How Do I Track My Food When Eating Out?
Should I track my food when going out to eat? And if I do want to track, how should I do that?
One important tidbit before I dive in here… I am NOT saying that you have to track macros when you go out to eat. I’m just presenting options for anyone who might want to and also sharing the typical use cases for each method.
TLDR is that you don’t HAVE to track when you go out to eat, however there are certain phases of life and dieting when it might make more sense to track vs. not track. So if you do want to track your food…. what are your options?
Macro Tracking When Out To eat: Options
Track Each Food Separately
This is the MOST ACCURATE option
Check the menu beforehand and scope out a simple meal that you can account for in your macros. Pick something with a lean protein source (usually chicken or fish), lots of veggies for extra volume and micronutrients, and maybe an extra carb (rice or potatoes).
Estimate the macros by entering each food separately and estimating the quantities (don't forget about cooking oils!)
“Set Aside” Macros
This option is definitely less accurate but it gets the job done for anyone who has a bit more flexibility in their diet currently
If you know you're going out for a meal, subtract some realistic number of calories from your total daily macros. So if you know you're going out to dinner, subtract 500-1000 calories depending on the meal.
You can try to track the meal if you want to, but since you're setting aside calories you don't really need to.
Usually this also means prioritizing protein earlier in the day and going a bit ligher on carbs/fat in anticipation of most meals out having higher carb/fat content.
So which option is for me? Typically those in a fat loss phase should adhere to option 1 to ensure they're remaining in a calorie deficit whereas those in maintenance and bulking phases have more flexibility to estimate. That being said, one meal out isn't going to make a difference in your progress long term (it will inflate numbers for a few days after but that's nbd). But if it's happening 1-2 times/week it can really have an impact.
Everyone is different so just because you're in a fat loss phase doesn't mean you HAVE to track the meal separately and vice versa. Whichever you choose, just get back to baseline for your next meal and fuel your body for wherever you're currently at!
Extra Tips For Eating Out
Drink lots of water before, during, and after your meal
Limit Mindless Eating
Try not to mindlessly pick at shared appetizers or bread. I often ask the waiter not to bring bread to the table to eliminate the temptation
Limit Drinking
Any food eaten in the presence of alcohol will be stored as fat so drinking when you're out to eat will compound the impacts of the meal
Don’t freak out about scale increases
It's normal to see scale increases in the days following a meal out due to higher sodium and oil content. If this is going to stress you out, maybe refrain from weighing yourself for a few days
Enjoy yourself!
Remember that a single meal isn't going to make or break your progress so ENJOY YOURSELF!
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