Social Butterfly

I go out a lot more than I wish I did with friends for lunch also. I use Calorie King to check out the nutritional info before arriving to the restaurant of choice and try to find something. If it is a surprise, and I arrive without a plan, I try to make a good decision, but I always only eat half (order something that you can take home as take out that is easy to re heat) I usually end up throwing it away, but it is nice to leave the restaurant feeling like I won!
I have been doing this since Christmas and have seen a dramatic weight loss. I also carry a calorie counter book with me that contains more of the popular restaurants nutritional info.

Good Luck!
Melissa

I have the same issue. I eat out almost every day for lunch. I NEVER go for fast food. It's just impossible. and there are a few restaurants that I avoid because they don't offer any healthy choices on their menu's. I ask them not to bring any bread, peanuts, or chips to the table (depending on what they serve as before's) . I don't ever order potatos or rice. I usually order a broiled/grilled fish or chicken and substitute veggies for the rice or potatos. I have beef occasionally if they offer a lean choice. If I have a salad I make sure that they don't put cheese or bacon on it and then go for a low fat dressing (or balsamic) on the side, so I can control the portion size. Also, most places I go to offer lunch or light portions which are much smaller than the normal dinner portions. Oh, and no matter how badly I want a diet soda or other calorie beverage I opt to save the calories and the money and order water.

I actually find that I eat just as healthily, if not more so, than when I stay home. It's also nice becasue it breaks up the day and helps me to alleviate the stress from the job. I find that if I eat at my desk I make poor choices or don't realize how much I'm eating.

If you are eating out...Know the key menu words. Here is a copy of a post I put in Dec. It helped me a lot. Good luck to you.

Sat 11/24/07 07:08 PMThey are small words. They can be easy to miss. They slip off your tongue as you order your food, without even knowing what you are saying. Yet they mean the difference between a healthy or unhealthy meal. What are these unassuming potential land mines? "Menu Watch Words" -- and it pays to keep your eye on them.

Going out to eat is a lot of fun. You’re having a good time and you might not always think about what’s best for you. You can avoid the next morning "why did I eat that" hangover by planting a few gentle reminders, well-placed whispers in your ear.

Did you know that consultants travel the country helping restaurants say just the right things on their food menus? Unless you ask the server about the preparation of each item, it’s hard to know for sure what’s really healthy and unhealthy. For example, the word "breaded" can add five times as much fat to your meal as the word "grilled." You can fight back by translating the consultants’ wordcrafting into something useful.

Not all "Menu Watch Words" are bad. When you go out to eat, just go prepared. Know which words to look for and which to avoid. Below is a quick hit list of Green Flag "Safe" and Red Flag "Warning!" food options
The watch words below are a guide. Still, food items can be very healthy or unhealthy regardless of the use of any of these words. For example, "fat free" food is often packed with sugar and calories to get it to taste better. There are times when these words are used to mislead you (which is why we call them "watch words" and not guarantees). So use this along with your good judgment to steer clear of the bad stuff. More often than not, you’ll end up making a smart decision.

Good luck and keep your eyes open.

GREEN FLAG
(Potentially Good for You)
Baked
Boiled
Broiled
Fat free
Fresh
Grilled
High Fiber
Light
Marinated
Multi-grain
Poached
Red sauce
Reduced
Roasted
Seasoned
Steamed
Stir-Fried
Vegetarian
Vinaigrette
Whole Wheat



RED FLAG
(Probably Bad for You)
Au gratin
Basted
Battered
Bearnaise (or hollandaise)
"Bet you can't finish it"
Bottomless
Braised
Breaded
Buttery / Buttered
Casserole
Cheesy
Country-style
Covered
Creamed / Creamy
Crispy
Crunchy
Escalloped
Fried / Deep fried
Giant
Loaded
Platter
Smothered
Stewed
Stroganoff
Stuffed
Value
Volcano
White Sauce