What restaurants are good and bad for your health?

[waffle5689]

I'm following Stew Smith Nutrition guide.As for me I'm going to be doing this for a year straight.I know once I get in mind set of eating like almost the same foods,I'm always attempting to try other foods.Then I lose focus,and everything tumbles from there.

How I lost weight before was just eating different variety of healthy foods every day.

As for restaurants I was curious which ones are healthy,and not.Mainly because well I might take girl to dinner out of the blue,or family reunion dinner.I want to eat something that wont throw me off focus.

Well my point is if I go to like for example Olive garden,or even Mcdonald's what should I get or not to get.I love the parfies with yogurt,with strawberry's,and blue berry mcdonalds.As for the other foods I dont get.

[king henry viii]

I'm following Stew Smith Nutrition guide.As for me I'm going to be doing this for a year straight.I know once I get in mind set of eating like almost the same foods,I'm always attempting to try other foods.Then I lose focus,and everything tumbles from there.

How I lost weight before was just eating different variety of healthy foods every day.

As for restaurants I was curious which ones are healthy,and not.Mainly because well I might take girl to dinner out of the blue,or family reunion dinner.I want to eat something that wont throw me off focus.

Well my point is if I go to like for example Olive garden,or even Mcdonald's what should I get or not to get.I love the parfies with yogurt,with strawberry's,and blue berry mcdonalds.As for the other foods I dont get.


don't take any girl to mcdonalds, and don't go by yourself either. olive garden is a good choice. If you're looking to have something that's healthy as can be then don't get any breaded chicken or anything. Stay away from the alfredo sauce too, i hear that's bad for you.

[waffle5689]

lol,I'll never take a girl to mcdonalds as for a date.Should of corrected my understanding on that part.I was just saying if I ever happened to go to a restaurant for any apparent reason.Naming any type restaurants.

[king henry viii]

lol,I'll never take a girl to mcdonalds as for a date.Should of corrected my understanding on that part.I was just saying if I ever happened to go to a restaurant for any apparent reason.Naming any type restaurants.

if you want to go to mcdonalds, get those salads with the chicken or whatever they are. but i would recommend getting AT LEAST 2 of them or maybe even 3 because 1 sure as hell isn't enough. I had one of those salads once and I was hungry less than an hour later.

[PaulieP]

But I love alfredo sauce! lol

[Jen_MV]

lol,I'll never take a girl to mcdonalds as for a date.Should of corrected my understanding on that part.I was just saying if I ever happened to go to a restaurant for any apparent reason.Naming any type restaurants.

Whew! . . I was going to comment. . . . lol . . my next question was asking for your age!

[Shar36]

I'm following Stew Smith Nutrition guide.As for me I'm going to be doing this for a year straight.I know once I get in mind set of eating like almost the same foods,I'm always attempting to try other foods.Then I lose focus,and everything tumbles from there.

How I lost weight before was just eating different variety of healthy foods every day.

As for restaurants I was curious which ones are healthy,and not.Mainly because well I might take girl to dinner out of the blue,or family reunion dinner.I want to eat something that wont throw me off focus.

Well my point is if I go to like for example Olive garden,or even Mcdonald's what should I get or not to get.I love the parfies with yogurt,with strawberry's,and blue berry mcdonalds.As for the other foods I dont get.

Okay Waffle ~ I'm going to give you my .02 here and I'm speaking from experience. Once upon a time I was nothing more than a fatty fatty 2 X 4!

Since March of 2005 I have seen a nutritionist. It was the best decision of my life! I didn't do it for the sole purpose of losing weight, it was a life style change as heart disease runs in my family it was necessary at the age of 44.

I lost 62 pounds in 13 months and have kept all of them off since April of 2006. I was on a 1200 calorie a day intake and I ate my dinner in a restaurant every single night. I basically ate 3 smaller meals and 3 snacks each and every day. You can go to a restaurant and eat pretty much anything. I will say that I stay away from fried foods and all sauces I request that they be served SOS (sauce on the side).

The one thing you need to be careful of is the particular restaurants portion size. Most meals that are served in a restaurant are more than one serving portion. Simply ask for a to go container or a 2nd plate, cut the meal in half and only eat what's on the plate after you've removed half. Save the 2nd half for lunch the next day. You're basically getting 2 meals for the price of 1 if money is an issue.

Just remember that you shouldn't deny yourself a certain type of food if you have a taste for a particular dish. Remember that it's all about moderation and portion control. Have a taste and that usually removes the temptation.

Good Luck and I'm very happy to read that you would never take a girl to Mickey D's while on a date! If I were the gal, I'd drop you so fast you head would be spinning!

:D

P.S. I forgot to add that you must exercise each and every day! Like it or not...that's just how it works! For the record...I HATE IT but I do it anyway!

[Bad_Dog]

lol,I'll never take a girl to mcdonalds as for a date.

Why not?? You can save a lot of money that way.

http://images9.fotki.com/v169/photos/2/262472/2081002/teu55-vi.gif

[SeaSpectre]

Whereas I don't mind a McDonalds or a BK slider from time to time, you are a lot more likely to find me at a Subway or over at Quizno's. You will get an outstanding sandwich that is high in energy and low on fat at one of those places(there are many others, just using those as an example).

Your body will actually crave fat----you need some to live, just keep that down to a manageable amount and stay as active as you can, you will be fine.

Spectre out

[bigv123]

The real question you're asking, perhaps without knowing it, is "what kind of food should I be eating?"

Well...that depends on a lot of different factors. First, what is/are your goal(s)? Second, what's your body composition now? (height, weight, body fat %)

Without being able to answer those two VERY basic questions you're in a row boat, in the middle of the Atlantic, without any oars, and no compass. i.e. soup sandwich. Answer those and i'll try and help you out some more...

Sean V.

[waffle5689]

sorry I didnt get back to you guys lately.My height is 6 foot,I weigh at the moment 181 pounds,my scale tells me I have 21.4% body fat.I've been following the Stew Smith plan.Right now I'm warming up to his workouts and his diet plan.Been working great.

I use to be overweight like no other,born skinny but turned into fat mofo.In 9th grade was when I started losing weight,by working out,disciplining myself,eating right.

I just stoped eating at fast-food restaurants all together,except like subway.I'm not a sweetooth person but more of a meat person.I love meat,like gyro's,and such.Its what got me to be overweight in the first place,so I started eating other foods besides meat that has high in protein.

Like is there a list of restaurants that list what type of good and bad foods are on their menu,and how to avoid them.

[centerpeel]

mcdonald's pretty bad im sure

[futurespecwarrior]

Careful at Subway, I was surprised when i looked at the nutrition info. By the time you add the cheeses and dressing you could be looking a 900 calorie sandwich with like 15 grams of fat. I usually go for a 6" Subway sub with no dressing. It's still around 450 calories depending on the sub, but calories are energy for a workout later and going without the cheese and dressing cuts way down on the fat.

[waffle5689]

Well ya I noticed that too at subway,the type of sandwich I always get is the 6" Club with wheat bread.Basically almost everything on it,with only two dressings which is mayo,ranch,and American cheese.Then I head straight to the gym,right after I ate.

I'm surprised sandwiches are aiming towards 900 calories these days.It's depressing seriously,and yet everyone is wondering why 3-5 people are overweight.

Now about pop I heard if you workout for a hour or so,and drink a pop.Basically you lose all you gained pretty much.Is that true? Well I usually drink pop once in a while during the day.I remember when I was 10 my soccer coach yelled at me,and made me like a run a mile just because I brought pop to practice.I'm just trying to figure out how is pop so bad for you?

[Shar36]

It could quite possibly be that every 12 ounce can of regular soda contains 11 teaspoons of sugar!

[bigv123]

Here's some general information to get you started. First, remember that quality counts! And, that all calories are NOT created equal. Different proteins, carbs, and fats are processed by the body differently. Some are better for you than others.

Quality proteins. Protein is broken down into amino acids by the body to be used in tons of different body process, everything from repair of damaged cells to body temperature regulation. Some good sources include: chicken, tuna, turkey, lean beef, fish.

Carbs. There are really two distinct "types" of carbs you want, complex carb and veggies. Complex carbs are broken down slowly and evenly by the body for energy. Simple carbs (i.e. sugars) do just the opposite. Simple carbs also spike insulin levels making is nigh impossible to burn off fat. You want carbs that are low on the Glycemic Index (do a web search and you'll find several listings). Some examples include: pearled barley, rice bran, kidney beans, lentils, sweet potatoes, pears, green apples.

Fats. Fats are a dialy requirement...BUT, they have to be "good" fats. Due to the way that most Americans eat, it's sometimes very hard to get these into your diet. Personally, I supplement this in my protein shakes to make sure i get enough, the right kind, and the right amount. Look for Omega-3, 6, and 9 EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids). You can find these in various fish oils and flax seed oil.

Hope that helps. If you have additional or more specific questions let me know and i'll try and help.

Sean V.

[cjkore]

Hey, I just signed up for these forums, and im no nutritionist or anything but i do cook at an italian restaurant and ill just say if your trying to eat right, DONT eat any of those cream sauces (and that does include alfredo sauce), im telling you, eating one of those dishes is like eating a sheet of bacon. I couldnt tell what to eat at an olive garden, other than maybe a pasta bowl, and even then they'll give you an ungodly amount of it.

[ddssdv]

Jaliscos IB...g2g

[guerrillawolf]

Lon onto menshealth.com they usually break that down pretty well when it comes to eat this not that or certain eating establishments.

[bk0078]

just go to sushi bars. they dont cook their food so theres no extra fats!

[bk0078]

found some more on eating out. http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=nutrition&category=diet.strategies&conitem=0be8573737af3010VgnVCM100000cfe793cd____ and this http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=nutrition&category=smart.dining.out&conitem=0b60c29f8a526110VgnVCM10000013281eac____

[funeone01]

I like to use the following link:

www.nutritiondata.com

Gives nutrition facts on pretty much anything you can eat, and also lists fast food restaurants. I was surprised some things are not as bad as I once thought...doesn't mean I would eat there, but still ;P

[mattnxtc]

Had me a foot long club with lite mayo and some green tea...will come in handy when I catch up with "running with angie" those extra carbs will come in handy.

[mikepr]

italian resturants are good because they use olive oil not vegetable oil (which is bad) dont go to ruby tuesdays they butter everything up

[skoalface]

Eat whatever you want as long as it is not bread, rice, potato, or pasta.

Read Enter the Zone by Dr. Barry Sears. I lost 30lbs over a year ago and it is still off. Teach yourself how to eat and you can go to any resturant you want. You will have the "information" to know what to order.

As a side note: The girl will not want to go for dinner. She will want to stay in for dinner. Wink!

[oldswabbie]

BTW, Butter is NOT as bad for you as Margarine is in moderation.

[jdoleac]

All restaurants are good AND bad for you.

Grilled meats/fish. Salads with vinagrettes and little cheese. Grilled or steamed veggies. These are a few of the things you can eat while at a restaurant and not pay for it. Sadly, these are really your only choices in many places and a lot of restaurants have no healthy options. This takes all the fun away from eating out, and ultimately you're better off eating at home.

Check menu guides online and you'll see how bad stuff can be. At first glance a Caribbean chicken salad at Chili's looks healthy, but the dressing they slather all over it has about 22 grams of fat, 40% of which is saturated.

You have to look at the component parts of these dishes.