Lunch dilemna

[Wobbleless]

Does any body else feel like this? Tomorrow I am having lunch with a friend and have checked out the menu. There is nothing healthy on the list....and I mean nothing. I am frustrated that I will find all my allowance pretty much gone in a meal i wouldn't choose to eat. Any ideas gratefully received as this will happen from time to time and I don't know how to minimize the problem?

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

You haven't said where you'll be eating, Wobbleless, so that we could explore any online menu and advise, but most eateries will provide a meal off menu. Just ask for the bits that you do want. A salad should be easy for them. Meat fish and vegetables, minus the potato/pasta/rice/bread. A soup starter and no dessert, should keep you well within your allowance. Enjoy!

By leaving your posts unlocked, there will be people that won't respond to you, as they don't wish to have their views shared elsewhere on the internet.

[Wobbleless in reply to moreless]

Thank you I will try that. It is a pub so no website i am afraid. How do I lock my posts i have tried but don't seem to get the option come up which is in your guide?

[moreless Administrator 7 stone in reply to Wobbleless]

Click on more, at the bottom of the header.

Click on edit,

Click on 'only followers in my community', where it says 'who can see my post'.

[Tiggerr]

Are you concerned about finding something classed as healthy or finding something that's not too many calories? If it's the former then one meal won't hurt. It sounds like the latter so eat enough to be satisfied. I tend to mostly ignore things like potatoes.

If you were brought up like me you were supposed to eat everything on your plate because it was a waste to leave food. It seems to me that it will be a waste whether you leave it or eat it so it causes your body problems. I know which choice I make.

[Wobbleless in reply to Tiggerr]

You make a good point. Part of it is that i am not telling people that i am loosing weight as I find it adds pressure and it's nice when they notice as they see a difference. I would normally eat the lot i am not a chase it round your plate type of a gal😊 so have created a new problem.

[Tiggerr in reply to Wobbleless]

This isn't meant to sound harsh but the rest of the world needs to come second to your health.

[Wobbleless in reply to Tiggerr]

You are so right I am putting me on the agenda, I love doing this secretly it is so much more fun. People think I have had some sort of a personality by pass

[Tiggerr in reply to Wobbleless]

Do enjoy your lunch... that's very important.

[ollio]

Do you now what.I totally empathize with you. I have not ate meat for 34 years and until fairly recently all I ever had on a menu when eating out was a combination of sides or fish.....or macaroni and even that still happens!!! However, experience and boredom has made me ask the waitress/waiter to ask the chef to cook me something as in throw me something together with veg and something or other else I like. I have never been refused yet, so it is worth a try.

[Wobbleless in reply to ollio]

I thank you muchly😊 i am a veggie and for many that is a challenge as the choice is limited. I will try and see what happens their current veggie option is a ploughman s all bread and cheese!!

[IvanTheHorrible Maintainer]

Eating out in the UK is problematic. It really annoys me when I literally can't find anything on the menu that's not fattening. However as moreless said, most places will make some adjustments. I'm always asking to substitute extra veg for the potatoes/chips, and I've never had anybody say anything other than "no problem". They don't even bother checking with the kitchen.

Also ... bear in mind that the occasional fattening meal - say, once a month - isn't really a big deal. As long as your regular diet is correct, it will make little or no difference to your progress. Just pick something you like and enjoy it for what it is. It's easy to get too obsessed with all this and lose sight of the endgame (ie., having a happy and fulfilling life). However, if this is something you do every weekend, then you'll either need to have a word with the chef, or find a different restaurant!

[Wobbleless in reply to IvanTheHorrible]

Very sensible and it is a very occasional visit. I will relax and do least damage.

[S11m]

If they are "a friend" then they might have been happy to meet you at a different venue?

[Wobbleless in reply to S11m]

They are and they would......but I am not telling anyone about my venture as I am trying not to see this as a diet .....but a new relationship with food so I need to manage rather than avoid as it will happen again.

Short term is no good for me or the weight just comes back....I have proof😂

[paul01603]

Lets look at this in the big picture is this one meal going to dis rail your weight loss. Are 500 more calories for that one day going to really hurt. Yes you may not lose as much as you like that week. But long term its not worth stressing about. We all been there enjoy the break and move on. Spending time with friends is important. you could cut your calories for the next few days before & after by 50 if you feel you really need too.

[Wobbleless]

As I read your reply I thought why am I struggling with this? I realised it's my fear of getting off track for one day.....and liking it. I have followed my plan to the letter since I started this and it has become my new habit

I need to test my resolve tomorrow and enjoy today.

[Sailsalot in reply to Wobbleless]

Making new habits is what it's all about long term , even when you get to the weight you are happy with I have found Wobbleless . I was a bit like you at first and worried about meals out, but social meals with others are one of life's joys, as along as you get back to the healthy stuff straight away you will be OK , it's surprising how little difference one meal makes. Saying that it's still a good idea to try to lessen the damage with sensible choices, like others have mentioned I swap potatoes/chips for veg or salad and try not to have too much alcohol as that increases appetite even the next day. Enjoy!

[Lesley1234567 in reply to Wobbleless]

I know exactly what you mean, why should I eat something that I no longer have as part of my diet. And that is what is bothering you. I recently experienced the same thing recently. I finished up with a very posh starter for my main. Big mistake should have gone for the ploughman’s and left the bread alone. I like cheese and include it in my daily/weekly diet. It is difficult to make that decision and I hope to get better at it. Also if you think you might be tempted by all the lovely choice of food on offer, have something to eat beforehand which will take the edge off your appetite. I am a slow eater anyway but if you are not then take your time, and if anyone comments on your lack of appetite then just say you are not that hungry put it down to the weather, or something. Stick with it don’t let food you are trying to omit from your diet creep back in.

[elliebath Maintainer in reply to Wobbleless]

In that case, see this as good experience preparing you for the future, when you reach your ideal weight you won't be following it to the letter and will certainly have to deal with meals out and the odd unhealthy menu. I've often struggled with menus too, but its just a question of balance and we can still lose and maintain weight successfully.

[Lumpyloo]

Don’t be afraid to ask for something on the menu and then ask for them to not put things on like dressings or ask them to make a veggie option. Cheese and pickle is not really a wide choice. You should online review them after your meal.

[Wobbleless]

I shall do that and see how we go. I don't like to make a fuss but will try adapting a choice thank you.

[ohsofierce in reply to Wobbleless]

I know the feeling of not wanting to make a fuss, but since going low carb I have been surprised how asking for substitutions in meals is generally no problem at all. I have only encountered two bad experiences so far (both at the same place). I have been trying to teach myself, you are the customer they are supposed to cater to you, you don't need to eat things you wouldn't just to be polite or to save the staff the hassle. In my experience, if I am reasonable and polite then the staff usually responds with a polite and reasonable effort to accommodate

[CCGoGirl]

These things are really tricky. I try to make sure I have some say in where I'm going to eat - there are a couple of places I know which work really well, eg a good Greek restaurant, where I can have grilled fish, chicken or lamb and plenty of salad. And a Mediterranean cafe where they do falafel as well as fish etc. Pubs can be tricky..I completely understand about not telling other people if you don't want to. Some people will be great and supportive; some people might not be (because of their own issues, nothing to do with you). So maybe go this time and manage as best you can, but next time try suggesting a place to eat that works better for you.