advice for takeways

[hydrogirl]

Tonight will be hard! its my SIL birthday and I spent last night making her a 3 tier chocolate birthday cake and truffles! and the dinner plans is a takeaway!

I don't want anyone to know I'm on a diet (in-laws are naturally skinny with a high metabolism - hate those people!)

any advice on low cal options when going for takeaway?!

im guessing it will be indian or Chinese

also I weighed myself - I shouldn't have but did

good news is that I lost 2lbs - but I need to not get cocky and be good this weekend to keep it off for my Monday weigh in!

[Hidden]

Hi hydrogirl. If you go for the takeaway option then I would say tomato based recipes would be the safest option and plain rice. Why not take your own 'fakeaway' though? I have done this myself, I posted a healthy samosa recipe quite a while ago - maybe take a big batch of these for all to tuck in to, then you could have a couple with your own healthy version of a curry ( pinged in the micro whilst the others are waiting on their takeaway). You know exactly what you have consumed then. Or just go with the flow and have a small plateful of what everyone else is having, and be extra good for a few days afterwards. Have a really fab time whatever you choose to do hun 😊

Oh, and 3 tier choc cake AND truffles, WOWWEE. ☺️

[hydrogirl in reply to Hidden]

thanks, I think ill have to go for the small plate idea - I'm allergic to tomatoes and since I don't get home till 6 and dinner is at 6:30 and I still have to finish the sugar work on the cake (I had a bake off moment, made my own fondant for the top to make a flag - SIL is going to Canada for a year on Wednesday so its a birthday/going away party - plus made a flag pole shape from a different cake mix and doing a spun sugar nest/ball to make it look like a brass pole top to complete the whole flag look)

thanks for the advice on making your own and bringing it tho - I will keep that in mind for the future!

[Hidden in reply to hydrogirl]

Bless you, you seem to be having a truly frantic day. If you have a few minutes at lunch time would it be possible to pick up a ready meal that is calorie counted from a nearby shop/deli? Not ideal I know, but any port in a storm sort of thing. Personally I would just have the small plate and pick at it so folk don't realise that I haven't eaten much. Have a wonderful time, didn't realise it was today hun, it sounds as though tonight might be quite emotional too. Hope the cake and all the effort is appreciated, it sounds fabby. 😊

[hydrogirl in reply to Hidden]

thanks! ill post a pic of the finished article tho its not going to be anywhere near perfect! and good call about buying from a shop, might pop into the train station m&s!

[useitorloseit]

Chinese is a bit tricky, but for Indian stick to the tomato sauces rather than anything sweet or coconutty or buttery. And just don't have as much as usual. It's not compulsory to eat the whole carton! If there are a lot of you, it could be easier because all the cartons are out on the table so you can take a smaller amount and just eat slowly so the others don't notice. Eat the meat and leave a lot of the sauce.

It's really hard when you want to be good and everyone else is laughing and encouraging you to have another helping. Don't drink too much either - once I'm on the vino all willpower flies out of the window!

[useitorloseit in reply to useitorloseit]

Just saw your comment about the tomatoes. Oh dear ...

[hydrogirl in reply to useitorloseit]

lol yeah it can be a bit of a pain

and im fine for alcohol calories - I don't drink, and don't like fizzy drinks so water is normal for me

im starting to trawl MPF for rough takeaway options and see how much I can budget for etc

I was wondering if things like chicken wings are better as these less fat and mostly protein (might have two starters I can count rather that 1 main)

[Hidden in reply to hydrogirl]

Step away from the chicken wings, too much fat and calories in the skin and nigh on impossible to remove, plus you would be hungry as too little on them to fill you. Chicken is good though, go for thigh or breast. Maybe a veggie curry? 😊

[hydrogirl in reply to Hidden]

thanks, I might try that if I miss out on the shop idea!

[3rd-Time-Here 6lbs]

How about tandoori chicken or chicken tikka with salad and just a little rice?

[Oolou]

How about you enjoy a takeaway meal. Once in a blue moon is not going to be the end of the world and this stress isn't going to make it a happy evening for you. Just don't go nuts with it? Order something delicious, maybe eat half of it or two thirds and then be 'full'.

Fit in some extra cardio over the weekend or next week to compensate.

[sueper]

Hi, if this is going to be a lifestyle change then takeaways will happen now and again so find something you enjoy and don't go mad. You can always drop a few calories the days before and after to make up for it.

As a long term strategy I have vowed not to cut anything out completely. I did this before and just piled on the weight when I stopped dieting.

Hope you enjoyed yourself anyway

[Zest Healthy BMI]

Hi Hydrogirl,

I hope you enjoy your evening, and make some good choices. Do let us know what you had in the end, and how it went. Lots of great advice for options suggested. I can't add to those, and suspect you're already enjoying your evening - have a great time! Like Sueper said, you can always make up for whatever happens over the next few days.

Lowcal

[Hidden]

How did you get on hydrogirl? Was the wonderful cake a success? Hope you had a fabby time hun. 😊

[hydrogirl in reply to Hidden]

hey! I got on quite well, went over my daily calories but only by 250 so not too bad and made it up over sat and sun.

the night was very funny - we played Pictionary and it turns out none of my inlaws can draw (MIL drew a oval and coloured in the tip of one end and the other end was not closed.... apparently it was a corner... my word to draw was exponentially - hubby got it in 10 secs!)

I thought the cake was a mess but everyone liked it

how was your weekend?

[Hidden in reply to hydrogirl]

I love parlour games, everyone has so much fun and the rivalry........! My weekend was good foodways, and apart from a blip Saturday morning at work ( I managed to get bitten by 2 of our charges amongst a few other things such as being walloped, lol. 1 tetanus and antibiotics later I was back at the battle front. Hey, nothing fell off and my head was still on my shoulders, so just a minor thing really, hehe) the whole week was good too. Glad the cake was a success, don't knock down your efforts, everyone obviously appreciated both the cake and effort.

This week has started really well, finished work at 9.15 this morning instead of my usual 10.30/11.00, then weighed when I got in and have lost 3lb. Checked this weekends lottery and won £3 on the thunderball too. Hope your week is starting off just as well, and the whole week ends up fabby. 😊

[hydrogirl in reply to Hidden]

Oh wow congrats to the weight loss and the win!

The expression good things come int threes! Ha ha

I'm sorry you got bitten at work tho!