Fri, Jul-30-10, 05:07
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Senior Member
Posts: 227
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Plan: Atkins
Stats: 151/143/120
BF:34%/32%/20%
Progress: 26%
Location: UK
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We eat out quite a lot in a wide variety of places and I generally never have any trouble staying on plan (ish).
As everyone has said - Indian (my favourite!) and Chinese are easy. I just have whatever main courses I want and skip the rice / naan. I will sometimes allow myself a popadom... I accept that there will probably be some carbs in the sauces, but hey, as long as you don't do it too often... There is an indian dish in many restaurants called murghi masala (or some variation) which is tandoori chicken in a mince beef sauce with an egg. Completely unacceptably greasy on any other diet, but perfect for us..!! I also love saag paneer (spinach & cheese) or aubergine bhaji as a side dish.
Pizza places are the hardest. Whilst they do normally do meat/veg dishes these are usually about twice the price of the pizza, which can be tricky if you are in a group. Quite a lot of places have an aubergine bake on the menu, often alongside the pasta / lasagna, and this is a pretty good choice. Otherwise you're stuck with salad.
In pubs etc I will often choose the gammon & egg and either sub the chips for salad (most places are happy to do this) or just leave or let the kids eat my chips. Portions are usually generous so I can validly claim that I am full after finishing the meat/egg. Otherwise I will order the biggest burger I can find - again subbing chips for salad if possible. Generally I just leave the bun rather than bothering to ask for them to make it without.
I'm not a big fan of salads unless there's no other option, as generally they are aimed at dieters and are about 100kcal with virtually no meat on them so I'm starving about 10m later. Or are full of croutons which take ages to pick out. Or are smothered with some really overpowering dressing which is probably full of sugar...
Quite funny story, I was recently at a festival type place and went to a burger stand there. They informed me that they had run out of buns so couldn't serve me. Delighted, I said that was absolutely fine - I would have the burgers & salad etc without the bun. They looked at me like I was absoultely crazy - had to go and check with the equally dumbfounded supervisor who informed me that I would still have to pay the same price but did let me have it. 12oz of meat with salsa, guacamole, bacon & cheese...- best dinner I've had in ages! But really, it was like I was from another planet!!
I'll usually have coffee (with cream) when everyone else is having dessert so I don't look / feel left out.
It is lunchtime I really struggle with. Sandwich places really don't have many options and salad choices are usually rubbish and small. EAT is one of the best - they actually had a bread-free sandwich thingy last time I went - and the soup is sometimes suitable (and very good when it is). Not cheap though.
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