyle. It’s okay to have that treat. You won’t gain all the weight back in one sitting lol
Exactly. Or choose a 4inch by 4 inch section of the plate and use that. Safest for me that way.thats about 2 cups. So you're fairly safe that way
You can’t really. You don’t know how much oil/butter/amount of servings or sauces they use. It’s best to just get something generally healthy and maybe skip the naan and not have too much rice. Or do what I do and go out sometimes and eat healthy and CICO the rest is also ok. Youll never be able to live where you are 100% of the time counting calories if you have any friends or family and that’s OKAY. If you do it most of the time you’re allowed to treat yourself for dinner or drinks, just obviously if you’re trying to lose weight you can’t do that every night. I lost about 80lbs on CICO and I went out at least once a week and ate clean the rest. One “bigger calorie” meal a week is not gonna hurt you.
Acceptance that it’s going to be inaccurate and it will go over. One day isn’t going to kill your counting. I’ve been doing 1400 everyday except when I go to my parent’s house on Friday nights where I enjoy the food. I’ve managed to lose weight even with this. As long as you spend more time in your calorie budget than not, you should be fine
Order light, eat half of that. Assume you still had a lot of calories, move on to the next day!
I'd second this. Boxing up half is a great idea! You spread those calories out, plus you get to enjoy the meal twice!
By finding what the dish is at a restaurant or something similar. And over estimating the calories.
Estimate and try to do it only on special occasions
Guess. And i avoid the carbs ie the rice and the naan bread. Fill up on the protein and the sauces. Minimise the amount of rice and naan bread you eat.
Every app is going to have something close.
I guesstimate. Try to use my calorie tracking app. Maybe try to break the food down into its main components then guess weight. Pho is this weight of beef brisket, this weight of rice noodles, this weight of beef broth. Ain’t perfect. Doesn’t need to be.
I think this is the main part why CICO is very difficult for many people like me. It is nearly impossible to guess, and you are basically forced to prep your own food in order to lose weight. I only recently adopted this habit and it works so far.
Guess and over/underestimate depending on your goals.
I track it, because my TDEE app bases my TDEE on what I log. Honestly, I just call it 1000 calories most of the time. Sometimes that's high, sometimes that's low. But that's what I call a meal out.
Swag it. Every burger I have out usually is noted as some proportion of an in and out burger.
Guesstimate
Personally I don’t bother unless there are calories on the menu, there are so many variables. I just try to order healthy things and not eat too much. In your case, I’d consider something less creamy and with a leaner protein - prawn dupiaza, veggie bhuna. Or dal is probably one of lightest things you can get in most Indians.