24 replies to this topic

[flgirl13]

So I checked out the menu and the nutrition guide. I honestly don't know how anyone can be on this plan and go out to dinner. I will be starting my sixth week and haven't been out to dinner since I started. My husband has been really good about staying in since we normally go out once a week. So I figured I can have a salad, broccoli and a shrimp cocktail. I don't like a lot of the fish there unless there is something on it that hides the fishy taste and they never have tuna, which I do like. I normally eat fried shrimp but I would have to not eat all day if I wanted that and you can't have baked potatoes. It seems unreasonable to expect that I can never go out to dinner again, so what do you do???

[luckysgal0]

So I checked out the menu and the nutrition guide. I honestly don't know how anyone can be on this plan and go out to dinner. I will be starting my sixth week and haven't been out to dinner since I started. My husband has been really good about staying in since we normally go out once a week. So I figured I can have a salad, broccoli and a shrimp cocktail. I don't like a lot of the fish there unless there is something on it that hides the fishy taste and they never have tuna, which I do like. I normally eat fried shrimp but I would have to not eat all day if I wanted that and you can't have baked potatoes. It seems unreasonable to expect that I can never go out to dinner again, so what do you do???

To be honest I go out to eat atleast 1 to 2 times a week for dinner and use to go out for Friday lunch and it seems to be fine for me. I'm down 31 lbs in 11 weeks. Its just a matter of finding things that make the most sense for the plan.
Why can't you have a baked potato? Jenny has a baked potato meal for lunch. So go out and modify it. Maybe only eat 1/2 to 3/4 of it and dont put all the butter and sour cream all over it. Use moderation.
Salad is always safe as well as and veggies you can find while you are out.
But don't be afraid of other things as well. In one of the booklets it says how your meals break up for the day depending on which cal. plan you are on. For example, 1 Meat, 2 starch, 1 veg..something like that. So for dinner figure out what it is for your cal. plan and then look at the list of visual clues it has...4 oz is the size of a mans palm..etc. If you use these kinds of helpful things from the book you should do just fine.
Just takes some planning before you go and then the trick is to STICK TO WHAT YOU PLANNED
So I pulled up the menu for the local Red Lobster here and they have a LightHouse Menu that as the Chilled Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail, Fresh Asparagus (Seasonal), Fresh Broccoli, Garden Salad, and Petite Shrimp Salad Topping..this menu also has all the calorie information. But besides that they have tons of different grilled shrimp and even beef so you could have that as well. Just don't be scared of eating out...its really not that bad. I promise. It might take a couple times to get use to but you can do it!! but plan plan plan!!!

Good luck!
Beth

[korrinniewinnie]

Using the MOMO guidelines are definitely your best bet. Also, don't forget you can incorporate a splurge (up to 250 cals.) once a week and still see a weight loss. Usually when I go to Red Lobster I'll get grilled shrimp with veggies, salad (dressing on the side) and a baked potato or rice. The big thing to look out for at R.L. is the biscuits. They have 160 calories EACH! Maybe just have one (for your splurge) and ask the server to take the rest away. You can definitely do this, especially somewhere like Red Lobster; they have really good choices. Have fun!!

[poozieny]

So I checked out the menu and the nutrition guide. I honestly don't know how anyone can be on this plan and go out to dinner. I will be starting my sixth week and haven't been out to dinner since I started. My husband has been really good about staying in since we normally go out once a week. So I figured I can have a salad, broccoli and a shrimp cocktail. I don't like a lot of the fish there unless there is something on it that hides the fishy taste and they never have tuna, which I do like. I normally eat fried shrimp but I would have to not eat all day if I wanted that and you can't have baked potatoes. It seems unreasonable to expect that I can never go out to dinner again, so what do you do???

Do you have to eat at Red Lobster? How about a different restaurant with more things that you can enjoy? A piece of grilled chicken with a citrus marinade, a huge side of steamed veggies and a small pile of brown rice? A small steak with multi-grain pilaf and a ton of veggies? How about a huge salad with some grilled shrimp on it?

Just went to the Red Lobster website. Their new Wood Fired Grill selections could work. They're probably not in your dining guide, since it's a new thing. Just ask them to not "finish" it with the buttery garlic sauce. Tons of combos with shrimp, lobster, scallops, chicken, steak - I think those are a start. When you order, ask for a take-out container, and before you even start eating, put half in the take-out container and bring it home - hubbie will eat it, another day.

They also have a "Lighthouse" menu of "healthier options, including sides of brocolli & asparagus, and some side sauces. The tilapia (very nice, white, mild yummy fish - not fishy at all.... try it) is 205 calories, 3 g fat. Salmon, lobster and trout, too! They offer a Caesar with wood grilled shrimp or chicken on top. Maybe they have a lowfat dressing!

Time to start trying foods that you didn't ordinarily eat. Fried shrimp, baked potatoes, and foods like that are why you and I, and the rest of us on this forum are doing the JC thing. My theory is that it's always healthiest to eat foods as close to their natural "form" as possible.... the less processing, saucing, frying, breading, etc. the better.

[luckysgal0]

I'm still trying to figure out what people have against a baked potato. Its a whole lot better than fried potatoes..which are on the list of starch + fat list. Can you doctor the potato up w/ butter, sour cream, cheese, etc...well no that is how we got here. But JC calls for so many starches at each meal so there is nothing wrong w / using a baked potato to count as your starches IMO. I haven't heard an argument yet on why you can't....maybe I'll ask the dietician. I'll let you know what the dietician says.

Beth

[danao]

You can have baked potato. See page 72, in the grocery list section, of the Success Made Simple guide. Listed under Starches and then under "Starchy Vegetables". Included in that list is corn, pease, potatoes, yams, and winter squash. 1/2 cup = 1 startch

Then, based on your MOMO guide, pick how many starch exchanges you have. On the 1200 and 1500 calorie level, lunch and dinner both have 2 starches. That equals 1 cup of potato. Then you have to judge how big that is based on the potato that's served. Visual cues list says 1 cup is approximate size of a baseball or a lightbulb. Last time I was at Red Lobster, that's about the size of potato they served.

Then you have to count the fat exchanges if you want butter or sour cream. Again, look at the MOMO guidelines to see the exchanges and at the grocery list section to figure out what the exchange is. (Personally, if I really knew I was going to do a baked potato in advance, I'd carry some of the butter spray in my purse. I used to do this all the time!)

YOU CAN EAT OUT on this plan. To date, I've 52 pounds. I eat out at least once most weeks. Maybe my loss would have been faster by not eating out those times, but it's something that is important to my and hubby.

Good luck all!

[flgirl13]

thank you all for the advice. Honestly, I missed the bakes potatoe on the JC list. I was looking for it under starches under P; I stopped eating all the things under starchy vegetables so I don't even look at those. Baked Potatoes are the only way I eat a potatoes except at holidays. I haven't eaten a french fry in over 10 years. I am looking at the calories in a normal JC dinner which tops out at 290. That is what I find hard to do trying to stay within that calorie limit and eat out. A shrimp cocktail is 120cal the broccoli is 45cal and then the salad is part of my plan. I will bring my salad dressing, my own butter and my sc if I decide to eat a baked potatoe. Thank you again I am just being frustrated right now, I am following the plan, working out 45 mins five days a week and only losing 1 pound a week, I was hoping for at least 2 pounds. I will look at the menu again and see if I can work something out.

[luckysgal0]

thank you all for the advice. Honestly, I missed the bakes potatoe on the JC list. I was looking for it under starches under P; I stopped eating all the things under starchy vegetables so I don't even look at those. Baked Potatoes are the only way I eat a potatoes except at holidays. I haven't eaten a french fry in over 10 years. I am looking at the calories in a normal JC dinner which tops out at 290. That is what I find hard to do trying to stay within that calorie limit and eat out. A shrimp cocktail is 120cal the broccoli is 45cal and then the salad is part of my plan. I will bring my salad dressing, my own butter and my sc if I decide to eat a baked potatoe. Thank you again I am just being frustrated right now, I am following the plan, working out 45 mins five days a week and only losing 1 pound a week, I was hoping for at least 2 pounds. I will look at the menu again and see if I can work something out.

Remember broccoli is actually part of your plan too...its an UNLIMITED free food. So as long as its steamed or something like that eat broccoli until you can't eat broccoli anymore

[korrinniewinnie]

thank you all for the advice. Honestly, I missed the bakes potatoe on the JC list. I was looking for it under starches under P; I stopped eating all the things under starchy vegetables so I don't even look at those. Baked Potatoes are the only way I eat a potatoes except at holidays. I haven't eaten a french fry in over 10 years. I am looking at the calories in a normal JC dinner which tops out at 290. That is what I find hard to do trying to stay within that calorie limit and eat out. A shrimp cocktail is 120cal the broccoli is 45cal and then the salad is part of my plan. I will bring my salad dressing, my own butter and my sc if I decide to eat a baked potatoe. Thank you again I am just being frustrated right now, I am following the plan, working out 45 mins five days a week and only losing 1 pound a week, I was hoping for at least 2 pounds. I will look at the menu again and see if I can work something out.

Your weight loss looks GREAT so far! I know nobody likes to be "normal" when it comes to losing weight, but 1 lb./week is perfectly normal. It's actually what JC looks for, so you're doing fine. Don't stress too much about getting exactly the number of calories in your RL dinner as your JC one. As long as you follow the food group guidelines for a MOMO, you should be just fine. Just focus on making good choices and you'll walk out of there feeling fabulous and proud of yourself. Have a great time!!

[serabe37]

So I checked out the menu and the nutrition guide. I honestly don't know how anyone can be on this plan and go out to dinner. I will be starting my sixth week and haven't been out to dinner since I started. My husband has been really good about staying in since we normally go out once a week. So I figured I can have a salad, broccoli and a shrimp cocktail. I don't like a lot of the fish there unless there is something on it that hides the fishy taste and they never have tuna, which I do like. I normally eat fried shrimp but I would have to not eat all day if I wanted that and you can't have baked potatoes. It seems unreasonable to expect that I can never go out to dinner again, so what do you do???

Don't go to a fish restaurant if you don't like fishy taste? Not trying to be a smart mouth, but I always wonder why people go to fish places if they don't like fishy taste. And by the way - fresh fish doesn't taste yucky fishy if it's prepared properly.

I suggest asking for steamed shrimp, or something you can handle and then having the green salad with JC dressing. Enjoy the atmosphere?

I feel for you, I do. Going out for me has to be so totally planned. I eat before I go and then have salad. I feel like a freak sometimes, but I like the plan.

Red Lobster is a red light place for me! Those cheesy biscuits...omg. Love and miss them.

I wish you the best! I go to alot of steak restaurants and ask for my meal cooked without added oil. steamed veggies with NOTHING added and water or diet soda. I gave up asking for unsweetened tea in Texas.

best regards,

K.

[runnergirl09]

Don't go to a fish restaurant if you don't like fishy taste? Not trying to be a smart mouth, but I always wonder why people go to fish places if they don't like fishy taste. And by the way - fresh fish doesn't taste yucky fishy if it's prepared properly.

I suggest asking for steamed shrimp, or something you can handle and then having the green salad with JC dressing. Enjoy the atmosphere?

I feel for you, I do. Going out for me has to be so totally planned. I eat before I go and then have salad. I feel like a freak sometimes, but I like the plan.

Red Lobster is a red light place for me! Those cheesy biscuits...omg. Love and miss them.

I wish you the best! I go to alot of steak restaurants and ask for my meal cooked without added oil. steamed veggies with NOTHING added and water or diet soda. I gave up asking for unsweetened tea in Texas.

best regards,

K.

Try to Not eat out. Eat in and be in control. RL will broil anything so scallops and greens work for me without butter.Eat low sodium V-8 before going out or a soupitizer. Don't go hungry or you'll eat the rolls right away. Good Luck

[flgirl13]

serabe37, I actually do like fish, but I just don't like it cooked plain with nothing on it. I can eat it fried, or with butter and lemon or some sort of sauce. Plain with no salt to me makes it taste fishy. I don't eat a lot of red meat and usually eat shrimp or lobster when I go there. We went last night and I had wood grilled shrimp dry as they call it. It was good along with brocolli and a salad. I don't eat the biscuits any more, they are 160 calories for one, not worth it to me.

runnergirl09, not going out for the rest of my life is not an option, like others said many people continue to go out to eat and stay on plan. I now have my eating out guide which I didn't before and since I am 1.5 pounds from my goal weight I have a little more room to do MOMO at this point. I can pretty much caluclate what I am going to eat and do the extra few miles on the treadmill to break even.

[poozieny]

serabe37, I actually do like fish, but I just don't like it cooked plain with nothing on it. I can eat it fried, or with butter and lemon or some sort of sauce.

Sorry.... but from your description of how you like to eat fish, how can you even tell what the fish actually tastes like, after it's been battered, fried, sauced, etc????? Have you actually ever eaten a nice fresh piece of fish, lightly seasoned and broiled? Go ahead.... squeeze some fresh lemon juice on it. A nice, clean, fresh piece of fish is not "fishy" at all! Light, flaky, delish! Try it!

[flgirl13]

poozieny, Now c'mon I didn't indicate I liked it drenched in any of those things. Yes I have had fresh fish after all I live in Florida. I eat tuna grilled with nothing on it, cause I like it that way, but I could not eat bass, dolphin or snapper that way, just don't like it.

[serabe37]

OOh! yummy. Thanks for the tip! I haven't gone out - yet and it's good to know I'll have options at the RL. I will have to bribe the wait staff to just keep the biscuits away. Why tempt myself? I am - well WAS - a starch junkie.

[User]

I too am going to Red Lobster to celebrate my high school graduation this Sunday with the large family. What I sometimes do in order to give myself a bit more leeway when eating out is to skip lunch and dinner for it-- so I can sort of make the best of it. I am kind of off track at the moment-- I was on a plateau for like 4 weeks and broke it by gaining like 3.5 lbs. I haven't really lost those pounds yet. I've at my halfway point and with all the events going on at this time of the year, it's kind of hard for me to stay on plan.

I was looking at the menu and while I might be willing to eat the healthy brioled seafood, I long for the breaded and the fried. I also LOVE those biscuits and they are so worth it to me-- they should make a low-fat version!

Any advice? Times like these don't come again and I'm already not on plan so should I go all healthy, or can I enjoy myself (within some limits) for a night?

Plase give me advice for this night and how to get back on track with my weight loss. I've lost 30 pounds and have about another 30 to lose!

[MudMouse]

Plase give me advice for this night and how to get back on track with my weight loss. I've lost 30 pounds and have about another 30 to lose!

You get up tomorrow, and you just do Jenny. You write every day with all your longings, your wants, and your frustrations. Your fears will come to get you, but there are people to listen. You don't give up! You just come with me, and we will do it together. One day at a time - sometimes one hour - sometimes, one minute at a time, but we will do it.

Doesn't matter how many posts you have to write - how many emails you send. Just make sure you do it. You've come so far! 30 pounds is nothing to snivel at. I am at the 25 mark, and am 1/4 of the way to my goal. I want to go back to my old way of life - but if I do, I won't be doing it for long. I am going to beat this monster, and you will too!

You're not alone... that's the big thing... Don't forget - you can call Jenny! That's what we are doing this diet for - we have all of them behind us too.

Never are you alone...

[flgirl13]

Hey User, I really like fried shrimp and the crab alfredo at RL, but now I know the calories I probably will not ever eat the crab alfredo again, way too much fat. The grilled shrimp dry is really a nice option. I didn't even miss the fact that it wasn't fried shrimp and I didn't need to put a thing on it. If you want to do a biscuit than do one and forgo the rice and double up on the vegetables. I know that may not be the perfect plan but it may work for you. Also I am guessing you are exercising. Do a little extra to help burn off the calories. Don't skip meals it will just make you ravenous and you won't be able to say no to anything. Do a soup for lunch with some vegetables and drink a lot of water. Also remember you have a 250 weekly calorie splurge, but only 250 calories so use it wisely. You can do this. 30 pounds is a huge success.

[User]

Good news!

I'm almost back on track. I weigh myself every morning just to see which direction I'm heading and this morning I was 147.4!

So needless to say, I'm not going to let anything stop me from losing!

First, this website helped:
http://health.blogs.foxnews.com/tag/fat/

I chose the oven-broiled flounder for my meal. According to the website, it's a healthy 240 calories-- equivalent to a jc lunch,

I am thinking to substitute my snack for a bisuit. Is that a fair enough exchange?

Thanks for the help and motivation.

[raven2feathers2003]

So I checked out the menu and the nutrition guide. I honestly don't know how anyone can be on this plan and go out to dinner. I will be starting my sixth week and haven't been out to dinner since I started. My husband has been really good about staying in since we normally go out once a week. So I figured I can have a salad, broccoli and a shrimp cocktail. I don't like a lot of the fish there unless there is something on it that hides the fishy taste and they never have tuna, which I do like. I normally eat fried shrimp but I would have to not eat all day if I wanted that and you can't have baked potatoes. It seems unreasonable to expect that I can never go out to dinner again, so what do you do???

My dh and I go to Red Lobster once every 2 to 3 months, it's his fav place to go eat dinner. When we do go there I just eat half of everything on my plate and I feel satisfied, I only have 1 buiscuit as well, I like those. I'm training myself to only eat half when we go out anywhere and so far we go out once every 6 weeks and I've dropped 40 pounds in four months, I've been on JC for four months and I also half momos half the time and half the time on JC but I follow the calorie daily intake schedule that I'm on too without to much diviation. I also make sure that I workout at least 4 times a week using my whole body so that it's evenly taken care of. Hope this helps ya.