Dates

SparkPoints: (113,032)
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Posts: 17,431
10/9/12 12:13 P

ANNAERA,

There is absolutely no reason you can't go out with your boyfriend once a week and enjoy yourself. Spark People isn't about deprivation. It's all about moderation and portion control. A person CAN eat out and still lose weight. It's just a matter of being mindful of the portion sizes.

Keep in mind that most restaurants serve meals that could easily feed 2-3 people ! Don't feel that you have to clean your plate. Eat whatever you'd like, BUT eat half and take half home to enjoy the next day at lunch. This way, you get to enjoy that yummy meal twice. Consider sharing an entree with the new boyfriend. Like I said, most places serve enough food to feed a couple of people easily. so, you might split a meal with him.

Watch the appetizers, if you'd like one, try having a BIG leafy green salad or a nice cup of soup. Both are low cal (watch the dressing) and filling. Be wary of fried foods. Fried food is extremely high in calorie. Having something fried every once in a while is okay, but you don't want to eat that every single weekend.

Look for foods that are grilled, poached, baked, steamed or stir fried. Those tend to be lower calorie options.

Mostly, just be mindful of your portions AND maybe think about having a nice romantic home cooked meal for him some weekend. It saves on calories and money. eating out isn't cheap.

SparkPoints: (54,327)
Fitness Minutes: (34,126)
Posts: 3,026
10/9/12 9:10 A

Come up with some date ideas that don't center around eating a meal at a restaurant. Ideas are:
-bowling
-concerts
-movies
-rock climbing wall lesson
-healthy cooking class
-theater play or musical
-mini golf
-disc golf

current weight: 173.8

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Posts: 1,095
10/9/12 8:50 A

Maybe you can start getting him interested in other ways of spoiling you, like taking you to plays or movies, or buying you non-food presents related to your hobbies! Even better, take up some kind of outdoorsy sport together like hiking. He can spoil you with new hiking boots and base layers!

Another approach might be for you two to cook together. Why does his roommate have to cook if you two are at his place? You two could buy the ingredients for a meal together and have some fun cooking together some evening. Just make sure you feed the roommate too!

Posts: 120
10/9/12 12:07 A

Eating out three meals a day, even once a week, is obviously messing up your goals. For most people, eating out for all three meals would be considered excessive. But, I understand that you want to spend time with your BF away from roommates.

If you MUST eat out for all three meals, I would pick ONE where you can eat what you like. The other two need to be healthy AND low calorie. I am talking 300 calories or so. Bring some light snacks with you so that you are not starving.

For the ONE meal that you allow yourself to eat whatever you want, follow these rules:
1. Stop when you are full.
2. If you want dessert, stop BEFORE you are full.
3. NO doggie bags. What you don't eat, stays at the restaurant.

Also, try to incorporate something active into your date. Such as:

Make part of your date a walk or hike. Maybe there are paddle boats you can both peddle and cruise around a lake. Ride a bike together.

current weight: 201.4

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175

SparkPoints: (86,396)
Fitness Minutes: (28,835)
Posts: 17,376
10/8/12 11:55 P

What about healthy picnics in secluded, weird and/or wonderful places :-) Apart from that, enjoy the OCCASIONAL 'bad' meal.

Kris

current weight: 151.0

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151

SparkPoints: (12,521)
Fitness Minutes: (3,074)
Posts: 938
10/8/12 6:04 P

If you know ahead of time where you might be going, take a look at the menu online and make the healthiest choice you can. If you're going out for breakfast, order something light, a veggie omelet with egg beaters and a bowl of fruit, for example. Just because you eat out in a restaurant doesn't mean you have to make bad food choices. Also, you might want to try to change how you think of going out to eat (what's the point of eating out if I can't eat the stuff I either can't or won't make at home?). The point of it is not the food, but the time spent with your boyfriend, so try to get to the point where the menu choice isn't the treat, spending time with him is. It sounds like you are tying the food with the event, and somehow you have to get to a mental place where the food is simply fuel for your body, and then it won't bother you to make healthy choices from the menu. I have struggled with this myself because everything in my family is about the food. As far as the roommate, I think I would just let him/her know that you are trying to eat healthier and would prefer something not fried, breaded, or whatever. I have found that most people are very respectful of your wishes when you explain it's about your health. You could always pick up a salad to bring along and eat it first, then you can get away with smaller portions of the "bad" stuff. By all means, enlist the support of your boyfriend. Changing your eating habits should have no impact at all on the time you two spend together. Keep in mind, I am certainly no expert, these are just things I would try if I were in your shoes.

current weight: 173.0

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SparkPoints: (931)
Fitness Minutes: (232)
Posts: 30
10/8/12 5:30 P

My boyfriend and I love to go out together...and he spoils the hell out of me. This became a problem only in that when I go out to eat (I only get to see him once a week) I really want to eat the things I don't let myself cook at home...because what's the point of eating out if I can't eat the stuff I either can't or won't make at home? It bothers the hell outta me because it can throw a good week when he decides to take me out for all three meals. It's once a week, like I said, but I am plateauing. We really value this time together and I am a damn good cook but if we go back to his place for dinner his roomate cooks tasty but really bad for you food...what do I do?

current weight: 287.5

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