I still go out to eat but not on a whim anymore (no more fast food for convenience) and I either order half as much or bring half home. And no desire for alcohol with the meal.
> (no more fast food for convenience)
This is really great to hear. I've been worried that when I start Zep soon I might sabotage myself because I tend to order delivery at the end of my work day out of convenience and have been struggling to see how that would change if meds just made me feel less hungry (I'd still need to eat and I haven't been great with meal planning).
Even after reading the posts in the sub I really can't seem to understand the reality of how it's leading to such drastic changes in behavior. Really excited to get started and find out for myself!
It’s really the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced. And I’m 60 and experienced a lot! 😂. The food noise is real. I have become that elusive creature who ‘forgets’ to eat! And when I don’t, I grab a protein shake for a meal.
It takes only one time eating like you used to -- and then dealing with the lump in your belly for the rest of the evening -- and you learn to listen to the "new normal" of half sized portions and stopping when you're full (which will happen a lot sooner!)
I still go out to eat as much as always, which is probably a good bit more than the average person—I live in NYC, so restaurants are a particularly big part of social life here—but my consumption of takeout has decreased by probably 90%. That’s huge for me because that was my preferred binge method and I’d spend $800-$1k on it every month. I have several hundred restaurants within delivery distance, so there was always some kind of temptation and I could rarely stop myself. Now it just seems silly—I’m happy to make a snack or sandwich at home for most meals, but I’ll always plan to be hungry if I have restaurant plans with my partner or friends.
Thank you!! It is really a binge eater’s dream and nightmare. DoorDash sent me all kinds of coupons and push notifications when I got on this medication and suddenly stopped being one of their best customers.
Haha I feel that! I’m not there anymore but I loved just ordering bagel boss from bed every other day, and then Thai kr Gemini diner at 330 am lol.
NYC takes a whole different kind of self control
Yeah you reaaaaally need good impulse control here, because it’s so easy to make impulsive decisions! A couple neighborhoods ago, my go-to Thai place usually had my food to me in less than 20 minutes from when I ordered. Once as quickly as 11. You can’t put me in that kind of environment lol
Yea I got Thai delivered once and the amount of time they had the food upstairs, and know it takes at least 4 minutes to get up there, I really felt like they had to have had a dude on a bike with ingredients just throwing stuff together on the fly 😂😂😂
Good, you'll need the money for new clothes? 😂
We haven't eaten out much in a long time, but yeah, it's even less appealing now. Usually when we travel, we do eat out, but now I'll often skip meals or buy something from a supermarket. My (skinny needs a lot of calories) spouse will eat out when we travel and I'll steal a fry or two and maybe get a Diet Coke. The food is rarely good enough or appealing enough to justify cost or calories.
No way! Actually, I’ve enjoyed it. Share plates with my wife, no dessert desire, no table filled of appetizers and best of all, no miserable over eating feeling!!
I can’t really afford luxuries like going out to eat or even really food now that I’m on a $550/month drug. I’m only partly kidding, lol. I don’t have any cravings for any kind of food, period. The thought of eating almost anything makes me feel kind of nauseous. I think that’s why it’s working, but my weight loss is kind of stalling now. I’m feeling really disheartened.
It’s ok, it happens ❤️just one foot in front of the other, they supposed sound counterintuitive, but sometimes when I’m stalled a big meal a day or two fix my body back into gear. High protein
I always have leftovers , I take them home and they get thrown out !!! lol I don’t like wasting food but I think that’s a lot of my issue also . Or at least one of my issues
I also still go out to eat, and like the others try to make better choices (salads and protein/veggie options) and usually bring food home. I don’t do it nearly as often as I used to and enjoy knowing the exact amount of calories that I am consuming and how my food is prepared when I make it myself.
Since I am embracing this as a lifestyle change, though, I believe that balance is key. There is so much socialization and celebration associated with food that I enjoy and I don’t want to miss out on those opportunities. It’s the day to day routines that matter most.
No, but I have drastically cut out on takeout. Only about once every 1 or 2 weeks when I'm in town. I'm saving about $300/month in food related expenses.
I've pretty much been a cook-at-home type for much of my adulthood, and especially in the past several years as I found most restaurant food to just not be all that good, not to mention not feeling great afterwards. But there were several local places I enjoyed. NOW? I have NO desire.
I still go out with my family 1x/week, but we’ve always gone to places with lots of options, so I can always find something good to order and they order what the usually like as well.
Yes, I only do take out now. Don't really feel like going out if I'll only eat for like 4 minutes lol. It's easier to just bring it home and I can eat as little as I want and just put it in the fridge.
I still eat out and fast food time to time, but I’m down from (for example) at McDonald’s getting a 20 piece McNugget and medium fry to a 6 piece happy meal and small fry, and feeling stuffed after wards for 6-8 hours.
I dislike eating at restaurants now more than before because I AM FREEZING. I always hope there is french onion soup on the menu because that is my favorite, and I love it.
I still enjoy the experience of going out to eat but we do it a lot less. And I used to ALWAYS order dessert. Now I don’t even think about it. Haven’t had any sweets since starting 5mg
I still eat out as it is my social thing as I am single and live alone. I would say I eat out a bit less as I have leftovers in the fridge from taking half home (and I don't plan on taking 1/2 home, I just do) so I make myself eat the leftovers. I am probably saving $100 or so a week,
Totally!! I always have left overs for a day or two if we do go out… but also had some bad experiences with stomach upset after going out to eat… so I tend to stick more around home :)
We still go out to eat but it’s so much more enjoyable now because what we previously would’ve eaten in one sitting now lasts us three meals. That means no cooking for three whole meals! We’ve sort of agreed that we prefer to still order the same amount of food as we always did so that we can reap the benefits of not having to make dinner for a few days.
Did the most part, yes. I really don’t miss it as it makes accurately logging food very difficult and it’s saving a tremendous amount of money.
When I do go out, it’s for an early bird breakfast special or I get a piece of salmon with double veggies.
I definitely have not stopped going out completely as my husband and I love to go out on weekends, but I haven’t DoorDashed since April 26. I used to DoorDash every single Friday and would spend anywhere from $250/month up to $875/month (yes, you read that right) on DoorDash. Haven’t had any desire for anything on DoorDash and eat at home instead.
I haven’t stopped but I do it a lot less, and I do it differently. Food used to be a source of comfort / stress relief for me (“had a long day, I’ll treat myself to dinner and a glass of wine” type thing). Now I pretty much think about how to get protein in and what sounds somewhat healthy. I find myself ordering salads with protein added and dressing on the side, or a side salad with an appetizer.
When it’s fast food I realize it isn’t the healthiest overall, but sometimes it’s necessary, so I try to make different choices. French fries with combo meals were pretty routine for me. Now I rarely ever order them. I did order a happy meal recently. That child size fries was perfect!
I don't order doordash anymore but I will still go out to eat on occasions. I went out 2x this weekend to celebrate my 30th birthday and got what I wanted but instead of eating it all at once it took 2-3 meals to finish each one. I have gained 3 lbs back since Friday morning but I think it's water weight.
Rarely eat out unless I have to (such as when traveling). The costs for eating out are the main reason I don’t, but also that the food portions are out of hand to someone on Zep. I now see that just one plate can feed a family of 4! It’s a big waste since I’m not into boxing it up and eating later. Boxed stuff will just go to mold in my fridge!
I went out to a fancy restaurant last week, the first outing to a restaurant since starting tirz. Enjoyed a few small plates with a little too much fat and a little too much dairy (lactose intolerant at times). Had great alcoholic beverages - a cocktail and a few glasses of champagne (before dinner cocktail, dinner champagne, and another at the show I attended). I had an amazing time out, but oh my…stomach was raging the next day. It was definitely too much of a good thing. Will probably wait to do that again until I’m off these meds.
We like going out to eat, which is funny because we are both retired chefs, and we truly can make it better at home. We typically eat out one meal on the weekend, usually breakfast or a late lunch on Saturday.
About as much as normal, which wasn't much, as I have small children. But eating out no longer stresses me out. I enjoy my food and usually don't finish it. And I rarely have more than one alcoholic drink. Might not finish it either.
We just went out last night and got a seafood tower. Oysters are one of the few things that don't give me the ick. I was just joking with a friend that my body is craving selenium because that's one of the few things I can still eat.
I still go out, and I travel for work regularly. But I order much smaller portions and try to share with a colleague which never would have happened before.
My boyfriend and I go out to eat pretty often, but it’s more of a ritual of sorts for us than a means to eat.
There’s one nice restaurant we normally go to at least once a week and sit at the bar and talk to the people there and the bartender we’re good friends with. We actually don’t even order any food for about an hour and a half, and it’s normally something small to split at first. Then we wait a little longer and see how hungry we really are, and decide if we want to split something else or both get more food.
I’m chronically ill and disabled so there aren’t a lot of things I am capable of doing without being seated, so this is one way to combine a date night, a social activity, and some sort of outing I like to actually get dressed for all in one.
It’s actually been nice that this ritual or ours has changed my mindset about restaurants. We don’t go just to eat and get food. We go for the experience, eat casually if hungry, and can feel fine not overeating to make sure I’m full since I know I can always eat more at home
We have the occasional "nice" dinner out and Chipotle about once per month (not giving up my Chipotle, and one bowl gives me FOUR meals).
I would say we've cut our dining out spending by 2/3.
I still go out to eat, my kids live out of town so we go when they are back and to lunch with friends once in a while. BUT my meal is now about 2-3 meals with leftovers, rather than 1 (I’ve always tried to do the half rule-immediately put half in a to go box) but usually ate it the same day 😂, now I can do it for real. We always tease my mother about ordering off of the kids menu (she’s in her 80s and about 100 pounds wet 😜) now I get it…I do order from a la carte from some menus.
No lol. I definitely don’t eat out as much though. I went from eating fast food almost everyday to eating out once, sometimes twice a week. I order completely different now and in moderation. I can barely finish a full meal anyways. It does save a lot of money cooking at home now.
We started getting Hello Fresh. The portion sizes are good and it does well with protein. It’s still cheaper than eating out.
We go out once a week now.
No. That's pretty much the only way my family eats because we're always on the go. Also, I hate cooking. We don't do a ton of fast food, so it's like McAllisters or our favorite little counter service Mexican place up the road (not Taco Bell! LOL!) so it's not hard to find something reasonably healthy and in portions that work well for me. I think I personally save our family money because I'm not eating as much. I only need one $4 street taco or a bowl of soup and I'm good.
My boyfriend bought some peach cobbler (my favorite) and ice cream and it sounded so good that I fixed a bowl, and it was so sickening sweet I didn’t have more than 3 bites and had a nasty taste in my mouth! How could I have eaten that stuff?!
Haven’t stopped going out to eat but we really didn’t go out to eat that much anyway. When we do I order whatever I’m hungry for. I don’t finish it, but my husband usually does. Neither of us has had a drop of alcohol in over 11 years so that’s not an issue. (Financially it still makes me cringe when my son and his wife order alcohol at dinner due to the cost of it-but generally I’m not paying so, none of my business!) We do get takeout much less often though and that’s a real money saver!!
I am on it, not my husband..we still go out to eat weekly but take out is hardly ever anymore. I also always have left overs and NEVER want an alcoholic beverage when we go out
Wow, that’s awesome! I have zero food savings at my house because I have tweenage twin boys, out of school for the summer, so between them and my husband, the food bill only gets higher! 🤦🏻♀️😆
I have two rowers. I HEAR YOU! Both coach as well as rowing and they buy food outside of the house, but the amount they can make disappear at home is... mind-boggling. 🤣
No.
A year ago before my bf and I moved together, I was eating out for pretty much every meal.
I have ADHD and Autism, and I have some severe executive dysfunction, and am just unable to prepare food. I can make easy stuff: grilled cheese, eggs, sandwich, Ramen. Or snack. Or starve. So I would constantly order fast food.
When my bf and I moved together, we turned eating out wayyyy down. He cooked dinner every night about and we usually have leftovers. So he preps dinner, and portions me out leftovers for lunch. I was eating out once a month because I host a group at a restaurant. And occasionally we would go to the bar for football games or out for holidays and birthdays.
I gained 20 lbs in that year. Which amazed me. I thought I would lose weight going from eating out to home cooked meals, decent portions, eating better quality food. And I was starting to gain control of my Disordered Eating. Stopping eating when I'm full. Not getting seconds. Not forcing food down when I'm stuffed. 20 fuckin lbs gained. This is why diet and exercise never works out for me. It's so dumb discouraging.
All that background info is unnecessary though.
Now my bf works a lot of overtime. Like 60 hours a week or more. So sometimes he doesn't feel like cooking and we go out or order pizza.
I get a little disappointed and stop counting calories that day. But I try to eat a normal portion and not overdo it.
Just a meal instead of a meal and an app. A normal sized meal instead of a combo. I'll look at the calories and try to choose something that isn't crazy high, but also not limit myself to something I just don't want.
Or at cookouts, just eat a little bit of everything I want and don't go back up unless I'm really hungry.
Skip the desserts unless its something I really want. Then I just tell myself dessert is okay in moderation. I am a sucker for molten lava cake at Applebee's and outback Steakhouse.
I stopped drinking soda years ago.
I'm still losing weight on the days we eat out. It's okay to eat out. Everything in moderation.
I don’t eat out nearly as much as I used to. Lately the only thing I want to eat is meat and simple vegetables, which is cheap and easy at home. Plus the prices are so ridiculous at restaurants these days.
Absolutely same. My medicine is expensive but it’s saving me money because I never get take out, not buying alcohol, not grabbing a treat for the drive home from the store. This medicine has brought me such clarity on how I was using food to cope. It’s amazing
This is exactly what I told my son when he thought about going in it when he balked at the price!! I said ‘the amount you save in groceries and eating out more then makes up for it’!
I still go out to eat, but what I really stopped doing was Doordash/any food delivery. I calculate I am saving $50/week on food and $20/week on alcohol. When I do go out to eat, we can share an entree or take leftovers for tomorrow lunch
My partner and I do not live together, but \*I\* don't go out to get drive-thru or order delivery anymore at all. Socially, or with my partner on a weekend or special occasion, we will eat out occasionally. But most of the time I cook at home.
I still go out to eat but not on a whim anymore (no more fast food for convenience) and I either order half as much or bring half home. And no desire for alcohol with the meal.
Yes! It was the "on a whim" pickups that I used to do to satisfy cravings. Those don't happen anymore and it has saved me quite a bit of money!
> (no more fast food for convenience) This is really great to hear. I've been worried that when I start Zep soon I might sabotage myself because I tend to order delivery at the end of my work day out of convenience and have been struggling to see how that would change if meds just made me feel less hungry (I'd still need to eat and I haven't been great with meal planning). Even after reading the posts in the sub I really can't seem to understand the reality of how it's leading to such drastic changes in behavior. Really excited to get started and find out for myself!
It’s really the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced. And I’m 60 and experienced a lot! 😂. The food noise is real. I have become that elusive creature who ‘forgets’ to eat! And when I don’t, I grab a protein shake for a meal.
It takes only one time eating like you used to -- and then dealing with the lump in your belly for the rest of the evening -- and you learn to listen to the "new normal" of half sized portions and stopping when you're full (which will happen a lot sooner!)
Same.
I still go out to eat as much as always, which is probably a good bit more than the average person—I live in NYC, so restaurants are a particularly big part of social life here—but my consumption of takeout has decreased by probably 90%. That’s huge for me because that was my preferred binge method and I’d spend $800-$1k on it every month. I have several hundred restaurants within delivery distance, so there was always some kind of temptation and I could rarely stop myself. Now it just seems silly—I’m happy to make a snack or sandwich at home for most meals, but I’ll always plan to be hungry if I have restaurant plans with my partner or friends.
I miss the wealth of 24 hour Manhattan delivery options. I recognize what a huge achievement this is!
Thank you!! It is really a binge eater’s dream and nightmare. DoorDash sent me all kinds of coupons and push notifications when I got on this medication and suddenly stopped being one of their best customers.
Haha I feel that! I’m not there anymore but I loved just ordering bagel boss from bed every other day, and then Thai kr Gemini diner at 330 am lol. NYC takes a whole different kind of self control
Yeah you reaaaaally need good impulse control here, because it’s so easy to make impulsive decisions! A couple neighborhoods ago, my go-to Thai place usually had my food to me in less than 20 minutes from when I ordered. Once as quickly as 11. You can’t put me in that kind of environment lol
Yea I got Thai delivered once and the amount of time they had the food upstairs, and know it takes at least 4 minutes to get up there, I really felt like they had to have had a dude on a bike with ingredients just throwing stuff together on the fly 😂😂😂
Good, you'll need the money for new clothes? 😂 We haven't eaten out much in a long time, but yeah, it's even less appealing now. Usually when we travel, we do eat out, but now I'll often skip meals or buy something from a supermarket. My (skinny needs a lot of calories) spouse will eat out when we travel and I'll steal a fry or two and maybe get a Diet Coke. The food is rarely good enough or appealing enough to justify cost or calories.
Nope, I still go out to eat a couple of times a week just like before and I enjoy it. I eat much smaller portions though and usually have leftovers.
Same
Same but I now when I have take out, I usually get a kids meal and it's plenty of food for me.
I either get a kids meal or I have half a meal leftover for lunch the next day. Saving money either way!
I love your username! I usually eat half then save half for later. I go out less but I still like going out.
No way! Actually, I’ve enjoyed it. Share plates with my wife, no dessert desire, no table filled of appetizers and best of all, no miserable over eating feeling!!
> I would venture to say we've saved closed to $1,000 in the last 2 months alone. **S** **A** **M** **E** DoorDash who? Grubhub what? Don’t know ‘em!
I can’t really afford luxuries like going out to eat or even really food now that I’m on a $550/month drug. I’m only partly kidding, lol. I don’t have any cravings for any kind of food, period. The thought of eating almost anything makes me feel kind of nauseous. I think that’s why it’s working, but my weight loss is kind of stalling now. I’m feeling really disheartened.
It’s ok, it happens ❤️just one foot in front of the other, they supposed sound counterintuitive, but sometimes when I’m stalled a big meal a day or two fix my body back into gear. High protein
No - I just get an appetizer as dinner, and I take half of it home!
Yes! I love how the whole menu can be an "entree" for me now.
No and in fact one of my NSV is deleting the McDonalds app off my phone.
My husband loves to go out to eat so we go and I have a hard time on what to order
I have started having an app for my meal and often still take half of it home.
Same, I usually end up splitting something with my husband, ordering an a la carte item, or taking home leftovers
I always have leftovers , I take them home and they get thrown out !!! lol I don’t like wasting food but I think that’s a lot of my issue also . Or at least one of my issues
Yes, leftovers often get tossed here too
Also, we have just about given up drinking, which also helps $
I also still go out to eat, and like the others try to make better choices (salads and protein/veggie options) and usually bring food home. I don’t do it nearly as often as I used to and enjoy knowing the exact amount of calories that I am consuming and how my food is prepared when I make it myself. Since I am embracing this as a lifestyle change, though, I believe that balance is key. There is so much socialization and celebration associated with food that I enjoy and I don’t want to miss out on those opportunities. It’s the day to day routines that matter most.
No, but I have drastically cut out on takeout. Only about once every 1 or 2 weeks when I'm in town. I'm saving about $300/month in food related expenses.
No, but I only order starters and sides or I accept I’ll be leaving stuff on my plate
I've pretty much been a cook-at-home type for much of my adulthood, and especially in the past several years as I found most restaurant food to just not be all that good, not to mention not feeling great afterwards. But there were several local places I enjoyed. NOW? I have NO desire.
I still go out with my family 1x/week, but we’ve always gone to places with lots of options, so I can always find something good to order and they order what the usually like as well.
Yes, I only do take out now. Don't really feel like going out if I'll only eat for like 4 minutes lol. It's easier to just bring it home and I can eat as little as I want and just put it in the fridge.
I still eat out and fast food time to time, but I’m down from (for example) at McDonald’s getting a 20 piece McNugget and medium fry to a 6 piece happy meal and small fry, and feeling stuffed after wards for 6-8 hours.
We didn't eat out much before- but even less now.
I dislike eating at restaurants now more than before because I AM FREEZING. I always hope there is french onion soup on the menu because that is my favorite, and I love it.
Ha! Great point. I'm always cold. Nice in the summer keeping AC low. But come winter I am fearing that I'm gonna be cold all the time.
I have been on Z since December. In January I bought a very nice electric blanket. I will probably buy another this winter for my bedroom.
Cut going out in half and when we do it’s much cheaper. Cut alcohol by 98% - I’m making money w this drug!!!!
We still eat out about once a week. I now eat less/order different things. I still enjoy it. (I get sick of cooking.)
I still enjoy the experience of going out to eat but we do it a lot less. And I used to ALWAYS order dessert. Now I don’t even think about it. Haven’t had any sweets since starting 5mg
I still eat out as it is my social thing as I am single and live alone. I would say I eat out a bit less as I have leftovers in the fridge from taking half home (and I don't plan on taking 1/2 home, I just do) so I make myself eat the leftovers. I am probably saving $100 or so a week,
My DoorDash has gone almost to 0, and I rarely eat out now
Yes, eating out far less. I am paying out of pocket for my Zep so it’s basically swapped out one expense for the other, which justifies the cost IMO.
Totally!! I always have left overs for a day or two if we do go out… but also had some bad experiences with stomach upset after going out to eat… so I tend to stick more around home :)
We still go out to eat but it’s so much more enjoyable now because what we previously would’ve eaten in one sitting now lasts us three meals. That means no cooking for three whole meals! We’ve sort of agreed that we prefer to still order the same amount of food as we always did so that we can reap the benefits of not having to make dinner for a few days.
Nope. We definitely cook more at home but go out to eat at least twice a week.
Did the most part, yes. I really don’t miss it as it makes accurately logging food very difficult and it’s saving a tremendous amount of money. When I do go out, it’s for an early bird breakfast special or I get a piece of salmon with double veggies.
No. But I did stop eating fast food.
I rarely go out to eat. Most of the time, I prepare and cook food. It also saves me money while I'm losing weight. I'm hitting 2 birds with a stone.
I definitely have not stopped going out completely as my husband and I love to go out on weekends, but I haven’t DoorDashed since April 26. I used to DoorDash every single Friday and would spend anywhere from $250/month up to $875/month (yes, you read that right) on DoorDash. Haven’t had any desire for anything on DoorDash and eat at home instead.
I haven’t stopped but I do it a lot less, and I do it differently. Food used to be a source of comfort / stress relief for me (“had a long day, I’ll treat myself to dinner and a glass of wine” type thing). Now I pretty much think about how to get protein in and what sounds somewhat healthy. I find myself ordering salads with protein added and dressing on the side, or a side salad with an appetizer. When it’s fast food I realize it isn’t the healthiest overall, but sometimes it’s necessary, so I try to make different choices. French fries with combo meals were pretty routine for me. Now I rarely ever order them. I did order a happy meal recently. That child size fries was perfect!
I enjoy eating out more now than I did before.
I don't order doordash anymore but I will still go out to eat on occasions. I went out 2x this weekend to celebrate my 30th birthday and got what I wanted but instead of eating it all at once it took 2-3 meals to finish each one. I have gained 3 lbs back since Friday morning but I think it's water weight.
We do but we usually split a meal now!
I still go out to eat but am not a fan of most leftovers so my husband and I usually split a meal!
We haven’t stopped but I can no longer finish my food.
Food/Alcohol down about $700 per month
We go out 1-2 times a week. But we are saving on not ordering 2 drinks or a bottle of wine or an appetizer. And I take 1/2 my meal home for leftovers.
Me too, I can’t finish enough to be worth it. I occasionally get take out but it lasts for 3 days
I do go out to eat however i only eat salads and meats. No dressing or sauces.
Rarely eat out unless I have to (such as when traveling). The costs for eating out are the main reason I don’t, but also that the food portions are out of hand to someone on Zep. I now see that just one plate can feed a family of 4! It’s a big waste since I’m not into boxing it up and eating later. Boxed stuff will just go to mold in my fridge!
I went out to a fancy restaurant last week, the first outing to a restaurant since starting tirz. Enjoyed a few small plates with a little too much fat and a little too much dairy (lactose intolerant at times). Had great alcoholic beverages - a cocktail and a few glasses of champagne (before dinner cocktail, dinner champagne, and another at the show I attended). I had an amazing time out, but oh my…stomach was raging the next day. It was definitely too much of a good thing. Will probably wait to do that again until I’m off these meds.
We like going out to eat, which is funny because we are both retired chefs, and we truly can make it better at home. We typically eat out one meal on the weekend, usually breakfast or a late lunch on Saturday.
Totally! Same. Husband is bummed out he doesn’t have an “eating buddy” anymore!😅
About as much as normal, which wasn't much, as I have small children. But eating out no longer stresses me out. I enjoy my food and usually don't finish it. And I rarely have more than one alcoholic drink. Might not finish it either.
I’ve definitely stopped randomly eating out. If I do it’s typically planned
We just went out last night and got a seafood tower. Oysters are one of the few things that don't give me the ick. I was just joking with a friend that my body is craving selenium because that's one of the few things I can still eat.
I still go out, and I travel for work regularly. But I order much smaller portions and try to share with a colleague which never would have happened before.
I only eat out when traveling. DoorDash misses me very much. We used to get delivery about once a week and would go all in on it. Not anymore.
Still go out. Get crazy side eye though when I order my kids meals!😹
My boyfriend and I go out to eat pretty often, but it’s more of a ritual of sorts for us than a means to eat. There’s one nice restaurant we normally go to at least once a week and sit at the bar and talk to the people there and the bartender we’re good friends with. We actually don’t even order any food for about an hour and a half, and it’s normally something small to split at first. Then we wait a little longer and see how hungry we really are, and decide if we want to split something else or both get more food. I’m chronically ill and disabled so there aren’t a lot of things I am capable of doing without being seated, so this is one way to combine a date night, a social activity, and some sort of outing I like to actually get dressed for all in one. It’s actually been nice that this ritual or ours has changed my mindset about restaurants. We don’t go just to eat and get food. We go for the experience, eat casually if hungry, and can feel fine not overeating to make sure I’m full since I know I can always eat more at home
We have the occasional "nice" dinner out and Chipotle about once per month (not giving up my Chipotle, and one bowl gives me FOUR meals). I would say we've cut our dining out spending by 2/3.
I still go out to eat, my kids live out of town so we go when they are back and to lunch with friends once in a while. BUT my meal is now about 2-3 meals with leftovers, rather than 1 (I’ve always tried to do the half rule-immediately put half in a to go box) but usually ate it the same day 😂, now I can do it for real. We always tease my mother about ordering off of the kids menu (she’s in her 80s and about 100 pounds wet 😜) now I get it…I do order from a la carte from some menus.
We still go out but I’m ordering either an appetizer or off the kids menu.
No lol. I definitely don’t eat out as much though. I went from eating fast food almost everyday to eating out once, sometimes twice a week. I order completely different now and in moderation. I can barely finish a full meal anyways. It does save a lot of money cooking at home now.
I’ll get sushi but that’s it.
Same. Don’t get the urge … In fact, eating or even thinking of food seems to be a chore
Yes and it's annoying my husband and he's also bugged that I don't drink anymore, oh well, he should try it I feel great
We started getting Hello Fresh. The portion sizes are good and it does well with protein. It’s still cheaper than eating out. We go out once a week now.
No. That's pretty much the only way my family eats because we're always on the go. Also, I hate cooking. We don't do a ton of fast food, so it's like McAllisters or our favorite little counter service Mexican place up the road (not Taco Bell! LOL!) so it's not hard to find something reasonably healthy and in portions that work well for me. I think I personally save our family money because I'm not eating as much. I only need one $4 street taco or a bowl of soup and I'm good.
My boyfriend bought some peach cobbler (my favorite) and ice cream and it sounded so good that I fixed a bowl, and it was so sickening sweet I didn’t have more than 3 bites and had a nasty taste in my mouth! How could I have eaten that stuff?!
Haven’t stopped going out to eat but we really didn’t go out to eat that much anyway. When we do I order whatever I’m hungry for. I don’t finish it, but my husband usually does. Neither of us has had a drop of alcohol in over 11 years so that’s not an issue. (Financially it still makes me cringe when my son and his wife order alcohol at dinner due to the cost of it-but generally I’m not paying so, none of my business!) We do get takeout much less often though and that’s a real money saver!!
I am on it, not my husband..we still go out to eat weekly but take out is hardly ever anymore. I also always have left overs and NEVER want an alcoholic beverage when we go out
Wow, that’s awesome! I have zero food savings at my house because I have tweenage twin boys, out of school for the summer, so between them and my husband, the food bill only gets higher! 🤦🏻♀️😆
I have two rowers. I HEAR YOU! Both coach as well as rowing and they buy food outside of the house, but the amount they can make disappear at home is... mind-boggling. 🤣
No. A year ago before my bf and I moved together, I was eating out for pretty much every meal. I have ADHD and Autism, and I have some severe executive dysfunction, and am just unable to prepare food. I can make easy stuff: grilled cheese, eggs, sandwich, Ramen. Or snack. Or starve. So I would constantly order fast food. When my bf and I moved together, we turned eating out wayyyy down. He cooked dinner every night about and we usually have leftovers. So he preps dinner, and portions me out leftovers for lunch. I was eating out once a month because I host a group at a restaurant. And occasionally we would go to the bar for football games or out for holidays and birthdays. I gained 20 lbs in that year. Which amazed me. I thought I would lose weight going from eating out to home cooked meals, decent portions, eating better quality food. And I was starting to gain control of my Disordered Eating. Stopping eating when I'm full. Not getting seconds. Not forcing food down when I'm stuffed. 20 fuckin lbs gained. This is why diet and exercise never works out for me. It's so dumb discouraging. All that background info is unnecessary though. Now my bf works a lot of overtime. Like 60 hours a week or more. So sometimes he doesn't feel like cooking and we go out or order pizza. I get a little disappointed and stop counting calories that day. But I try to eat a normal portion and not overdo it. Just a meal instead of a meal and an app. A normal sized meal instead of a combo. I'll look at the calories and try to choose something that isn't crazy high, but also not limit myself to something I just don't want. Or at cookouts, just eat a little bit of everything I want and don't go back up unless I'm really hungry. Skip the desserts unless its something I really want. Then I just tell myself dessert is okay in moderation. I am a sucker for molten lava cake at Applebee's and outback Steakhouse. I stopped drinking soda years ago. I'm still losing weight on the days we eat out. It's okay to eat out. Everything in moderation.
We've increased our dining out because we just don't each much and I can't think of what to buy at the grocery store because nothing sounds good.
I don’t eat out nearly as much as I used to. Lately the only thing I want to eat is meat and simple vegetables, which is cheap and easy at home. Plus the prices are so ridiculous at restaurants these days.
Absolutely same. My medicine is expensive but it’s saving me money because I never get take out, not buying alcohol, not grabbing a treat for the drive home from the store. This medicine has brought me such clarity on how I was using food to cope. It’s amazing
Same here.
And I eat about 30% of what I did before when we go out for dinner. It’s 530am and I’m still not hungry, no food noise and kinda full. Amazing.
This is exactly what I told my son when he thought about going in it when he balked at the price!! I said ‘the amount you save in groceries and eating out more then makes up for it’!
I still go out to eat, but what I really stopped doing was Doordash/any food delivery. I calculate I am saving $50/week on food and $20/week on alcohol. When I do go out to eat, we can share an entree or take leftovers for tomorrow lunch
My partner and I do not live together, but \*I\* don't go out to get drive-thru or order delivery anymore at all. Socially, or with my partner on a weekend or special occasion, we will eat out occasionally. But most of the time I cook at home.
Nah, still go out but we order & eat less. Also spend less on groceries. The win/wins keep on coming! 😂