Calorie Counting When Eating Out?

[vilanteira]

We're going out for Chinese tonight and I have no idea how I'm gonna count the calories for that. I can estimate, but I'm really horrible at judging portion sizes or even knowing what ingredients are there, etc. I've eaten out a few times since starting JUDDD 2.5 weeks ago, but not since I realized that I do need to count calories for my UDs as well. When I started counting UD calories and trying not to go over, my weight finally started moving.

I'm trying not to panic, because I want to enjoy myself and not overeat or even undereat by too much because of not knowing the calories I'll be eating. Everything I've eaten today so far has been calculated and accounted for fairly accurately already, so it's just dinner I have left. This is stressing me out so much.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Any help will be very much appreciated!

[Idreamofweightloss]

I would for sure get the steamed rice and not fried. Some chinese places have "diet" dishes. Also I would ask for the sauce on the side of whatever main dish you order so you can use less. Ask what kind of sauce it is they use too becase thouse counts will be in the net. For example if they use brown sauce you can look it up. Add it to you dish with your spoon so you can estimate how many tbs/tsps you used depending on the size of your spoon. And I know its extreme but if your stressing that much take a measuring cup with you to measure the rice.

[Beeb]

I eat Chinese all the time. My trick is to only eat half and to ask for the sauce on the side. Egg rolls have 113 calories, hot and sour soup has 163 per cup, brown rice, depending on the grain, long, medium, short, is 218 to 260 calories per cup, just for some examples. All of those totals I found online or on my Fat Secret food tracking site.

Go on a site, and then figure out what you can and want to eat from there. Fear of food shouldn't play into our wonderful JUDDD WOE and it doesn't have to.

Plan ahead, make good choices and you will be great!!

[Mommie22boys]

Originally Posted by Beeb

I eat Chinese all the time. My trick is to only eat half and to ask for the sauce on the side. Egg rolls have 113 calories, hot and sour soup has 163 per cup, brown rice, depending on the grain, long, medium, short, is 218 to 260 calories per cup, just for some examples. All of those totals I found online or on my Fat Secret food tracking site.

Go on a site, and then figure out what you can and want to eat from there. Fear of food shouldn't play into our wonderful JUDDD WOE and it doesn't have to.

Plan ahead, make good choices and you will be great!!

I'm not big into Chinese food, but I totally agree with the advice to look things up beforehand, so you have an idea of what you're getting yourself into before you ever wall through the door. This is always what I do if I know ahead of time that we'll be eating out.

Have fun and enjoy!!!

[vilanteira]

Ok, these are great suggestions. I think I'll definitely look at the menu right now and start going on sites to try and figure things out ahead of time. Planning ahead has helped me so far, and I think that's what will continue to help me out!

Actually, bringing the measuring cup might not be a bad idea. I'll be the crazy person using the measuring cup at the restaurant but hey, maybe after a couple times of this I'll be able to eyeball it and not have to bring it.

Thanks so much for your suggestions! I'm feeling calmer about the whole thing now.

[SoHappy]

I'm also advising that you relax about this, first and foremost.

Don't worry about it. JUDDD won't fail you if you are over or under by a huge amount this evening, and I doubt you will be. So realize that JUDDD is a very forgiving plan.

Then the advice here from others is really good. If you know ahead of time about what dishes have about what calories, that can sometimes guide your choice when you're finally at the restaurant and giving your order.

When I go out, I'm like... *eh, that was probably about a cup of fried rice, and.. oh, that was "one serving" (whatever one serving is) of sweet and sour pork.....* And I let it go at that. It just isn't that big a deal on occasion.

You will be right back doing a wonderful DD tomorrow, and you'll be right back on track, and any accidental overage or shortage of today's calories will melt into the average of the week, and everything will undoubtedly be just fine.

Enjoy your meal. Now I want Chinese!

[vilanteira]

Thanks Pat. I am feeling calmer about it now that I have a good idea of what I'll be ordering and have started looking things up in a couple online calorie counters. Yes, and I will definitely be keeping low to my DD calories tomorrow, so I'm ready for this!

[SoHappy]

Originally Posted by vilanteira

Thanks Pat. I am feeling calmer about it now that I have a good idea of what I'll be ordering and have started looking things up in a couple online calorie counters. Yes, and I will definitely be keeping low to my DD calories tomorrow, so I'm ready for this!

Good! This is what JUDDD is all about! Being able to live your life, enjoying restaurants and good social times with family and friends without having to say, "I can't eat that".

Have fun!

[kel7298]

Happened upon this:

1. Soups, such as egg-drop or hot and sour, are the best appetizers.
2. Steamed vegetable dumplings are a better choice than fried egg rolls.
3. Steamed brown rice is the best starch choice, but you should avoid fried rice and noodles.
4. Try to eat with chopsticks. No grades are given for technique and it generally leads to eating less.
5. Pay attention to portion sizes. Many full-service Chinese restaurants intend their meals to be shared.
6. Avoid anything deep-fried or breaded or covered with a thick, syrupy sauce.
7. Don't be afraid to ask for half-sauce or the sauce on the side at a full-service Chinese restaurant.

Diet-Friendly Chinese Food: Hot & Sour Soup
With one serving weighing in at 90 calories, Hot & Sour Soup is a great choice when ordering Chinese food. Four to five grams of protein are a great boost.

Diet-Friendly Chinese Food: Steamed Vegetable Dumplings
Ten grams of carbs and two grams of protein packed into a 65-calorie serving make this appetizer a great diet choice.

Diet-Friendly Chinese Food: Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Lettuce wraps are a diet-friendly egg roll! No deep-frying leaves this appetizer with 153 calories, eight grams of protein and two grams of fiber.

Diet-Friendly Chinese Food: Steamed Brown Rice
If your favorite restaurant doesn't offer brown rice, don't order a starch at all. A six-ounce serving contains 190 calories, 40 grams of carbs, four grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber.

Diet-Friendly Chinese Food: Mixed Veggies
Vegetables are the best way to bulk up any Chinese meal. A serving contains only 70 calories but adds five grams of fiber and four grams of protein.

Diet-Friendly Chinese Food: Spicy Green Beans
I love spicy, stir-fried green beans! A five-ounce serving includes three grams of protein and fiber and only adds 103 calories.

Diet Friendly Chinese Food: Broccoli Beef
Beef isn't always bad for you when a serving provides 11 grams of protein in just 150 calories.

Diet Friendly Chinese Food: String Bean Chicken
This Chinese entrée contains only 190 calories with 12 grams of protein and three grams of fiber.

Diet Friendly Chinese Food: Salt & Pepper Shrimp
Seafood works well with Chinese cooking techniques. There's a lot of flavor in 197 calories and 21 grams of protein.

Diet Friendly Chinese Food: Vegetarian Fried Rice

Have fun and ENJOY!

[SoHappy]

Originally Posted by kel7298

Happened upon this:

1. Soups, such as egg-drop or hot and sour, are the best appetizers.
2. Steamed vegetable dumplings are a better choice than fried egg rolls.
3. Steamed brown rice is the best starch choice, but you should avoid fried rice and noodles.
4. Try to eat with chopsticks. No grades are given for technique and it generally leads to eating less.
5. Pay attention to portion sizes. Many full-service Chinese restaurants intend their meals to be shared.
6. Avoid anything deep-fried or breaded or covered with a thick, syrupy sauce.
7. Don't be afraid to ask for half-sauce or the sauce on the side at a full-service Chinese restaurant.

I am working hard to wipe this from my brain! I'm trying hard to pretend I never read it, and that it doesn't even exist in print!

When I eat Chinese - always high on my favorites list - I must have egg rolls, must have fried rice, and must have battered & deep fried chicken chunks in the really sweet Spicy Orange Sauce or the really sweet Spicy General Tso's Sauce. Must.

I just beg JUDDD to save me from myself! I count on JUDDD to undo any damage and make it be OK. And it always is just fine. Tra La! LOLOL

[Beeb]

Wow Kelly.........THANKS SO MUCH! What a help this will be. I sometimes have a lunch/dinner of hot and sour soup and an egg roll and I was actually counting both as more calories! This means more soup next time!

[tiva]

Panda Express has a calorie chart for their foods: Panda Express: Chinese Food, Wok-Cooked and Served Fast

My guess is that these counts are probably pretty standard for an average Chinese restaurant, so you can print this out, take it with you, and measure a reasonable serving size onto your plate.

[vilanteira]

Thanks so much guys! All your tips really helped, and I'm pretty sure I didn't go over my calories. The scale this morning went up by just a bit this morning after my wonderful UD yesterday along with the delicious dinner, and I have you all to thank for that!

My DD is going well so far today. Ate for the first time at 3:30pm and the way it seems to be going, I'll be able to make it well under 500 calories today!

[SoHappy]

Originally Posted by vilanteira

Thanks so much guys! All your tips really helped, and I'm pretty sure I didn't go over my calories. The scale this morning went up by just a bit this morning after my wonderful UD yesterday along with the delicious dinner, and I have you all to thank for that!

My DD is going well so far today. Ate for the first time at 3:30pm and the way it seems to be going, I'll be able to make it well under 500 calories today!

AND, she's on her way!