Okay, I just started alli this week, and I've been doing great (if I do say so myself), but today came, and I freaked out.  There's a fish fry at church this afternoon, and then we're going out with my husband's family to celebrate his parents' anniversary. 

So, I was okay thinking about the fish fry because I figured I'd only eat half of the meal for lunch and save the rest for tomorrow.  But I really started freaking out thinking about dinner.  I went to the restaraunt's website, and thankfully they did have nutritional info. about their "healthier" options.  Wow, the options were limited and most items would have pushed me over my fat and/or sodium limits for the day.

I finally found a salad with chicken that would fit in my plan for the day, but I realized if I had blindly ordered one of their entrees with a heart next to it (without checking the nutritional info. online), I would have totally blown my diet for the day without realizing it.

Now I'm super paranoid about eating out in general.

I am sure you will do great. You already have a great plan. It is good that you checked it out first. I think I would have just ordered something with the heart next to it and then had a big old surprise waiting for me when I finally got around to it. UGH! Way to be on top of this though. That is fantastic. You will surely succeed with that type of organization.

Let us know how it all goes.

 Eating out can be very tricky as you pointed out...planning ahead is the only way to stay on top of your plan.  The hardest part about any weight loss program is being able to eat with friends and family.  The food is usually high calorie and there is lots of it!  You are to be congratulated for your forethought. 

Don't forget it is okay to go over once in awhile...so if you do, don't give up-just get right back on track.  You'll find that after some time, your body will let you know what you need.  You won't have cravings and you'll make good decisions without much trouble.  I can hardly eat french fries anymore.  They don't taste very good and the smell is awful.

My fav snacks now are nuts, fruit, and yogurt.

Good luck!

Marcia

 Eating out is such a big challenge for me. You did great by getting the information off the website! I had to finally tell myself that when I reach my goal, I will have to learn to eat food in the real world. When I got to my 7th week I had enough of chicken and fish and "splurged" on a Sat. Sunday morning I was back on track. I had gained the 2 lb.s I had lost, but I prepared myself and not one bad regret about it. I can say the food did not taste as good as I thought it would. I think the trick is to eat some of the food you are used to, but make the majority of your meals healthy. In a perfect world I would be one of those people who can eat everything and gain no weight, but its not and I am me. So I will continue the battle and take a few breaks everynow and then. Great job though, most of the time if I slip I would give up the whole thing. Keeps us posted on how its going.

Best wishes,

Erica

Well, this morning, I was totally freaking out, but I actually made it through the day just fine.  I've been really making an effort to eat slower (I can usually finish a meal in 5 minutes flat), so that really helped me to enjoy and feel satisfied by my smaller portions.  And, since I only ate half of both my eating out meals, I get to enjoy the leftovers again tomorrow!  Thanks for the support.  I usually can't make it past the first week on a diet, but this eating plan seems totally doable.  I'm looking forward to seeing some results.

Welcome Mitdiva!  Once your stomach shrinks, it gets a lot easier.  I started May 22nd and am down 33+ pounds; I'm not the fastest one on here, but I'm pretty steady, and I'm in it for the long haul.  The support on here is just great.  Good luck!  Tampabayb

Until I started paying attention to what I was eating I didn't realize just how HUGE restuarant portions are.  I mentally set aside half the meal when it arrives and I don't eat it, take it home for another time. 

Karen

blueiscool:

Until I started paying attention to what I was eating I didn't realize just how HUGE restuarant portions are.  I mentally set aside half the meal when it arrives and I don't eat it, take it home for another time. 

Karen

 That is so true Karen!  Most restaurant portions can make a meal for a family of 4!  It is difficult enough to learn to eat the right foods, but then to understand portion sizes just dumbfounds me sometimes.  I was ashamed to admit I was trying alli and avoided going out to eat with friends for several months after I started.  Now, I go out with the folks I have discussed my lifestyle change with and they offer good advice on food choices.  Sometimes we even split a meal and I don't get embarrassed asking for a box for leftovers.

Marcia

My husband is very patient as I negotiate with the server about substituting.  At one place we went to the only sides they had were either fried or full of mayo.  I finally told the server that since they had sliced tomatoes on the sandwiches to just bring me a sliced tomato as my side.  I had ordered the turkey club without the bacon or cheese (slight lactose intolerence problem). 

And who knew the serving of cheerios I used to eat was actually at least 3 servings? 

I had gotten some cheetos halloween treat packs (100 calories) after Halloween when they were marked down. That does satisfy my taste for them but I know if I had a full bag of cheetos I certainly would stop after that amount.

Karen

March 2008 size 18

November 2008 size 8 and tucking in my shirts and wearing a belt for the first time in 10 years

 Oh, those 100 calorie packs are my life preserver.  I keep different kinds in my desk at work to get me through the tough times.  You're right, they satisfy the craving and if they were bigger I would eat more.  The Cheez Its are great for the munchies, and the Mr Salty chocolate-covered pretzels are great for the sweet tooth.

Judy

While the 100 calorie packs may seem more expensive they end up being cheaper for me because I can limit myself to one.  If I have a bigger package I just eat more.  Plus the real expense came in replacing my wardrobe down to my underwear.  I am not going to go back up in size, rather pay a bit more for snacks.  We all know that once you open a bag of something it calls to you.  Now why a box of ritz crackers calls my name but the bag of baby carrots doesn't is a mystery for the ages.

Karen

I'm a size 8 and I'm not going back up.