7 Ways to Reduce the High Calorie Cost of Restaurant Eating

Here are seven tips for getting the calories out of restaurant
meals while still ordering your favorites.

1. Say NO to Super Sizing. The size you ordered is
already too big. Stop super sizing and you’ll save money. Better
still, order one dinner and ask for an extra plate. Many
restaurants will do this for a dollar or two, and it’s well
worth it. Then share the meal with your friend and you split the
cost straight down the middle. Another option is to order from
the so called “appetizer” menu. Two people could order three
entrees, one dessert and split the whole thing and it’s still a
ton of food!

2. Skip the Bread and Rolls. Most family
restaurants still serve a bread basket with your meal. Unless
it’s a fresh baked loaf or some really special bread, just skip
it. You don’t need to fill up on ordinary bread when you’re
paying good money for a meal. Just ask for it to be taken away
if you can’t resist, but frankly, you’re an adult, you can
resist, if you want to. You can simply choose not to put a roll
on your plate. Try it, just once and see if you don’t walk out
of that restaurant feeling strangely powerful.

If you can’t skip the rolls, at least skip the butter. That’s
right. Eat it plain. Whole grain bread is delicious all by
itself.

3. Stop Ordering Drinks. Soft drinks are a huge
cash cow for restaurants. For pennies they sell you a squirt of
syrup and carbonated water and act like they’re doing you a big
favor by only charging you $1.29 for a giant 64 ounce soda.
Start saving those dollars. Especially if you’re ordering “to
go” skip the drink. If you’re eating it there, ask for water, or
at least switch to diet drinks. Never drink “fat pop.”

4. Slow Down You Eat Too Fast! What’s the rush?
Take your time, savor the moment, enjoy the flavors. A big part
of getting in touch with your hunger signals and learning to eat
what really will satisfy is learning to recognize the subtle
signs of hunger. You won’t know when you’re approaching
satisfaction if you’ve gobbled everything down in five minutes.
Take a bite then notice how many times do you chew before you
start wanting to swallow? Once, twice? Make an effort to chew
your food and your body will be much happier. A very large part
of digestion begins in your mouth, not to mention you’ll get
much more pleasure if you let the food linger.

5. Trim Visible Fat and Skin. I know, you really
love the skin–of course you do, it tastes good, it should, it’s
pure fat. Do you want to get leaner, or do you want to eat fat?
You choose. I never eat chicken skin and never eat the visible
fat hanging off a steak, good taste or no. You have to decide
what you want more, the second’s worth of pleasure of a yummy
taste, or a lifetime of carrying around an extra 40 lbs? I know
this is counter to the low carb crowd’s belief that fat is good,
carbs are evil, but I’ve maintained an 80 pound weight loss for
18 years without dieting and I don’t eat visible fat or skin.
Enough said.

6. Ask for a Doggie Bag at the Beginning of Meal.
When the food is served, immediately portion off some to take
home for tomorrow. Most restaurants in the US serve way too
much. There is no law you have to eat it all. Do this frequently
and soon you’ll find you’re getting an extra lunch out of that
meal.

7. Read Restaurant Confidential by Michael F.
Jacobson and Jayne Hurley, and start checking out how many
calories you’re really eating. If you eat out frequently and you
carry extra weight, then that’s probably the problem right
there. This little book can help you realize why it seems you
don’t eat that much yet you can’t lose any weight. Hardees
recently introduced a new burger that clocks in at just under
1200 calories all by itself! Now that’s frightening.

If you really want to get a handle on your weight problem, look
first to where you eat, second at what you eat, and third how
much you eat. Where, What and How Much? Try these steps choosing
one tip at a time, and see how easily you can take some of the
calories out of restaurant food.

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