shirfleur 1's Journal, 17 Jul 19

You can do this - you've been practicing all summer! 

Thanks Bella, I'm certainly going to try. It's always such a fun time, and I want to keep it that way. 

I hear the theme music to "Rocky" playing in the background 

U can do it just watch calories and fat,and be strong💪💪💪💪💪💪 

Shiny you're right, I kinda hear that music, too. 😁 

Dining out skills. Your post made me realize I suck at it. My skill set is limited to 'No Thanks' at this stage. Hope it works out well for you. 

Diddlee, you can dine out and still follow your WOE. If I'm going to a new restaurant, I go online and check their menu to find dishes that will fit into my plan. Seafood is usually low calorie, though you do have to watch out for the sauces, just eat a little. Some restaurants serve very large amounts of food, in which case, I divide my meal in two before I begin eating, and take half home for another day. My friends and I usually share desserts, so I just take 1 or 2 bites and leave the rest for the others. I usually have 1 glass of wine. I enjoy dining out with friends too much to give it up, and finding ways to make it work is a fun challenge for me. Good luck! 

Do you live in Houston Missouri?!? Holy Cow! Yes ?!? 

Terrapin, I live in Houston, Texas.  

So, how many restaurants participate? 

I absolutely love that your journal was about it being a challenge and then you were able to immediately advise Didlee about how to do it! See! You got this!! You know what to do and how to do it. Even better is you'll know which restaurants are participating and you're going to be able to plan to avoid duplicates, i.e., not every darn place has to be the salmon and steamed broccoli. With dining out - on the food diary - I pick the highest calorie/carb and record that; i.e., if it's a sauce I record it as milk although at home I'd use heavy whipping cream for fewer carbs. If there's butter in it I assume it's double whatever I'd use at home. It's not perfectly accurate but they won't let me interrogate the chefs. 

That sounds like a tasty divine summer! 

@Shirfleur all those strategies work great. I especially like that you have a little desert and enjoy the social aspect of the dinner. You going to kick August's butt in the calorie department.  

Terrapin, I don't know how many restaurants participate, but there are hundreds, and the list gets longer every year. It is a fundraiser for the Houston Food Bank, and it raises millions each year. 2-3 course lunches are $20, and 3-4 course dinners are $35-$45. All the best restaurants participate, and the whole town goes into a feeding frenzy for the month of August. Bella, thanks for the tips, that will help. The menus are all posted on the website, so it's easy to plan ahead. It really is lots of fun, and a very successful way to raise money for a great cause. 

shirfleur 1 Thanks for lifting my eyes beyond the closest walls. I feel like a No Thanks person, due to socializing with sweet carb lovers. Working on bringing up my skills, so I can become the one who provide delicious foods in one way or the other. 

Good for you, Diddlee you can do this. Let me know how it turns out.