How do I handle going out to eat??

Search the menu online before you go out.

Plan ahead.

Does the restaurant post it's nutritional values online? If it does, great! Pick something that fits your goals.

If it doesn't post nutritional values, does it at least post its menu. Most restaurants do. Prelog what you want to eat. I tend to keep it simple when I have to go this route. Steak, veggies, mashed potatoes. Or chicken, veggies, rice. Etc. It's easier to log with simpler meals like that. Else, pick something in the food database that is similar from another restaurant.

If you can't pick anything that will fit your goals, pick something reasonable and only eat half. Most restaurant meals are in the 1000 calorie range. I would have a hard time fitting 1000 calories, but I can fit 500 just fine. Then I have another 500 meal that I can eat the next day too.

The biggest thing is to plan and log it ahead of time. I log everything I'm planning on eating down to the drinks and bread/butter. It helps me stick to it when I'm there.

Plan ahead. I try to find menus and nutrition counts for the planned place (or somewhere similar if it's not available). I have a hard time picking what I want in the first place, so figuring out what I want to get helps with the that as well.

I also usually ask for a box early on or if they can box half ahead of time so I'm not going to over eat (I'm about a half portion eater anyways, so I'm going today end up boxing half unless I'm starving).

Enjoy your night out to eat. One meal isn't going to set you back.

FYI most chain restaurant salads are 600-1200 calories. Texas Roadhouse grilled chicken breast is over 1000, for JUST the grilled chicken breast. It's like 3 times a normal serving and soaked in butter juice..

I find appetizers and drinks are both wastes for me when dining out. If I get a drink it's usually a wine spritzer or a bloody mary, the spritzer is preferred as I sip it and it lasts longer.
I have a few friends that I do plate sharing with, none of us eats a full plate and leftovers just don't work well with some foods. If it works as leftovers I typically split the food in half on my plate and take half home.
Also don't be afraid to ask to have 2 servings of veggies instead of the rice or pasta or potato option if that's what you want, most places don't have a problem with that at all.

As for dessert all I'm going to say is this is the 1 thing I don't avoid, if I truly want dessert I have it but again I have friends to share desserts with so we'll order a few different desserts and nibble on each. Usually for me a bite of each dessert is plenty and I feel like I fully enjoyed the entire meal.

Hopefully that helps a little and as the poster above mentioned, check the menu online beforehand if that's an option.

I eat out at restaurants a ton for work. Here's my usual route: get an entree salad with grilled chicken or salmon, make sure it doesn't have a ton of cheese / croutons / creamy sauce on it, ask for light dressing on the side, and don't eat a bunch of bread and butter if it comes beforehand. Done and done!

Plan ahead. Don't drink your calories. Avoid the telling words: creamy, crispy, battered, tempura etc. With nicer restaurants you can ask that they substitute a side for vegetables and make sure that you ask that the veggies be steamed. Many places will cook it in butter or some other fat if you don't. Get salad dressings and sauces on the side and use the fork method to eat them (dip your fork lightly in the dressing and then spear your salad so you get some dressing but not too much).

You can always ask for something simple, like steamed vegetables, when you order. Typically, restaurants are pretty flexible and capable of getting you something you don't feel horrible about eating. They'd rather have you paying them than not eating.

Also, you can do all these things to get blander, healthier meat n' veggies food at restaurants... Or, if you prefer, you can view your restaurant outings as treats and just order whatever you like. Just eat less of it. Get half to take home and eat it tomorrow for lunch.

This isn't a diet; it's a lifestyle change for life. You don't have to spend the rest of your life avoiding restaurants or foods you enjoy. That's not sustainable. Just eat in moderation and have fun!

A lot of restaurants nowadays have healthy menu options, like Applebee's Under 600 Calorie menu - just an example, but a lot of your bigger chain restaurants have these options. Even the small family-owned restaurants in my area are catching on and offering healthy alternatives. I normally pick from these menus if we dine out - unless it's a cheat meal - then I eat whatever I want.