Reasonably Dining Out

I am a dining out failure. I have zero portion control. I'm like the honey badger, man! I just takes what I wants! In all seriousness though I used to have myself trained to know what I could have BEFORE I went to a restaurant and I knew what I would drink, and I adjusted my activity levels and calorie intake that day with the expectation that I was eating out.

These days...Oh girl just doesn't care! I have got to get a system in place for dining out. I went to Qdoba with my husband for lunch. I ordered a burrito. The Angus Steak 3 cheese queso (which, by the way, makes no sense! 3 cheese cheese?) and I was looking at the nutritional menu they had so responsibly placed at the front of the store which I so irresponsibly chose to read after I had finished my burrito as big as my head. Guess what? 1,250 calories. My entire days calorie intake in one freaking burrito. Are you kidding me? It really should be illegal to sell such a portion. I think the government just might need to put out some regulations to protect stupid. Like...if my fat ass really wants 1,250 calories worth of burrito I should have to order 3. I'm just sayin'.

I should have only eaten half of it and in reality...even half of it was way more calories than I should eat for lunch. That's a dinner!

So, the next time I visit Qdoba I will have a Naked burrito with pulled pork (which is surprisingly less calories than beef or chicken), with pinto beans, 3 cheese-cheese, pico de gallo, and lettuce for just 400 calories, and a water to drink.

In my defense I had just finished Zumba 500. 2 hours of straight Zumba will make a girl think she needs to eat a whole cow!

So...I am going to work on making myself a list of restaurants I frequent in my travels, and choose one or two menu options and find out the calories and keep that list on me at all times. I may even make a copy of it for my cell phone so I really ALWAYS have it until I memorize it.

I know for breakfast at McDonalds the only thing I can really have and feel satisfied is the Egg McMuffin. At 300 calories it is a good calorie range and not too awful in fat.

A hamburger is 250 calories.

A Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich is 350 calories.

A side salad is 20 calories, a Premium Caesar Salad is 90 calories, and the new tiny bags of apples are just 15 calories.

A small fry is 230 calories. Have you SEEN their "new" small fry? It's the tiniest fast food french fry portion you will ever see and yet it is still 230 calories. Ridiculous. Just say no to fries!

The snack wraps are 250-270 calories, but I really don't feel like they are as filling as a hamburger. They might be a better option as far as carbs and fat are concerned but if I dont' feel satisfied I will eat more sooner rather than later!

4 Chicken nuggets are 190 calories, 6 are 280 calories and yes, I am well aware of what they are made of. My fat ass really doesn't care, They are delicious chicken pieces parts. Unhealthy as they may be. Gross as they may be. Yum!

So, for McDonalds my best bet for Breakfast is an Egg McMuffin and a black coffee at around 300 calories. For lunch I should opt for the hamburger, side salad, apples, and an iced tea at around 285 calories for a lunch and a decent dinner could be a Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich, a side Caesar salad, apples, and an unsweet iced tea at around 455 calories. I never eat fast food 3 times a day so this would just be one of the above per day.

I know it is possible to eat fast food and stay on target. I have traveled for my job for 6 years and have managed to stay on target before while eating out. I just need to get back to setting limits and adjusting my day accordingly.

I am sure that once we close on the new house, and get settled in it will be more feasible for me to pack my snacks and I really do better at calculating my foods at the start of my day so...just 6 more weeks or so and hopefully I can see some results by Christmas! Ha!