Day 42: Eating Out

Today was a Holiday here, Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday.  A very good friend of mine and I went out to eat this afternoon.  I think this might one of the first times I've eaten out since re-joining WW.  I haven't told this particular friend that I joined WW.  She's skinny, and always has been.  Although she was very supportive the first time I joined, I found that she didn't quite understand some of the issues involved with trying to lose weight.  Plus, if this is a change of eating habits for me, and a lifelong commitment, then I don't see why people should know.  It's just me, lol.  I find it easier to stay On Plan when everyone else doesn't know.

Breakfast was two packets of Quaker Weight Control oatmeal (8P+) with a banana mixed in, and two cups of skim milk (4P+), for a total of 12 Points Plus.

I figured that we would probably go out for lunch or dinner (we usually do, she doesn't cook much), so after I had breakfast I started looking online for nutrition information for places we like to eat.  I ended up narrowing it down to Friday's or Ruby Tuesday, two of our favorites.  I looked online and put together a meal at each place that I was happy and willing to spend the Points Plus on.  She asked me later in the afternoon if I knew where I'd like to go, and I told her the two I thought of.  She was thinking Ruby Tuesday, so that's where we went!

I love, I mean LOVE the salad bar at Ruby Tuesday!  I'm not a big salad person, so this is quite feat!  I decided I would have the unlimited salad bar and they have a plain grilled salmon.  I prefer my food grilled and cooked plain anyway, so this was nice to have found online earlier in the morning.  I did not want any of the side dishes, I figured the salad would be my side dish.  So, I told the waitress I did not want the side dishes, and she gave me the salad bar for free!  I didn't expect that, but it was nice! 

So, what did I have on my salad?  Lots of good stuff :)  Lettuce, carrots, onions, tomato, lean ham, green peppers, grapes, and light ranch dressing.  I apologize the photo is blurry - I did not realize it until I got home!

 I counted 5 P+ for the salad dressing, 3 P+ for the croutons and 1 P+ for the ham on the salad.  If you've never had Ruby Tuesday's croutons they are to die for!!  They are made from pumpernickel and are made there.  They are slightly crunchy on the outside and slightly soft on the inside.  They are especially good if they are warm when you get them!

I also had their plain grilled salmon:

I counted 4 P+ for the salmon.  My whole meal out came to 13 Points Plus.  I realize this may not be entirely accurate, but I feel I made a pretty good effort in determining the P+ for the foods, and estimating the portion sizes.  Also, I ended up with 13 Points Plus for the week left over, so I'm sure that made up for anything I didn't get exactly right.

I wasn't hungry until later that night when I got home, and I had two packets of oatmeal (8P+) with frozen fruit in it, and two cups of milk to drink (4P+) before I went to bed.

I ended up eating a total of 37 Points Plus today, and using 2 of my weekly Points Plus Allowance.

Weigh In is tomorrow!