CR practice when you're out

[Alby]

Hi everybody,

 

I've been following the CRON diet for quite a long time now, and depending on the stress I have (I'm a female medical student) it doesn't always work perfectly. I have noticed that whenever I track my calories and nutrients via the CRON-O-Meter it's quite easy for me to stick to my diet plan and to not overeat. But every time I can't eat at home, bring my own food or put it on a scale I just can't handle the question how to proceed with my plan the time I come home. For example, if I ate a meal at a restaurant with quite a lot of meat (more than the maximum of about 45-50g I would eat per day), I would try to estimate the exact amount I've eaten (just because I have to - can't imagine to enter a restaurant with a scale...) and then notice via CRON-O-Meter that I totally exceeded the maximum protein requirement for that day. So - just to stick to my diet - I would have to do without my favourite (and already planned) dinner for that day which would make me feel quite uneasy - a mood that can make me overeat and so totally ruin my calorie intake for that day (or even the following ones).

In the past, I've already tried to become as flexible as possible by eating only one large meal a day (about 900kcal, usually in the evening when I'm home) and, after a workout (usually at lunch time), a self-made, very superfood-rich shake to go which I can take everywhere (about 400-500kcal). But there's still the possibility that I'm going out for dinner or that I go on a trip for several days (that's what my social life somehow requires) - so what am I supposed to do when I can't always bring my scale everywhere? How do you handle these situations? Do you stick to your diet when you're out or are those days exceptions? And how do you handle those possible exceptions mentally by not loosing all of your control?

Thank you for your advice and sorry for my bad English (I'm German...)!

 

Regards,

Alby

 

[keithsct]

Hi Alby, I've found that it's what you do as a normal routine that counts. So on a normal work day I'll follow my normal CR diet and bring all my carefully measured and recorded food. On a day where we have a social occasion to attend, I will still eat my normal CR diet, but maybe cut out a few of the less nutritionally dense items like a sweet potato or fruit and/or peanut butter sandwich. I just estimate my calorie intake from the restaurant, but usually order a salad and smaller dish. Some restaurants have calorie counts per menu item, but generally a purchased meal has new nutrients compared to anything you would put together for a CR diet.

[AliciaHollywood]

I know I'm brand new here, but some of this seems beyond CR and more OCD! It would seem one could just order something healthy, don't eat the whole thing (I always take half home to go) and if you think you overdid it, eat less later, the next day or workout more... I don't think this lifestyle should suck the fun out of life and make people so compulsive that it becomes obsessive or cause stress because that's not healthy either...

 

I tend to order wild salmon & veggies when available and stay away from restaurants that only offer unhealthy food. I can't take the time to measure things, but I find the myfitnesspal app has more choices of foods and US brands and calculates everything for me when I get into an obsessive mood or if I've gained a couple of pounds. Also you may want to look into intermittent fasts so you can eat with your friends, but compensate by not eating later or before. Right now I'm being pretty OCD myself because I have gained a few pounds, but I think if I continued like this indefinitely, it could turn into an eating disorder, because I think it should just naturally become part of one's lifestyle to eat low cal and healthy and not become a thing to obsess about...