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Going out to dinner tomorrow night

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SparkPoints: (967)
Fitness Minutes: (229)
Posts: 19
2/11/13 4:09 P

Its more of a "I want to lose the weight as effectively as I can and keep it off" sort of thing. I've always felt overweight, so I just don't want to feel guilty after tonight.

SparkPoints: (15,593)
Fitness Minutes: (120)
Posts: 2,171
2/11/13 4:05 P

It's not your actual weight that's spiking. You aren't gaining fat from eating too much sodium. It just causes you to retain water, which then shows a higher number on the scale. Like I mentioned, it goes down after a day or two (same for when I drink alcohol, even if it fits into my calorie range). Happens to me all the time after I eat out. Even a chicken salad at a restaurant has a lot of sodium. For example, the chicken caesar salad with light balsamic vinaigrette has 960mg of sodium, and that's pretty much the lowest one on there in terms of salads. Another few things to keep in mind:

-Our bodies' weights are constantly changing. I weigh in first thing in the morning, after going to the bathroom, with no clothes on. One week I experimented, and weighed in right before bed again, after going to the bathroom, with no clothes on. Often I was 3-5lbs heavier than I was in the morning. This just shows that weight can vary. If I have my period, I gain 2-3lbs on the scale until it's over.

-It takes 3500 EXTRA calories to gain a pound of fat. So unless you consume 3500 calories OVER what your body uses up in a day (which is probably like 1800-2000 calories for you), you are not going to gain actual fat weight.

-It's very rare to consistently lose more than 2lbs in a week for someone your size with not that much to lose (yes, 30lbs is not that much) unless there's some crash dieting or extreme behaviors going on. Many people do see a big loss right in the beginning though, and usually some will come back on once their body adjusts, or they will see less loss in subsequent weeks. That's why others are questioning your weight loss and are worried. Over a year, my loss averaged out to a pound a week. Some weeks it was more, some weeks it was less, or even none.

I think you're approaching this all wrong. You can't go into it with such an "all or nothing" attitude. If you're going to lose weight and KEEP IT OFF, you have to learn how to live a normal lifestyle, which includes things like the occasional meal out, otherwise, unfortunately, you will ultimately fail. It's great you want to do well, but having it consume you (and doing stuff like skipping school because of it) is not healthy at all, and will not be good for you in the long run, both physically and mentally.

Edited by: YOJULEZ at: 2/11/2013 (16:09)

Posts: 2,084
2/11/13 4:02 P

Because the kind of "spike" caused by sodium - doesn't matter. It's just water weight. We can gain/lose quite a bit over the course of a single day, depending on how much water we're retaining at any given moment in time. The point is, to NOT WORRY about weight "gain" that is caused by fluctuations in water retention. Sodium-induced water retention is fairly common after "restaurant meals" because these foods typically do contain more sodium than what you might prepare at home. I wouldn't assume a restaurant-prepared chicken salad would necessarily be a lower sodium option, either.......

SparkPoints: (967)
Fitness Minutes: (229)
Posts: 19
2/11/13 3:46 P

If the sodium is going to make my weight spike then why don't I just keep to a chicken salad or something? The last thing I want is for my weight to spike again. I was 155 until I had a glass of wine for my free day and it went up from there.

Posts: 894
2/11/13 2:21 P

I love Carrabba's and their menu has many options that, even if they are not low cal, you make make them "less cal".

I'll get the spaghetti pomodoro whole grain with shrimp and that is plenty. If I get a started (minestrone or cucumber salad), then I end up bringing something home.

If you want to get dessert, try the John Cole, and split it. It is great!

SparkPoints: (15,593)
Fitness Minutes: (120)
Posts: 2,171
2/11/13 1:41 P

Carrabba's is good AND they offer nutrition info and options on portion sizes, which is more than I can say for many restaurants, so you're starting out in a good place! There is no reason to get so stressed about this that it messes with your life. Temptations come up ALL the time, you just learn how to deal with them the best you can.

Here is their nutritional info PDF:

By having this information, you can build yourself a meal ahead of time, so you know what to order when you get there. The menu says that all meals come with soup or salad, a vegetable, and mashed potatoes or pasta. The pasta is 225 calories (the potatoes are 459, eek!), so ask them to box it up ahead of time and you can have it with lunch or dinner tomorrow. For salads, either the house salad or the caesar with the light balsamic vinaigrette on the side are good choices.

Small chicken parmesan is 313 calories. Small chicken marsala is 342 calories. For sides, you can get a side of sauteed spinach for only 35 calories, or if available, the Primavera Arrosto (I'm guessing this is roasted vegetables) for only 70 calories, or the cucumber tomato salad for 115 calories. Unfortunately I think the desserts are off the table :)

You're in good spot here, and look at this as a learning experience as to how to pick out healthy things, and when you're there, it's a good lesson in self control... ie only have one roll/breadstick/whatever, or none at all. I will also say that please DON'T freak out if you step on the scale after this meal and see an increase. Restaurant food always has a lot of sodium, so even when you stick to your ranges, the sodium causes a bit of an increase on the scale. It will go away in a few days.

Edited by: YOJULEZ at: 2/11/2013 (13:44)

SparkPoints: (967)
Fitness Minutes: (229)
Posts: 19
2/11/13 1:34 P

I've only lost about 7 lbs. The first week I lost 10 and then it spiked back up to 7 by the 2nd, so I'm trying to decrease it the healthy way again.

In any case, Carrabas. haha

SparkPoints: (40,579)
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Posts: 2,633
2/11/13 1:29 P

10 pounds in 2 weeks raises a red flag for me. That is too much. I would say, enjoy your dinner.

SparkPoints: (967)
Fitness Minutes: (229)
Posts: 19
2/11/13 1:17 P

Has anyone heard of a place called Carrabas? That's where he is taking me. Like, I don't mean to sound immature, but I even skipped school today because I've actually been stressing about this a lot. As weird as that sounds, its because weight has always been a problem in my family. I want to stay away from the danger zones of becoming a binge eater. I saw myself becoming one when I hit 163. It was way too much for me. Before, I thought 155 was heavy but in actuality, I'd rather prefer to be that weight then the one I had! haha

Side note: I don't really understand why almost 10 lbs is such a massive weight to lose in 2 weeks. I haven't done anything outside of what I've seen spark nutrition and going to the gym. I've honestly just been following the weight loss thing the healthy way. I don't cut back on my food, I just go to the gym everyday for about an hour to an hour and a half. I love full body work outs!

SparkPoints: (47,368)
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Posts: 2,876
2/11/13 11:31 A

Where are you going for dinner?

Don't worry! If you order smart, there will not be an issue incorporating you dinner out into your daily ranges.

My fall back item is always the 6oz grilled sirloin (rare) and I always get double veggies for my sides. I skip the bread and get water to drink. I take half of the meal home to eat the next day.

Watch out for salads! Some salads have more fat and calories than some dinners!

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Posts: 2,885
2/11/13 8:42 A

I'd agree, that *most* chain type restaurants nowadays offer at least a few things that are lower-calorie. We went to O'Charley's yesterday-- haven't eaten there in years. They did not have a "lighter" section on their menu, but in studying the chicken section, I noticed an option with "under 550 calories". So I ordered it, and ate every last bit of it. Course, I had to restrain myself from eating any of the hot rolls (always a danger for me). I will sometimes chew gum until my entree arrives, to keep me from eating anything.

It helps if you know what restaurant you're going to, before you go. Then you can look at whatever nutritional information they have available online and think about how you'll tackle the choice.

Edited to add: Almost 10 pounds in just 2 weeks is waaay too much, for the amount of weight you have to lose.

Edited by: MISSRUTH at: 2/11/2013 (08:45)

SparkPoints: (66,354)
Fitness Minutes: (43,727)
Posts: 3,423
2/11/13 8:11 A

There are many Sparkticles to help you navigate a meal outside your home. Start here for some easy tips for chain restaurants.

Posts: 1,228
2/10/13 10:46 P

You have a few options:

* Go and pick a meal that appeals; eat a third to a half.

* Try to guess the healthiest food that appeals to you (I wish I could underline the appeals to you part), eat most or all of it.

* Treat going out as a special treat, eat slightly (again I emphasize slightly) lighter during the rest of the day and eat most of the meal.

Choose the option that fits most with how you feel that day.

This is a journey for life, and you will be faced with this situation for the rest of your life - you can vary your choices but always know that it is not in the norm and when looking back will be a minor variation from the average.

SparkPoints: (15,593)
Fitness Minutes: (120)
Posts: 2,171
2/10/13 10:37 P

Well, where do they want to take you to eat? I've found that most restaurants have at least one or two things that are healthy. If you let us know where they are taking you, we can help walk you through the menu to make good choices.

SparkPoints: (967)
Fitness Minutes: (229)
Posts: 19
2/10/13 10:15 P

My father invited me to go out tomorrow night with him and my little brother. Problem is, I just hit my 2 week mark and have almost lost 10 lbs. I feel like I'm not going to be able to eat anything. Recommendations please!

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