How do i track calories when eating out?
Worried about going off track when you go out for dinner this weekend?
Or know that you’ll have a business dinner at some point this week?
These can be obstacles to you losing fat. However, only if you allow them to be.
I’m going to present a comprehensive solution that will allow you to eat out and not worry so much about whether or not you’re going to go off track.
In doing so, you’re going to know exactly how to track your calories when eating out.
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION
One thing I need to make clear: this is not a guide to help you maintain current habits of eating out all the time.
If you’re looking to lose fat and keep it off, you’re going to need to have much more control over knowing EXACTLY what you’re eating.
This means that you either cook yourself, use a meal delivery service or buy foods that you know the EXACT INGREDIENTS and MACROS of.
You need to be doing this most of the time.
Common Mistakes
Not Planning Beforehand
If we’re tracking AFTER we’ve eaten, we’ve failed. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Look up the menu and decide what to eat in advance to stay within your calorie goals.Logging Afterwards
The whole point of using a tracker in our system is to plan, not just figure out what we’ve eaten. Track your meals before or as you eat to manage your intake accurately.
Quick real life example
An old client of mine went out for lunch. He had a whole pizza. He then tracked it and realised he had 100 calories left for the day.
Don’t be that guy.
Here’s 2 things he could have done:
1) Pre tracked the whole pizza a few days in advance and made allowances from his weekly calorie budget
2) Pre-tracked the whole pizza, realised that it wouldn’t be worth eating a whole pizza and eat just a couple of slices instead.
The point here is that he needed to plan before the event and not after the event.
This would have given him a clear picture of how to stay on track that week.
MAKING THE BEST CHOICES
Whether it's a business lunch, a date, or a solo meal, last-minute restaurant requests happen.
Making nutritious choices is simple:
prioritize veggies, add lean protein and whole grains if desired, and include a bit of healthy fat. Opt for steamed and dry items with sauce and dressing on the side, and avoid eating until you’re stuffed.
This is in bold, because this is all you need to know.
MASTER THE MENU
The key to staying on track is getting menus beforehand and choosing your meals ahead of time.
When scanning the menu, use these strategies:
Prioritize Protein: Look for grilled chicken, lean beef, shrimp, tuna, beans, etc. Start with that and add veggies – you can usually request a side salad instead of fries.
Focus on Veggies: Is there a salad or veggie platter? Start there and add protein – often, you can get chicken breast or another protein on top of a salad.
Check Side Dishes: You can often create a good meal from a few sides, like a single egg or a cup of fruit.
Look at Appetizers: Order a small item or two instead of a massive platter.
Soup and Salad: These are filling, and most restaurants offer some variation.
Build a Repertoire: Know which restaurants offer healthy choices and keep a list of options handy for quick decisions.
And of course, this applies when you can’t get hold of a menu ahead of time and have to make choices on the fly.
Strategies for Pre-Tracking
Let me stress again, these should be done AHEAD of time.
Strategy #1: The Buffer Method
Here’s how to do it
Set Aside 1000-2200 Calories: Reserve these for the event.
Assume a Protein Intake of Around 20 Grams: Unless it’s steak or nandos, you can guarantee protein servings will be small. Make this assumption
Log into MyFitnessPal: Track these calories and adjust your intake for the rest of the day accordingly.
Focus on Lean Proteins and Low-Calorie Vegetables: Eat these throughout the day to meet your nutritional needs while saving calories for the event.
Strategy #2: The Itemized Assessment
Perfect for meals where components are separate (think salmon, risotto, asparagus). Here's how:
Look Up Each Component: Use MyFitnessPal to find average entries for each part of your meal.
Estimate and Round Up: Double-check portions based on your experience and round up by 20% to account for oils, sauces, and error margins.
Example:
Atlantic salmon entries range from 160-340 calories. Most say 4 oz is ~240 calories, and your plate looks like 8 oz. So, double it (240 x 2 = 480 calories) and round up by 20% (480 x 1.2 = 576 calories).
Strategy #3: The Bulk Assessment
For mixed meals like soup or burritos, where everything’s combined:
Search for the Dish: Find the average calorie entry on MyFitnessPal.
Round Up and Move On: Take the average and add 20%.
Example:
Steak burritos range from 470 to 1,450 calories. Average is around 900. So, round up (900 x 1.2 = 1,080 calories).
Final Thought
Want to know how best to track something whilst eating it? By then, it’s probably too late. Get ahead of the game and plan. Try to be as accurate as possible. Failing that, make the best assumptions that you can.
With these strategies and a bit of planning, you can enjoy your meals and stay on track.
