Losing weight...the nation

[behappynow]

Hi...have been good making my own meals..sometimes have a ready meal with calories marked clearly on the carton...but I have seen that going out for a meal the restaurants have high calories on ther main meals and it would be good if they did small portions especially for evening meals...dont always want snack meals..on the menu..is it just me ...help...need weight to stay off...!!

[thinlizzyIwish123]

I agree with you, it can be hard when you eat out generally. If you just want a salad type meal then that's expensive. At restaurants you can ask them sometimes for salad instead of potatoes, you can tell them how to have your potatoes. Sometimes they may have healthy/lighter versions. Failing that I tend to just go for snack instead of full meal. Depends on the restaurant. I find it hard in buffet type restaurants. I also find that most places sell things that are very starch,bread based or covered with loads of sauces.

[behappynow in reply to thinlizzyIwish123]

If you ask for smaller portion, they just look at you....even pizza...would like just a slice not the whole pizza !!!

[thinlizzyIwish123]

It's not very often we'll go out but sometimes I make sure I leave something on the plate - like most of the carbs and just eat the lean pieces of chicken (for example). Or I eat most of the veg and salad. It is really hard though because the food all looks and taste so goooood!

[gingernut49]

When I go out to eat I generally just have a starter, or two starters. Fortunately many restaurants are now putting calories on their menus which is a great help.

I lost three stone in six months on the 5:2 Diet which was great as I could fit my fasting days around my social life so if I was invited out to eat, I ate and fasted another day!

I've been a size 10 now since last April and I was previously a size 16.

I'd recommend Kate Harrison's book "The 5:2 Diet" which is very cheap on Kindle or you can buy it in WHS etc.

[bedfordbulge]

Lots of chains eg pizzaexpress have the calories of all their food on their web site so you can look and decide what to have before you go. Or as gingernut says, have a starter, though check the calories first!