If you're losing weight, how many times a week can you go out

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I mean say if someone wants to go out for dinner, go to the pub or something else that means you'd be eating less healthy food. How many times per week can you manage this without it interfering with your overall weight loss per week?

I'm not on any specific diet, just general healthy eating and cutting out pointless snacks etc. The aim is to eat as healthily as possible most of the time, so that I can occasionally eat something high in calories when it happens. I'm not someone who cancels on people but at the same time I'm going to have to say some nos in the first place as I need to sort out my health.

I was just reading another thread full of people with January birthdays who were all upset about people on health kicks cancelling on them. I don't want to be one of those people but you have to draw the line somewhere.

I find it easier to go out and still stick within diet, SlimmingWorld. But I don’t drink alcohol. It seems sad to have no social life to be slimmer.

no food is unhealthy. Just choose wisely from the menu and don't swill too much. No reason not to go out to eat.

I would think you'd be fine if you pick the healthiest option when you're out, and just eat less the rest of the day.

Loads of places seem to be doing plant-based food, so surely you could find something that's reasonably healthy?

There is a podcast called Slimming World food for thought. In one of their episodes they talk about how to manage eating out. I found it really helpful and it doesn’t just apply to SW.

As many times as I like. There’s usually a healthy option.

I relax the rules once a week but I'd say at most restaurants you can find a protein + veg option which fits in with most diets.

I can’t think of many places that don’t do healthier choices, so you just pick one of them instead of calories laden choices. Comes down to willpower at the end of the day

Also if your going for say pizza in the evening, have a light salad or soup lunch.

Have 1 glass of wine or no wine

It’s easier than even to eat out and lose weight

The thing is that if you want to maintain weight loss/health then you have to find a way to manage social situations and eating out anyway. I lost a ton of weight on meal replacement shakes once, became a hermit for three months whilst I did it and then returned into the world to show off my new great physique but had developed no good habits or balance so I just piled it all back on again. So I suppose I would say, carry on going out but practise the art of moderation and if you do have the odd blowout (which is fine) get back on track and don’t let it lead you into the mindset of ‘I’ve blown it now, may as well have x, y, z as well’.

I find most places have 500-600 meals such as Wetherspoons, harvester, pizza express etc. and that's a standard amount of calories for dinner imo.

Or just use common sense and pick the healthier options.

It's miserable missing out so don't avoid it unless you really want to. Even when we've had KFC in the past I've just had the burger. I felt like I indulged but I still kept within a calorie deficit.

Even McDonalds sell salads. No reason at all why you can't go out as often as you want. I can't imagine any restaurant doesn't offer healthy options - many (even pubs) are putting calories etc on their menus. Re drinks, again, you can get sugar free soft drinks, etc.

I'd actually say it can be easier to eat healthily when out as sometimes making a "healthy" option at home requires more time and ingredients so you're less likely to do it and more likely to ping an unhealthy ready meal in the microwave.

I mean say if someone wants to go out for dinner, go to the pub or something else that means you'd be eating less healthy food

To lose weight, you just need to eat less food. It doesn't matter how healthy or unhealthy it is.

You can lose weight by eating cheezy chips for every meal. Just don't eat too many!

Of course, it also depends on your self discipline. If your friends are all eating chips or cakes, you need to be pretty self-disciplined to chose a healthy option!

You just need to pick carefully from the menu. Google the calories in the food where you are going first and make your food choices before you go.

I was out at an Italian restaurant yesterday. I had a lovely king prawn linguine at around 550 calories.

If you feel you are missing out you won't be able to keep up the healthy eating.

I wouldn’t not go out; most places have something healthier on the menu. You can often check calorie content for chain restaurants and at other places you can work it out by the ingredients/cooking method and ask for things not to come with chips etc.
I think if you’re going out every fortnight then you could allow yourself something a little bit less healthy but it depends how strict you want to be. Going out drinking on a night out is harder but going to the pub and having a couple of spirit and low calorie mixer won’t make too much difference.
Those kind of adjustments will also help you keep the weight off.