Eating out

I never use eating out as a treat! Eating out shouldn't be something you have to "earn". It has to be part of your normal LIFESTYLE.... this isn't a diet!!

Never order salad with dressing- either get it on the side then dip your fork into it, or better yet- ask for salsa as your dressing!

Chicken breast: grilled!!
Fish: grilled!!

Ask for the veggie of the day instead of rice or potatoes.

Ask the server to NOT leave bread, chips, etc on your table.

A lot of restaurants list the calories (Noodles and Company for example) or most have Nutritional Guides if you ask, to make a better decision.

I've even been known to take in my OWN dressing in an inconspicuous container for salad, and my own bottle of "I can't believe it's not butter" spray for my baked potato at Texas Roadhouse

But lately, I've been enjoying the baked potato plain, just add some salt and pepper and I'm good to go. I dip my fork in salad dressing (I used to have a little salad with my dressing; now I use next to none).

I like the shrimp with the Med Salad at Noodles and Company... the Fruit n Chicken salad at Chick Fil A... the 6 oz steak, baked potato, salad at Texas Roadhouse... Egg White English Muffin with lots of veggies at Subway... at Mexican restaurants I'll order a salad with either shrimp or grilled fish and I'll ask for black beans on it, with salsa as the dressing.

Name a restaurant, I can tell you what to order. LOL...

okay thank you everyone great advice...i hate when im craving pizza but going to go for the salad lol

Passing up pizza isn't living! We eat pizza once a week! I know what day we're having it (usually Thursdays, but for whatever reason we didn't have it tonight) and plan your day accordingly. And two slices will actually suffice

and I too will try to look up nutrition info ahead of time on the restaurant and stick to the healthier calorie options and plan ahead of time, what I will be ordering. Most restaurants these days have a "healthier" option section on their menu's so I always look for that as well!

The web is your friend, as a lot of people have already responded by suggesting checking the online menu and know pretty much what you'll eat before you get there. Before the web, it was word of mouth, or reading a restaurant review or something. Now one has the facts with the web, and if you have a smart phone you have all this at your fingertips anywhere. One can also pretty much figure on standard restaurants serving 3x what is a normal portion of something, so that immediate doggie bag is a good idea. Some restaurants are going to be more challenging than others to find healthy options and some will be easier. It also depends on where one lives too. Usually in a bigger city there's more of a choice of eateries including ethnic ones that often have wonderful food that can fit into one's caloric budget if one chooses wisely. Water only for a beverage, have the bread basket taken away, if one has a choice of sides get the leanest simplest ones. If there's some special item you can't pass up, split it with someone, and make the rest of your meal lighter if possible. Another thing to consider, especially when with other people, is not to make a huge deal out of your diet, however strict it might be - just quietly order what you can eat. If someone asks, just say that everything looks wonderful and yummy but you really do have to stick to your plan for health reasons from your last doctor's appointment. Medical reasons usually shut people up.
Restaurants aren't going away anytime soon, so one has to learn how to navigate, which kinds to go with and which are obvious no-no's, as in, no matter how one slices it, there's not one healthy thing on the menu.

Usually, I order certain things without sauces or dressings(in the case of salads). Things can be a bit high in sodium content, but depending on the place you can order to specifics. I always look for low calorie options and "lunch" servings -- they're often plenty and they're cheaper too. If you can, specify that you want steamed veggies without butter, and get butter or dipping sauces on the side so you control how much you want to take in.

If you ever go to Outback, I highly suggest the Steakhouse Salad. It's a delicious combo of some of their sirloin, and you get a wonderful salad too. It satisfies the steak-craving for me.

I never eat at the types of restaurants that have calorie counts. IMO, restaurant food is always unhealthy. So I'd rather eat at home the majority of the time, and then when I do eat at a restaurant, really make it special.

look up the nutrition info ahead if you know where ur going. helps to get an idea

Be prepared with a game plan! Research dining options, decide on a meal and know what you're going to order BEFORE you get there. And make sure you're not STARVING when you get there! That will ensure you don't make any rash decisions out of weakness and HUNGER! lol