How do you eat sensibly when you go out?

Create your own dish and ask for different ingredients you see on the menu.

For example: steamed veggies covered in the house marinara sauce with grilled chicken on top.

Well, i know it is hard, but eating out two or three days in a row will almost alwas undo your week, it is best to do it once a week or at least space it out better, not three consecutive days.

Salads are good but often times the cheese, meat, and dressing that are added are almost the same as eating an entree

try splitting your meal into two potions, box half up immediately before eating that way you are not tempted to eat the whole plate

order whole grains and brown rice, wheat pastas or crusts instead of white because it makes your body work harder to process it, therefore buring more calories

order an apatizer instead of a meal, my husband and I usually order a small side salad and split an apatizer or entree

drink lots of water and try to order low sodium, eating out can pack on the water weight not just the fat

eat fiber or veggies before meat or carbs, hopefully you will want to eat less because the fiber adn veggies is filling

I eat activia light yogurt (70 calories) before eating big meals it makes me so full that I only eat a little, so i get to enjoy it but not over do it

good luck!

Split the entree with your SO or a friend.

I'm the same! I make sure I go for a run in the morning and try to make my plans for lunch (instead of dinner so I can have a light dinner) or an early dinner (with a light lunch). Sometimes it's brunch or lunner.

I usually get a salad to bulk up the meal (dressing on the side) and steer clear of pastas. I usually opt for grilled/baked/BBQ foods.

In asian cuisine I order thai beef salad or Chicken Chow Mein. If I want rice, I order it boiled with prawns in oyster sauce or BBQ pork.

Pizza? I love. I make my own! Failing that, I order the gluten free ones or vegetarian!

Hope this helps

Portion control
Portion control
Portion control

For instance- I just ate at one of my favorite restaurants the other day- an Indian place where it is Fat City with all of the ghee and sauces. I ate small portions of the sauced dishes, a moderate portion of the lean Tandoori grilled meat, and loaded up on the vegetables.

At my favorite Thai restaurant, I estimate my favorite dish is about 1,000 calories. Even though I want to suck the whole thing down, I only eat half and bring home the other half for another meal.

One of the biggest weight loss challenges I face is eating out. Since I'm a foodie, eating out is something I can't fully give up. But I've managed to limit it to the weekends -- Friday nights, Saturdays and Sundays. However, all the hard work I put in during the week -- of eating low calorie healthy foods -- is undone during the weekends. Has anyone faced a similar challenge? What are sensible food choices while eating out? I live in India, but I mostly eat Italian, Chinese or Indian food when I go out. And yes, pizza is my weakness. And I only stick to white meat. I'd appreciate any suggestion. Thanks in advance.

I really don't understand how people have a problem going out to eat.

1) if the portions are huge, don't eat all of it. Ask for a box WHEN you order the meal. As soon as the meal comes, put half of it in the box and don't touch it.

2) don't order a dinner entree. Try something from the lunch menu.

3) drink water and don't order alcohol before your food arrives.

You're shooting yourself in the foot if you work hard throughout the week to just undo yourself on the weekends. Stop wasting your energy, burn through out the week and make sensible choices on the weekends and you wont be wasting

I tend to drink a lot of water so when I go out i make sure i drink the same amount as if I were eating at home.
I also stop and look at what I eat while i'm eating it and I tend to eat slow anyways as it is.

however, i do have my moments where i just indulge and not pay attention at all.

If available I check the menu and nutritional info online, and make a decision before I get there.

Its all about portion control. I'm sure that you have heard this a million times and if you can go with someone that you could split food with it would help with the portions.....it really just depends on how badly you want to lose weight. Good Luck.

I think eating out all together is bad whenn ur dieting. But good job with limiting it to the weekends. You have to start somewhere. If I have to eat out I avoid any sort of bread bun or tortilla (flavorless calories) for instance if I eat at del taco I order 3 chicken soft tacos...no tortillas...all on a plate. Its like a salad and tastes exactly the same as the taco. I don't miss the tortilla at all. I avoid the junk (fries, onion rings anything and everything fried) id rather use my calories on something useful like a grilled chicken breast with a slice of melted cheese and I never order dessert or drink I bring water wherever I go.